Show lethe Woman COMPLICATIONS SYNOPSIS Traveling Traveling by canoe on en the Uie Mississippi on his way to Biloxi In the early days of ot the settlement of ot Louisiana William Brampton English spy known to Indiana Indians and settlers as ae the White Indian sees a Do Natchez Indian post poet a declaration of ot war against as the French For his bis own purposes he hastens to Biloxi to carry the news to Blonville French governor Brampton meets an old friend Joe Labrador lit lit- In Indian dian halfbreed who warns hl him n has threatened to hang nan him as a spy Brampton refuses to turn back He falls In with Jules Julu and Basile Mattor Matter on their way to Biloxi to secure wives from a ship chip the Maire bringing women from tram France At Biloxi Brampton protects a woman from froma a 1 sergeants sergeant's brutality She tells him she Is Claire picked up In a raid In Paris Evidently Evi Evl- Evidently dently well bred and educated she he he IB is a mystery to Brampton He Intervenes to prevent a man English known as Old Six Fin Fin- sire era E r following her to New Orleans Or Or- leans A Frenchman Francois Narbonne slightly demented by stories he has heard of ot tho the riches of ot the New World introduces Introduces Intro Intro- duc duces s himself accuses Brampton of ot treachery but tho latter secures a a. respite from death by revealing tho the Natchez declaration of war He lie is to await t the arrival of ot a former companion the Fox who will exonerate or condemn him has documents proving Brampton an English spy Brampton receives a message from Claire begging him to help helph h her r reach the English settle settle- menta ments Brampton trusts Narbonne Narbonne Narbonne Nar Nar- bonne with n note nota to Claire promising to meet her at Now Orleans He plans his escape After a a. struggle Brampton Brampton- wrests the Incriminating papers papers' from and escapes from Biloxi He meets tho Matters and they go to New Now Orleans In a sailing packet At the landing place Brampton again encounters encounters tore Joe Labrador whom he sends to bring Claire to him Brampton questions her closely but she will tell him little of little of ot her history history- With Labrador Brampton ton and Claire leave in two canoes for the English settle settle- ments Claire turns out to be bea bea a creature of moods and a a. terrible terrible ter ter- handicap In a race for tor life lite CHAPTER VII Continued VIL 10 1 10 One must catch th the fish first was the quiet response Besides I placed the wood on the blaze monsieur start start- ed The coals will be ready All the wood I deman de de- man ed She She bridled bridled at my tone A tug at my line demanded my attention After a brief fight I landed a catfish She waited until I h had d secured my my hook and coiled called my line Hue j then she sal said d The liThe wood was to burn Yes yes But not all at once A little at a time I was not to know without being told she said with much dignity If monsieur will be explicit another time perhaps I will do better But wood La I La I There Is nothing but wood Surel Surely one does not have to be sparIng sparIng sparIng spar- spar Ing of wood In this land laud I II II I hesitated whether to explain the danger of big fires and much smoke 4 1 I IrI rI 1 1 I Darted My Gaze on the River I Discovered Discovered Discovered Dis Dis- covered Nothing Until She Stood Close At My Side and Pointed a aI I Finger being seen by an enemy cr to wait walt and after acting as my own tender fire-tender for while white see sec if it she did not learn ilex her lesson Jesson by observation If It we have finished with the matter of the fire she quietly resumed I would like lIle to ask monsieur the meanIng meanIng mean mean- Ing of that object which floats floats' upstream upstream upstream up up- stream across the dying patch of at sun sun- light I darted my gaze on the river I discovered covered nothing until she stood close cl at my she slie and pointed a finger then I saw d a canoe far fat out and I presumably punting Bunting for dead water on the opposite shore Indians Probably We are In their country I told her Are they wicked Will wm they they- trouble they trouble us rs 1111 she demanded glancing up Into fi race C Not a hll or was I afraid o of 1 I for tor Y i hag had many friends amo among t tho rl Including the th q Author o oJ Kings of the Missouri Grave 1 A itA Virginia Scout etc eta Copyright 11 by h HIJ Hoch u h P nd ter I Returning my gaze to the river I was troubled to observe the canoe was making no progress toward the opposite opposIte opposite site shore And only white men Ignorant Ignorant Ignorant Igno Igno- rant of at the river would skirt the edge of the mighty current and barely hold their own when easy paddling was to tobe tobe tobe be enjoyed along the shore Now one can hardly see them she cried Well go back and cook our fish I r said The canoe was hen heading ding toward us us thus making It appear to be a speck And I had no doubt the smoke from our generous fire had attracted the voyageurs