Show r BAREE Son on of Kazan azan aza I t Bv By JAMES OLIVER CUR CURWOOD WOOD j C Jar l v rae Pape r cc A Co U it nIce l l t 1 Y J t l r C r C CY Y J t Y Y l J Y f 1 J T 1 J d Y Ill ll J a l J ll J J Y 1 till l d o J J ll J C d 1 J Chapter IX 15 15 Back to Lac Bain late In to Septem her ber came MacDonald the map maker map For ten days Gregson Gr the j Ing agent had hod been Bush ush guest at nt the Hie post and twice In that L l- l time tilDe It had come Into Marlc's Maries mind to reel creep upon him while he slept and kill The Factor himself paid little tittle attention to her now a fact tact which would have lutye made her happy If It It had hadnot hadnot not been for Gregson lie was enraptured enraptured with the wild sinuous beauty of the Cree girl and without with with- without without out Jealousy encouraged him lie He was tired of Marie told Gregson this tills lIe Ile wanted 1 to get rid of her and If It he he- he Gregson could Gregson-could could possibly take her on with 1 him It woul would be a great favor lIe explained why A little tittle later inter when the deep snow came he was yas going to bring the daughter of ot Pierrot Du DuQuesne DuQuesne DuQuesne Quesne to the Post In the rotten rotten- rottenness rottenness ness of their brotherhood he told o of hIs visit of the manner o of his recep recep- reception recep- recep reception tion and of the Incident at the chasm In spite of all this he assured yon Greg Greg Greg- Gregson son lIOn Pierrot's girl would soon be at Lac Bain t was at at this this time time that flat MacDonal came ame He lie remained only one night and without knowing that he was fiS add add- addIn addIng In lag fuel to a 8 fire already dangerously blazing he gave the photograph he had taken tal-en of to the Factor It was WiS si II splendid picture If It If you can nn get It do down n to that girl some Borne day Ill I'll be mightily obliged he h said mid to I promised her one Her ner fathers father's name Is Du Quesne Pierrot Du Quesne You probably know them And the girl girl girl- Ills His blood warmed as he descrIbed to how beautiful she was that day In her red dress which had taken black In the photograph lie did not guess how near the boiling point bloo blood was The next day MacDonald 1 started for Norway House did not show Gregson the picture He kept It to himself and at night under the glow of his lamp he lie looked looke at It with thoughts that tilled filled him with row as-row a grow grow- growing growIng In ing resolution There was but one way The scheme had been ben In his mind for and weeks weeks and the picture de de- de determined him He lIe dared not whisper Ms his secret even to Gregson But nut It was was the one way It would give ghe him Only Only Only-he he must walt wait for the deep snows the midwinter snows rJ They y burled their tragedies deepest was glad when Gregson f the map maker to Norway lIo Ilose e Out of courtes courtesy he ho him a days day's journey on his Ills way When rhen he returned to the Post Post MarIe Maric was ras gone lIe was glad iau lIe He sent off n a runner a of of presents for her people and time the message Dont heat beat her Keep her She Is free Along with the bustle and stir o of the beginning of the trapping season began to prepare his Ills house for the coming of He lIe knew what she liked In n the way of cleanliness ness an and a few other things He tie had bad the log walls painted white with the lead and oil that were Intended tom fot his York boats Certain partitions ns were torn down and new ones were built tile the Indian wife of his chief runner made curtains for the windows and anlie lie confiscated a small phonograph raph li that should have haye gone on to Lac la BIehl He lie had no doubts and he counted the days as they the passed Down on the Gray Loon Pierrot and were bus busy at many ninny things so bus busy that at times Pierrot's fears of the Factor actor at Lac Bain were forgot forgot- forgotten ten and they went out of the time mind entirely It was the lied Hed Moon loon and It thrilled with the anticipation and nd excitement of the winter hunt carefully dipped a hundred traps in n boiling fut fat mixed with la grease beaver ver while Pierrot made mude fresh ready for setting chis on Ms mis trails When Wilen he lie was gone more than a day from the time cabin she was always with him But Lut at the cabin there was much to todo todo do for Pierrot like nil all ill his Ills Northern did not begin to prepare until time the keen tang of autumn was In II tle Ie all air There were snow sno shoes to be b e with new there ther e was wood to be cut In readiness for r 1 lime he winter whiter storms time tile cabin had hod to tobe tobe be banker banked a new harness made skin skin- skinning skin ning knives sharpened and wInter moccasins to be manufactured a hun lIun hundred dred and one affairs to be attended to t tHe He lie repaired the meat moat rack ruck it t t the t back of ot the cabin where fro from froin time the beginning of ot cold weather until the would hang liang th tim hunches haunches of ot deer CD caribou