Show by hugh Pen denter i HUGH pama A auw CHAPTER XI continued 14 then he was inspired to add but why not let me stay here while you take mademoiselle she would wish you for her guide she was a young wildcat when we tried to stop her from entering the village before you gave the word 1 I am the one damean must capture or kill every one else even mademoiselle comes second in his plans lie will not leave the feast so long as I 1 am there it must be as T say wander about the village and use your wits in looking for a loop hole I 1 will talk with mademoiselle to the girl I 1 briefly repeated the orders I 1 had given to labrador and six fingers and told her I 1 would work out the details during the day As I 1 had anticipated she immediately inter posed objections she would go nowhere with six unless I 1 was present labradors adors company made no difference she would not leave the village unless in my company but I 1 will overtake you I 1 insisted it Is most important that I 1 reach clr elata alth the least possible delay I 1 shall not waste any time in following you and if not for me you would al ready be well on your way there he murmured oh monsieur you are very brave I 1 I 1 wish I 1 could have told you different when you spoke to me of your heart 1 her in bringing up what I 1 supposed to be most strongly forbidden caused my mind to swirl in confusion I 1 could only mumble we were not to speak of that again she further bewildered me as with the innocence of a child she corrected me S bisot for you to speak of of course but surely it Is for me to speak of when I 1 wish then sympathetically and does it hurt monsieur too much if I 1 of it 1 think it does I 1 promptly an beginning to feel very un eay yes I 1 am quite sure then it must not be mentioned she sighed 1 I did not fully under egand I 1 only wanted monsieur to know I 1 regretted it Is all ended you will be ready to go with my friend yes I 1 will go I 1 bowed and backed from the open ing she followed me a few paces and I 1 disturbed to diee she was fight ing to control some violent emotion monsieur yea mademoiselle if I 1 knew I 1 was never to see you again there Is something yes something something I 1 think I 1 should say my curiosity prickled for she was such a mixture of enigmas that one could never guess where her words would land I 1 had seen her as haughty as n marquise biow she typed extreme youth and an entire lack of worldly wisdom so conscience stifled curiosity and I 1 declared but ou will see me again tonight on the river my leaving this place Is nothing there will be a feast will be there to watch me ats indians will be there to help him that gives you a free road when I 1 decide iou have made a good start I 1 shall laugh at them and leave monsieur she stiffly said you have saved v from an indiscretion I 1 have all confidence in your confidence and yet as I 1 walked away there was the temptation to go back and ask her to tell what she had withheld I 1 tried to blame my interest in her shifting moods to my long withdrawal from civilization and its types of dainty womanhood this in defense of my peace of mind the sight of damean leaving the stockade in corn pany with the grandson helped me to tear my thoughts from the girl and concentrate on the grim problem of the night for notwithstanding my assurance in talking with selle I 1 had no idea just bow I 1 was to escape that night on reaching the cabin I 1 found lab rador waiting for me nis dark face wag anxious and he asked where la that old pirate 1 I thought he was with you lie shrugged his shoulders helpless ly ah that old pirate lie was with me at my hecla then pout I 1 lie was gone hell snatch him I 1 I 1 have balked and walked around this cursed death trap peeping into every cabin and he Is not I 1 resigned myself philosophically to six fingers disappearance if be was gone then that was an end of one of mademoiselle s worries I 1 remembered damean leaving the village I 1 orsan to suspect his going was a part of the game to catch six fingers out or bounds and do him to death it was i was explaining this to labra dor that six fingers entered the cabin and stood grinning at us in a peculiar manner back again where have you been adrift he coolly answered 1 I grew tired of this devils cage the bomea interested me for a bit but they blacken their teeth and when they smiled I 1 ran I 1 went outside you are lucky to be back alive what la the matter with you your legs and arms are wet 1 I went to a brook and washed biow did you go without my seeing you little spider asked labrador six fingers chuckled it was as simple as sailing into the wind in the fence back of mademoiselles moi selles cabin Is a hole it Is cov ered from sight by vines I 1 saw a fowl enter the vines she did not come back I 1 cruised inshore and cast the lead I 1 found the