Show BLACK FEATHER By HAROLD HA RO D TITUS Dm TI TU S m Harold Titus CHAPTER PTER YI VI VI Continued 7 7 Late the next afternoon Into the lake came Rickman's brigade men weary we a r y canoes battered and patched baggage and equipment bearing the marks of long and arduous ous travel But within an hour of the time he landed Burke Rickman was afloat again Rodney saw him shove out out two voyageurs manning the canoe and head up the lake He Ho closed the gate and had Jacques fetch a rifle and watched this approach through the square loophole Abreast the place the paddles stopped stopped- dipping and Rick- Rick Ricki Rickman's c i mans man's voice rolled across the wa wa- wa water ter Shaw I come for talk Step out Rodney smiled grimly having caught sight of a rifle rine muzzle pro pro- protruding scantly above the Ule gunwale Come ashore Rickman if U you need talk I Have your our men draw drawback drawback back and come unarmed he said sternly The other hesitated then after speaking to his men he gestured them on and the canoe slid across I the shallows The great gate then creaked inward on its wooden I hinges and rifle in the crook of his arm Shaw advanced Rickman flushed I come un un- un unarmed armed he said But you Rodney laughed I specified how you were to land he said easily I gave no pledge myself Your men sit ready yonder and His eyes narrowed as they searched Rickman's figure The bulge be be- be beneath neath your shirt Could it t be a pis pis- pis pistol pistol tol tucked in your girdle trader I came unarmed unarmed hotly hotly too hotly Then lift the shirt No Good enough then I expected as much Rickman hence the rifle rifle rifle- stroking the stock What brings you OU here concealing weapons Rum Rickman growled My rum Company rum I want it it Shaw Want it it eh Embarrassed by lack of it are you Touche trad trad- trader trad- trad trader er That thrust pricked eh I wish I had your rum Rickman I could use it along with mine And if it it were here Id I'd defy even your num num- numbers bers to take it back But your our rums rum's not here trader The Mississippi 5 1 has your our casks TV rr D Df D you think the company will T r stand by and suffer theft and not retaliate with with with- No more than Id I'd stand by and J mourn helplessly because my ca- ca can n were v smashed by company axes I That's the item in our account ac ac- ac account count the loss of your rum bal- bal balances balances ances antes I Youre a sighted short-sighted arrogant fool Shaw You'll trip here as you tripped at Mackinac Fine days and nights you thought you had did you you voice voice harsh with bit bit bit- bitterness bitterness In high feather were you ou thinking your charms had bedazzled a woman Well she wormed what we needed to know from you didn't 1 r i S I IA A 1 f i I i s t tL L I tI Watched Their Approach Through the Square Loophole she And within hours your secret was passed to me That for your competence And he snapped a thumb contemptuously Your Yo Your r days trade are arc numbered 1 in n the His reference to Annette had sent senta a wave of anger through Rodney at self than another anger ger more anAY Ay I admit tripping back yon yon- yonder yon yon- trollop and l d der den But But you and your your spurious s pur Iou s murder charge couldn't turn the balance could and d they ey Im I'm here and Ive I've rum a my goods are arc on the way and 1 I Ill 11 II hold these hunters close Rickman ma canoes arrive I I wont won't won t trip until my again Mark that down Rickman Rickman turned disdainfully and signaled his men The canoe came swiftly and he waded out and stepped to his place not looking again at at Rodney And then in the morning mor ing word of Rickman's arrival having spread I I i far Black Beaver finally came to eye and nd appraise these traders stopping first at Fort Shaw The sharp eyes probed Rodney's face he accepted the presents spread before him and with Im tin Im- Im Impassive passive countenance the man lis Us to Shaws Shaw's talk Your words have fallen on my ears cars he said when the harangue ended There is no haste hash Black Beaver little will ponder on what the lit lit lit- tle tie trader has spoken Dismayed but not riot dispirited Rod ney watched him making straight for the opposition fort But his spirits would have been lower his dismay might have given way to despair had he watched the I scene enacted yonder onder after the jes- jes had stalked through Rick Rick- Rickman's Rickman's mans man's gate The medicine man had his tobacco tobacco co if not his rum His eyes glit like buttons at the presents spread before him and under the spell of Rickman's sustained talk under the influence of sight of the wealth of freshly stored goods in those buildings Black Beaver tar tar- tarried tarried ried long Into his ears was poured