Show 4 L VALLEY r S GEORGE MARSH f TOILERS OF THE TRAIL THE WHELPS OF THE WOLF E v cE L by THE PENN PUBLISHING CO CHAPTER IX- IX Continued IX Continued 15 15 Hut But 1111 mademoiselle lIl you OU must be surfeited with pretty words from Monsieur he lie said maliciously sure of or the elect effect Prett Pretty words from h She laughed that ces a n joke No prett pretty words from froal heem since the Al- Al Albany Al Albany Lascelles at lad lady who will marry bany Lany drive eli elf Louis scowled Into her mocking n and led 1111 lie He rose eyes but hut was silent Then Ihen his guest to the living room the sound of or voices outside ills his attention and shortly the Ojibway Ojibway way way girl girt appeared and spoke to him himIn himin In a whisper You will III excuse me for tor a little Willie while I am nm called to the trade trade- trade house h house At the door lie he added milled witha with II a brutal laugh Help your yourself elC to the cigarettes and Whisk whisky And a And a will keep kelp you rOil entertained no doubt Steele wondered If IC David ld had ll run Into into trouble If the trader were with wIth with liquor with his men which Improbable David might have ha been Ll set on but the Ojibway was too wise to Imperil hIs liis chief or their plans hollowing Following the slam of the outer door dool the girl rose placed her fingers on her lips ups send nd tiptoed out of the room leaving Steele curious uneas uneasy lIe He heart heard talking In low tones front from tile the direction of the kitch kitchen en then she returned and walking to Ills chair looked quizzically down Are Arc you vou as much of or a man as you look 1001 sue slip demanded lJ Laflamme sur sur- surprise Ido Ilott no t 1 long prise- prise e us mo m i rie he lie coon coun- coun tere 1 forcing a yai o n n having ing no m- m rn tent un lUn of playing into han hag IP 11 s You lou Im I'm working for Cor that bet be st sf Are Arc you JOU blind Cant Can't you Ou done witti It rh h t She he began beun see e h lir's IlIs s 's none w HII nn dr chi tn mal i tally then Why did you OU look 1001 at it helm heem th th- th t way before funnel I II I saw sate you ou You You-t You cd heem with your Jour e eyes e Y You 1 0 nN needn't t deny deny- en It It You liMe bate hl Ir-cm Ir ill Vh Why You are mistaken mademoiselle I never met net Laflamme before today You lie Ile But you ou are suspicious you Jou thew thees is a game he ees listening Dont Don't you ml see Bee lint hat ees ces wh why I went out to out to learn If IC ho hind had left the house Ch you can trust me This ees ces the naked truth I f would kill heern heem tonight if Ir I 1 could get et nut But you why you why 1 you hate hute hee n too too Does Docs LaP suspect me roe he asked lI I norl her question No 0 he ie ic ie's i ms m's ws s you Jou are what hat you ou claim to be bf What hat do j I jsu U want m me to do Mon Ion Dieu Get me out of oC dees take place take ie with you ou lies lie's keep keep- keepIng keeping keeping ing me hl Lecause l I know too much lIes lIe's afraId 1 weed weel talk Talk iut what the what the whisky trade She loaned Ionised her voice olee to a n wl whisper isper The he IJ y ces ees not you nil all you would no not me if it I 1 told told- toldA told A i door closed dosell 01 Ide and Laflamme the roon room Ail Ah Ah Hilt Is most unromantic mon mon- monsieur 81 11 te Le protested hand raised In mod mock i I return suddenly to find JI ial i- i still in your chair atone alone S Sr S-l- S p f- f 1 was on his feet Mv My Ir man li IL lJ i i j sr ii l any trouble lie he snapped 1 L l t the sarcasm I- I it wasn't his fault Baptiste farr far I i 3 S s lies lie's h s 's strong and took tool hold ot of ofir tar ta J-ta happened Steeles Steele's StEel s 's blood bood heated at nt the pos possible pOl ible harm to David ten to one at the trade Loute Louse l me I raised a deprecating rand hanel nothing at all nil Im I'm glad Ind of It I Your man gran cracked racked some of or nap tistes tiste's just fingers fingers Just squeezed his Ills and Baptiste had enough c lie He ahm always s 's was a bit yellow v But Hut w will Ill to follow this Ull up I I 1 dont don't want trouble rouble here Where Is III Da now Steele t ele was relieved he hUll had feared the worst But lint that hat meant that hl and t he would leave lea the In the morning lie He know knew ills his breeds It would could lc Ie dangerous to stay and and as yet et nothing had been learned from the girl girt I sent fent them all to bed hed BaptIste wont won't follow It up Antoine is with hIm Im I'm Im I'm boss here 1 laughed the tie trader lien n Steele was Us a aware wa Ic of t the he a at- at at attention t- t of or a