hole labrador the big pig was sailing before the wind I 1 slipped through the hole and went to the brook and here I 1 am all safe and sound yet you are lucky I 1 warned da moan and his choctaws have been out side all the morning this washed the grin from hla wrinkled face I 1 was not satisfied with six fingers explanation of hla excursion outside the stockade how could I 1 know that he had not met damean outside the village and had made a compact with him narbonne waa dead and there was no possible chance to continue the quest tor I 1 warned labrador say nothing to six fingers about to nights plans chere was a look in his eyes that tells me he Is trying to ahme something from us I 1 said when I 1 start with mademoiselle tonight I 1 shall give him no chance to spoil the plan of course we shall go through the hole in the stockade of course and I 1 will keep six fingers with me he frightens the girl at midday I 1 went to mademoiselles cabin and called her out and informed her of the hole in the halings palings and warned her to be ready to leave by means of it you are determined not to go with me she asked if I 1 planned that way none of us could go I 1 shall be right behind you I 1 shall keep six fingers with me she was relieved to know six fang era was not to accompany her 1 I will not fall you monsieur she whispered there remained nothing now but to wait until evening owing to the brief time allow ed for preparations the hunters could not roam very far and some of these were returning ally usually with strings of small game I 1 tried to get some ret against the exertions of the night but each returning hunter was greeted with much shouting and sleep was imps sible it was twilight when damean returned to the village he went out of his way to within a rod of me and the look his dark eyes gave me was one of triumph yet I 1 could not comprehend any immediate danger the peace smoke would not blow away without some warning plus an nn no as to when it could be renewed with the going down of the sun the women begun running about the village cackling excitedly fires were started in the opening before the chiefs cabin kettles were hung over the fires and the various kinds of game were dumped in the contributions ranging from squirrels and water fowl to deer meat damean kept to the other side of the village and had his choctaws posted about the exit he believed he had us bottled up until the protection of the calumet had end ed when it grew so dark there was no danger of being closely observed I 1 walked to the girls cabin and waa pleased to find the indian women had succumbed to the temptation of the fires and had left mademoiselle unattended I 1 instructed her after I 1 have gone back I 1 want you to steal behind the cabin and see if the bole Is there as six fingers described it Is there I 1 saw him when he came through it then be ready for labrador to call tor vou when be comes you must act swiftly do aa he says the other ive told you he stays with me he Is acting queer hes been up to some mischief he may have bargained to sell us out to my astonishment she instantly denied this possibility declaring he would never sell me no no monsieur he la evil but he wants me to escape from this village and from the roan you call the fox more of the mystery I 1 I 1 made no comment but repeated my request that the be in constant ness to so with labrador then I 1 wished her a betout heart and good luck she came to me and took one hand in both of hers aud held it to her heart and without a word retreated inside the cabin I 1 began to realize how horrible the whole situation must be tor her she was denied the tonic of action and must dully wait always fearing the worst I 1 was back at my cabin in time to meet little turkey and six warriors who as an escort of honor came to lead I 1 abrader six fin gers and me to the feast As we walked between them and entered the firelight I 1 beheld the chiefs grandson and a delegation of warriors perform ing the same courtesy for damean the fox behind damean came all of his choctaws except four left to guard the exit the chief gave the sign for the feasting to begin minute portions were tossed over the shoulders for the ghosts and the peace calumet was hung up on a pole by the side of the chief and was made the recipient of scraps of meat and rations of beans strong bow looked up and down the double line of men bolting the meat like dogs and asked roe why the white woman was not standing among the indian women to watch the feast I 1 told him she was a queen in her own country and not used to standing men ate and that she preferred remaining in her cabin until the ing began when she would appear damean grinned widely and murmured she will stand while I 1 eat my friend I 1 pretended not to hear and da moan stared at me curiously trying to