the He lle that Shaws Shaw's canoes might never come and if 11 they did would prove to be but lightly laden I More gifts all but spirits And spirits were coming Rickman promised The casks he had brought with him had been lost in a rapid he said telling only half the truth A canoe had been dispatched to Fond du Lac to draw on the com com- company company pany stores there for that important item So the left him and had his wives paddle him from lodge to lodge and proclaimed that he would make medicine only for hunt ers who accepted credits from rom the company trader and dissension spread among the people Dissension indeed The hunters respected Standing Cloud they feared Black Beaver And puzzle puzzle- puzzlement puzzlement ment lay heavily upon them What was a trader without rum Or a trader without goods Not for days was was wat Pillager trade secured The debate among the old men had assumed something else than the expression of judgment which might affect the welfare of the tribe It had come now to a final test of influence among them And then Black Beaver made his supreme effort The sent word from lodge to lodge that talk must be made that all hunters must meet with the chiefs that all ears must listen to harangue Over 40 canoes were drawn to the beach by sundown of the day named They wore their finery beads and ceremonial stones Paint had been used on faces But of them all Black Beaver was the most resplendent He was the last to come as well sitting erect in his canoe A blanket was about his shoulders ders which he did not drop off oft to reveal the glory of his raiment un un- un until until til he stepped ashore A woman Black Beaver a pair of gourd rattles and he took them one in either cither hand and ad ad- ad advanced advanced majestically toward toward the cir cir cir- circle cle and Standing Cloud arose from his haunches and moved sedately toward the fire in the center of the circle But Rodnay Rodn thought the old man lacked confidence His step was slow and his shoulders were not squared My children he began the chiefs have called you to council Things that cause argument are arc abroad The little trader has ever been as a brother to the hunter he be said and grunts of approval rose h here re and there about the circle The little trader comes among us usand usand and builds his lodge and is as one of our people He lIe stays among us These great companies are not so They come as plunderers They have no thought of another sun They bid the hunters take all that walks and swims They have no thought of what evil may befall the hunters when all is gone A chorus of assenting grunts was raised But there were gaps in the chain of sound all it was evident were not in accord There are among you Standing Cloud declaimed voice rising and swelling those who see only the theone theone one day The ways we travel change I am not one to say they shall not change again I am not one to say that all great companies are evil and their stay among us short and like running fire In tn the way they take fur from the land But I do say this wherever the great companies have dwelt alone among our brothers sorrow has come I fear tear to see sorrow come cometo cometo to my people My heart is heavy when I see sec that many of you will not await the coming of the little traders trader's goods before taking credo cred cred- cred credits its My eyes see sorrow coming as a storm cloud if you listen to counsel that bids you take credits from the great company and send the little trader away from us I Men of the forest I have spoken en A thrill ran through Rodney as the grunts rose in a lusty chorus as women seated behind the men stirred by the chiefs chief's oratory grinned at one another and nodded approval and rocked back and forth But he looked at Rickman stand- stand standIng standing standing Ing beside Conrad Rich on the edge of firelight and his thrill died The Theman Theman man was composed assured And A d Black mack Beaver immobile sat across the circle head bead up waiting waiting wailing Flat Mouth spoke Other old men spoke all aU echoing Standing Clouds Cloud's words all pleading that hunters await the coming of cf Rodney's ca noes so he would be made welcome among them Black Beaver rose In the mans man's very movements was a power a magnetism a sense of deviltry which foreboded ill Pillagers he said sternly Pil lagers who fear my power stay silent that my words may reach P r t ti tf tt i f t Sk r k fk f fc c T Z s 4 y S s Ss S Is That Not So My Brother your ears Black Beaver speaks to you For many winters and many summers I have guided you wisely in n your trading with the white man You have not been hungry Always my words have been wise al al- al always always ways has my medicine been good for fur I have talked with the They tell me all But you