pair pall of or shining eyes Aim Ah It us us magnificent mu the monsieur monsieur the way o looked said paid the he girl Your eyes wore were like your our name of name of steel You are arc embarrassing 1111 You must excuse hose HOI tills eve ev- evening ning said with A II t She has lias not seen peen a n white man In u a year eal I Not but hut what she's hes he's sincere hut but whisky makes her think out loud doesn't It Hosie Ir It the glitter lItter of black eyes eye tilled killed It 1 La Laflamme l would have f met sudden death Instead he lie re refilled thief filled the Ilasi glasses lasics cs while Steeles Steele's mind c busy JUS with what the Frenchmans Frenchman's return from tile the trade house huff checked time the girl Irl from flom disclosing It If PIerre were rc man as he seemed to be be SI ele w was ns curious to learn what tale the tIle Indian hall brought from Walling River River- concerning the flue lost fur canoe and the Windigo terror lIe Ile finally dually decided to drive e e straight nt at atthe the point with the hope that t the girl would drop something Did I tell you Jou tills this Ills afternoon that I heard a Windigo at nt m River he began What You a scientist mean to tell me that you ou heard a n go Windigo cr creature of ot Indian m myth th and md superstition a tIon-a tion a bugaboo of ot the medicine man Steele grinned with delight Into the traders trader's puzzled ye eyes I certainly do doI I was waked b by Ills his howling on the therle ridge r across the lie river from from the post sm smiled 11 su suggestively tap top tapping ping the bottle hottle at nt hIs Ills elbow as ns lie he ta teased eil Scotch Is a wonderful stimulant stimulant stimulant to the Imagination Imn monsieur You know that the Indians nt- nt at attribute tribute the lo loss s of S1 St Onge's fur Cur canoe this summer slimmer to the same mc devil con con- continued continued Steele watching Hoses Hose's face race The loss of or their fur canoe I cried Laflamme You mean to sn say that St Onge didn't get Ills hits fur to Albany this year Eor Not a n skin said Steele This Tills was news that PIerre assuredly would have ha brought rom from om down own river Then I a ak k L l y rL J i iJ The Face of the Girl Went Gray With Laflamme Fear Mon Dieul If Its It's he caught aught a u furtive signal from from the gh gill 1 She cautiously lowered lo an in e eye eyelid e lid Ild as she watched So the Frenchman was deceiving him Pierre hail been heen on the traders trader's business nt at Walling Wailing Wallin River But Iut wh why dId wish to conceal It lIe could not nut su suspect that Steele would return to the lie Wailing And you Jou believe e with time tile Indians I suppose that the lie got the canoe also jeered Laflamme a bit Lit too raw monsieur It Is not the I boat Loat to be smashed in that white white- water water But Hut it was not lost In the rapids That has lias been proved for Cor no trace of boat fur or menVa men wn Va was ever found couldn't steal the w fur and get out b by bythe the Albany or through the muskeg mu That leaves the lie as the only solution doesn't It I Well We that finishes St On One e then said Laflamme And helps your our little plan elm ell Louis bouts Hose added The traders trader's face hardened Yes It helps the trade lien here of course It the they quit down doing thI there Hy liy the wh wiry did St Ht Once say ay anything about sending send send- sendIng sending ing a canoe up river tills thIs Ills fall Call no Hose o paused In the act net of her lieI half-filled half glass intent on Steeles Steele's answer I left the post early arly In September on a side trip Intending to return he- he before lie fore fore starting for house hOllie but ne never ner r went back Then s sell seizing the opportunity to deceive Into waiting until the last minute before Ids his nol vengeance lance on St Onge Ouge Steele boldly Ile He said something about m my taking a letter to you ou lIe He did The fhe dark face of ot the trader flushed with pleasure Yes now hell he'll send Michel A glass wa was shattered on the table In a u CUI fury of or passion I Rose hose lumping to hei her feet fet glared nt ul the Oh Oil you OU think youve you've got her at lu last t do you ou she screamed When do I go o then lien You'll send me ame now when she c comes You'll let ume me go O now What Steele bad lind waited for hUll had happened happened- Alcohol an and l her hl hatred of hail had loo loosened ened nil all r on the lie ton tongue ue of ot th the maddened girl Irl infuriated the trader rose and pointed to the door Weve had n I enough of ot this thie youre you're drunk I I Mon Steele will excuse you Good flood Goodnight