fathom my mind like the fox he feared a trap but so long as I 1 and my male companions were within am mediate reach he could not reason out where we had a single chance six fingers never raised his eyes from his food and yet he was not hungry I 1 ab rador devoured huge portions of under it was aa simple as sailing in the wind in the fence back of ma demoiselles demoi selles cabin Is a hole done meat with the philosophy of one who makes the most of the hour which Is his in a short space of time the kettles were emptied except what was reserved for the women and the war alors retired to paint for dince I 1 called to I 1 abrader in I 1 rench and re quested him to wait on mademoiselle and ask her to come and see the dancing damean demanded my attention by asking so we renew the peace smoke in two sleeps eh there was so much exultation in his tone so much in his grinning face that I 1 knew he was up to some new trick something I 1 had not dreamed of I 1 guessed frantically and could not imagine what it was et I 1 knew he bad his plans all laid before the feast began and that he was not dependent upon he interval between the end of the first smoke and the beginning of the second much may happen in two days I 1 carelessly replied As true as heaven he mocked and much may liappes in one day before another sun what are vou planning to try to night I 1 bluntly asked lie laughed merrily and protested 1 I try think I 1 would break the law of the but if you should break it eh come now would the peace smoke hover over english head for two days if it jour was known that you bad broken the f there was no guessing hla meaning although he meant death I 1 scoured brains but could find no signs my which would lead me to his hidden still pondering on this trail I 1 was new attitude of his when the freshly painted warriors armed with axes and bows and arrows leaped in between the flics and began their war dance damean suddenly turned his head and fiercely demanded where Is my woman I 1 eased my ire by reminding him lour scalp shall pay the whole price lie leaped to his feet and spoke to the chiefs grandson who wis tant to do what was asked damean then poka to me saying if the wonna docs not come the bumas will bring her As labrador and the girl had had time to get far down the aler trail I 1 knew this would be some task for the to accomplish let I 1 fought for more time by appealing to the chiefs sense of justice urging him to declare the white woman need not show herself at all unless she so desired only the fear of whose word bearer he knew damean was caused him to hesitate he would hunt with the french and run with the english and he suggested it would make the hearts of the bumas very light it the white woman would como and watch them dance so be it I 1 said 1 I will go and ask her I 1 do not believe damean would have suspected any ruse had it not been tor six ringers frantic haste to follow at my heels let them stay here 1 shouted the fox the iron hand will tall and crush the it they do not stay here stop cried the achler now in panic at the threat of the fox word bearer of the eyes of the would be made glad at sight of the white woman I 1 strong bow chief of the will go and ask her to come dumian chuckled contentedly and said to the chief we will wait a moment there Is a present the white man has prepared for his woman he had it hid in the woods but my choctaws found it we will have it ready when she comes to see the dance he whistled shrilly and very soon two choctaws came trotting from the exit with a long object carried between them As it was carefully deposited on the ground I 1 noticed the blanket was one of those taken from Nar bonnes pirogue by six fingers when we came ashore to hide in the indian village veer off hells to pay it was hid at the brook 1 the cursed scum found it I 1 huskily whispered six fin gers his deep set eyes glaring at the two choctaws as they took hold of the blanket there a black spot on my luck damean motioned his indians back and because of his love of the dramatic assumed full charge of the proceedings ce striking an attitude and pointing a finger at me he harshly cried out to the bewildered bumas the present of the english spy to his and he snatched a fold of the blanket away and revealed to our hor rifled gaze the body of a dead huma woman and what was more terrible she had died by violence and her two arms had been cut off below the elbow we were stupefied by the fearful ex then with the hiss of a thousand thou serpents came the breath of the mas damean had opened a smaller parcel and was exposing the two sev ered members of the poor creature still decorated with their bracelets of brass you frog eating fool I 1 madly shrieked six lingers at damean they are gold and you could have had halt it you d kept your meat tran TO BB CONTINUED |