| Show VALLEY 1 vo CEs W A WAL L GEORGE MARSH E Eh EI h I OF rr TOILERS OF THE TRAIL THE WHELPS C THE WOLF w rL V m t by byTHE THE PENN PUBLISHING CO CHAPTER Continued IX-Continued IX Continued 14 14 You met mt th that t skunk did you sou your he rasped Ills his control gone one Then get getting get get- getting ting himself in hand hail he lie went wont on And And th J people nt Wailing River Ither did did you stop there Could the lie free trailer have rend read the thoughts of the man man- man who faced fac d himas him ns as he asked for news of the doomed post he would he ns as on one starts at nt the warning of a n ruttier rattler Forthe the mention of Wallin Walling Hh River r stIrred a fierce desire In Ste Steele le to mangle le lewith with hIs lils bare hands the man who thou thought ht to obtain Denise St ing n hy by bribery the But the But th bronzed fh face of the American masked Ills his turbulent thoughts as he lI Intentionally drawled watching e eyes es Well Weli Its It's a long lon Ion story Queer case Wallin Wailing River liver very ery Interesting to an like ethnologist like m myself sel f They've had hada liada a hard summer Steele knew from the quick quId Interest In the other others other's fare face tint that he had won won- won that however deep was Latin tomes tome's dIstrust of his motives mothes In taking the trail the desire for news of the girl Irl at nt Walling River nI for an inkling of the nature of St St On Onge's es e's answer to his offer would result In an nn Ita In Invitation tion Uon to spend the night nt at the post And he smiled Inwardly as the man man- manner manner ner of swiftly changed ed Mademoiselle St was Onge-was was she shewell shewell well hardly Why Why ns as to that I hardly know what to say St Steele ele answered Las Las celles celle celIe showed up there just as ns I left What hat Lascelles at Walling t Riv nl River er exploded patently knocked off ofT his bis feet at the news Vs What what has hns happened lies lie's not going to marr marry her this tills fall No Xo hes he's not going to mar marry her her- her this fall So emphatic was Steeles Steele's tone tone-so EO final the statement that It drew from a 0 sidelong glance of curiosity in the lie course ot or his rest rest- restless restless restless less pacing of the landing What brought him up river rl then h this o trouble lied Steel Steele anxious to learn If Pierre hall had brought the news to The e eyebrows ebros of or tile the Frenchman lifted In surprise Windigo o c trouble What do you rou Sir Mr Ir Stele Steele Steele was confident that Laflamme was dissembling Why haven't ha you yon hc heard ard that the Walling valley Is overrun by Ly man man eat eat ing Ing- lie he h laughed lau hc closely watching Laflamme's dark face But though before tile the trader hall had made no effort to conceal his lils emo emo- emotion emotion tion lion at Jt the mention of or St S1 Onge Stele Steele now looked Into cr cryptic eyes Mon Ion DIcu no You mean to say that the Indians are arc frightened 7 Yes you ou ml might ht call It that sa said III Steel Steele facetiously although I think that I r would make malte It a lIlt bit stronger You dont don't believe belleve In the Windigo Mon Mon- Mon Monsieur Ion Ion- shear smiled d You are a Joker Mr Steele We e will di discuss eus the lie Indan superstition tonight ht over ex some some a ex excellent whisky If you ou like You will III do me the honor lionor to dine with me and me my sister sister Mademoiselle Rose Hose La La- La lamme flamme Thank you And Steele accota accompanied pooled h by Antoine of the scarred face returned to the canoe delighted that his Interview w which had hall started so FO In In- In auspiciously in-auspiciously hind bad closed with an In I Invitation tation to pass at nt least one night at nt the post t While nc Re shaved sha and find changed his clothes In the shack assigned to hint him and whither Laflamme with marked etl hospitality had sent hot water from Ills his kitchen Steele held a n council of olwar war with David hl who aho had hind made etude a hasty hasty hasy of or thc lie post you YOU see sec Pierre 1 No but I smell plenty whisky on de InJun How flow many ninny hunters are ure there here hen st still 1111 tips seven seven here QU Queer lr wen I ask wh why de dry dey arc are not nol on orde de trap lines one aile of dm dem say sa dey d y not hunt dees long snows How lIow many post servants has lias he h there got got there are me eight cabIns Good DId Id they speak of Walling River or orthe orthe the lol No h hy do you Ou I suppose he Is fe feeding all nil these the e bush Indians what Indians Is he heusing i using them diem for Davids David's dark lark features stiffened ns as a hits lils hl eyes ens sou sought ht a crack In the floor Steel Steele paused In hIs Ills shaving to