rind mouse moose for the fa family II larder undo rind and when was scarce the tle dos dogs rations 1 In the bustle of all tills this was wa to give less attention to toU U ree than luring during the th preceding weeks They They- They did did ld not play so much they no longer loner swam swum for with the there was deep frost on oar the ground round and the water was I by cold coid ro d the they no longer longel wandered deep In lu tile the forest after flowers and IJ beres des For hours at n ms time lime Baree e would POW lie Ill at the time Willows Willow's feet t i watching tier slender fingers finers as they waved I ell swiftly In und and out with her j and now and then would pause to lean lenn over and put her hand on his head and talk to him for tor a s sometimes moment moment sometimes In tn her soft Cree Cre sometimes In to En English lIsh or her fathers father's French It was the Willows Willow's voice which Baree aree had learned to understand antI and the movement of ot her lier lips her lier gesture the poise of ot her lIer bod body the tho changing moods which brought shadow or sun sun- sunlight sunlight sunlight light Into her faro face Ho lIe knew new what It mean l when hen I she he smiled he lie shook him him- himself himself himself self and ond often jumped about ut her tier In sympathetic rejoicing when she laughed her lier happiness was a part port ot of him a stern stem word ord from her lier was worse than a blow Twice Pierrot hall had struck him and twice Barce Baree had sprung back and anti faced him with willi bared barell flings fangs antI and an angry snarl the crest along his Ills back standing up like hike a 1 abrush brush Had one one- of the other oilier dos dogs done this tills Pierrot would have ye halt half killed him It would rould have hoe been mu- mu mutiny mu mil mutiny tiny and the man must be master But Baree Barce was always ays safe A touch ot of the Willows Willow's hand a n word from her lips and the lie crest slowly settled and the snarl went out of f his throat Pierrot was not at all displeased Dieu T I will never neer o so so far lar as ns try and whip that out of him he told himself lie He Is a barbarIan barbarIan-a barbarian a wild beast and and her slave sla For her tae he would kill So It came through Pierrot him himself self and and without telling his Ills reason for that It-that It that Baree aree did not become a sledge dog He lie was allowed his free free- freedom freedom freedom dom and was never tied like the others was glad but did not guess the thought that was In mind To himself chuckled She would never ne-er know why he kept Baree naree always suspicious of him even en to the point of hating hIm It required considerable skill and cun cun- cun cunning cunning ning on his part With ah himself he h reasoned If It I make him hate me he will hate all nil men oo Mey-oo That Is s good So he lie looked Into the time future for future Now the tonic-filled tonic days and cold frosty nights of the lie Red lied Moon Joon brought about the big change In Barce Barel It was inevitable Ine Pierre Pierrc knew that It would i come and the first night that Bare Buee Baree settled back on his haunches and howled up at nt the Bed Red Moon prepared for It It lie He Is ri a wild dog dOl Mn ln he said to her lIe He Is half wolf and time the Call will come to him strong He lie will I go Into the forests He tie will disappear i at times But ut we must not fasten him lie Ill will come back Ka he lie will come corne comeback comeback back I 1 I Ant And he tie rubbed his hits hands In Inthe the lie moon glow until his knuckles cracked The Call came to Baree aree like a thief thic entering slowly and cautiously Into a forbidden place He Tie did ld not under under under- understand stand It at first It made him nervous ner and uneas uneasy so restless that frequently heard him whine softly In inis his h is sleep lIe He was waiting wafting for som sonic sonic- timing thing What was It Pierrot knew and smiled In his Inscrutable way And then n It came It was night a glorious night filled with moon and stars under tinder which the earth was whit whit- whitening whitening ening with a film of frost when they heard time the first hunt-call hunt of the wolves s knew that at last had come corn that for which Baree had land been waiting In an Instant Baree lead had sensed 1 It Ills muscles grew taut as ns pieces of c stretched rope as ns he stood up In the moonlight facing the direction from which floated the mystery and thrill of the sound They could hear him whining softly and und Pierrot bending 11 own so that he caught the light of the night properly could see him trembling It Is Mec-Koo Mec he said In a per to That was wua wu It the cull call of time the blou blood that was running ruining swift In Baree's Baroe veIns not not alone the call of ot his Ills species species spi cies but time tile call of Kazan Kazun and Gra Gray GrayWolf Wolf and of ot his forebears for fur genera genera- generations genera unnumbered It was the voice or of Ills hits people So Pierrot had whispered and he