voyageurs' attention If It and his companions were on the same si side e with us the Intervening forest would prevent his seeing the smoke It WHO was his manito against mine and andI I was hampered by an irresponsible girl CHAPTER VIII What the tho Smoke Brought Eveh Even If the distant canoe was makIng makIng making mak mak- ing for our smoke I did not see how I could break camp and hide In the forest or take to the pirogue Had HadI I been alone the problem of avoiding the two men would have been childs child's play but the girl would hold me back in the woods Willie while to continue In the pirogue would bring the men upon us I was convinced they could not be some of men and this belief belief belief be be- lief reconciled me somewhat to meetIng meeting meet meet- Ing them On reaching the fire I hurriedly hurriedly hurriedly hur hur- cleaned the fish The girl watched my preparations with a little grimace I feared she sale was 0 ous I broiled the Ule fish on the coals and served It on two clean pieces of bark She sat back from the fire and tentatively tentatively tentatively tenta tenta- nibbled at some smoked meat but refused the fish This was an arraignment of ot my rough-and-ready rough cooking and provoking because she had made no offer to do the squaw- squaw work herself I was beginning to realize real real- realize ize how entirely useless this young IIEr person On w was s w when n It ft came to caring for herself For one raised In poverty the Instinct of self preservation seemed to be J meagerly developed of course her hel hands lU should have told me that lit at r t the Le beginning She c eyed ed the tough smoked meat disapprovingly then bravely remarked remarked remarked re re- marked The fir fire e burned well welt Exceedingly well mademoiselle 1 Another and a longer pause then she was timidly remarking There came to me the absurd no notion no ho tion tiun that monsieur was displeased because because be bee cause I user the tile wood But I tell myself my- my self elt thc there re Is much wood enough for all France Also the Ule more wood the themore themore themore more coals What have I done that thatis is 13 3 wrong Nothing that Is wrong Only this fire I fire I asked the wood to be fed on ona on ona a little at nt a time You put it all on at once But It made a good fire monsieur You have said saM It yourself I fear you ou are arc overnice in n your exactions I only mention It because the heavy smoke Is drawing the strange canoe to our shore and soon we shall have visitors I gently explained I III would have raid faid nothing this time but I did not want mademoiselle to be taken by surprise and perhaps alarmed This awful country where the simplest simplest simplest sim sim- act may bring death I I she dramatically dramatically dramatically dra dra- whispered I smiled reas reassuringly Hardly death or we would not ot be here waiting It Is nothing these nothing these strangers coming I only mention them so ma mademoiselle will not be startled You have haye your our musket close m my Y your side as If you OU feared I I It too too- will be ready And she pulled the tike sheathed dirk from her bosom and allowed it to hang bang outside her blouse blome Then as an InspIration Inspiration inspiration ration But the tile log boat We should hide It Then the they could not find us Now that th thc have ha seen the smoke it Is better that they find us I Inn an an- If we ue should disappear they would find the fire firc and they would goon go goon goon on up the river and tell of the deserted desert desert- ed camp It would be he bad for them to tell ten such news to the Fox Finishing hing my fish I look took m my gun and said said said- Mademoiselles courage Is fine She will sit where here she Js Is while I withdraw raw to one side I uI do not understand she faltered n By this time the two men will be landing near our pirogue They will cautiously I must get them to the fire to see who they are to make sure they carry no tales ahead of ot us us But would yon you leave mo here alone 1 Only as as bait for tor the trap into which they must walk As soon as ns they break cover I will be by your side Monsieur does not go far away Only Inside the tIle trees Have cour cour- age Nothing shall harm you I uI am om not afraid of men she coldly replied now sitting very erect It Is the land tand the great river the unnamable able ble loneliness that brings fear But ButI I 1 a shall ll noo not disgrace you you The grande dame air In a n doll dolt t and yet she carried It off oft most excellently I took my ray musket and slipped sUpped Into cover and waited I heard the two men climbing the bluff long before they should have betrayed themselves The carelessness or awkwardness of their approach told me they were not cou- cou de bols This left them colonists colonIsts colonists colo colo- from New Orleans sent In blundering blundering blun blun- dering pursuit of at me and I was confident confident confident con con- I could soon send them to the right about Now they were passing through