are deaf to their voices You can not hear their wisdom some of you will not listen when I pass on their wisdom with my breath brea tho Some of you listen to other old men But no other man among you youcan youcan can hear the words of the manitou No other eyes among you can see what Black Beaver sees You have heard much talk at this fire Many of you believe that talk to be wise You do not know You can not hear you cannot see so you do not know It has been said to you that the company of Flaming Hair is evil I say to you the company of Flam Flam- Flaming ing Hair Hah is good Soon he cried the great com com- company company pany will call its trader home un un- un unless unless less you hunters make him welcome wel wel- welcome come The great company is not eviL The great company is good But the great company company will not wait walt outside our lodges many suns longer I You ask yourselves How does Black Beaver know that the great company grows weary of waiting I will tell you I have flown as an owl to the island of the Great Tur Tur- Turtle tle tie where the great grea t Company chiefs sit in council I have listened from froma a tree beside the door of their lodge and have heard their principal chief Chic say that unless the Pillagers ac ac- ac accept accept credits cre they will send writing which will point their canoes to other places You You know what Black Beaver sees when he flies files as an owl You know that tha t I flew fiew as an owl to the Laughing Musquash and saw the Windigo there Because I flew as asan asan an owl he could not catch and devour de de- de devour me You know that because I flew there and saw the Windigo I kept many hunters above the sand and walling from many lodges I flew as ns an owl to where the little trader trades tells teUs you his bis canoes are coming No canoes are coming The little trader has no canoes com com- coming ing lag my children He lie speaks with the forked tongue when he says those words If the great company trader goes away you will have only the lies of the little trader to wrap around you as blankets to tomake tomake make powder and lead for your guns to smoke in your pipes I have spoken Pillagers Flee Fleeto Fleeto to the lodge of Flaming Hair as you would from a fire in the forest Accept his credits before his bis chiefs grow angry Flee Flee my children Startled grunts rose in a chorus Even the old men Rodney per per- perceived perceived believed and were fright fright- frightened frightened ened And then Rodney Shaw was among them Boldly presumptuously shattering all precedent for forthe forthe the behavior of whites at a council he stepped within the circle My brothers I I stand before you as a son before fathers I stand before you as a son against whom lies have been spoken I stand be be- be before fore you and ask that you listen to my words Standing Cloud rose The Pillagers are arc honorable men be he said The Pillagers re re- re return return turn good for good This man is Ismy ismy my brothers brother's brother It is not good that he be turned away from our council fire He may speak I stand before you to defy Black Beaver and his magic Rodney cried For many seasons you have listened to what Black Beaver has said Black Beaver has frightened you with his forked tongue He has told you that he flies as an owl and sees and hears many evil things He says he flew as an owl and saw the Windigo in the Laughing Mus Mus- Musquash Mus- Mus Musquash quash He says he flew as an owl and saw that my canoes filled with goods do not come The Windigo is evil evill he cried The Windigo will devour white whiteman whiteman man and Pillager alike The Win Win- Windigo WinI I digo will devour them if they go where the Windigo is The Windigo is on Laughing Musquash Black Beaver has told you I say that the Windigo is not on Laughing Musquash and I ask you to see sec proof of what I say with your own eyes I say to you that I will go alone to Laughing Musquash I will make my camp there I will bring back the white clay which is found only on Laughing Musquash to show you I have been there And I will return unharmed And when I do that what will my brothers say Will they say that Black Beaver speaks what is so Will they believe that Black Beaver flies as an owl and sees many things Will you believe when he says my canoes heavy with goods do not come Sounds of surprise and excite excite- excitement excitement ment died before this challenge No he said and shook s ook his head You will not believe these things You will know that Black Beavers Beaver's words are those of a forked tongue And you will know that I tell you what is so You will know that my canoes are on the I march bearing goods to you And you will await their coming that I Imay Imay may stay among you Is that not so my brother TO BE DE CONTINUED |