glance Iane i quizzically at hIs Ills friend Oil Oli well he laughed I suppose i youve you've promised Michel not to tell 1 me what you ou think of or anything you ou yo i ee ce here 1 I must musi watt walt until No cm Ier Novena Novena- Time ly ro rose e rested a hand on i the shoulder of his chief het ees i not so bos boa but I 1 promise Michel rUchel 1 you OU know all nil right David ld I want you rou i 10 0 keep keell your promise but dont don't you ou i see iee that I 1 might get more out of La- La La Hamme tonight If I l knew what you mill and MIchel had In our heads beads David shook his lead head Laflamme ees smart man tuna He lie tell you ou Nothing about what Steele bout Pierre Plene to stare de le bout Injun Injun bout bout de fur trade from froin St St Onge meld wid whisky Well eli possibly be Jle wont won't tull talk milk but Ill I'll give gl him hint a good opening I IThe The living hiring room In the comfortable quarters of Louis Laflamme was u a revelation elatIon to the man who w ho anticipated flailing the rude furnishing typical or of fur posts The shelves of hoos the much furniture furniture much of nr It brought from the railroad by canoe canoe- canoe the large the pictures were Indicative of tastes which hard hard- hardly hardly ly Iy squared with the reputation of time the trader You are extremely comfortable here he said as Laflamme led him Into the room Youre fond of mu- mu music music mu music sic Alt Ah Alii l I Theres There's where flere this tills lire life lie Is barren monsieur Impulsively el re- re replied re replied plied piled the lie Frenchman Wh Why Ive I've hitched m my dogs and traveled clear to the railroad In the middle ot or winter to hear henr some music Its It's the thing I miss and anti the phonograph Is cold I Ilire tire lire of It It If I played myself but T i dont don't Then Laflamme turned a tense face on Steele Did DItl she play wIllie while you OU were at Jt the post For an Instant the muscles of Steeles Steele's body stiffened To speak as asa asa a 3 stranger of Denise St Ongo Onge e with time the man who wl o hind plotted ruthlessly to tot tol t l I Yes Yos It I Is My it Ii Home me but I 1 Seldom fee ee It win over her to father father to buy her sick sick- sickened end ened him Yet menace though he lie was to th the post at ot Walling Wailing River his hatred and jealousy of Lascelles IIII ht be put lt to good use If the offEred and Steele Intended to pla play upon on those passions of his lils host thIs very night Mademoiselle St SL Onge seemed to tob b he greatly depressed and pla played Nl the few days I was then there there then Las Las- Lascelles Las celles appeared lie hp sold said She despises the do dog and yet he helias has openly boaster boasted nt ut Albany Albiny he would marry her sneered Laflamme I J dont don't think he lie ever will threw out Steele lI lighting the cigarette passed him and watching the play 1118 of emotion on tI th e Handsome face of the theother theother other VII Because she slie would kill herself herselt bet first Nonsense Women onen dont don't do It monsIeur monsieur scoffed the trader but hut the look o of ap- ap approval ro which h Steele caught lit belled belied the lime lie words was elemental To him her I was preferable rahle to having ha her herI herthe I the wife of Lascelles Steele writhed In his chair as tine the theother tb other paced p ced back and forth but the th welfare of the girl Irl at Walling River demanded that he lie smother nil 1111 out out- outward ward reflection of his thoughts so he h fought himself Into a state slate of at the mention of her he IIa name me nc necessary If he were to draw w wout out hIs lils host Monsieur Laflamme stopped his hi hl pacing and glared down at nt the man mai smoking In the chair you ou arc are right 1 I Then lien as liS lie Ice wall walked to the lie end of or the room added She will ne nc er er marry ma rry that rot rat of if the lime Hc she people people sin will HI marry me marry me me You seem cern hard hartl hit lilt said Steele Although she spent but one even evening In with her lIer father ither and aud myself I found foun 1 her charming and I congratulate I you She Sin Is the thc the Rose Hose I And I both men looked up to see sec a I enter time the room Steele got ro to 0 his feet I lo Rose e this tills Is Monsieur Steele I The woman who Joined them item ond- ond I to his lils surprise-said surprise surprise said I In In English wIth nn on accent Monsieur you mire lire veree welcome Iome was not al mall nil Il Steele hail had expected 11 to find ot lake hike Instead of belonging to tn a type mm e or less loss common to the frontier 1 railroad towns the clue girl gin hl posing po as the sister of Laflamme was unde undeniably 11 e handsome with a mn mass of straight black hair and the olive skin which so