night I 1 The Insult drove the blood from Crom h her flaming face sobered her She walked to the door where she turned and quIetly to Steele non Bon solI mon mono monsieur monsieur I leave you with thees gentle gentle- gentleman gentleman gentleman man cutthroat and cutthroat Although pressed by Laflamme Steele did dIll not stay He lie had failed utterly In his ills plan had plan had learned noth noth- nothIng noth- noth nothing ing lug If It only the trader had remained In the Ule trade house five fi minutes longer the girl would have told him what he hewl wl wished hed to know And now they were leaving lea In the morning CHAPTER X From the outside the cabin where he and ond 1 David ld a were to sloop sleep was dark but Lut h lie entered to find David aided b by the Hie lI light ht of ot t two o candles bus busy with theIr bags hUls the trouble Steele asked noticing the blankets wIth which Da- Da David Da David vid hall hail masked the windows You dont don't think lied hed dare fire Ire in on you ou Maybe and the pointed to the contents of ot a large water water- waterproofed waterproofed proofed bag on the floor door at ot his feet De Dey have ho come corne to see eef you are wat you ou gay ay aJ The ve been heen through our Indian stuff Yes dey fey look at nt dose deso hag bag and not pack fern dem good A low knock checked the conversa conversation tion David readied reached for tor a candle Not No said Steele stand by with that I pointing to Davids David's rifle then opened the door It was Rose Hose Laflamme Disapproval was stamped on Da- Da Da David's hIs vid's face as ns he lie slowly shook his head I Monsieur Steele I wish to talk with you Jou In private private- private she hesItated with a n nod nolI of her head toward the David DaIIl wait outside n a minute said Steele concealing from the girl a lowered e eyelid Carr Carrying his rifle rine David reluctant reluctant- reluctantly ly left the room You needn't worry Laflamme's asleep she began then approaching Steele teele placed her hands on his shoulders shoulders shoulders ders as site she begged Will you OU get et me out at ot here tonight nosy now tonight The girls girl's knowledge might aught be ot of vital Importance to the future of ot Wall Walling ing lag of River River of the woman there he heI I loved o vl and the lie American did not hesi I tate to dl dissemble But Rose nose I haven't bacon and flour You'd starve starve If we left tonight unless we struck game You dont don't want to live on fish I can leeve on anything with you ou you beep beeg American 1 1 she said On lee On lee get tet me away away-away away away from that thief Once I loved heem but but now v I hate liate hate lintel hate I Steele temporized But Dut why cant can't you JOU walt wait alt until tomorrow night ht hell ell have flour lour then Im Im afraid lIe He cursed me tonight for Cor telling you something Oh Ohm you dont don't know that the man man the cleverness ot of heem He tie knows know thees wont won't last two two three years thees hell here l Of or cou course e he wants to get rid of the post down river Steele ventured Oh SL St t Onge Is done for and for and hell he'll get the girl she muttered But Rut what was w-as that Indian Pierre doln doing at Walling River he abruptly demanded Pierre She turned on Steele In surprise You saw saty Pierre Ho lie was told to keep keell under cover Yes he lie was spreading wild tales about the indigo Windigo Laflamme sent him to do that Her Ber large e eyes es lighted In amuse amuse- amusement amusement ment Oh Olt yes of course I but what he went down river after was was- was Quick I 1 the candles I Theres There's some some- someone someone someone one coming The face tace of the lie girl w went nt gla pray gray with fear feor Mon Dieu l I It If Its It's Steele pinched out cult the he he candles and she clung to hint him helplessly her body trembling against his as the they listened I There was a 0 sound of ot a out out- outside outside out side the fall falI of or n a bod body the dull lull Im- Im Impact Impact Im Impact pact of ot blows Pushing aside aslIe tile lie frIghtened gir Steele teele seized his rifle rille and opened the lie door Boor I got ot heem fame came tine the low ot of David from from the t ness lack Han Ilan me dat fat rawhide IThe The man llIan who had approached the cabin had walked Into the strongest pair of arms linns In the r on countr country and lay helpless on the tile ground g and henlen Into Ino Insensibility Return Returning lug ing with the thongs Steele peered at atthe atthe atlie the face of Davids David's victim La Yes I We heem and start starn urged th Indian fiercely TO DE nE CONTINUED CO I |