lie was rl right ht In the golden night the Willow was waiting for It was she sli who hall had gambled ambled mo most moist t and It wa was she who must lose or win Sill She Sli watched Baree Barel as lie he slowly faded fade away step by step In him the time shadow lr In n few few moments more mure he lie was as gong gune gun It was then that she stood straight and flung back her head licad with eyes that glowed in rivalry rh with the stars Baroe Baree I she slie called Bared Barce Ba- Ba Ba Barce Il reel ree unreel nil ree 1 11 He must have been Leen near the ed edge e ot of time the forest for she slie had Ind drawn a n slow wafting breath or two before he lie was back fit at her side But lie he had Imad conic straight ht as an arrow and he whined up Into her face put her hands bands to his head licad You are arc right mon pere she said tie lie will go to the wolves but lie he will conic come back He lie will never leave e me for long With one hand Band still on on Ba- Ba Baree's rec's Ba-rec's rees ree's head hend she slie pointed with time the other Into the blackness of the forest Go Go to them Baree Ban e 1 I she slie whispered But you must come back You mu l Willi Pierrot she slie went Into the cabin the he door closed behind them mind Baree aree was alone A choking gathered In his throat lIe He threw up his head Straight above him was vas the Red fled Moon Inviting him him to the thrill and mystery o of time the lie open world The sound grew rew In his throat and slowly It rose In volume until his answer was rising to the stars In their cabin and the Willow heard It Pier Pierrot rot shrugged his shoulders He lie Is gon gone he said Out he lie Is gone gone one mon pere perc replied peering through the window windon No longer as In the time days of old did the darkness of time the forests hold a fear for hunt Baree This Tills night his hunt cry had risen to the lie stars and the moon and In that cry he hind had for the time first time sent forth Ills ids defiance of ot night and space his Ills warning to all the lie wild wild and his acceptance of the Brother Brother- Brotherhood Brotherhood Brotherhood hood In that cry and the answers lint came back to him he sensed new the power the final triumph of nature In Impinging on him the fact that the I i forests and the creatures they held were no longer lon to be feared but that all nil things feared him Oft Off there beyond be- be beyond yond Jond the pale of the cabin and the In Influence fluence of were all the things s that the wolf-blood wolf In him found now most desirable companionship of his kind the lure of adventure ad the red sweet blood of the chase and chase and mate hood hooL This last after all was the dominant mystery that was urging him and yet Jet least of all did he under under- understand understand stand it IL It He lie ran straight Into the darkness to the north north and west west slinking Blinking low un un- un under der the bushes his Ills tall drooping his ears cars the aslant aslant the wolf as the wolf runs on the night trail The pack hid had swung due north and was traveling faster than he so that at the end enI of ot half halt an hour he could no longer hear Ilear ear earit otI I it Il But the lone wolf wolf howl howl to the west was nearer and three times Baree Bare gave answer to It At the end of an hour he heard the th pack again swinging southward vard Pier Pier- Pierrot rot would easily have ha-e understood Their quarry had found safety beyond water or In a lake hake and the were on a fresh trail By Dy this tills tim time not more than a quarter of a mile ot of o othe the forest separated Baree aree from the lone wolf but the lone wolf volf was als alsan also an old wolf and with the directness and precision of long experience lie he e I swerved In the direction of the hunt huni hunters erSt ers compassing his Ills trail so that lie he was for a point half halt or three three- quarters of a mile In advance of th the pack This Tills was a trick of the brotherhood which Barce Ilaree had yet to learn and th the result of his hits Ignorance and lack ot of otI o I skill was that twice within the text I hour half he found himself near th the I pack without being able to Join It it II Then came a long lont and final silence I ITIle TIle The pack had pulled down Its kill killand and amid in their feasting they made no n sound The rest of ot the night Baree Barce wm wan dered alone or at nt least until time the moon was well was well on time the lie wane vane He lie was wasa wa I a long wa way from the cabin and his trail trap had been an arm uncertain and twist twist- In tag ing one but lie he was no longer j pos nos with the discomforting sensa- sensa ensa I lion Uon of ot being lost The fhe last two or three months hind had been heen developing strongly In Nina him the lie sense of ot orients orients- I lion lloa that sixth sense nse which guides 3 the pigeon unerringly on Its Us wa way and am takes dikes a n bear Lear straight as a bird alight I i fly 11 to its last years year's ears denning place Inc jl ITO TO nE DE CONTINUED |