often character Octer characterizes characterizes izes the lie quarter or pi eighth blood For l or tint t she wn w was ns n a breed lie he hud had no mo doubt douht extending a n round arm she slie gave ga St Steele ete her hel hand band with something more than thun the pressure demanded by hos- hos lios as her white teeth hashed In Ina ina Ina a smile Il It 11 Is kind of you mademoiselle to take me In tonight ht he said and the thought shaped Itself swiftly as her thick hed e eyes es made malic a bold hold ap ap of the lime lie stranger at nt O ola that this girl rl of whom hom had tired might ha have knowledge Imo Invaluable might even enn h by the J adroit use of her evident e lI of vanity betray the plans the lord of lake Inke For that she should be In of the lie infatuation InfatuatIon tion Ion of the la latter for Denise St St Onge was unlikely Oh Ob la Ia la In Ket Piet ees ces to ourselves ps we are nIe I kind hes ees eel not so Louis Yes monsieur Jr replied with n a leer ICE Judging from flom the toIlet of mademoiselle one should sa say it Is Isto isto Isto to Hose Rose that hat you ou are ore kind You Yon have e not worn that tiling thing In months Rosy Rose Nn Xo I hll had d reason I do 10 not waste myself on the blind Ah h t t nut But monsieur Is not blind eh ch No Xo man ees blind who has lias been months een the north with no one but the squaws to see se eh Monsieur Steele And she smiled suggestive suggestive- suggestively suggestive sUgg suggestively ly Iy Into Steeles Steele's amused eyes Then Ihen her face darkened Oh I forgot monsieur ur has las come from from Walling WaIlIng River she said In a n low lo tone husk husky with emotion Good thought Steele she knows and will tal talk Then he lie gambled with One can never see too ninny many beautiful women mademoiselle Oh you think her beautiful eh replied Roee HOk-e Laflamme Laflamme tapping tapping- the floor with the toe of her slipper Louis say she slie ees not Come monsieur Interrupted tine the trader with a scowl at time the speaker ns as an Ojibway woman stood 1 In Jn the doorway announcing dinner As they seated themselves s nt at the table Steele was highly optimistic of what his sta stay at the post might ht dis dis- disclose disclose his his- close Whether hether Laflamme had decided d to take hIm at his WOl word or or still sus sus- sus suspected his Ills presence plesence at David had more chance of or learning that night than he but that the outraged pd pride of Rose Hose would lead I her to 10 talk talle if time the opportunity offer d he was now sure Tier Her reference to Wailing River had L nd cleared an any doubt doubton doubton doubton on that score The canker of jealousy omans and time the fouled flouted womans woman's Instinct for revenge would play havoc oc with the half breed In Rose Hose Laflamme You arc are from New York MonsIeur Steele that wonderful city I have ha never ne seen the hostess was sa saying ln Yes es It Is la my home but I seldom see It Seldom see It It And all the life there to the enjoy enjoy lie theaters the beautiful women But there are arc beautiful women el here mademoiselle lake for Instance Steele hazarded lifting his glass to the girl Irl as he lie glanced el furtively at Laflamme Mon ron DIcu Dieu but you u are the tint flat flatterer t You are a n mien man of thee Indies monsieur even oven eef you OU desert them to travel tra een this wilderness It Is only that m my ln ini Is great this tills evening he returned lau laughed hell unpleasantly In Inthe the he girls girl's face kindling kindlIng- with nt at the remark In a u lash flash she turned with what was near a snarl narl her lier dark darl I e eyes es laumin You see from others I lucre Is la II Then lIht light light- lightIng In log a cigarette slue she re rested ted her leer round chows on the table tobIe and lening tor to- toward Id I'd Steele ele with It II a Zook 1001 startled him him with Say Siy t more pretty words to me you OU 11 lug lilg American I Steele SIele threw a sidelong sIde Ion glance n at Laflamme to find fund only noun IJ ed nice mince He ile was in doubt douht whether the girl Irl was making n forlorn attempt a to rou l arouse e the trailers traders jealous jealousy or merely set on hits his own o conquest Since his ready answers to hm a J f few w well well questions of Laflamme's regarding New Nw Tot k Steele believed bedewed that the tin tatters hitters luttEr suspicions had faded But Bul BulI BulIt I It was al too ton f early III to hazard an in I Ito Ito to learn larD any anything thin lie II was I with wilh n man both ruthless and power r powerful powerful ful So o Steele was discreet but hut he suits II that little more whisky y was cirri need needed ed to loos loose the tongue of the the Hie gill hw h- h yond control For that thai he waited TO DE DL CONTINUED CO |