thelast thelast the thelast last fringe of bushes encircling the fire and the girl suddenly gave a shrill scream As I glided forward to close the trap I heard a rough voice yell In English Blast my eyes if it aint her leer I Ahoy lass wheres where's your convoy Here 1 I spoke up stepping Into the firelight my musket across my left arm The girl was crouching behind a log and from her face one would have thought she was facing a panther Old Six Six Fingers more apish than ever sto stood d leering at her his yellow snags showing In an ugly grin On recognizing recognizing recognizing me he lowered his arm and with witha a scowl growled So Its It's you is It Ho Monsieur Brampton we meet again i 1 loudly greeted Narbonne lunging clear of a grapevine Behold I give you the freedom of my river I Mademoiselle command me I throw myself at your feet She rose and seated herself on the log In an effort to recover her dignity but never allowing her frightened eyes to stray long from the grinning face of ot Six Fingers Monsieur Narbonne was so good as asto asto asto to do me a service In la Nouvelle Or Or- leans lenns His presence Is always most w welcome she nervously assured the Frenchman We uWe g go up the river to find the c country country coun coun- un- un try of where the diamonds grow on rose rose bushes and the women are almost as beautiful as mademoiselle mademoIselle mademoiselle selle prattled Narbonne with a smirk at the girlAnd girlAnd girlAnd girl And now wes we's picked ed you up well we'll sail sall In convoy grinned Six Fingers And nd he broke Into some of his horrible horrible hor hor- sea doggerel and began chanting Heave hoi And tho the devil He sits In the sun Hurrah bullies for the Spanish main Heave hoi And the red bl blood od From white throats will run Hurrah Narbonne was nearest to him and with a backhanded sweep he stilled the vicious lips and sent Six Fingers over oyer backward Now I had no desire for either of the two to be traveling ahead of me Narbonne would not wittingly harm me but he was eccentric to say the least His companion was capable of any Infamy If left unwatched So I affected the role of pacificator and said Let bygones be by bygones ones Six Fingers Fingers Fingers Fin Fin- gers forgot his sea ditties are not for young ears He will not forget again Come come ome men you'll need stout hearts for your journey to the nibas Six Fingers pressed his fingers to his split lips and made animal noises Narbonne was staring at him coldly one hand on the hilt of ot his ills sword The Theold Theold Theold old villain essayed something Intended for an nn affable smile an and croaked Rough day mate but hut Im I'm used to rough living and rough Va ways s I was forgetting the lass Ill I'll stay after this And theres there's a jug of brandy In the boat what Ill I'll overhaul I signaled for tor Narbonne to let him go for his departure would give me a chance to talk talle alone with the Frenchman French French- man Once Six Fingers had hod disappeared disappeared toward the edge of the bluff blurt I drew Narbonne farther apart from rom the girl and said sad You know I am being hunted Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps you do not know that there e are aro those ahead whom I fear more than n all those remaining behind I do not know how far tar I can trust hust your our companion companion companion com com- panion but hut to you ou I tell this tills At Point Coupee a days day's Journey from here the river makes a big loop My enemies enemies enemies ene ene- mies will I believe follow the main channel There Is a small bayou or canal not not more more than six feet wide and usually choked with drift at the open open- ing If It I can reach that unseen and cut across the loop I will save a day It Is at Point Coupee I plan to get ahead of m my pursuers Narbonne stiffly answered Monsieur I have an equity In this cursed river I am a landed tor I have Invested n a hundred thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand livres In this country I am responsible re- re for law and order I shall go SO with you to protect you He TIe said It t as If standing In n the center center center cen cen- ter of broad ancestral acres as If an army of minions was ready to carry curry carryout carryout out his every wish And his heart was wasas wasas wasas as honest In Its purpose as ns If It he had hud commanded the obedience and servility servIlIty servility ity paid to Louis XIV In his lifetime I tried to thank him for carrying my note to Mademoiselle buthe buthe but buthe he would not permit declaring Nay not so 60 The thanks are ore forme torm for tor forme m me to utter It gave cave ave me We the rarest pleasure to speak with mademoiselle again I am In your debt The girl now shyly advanced and extended a hand bond to Narbonne saying I have bave th the bravo Frenchman to thank again The absurd fellow was all but kneeling kneelIng kneeling kneel kneel- ing as he reverently kissed the slim hand his cap gathering more grime from the forest mol And I was popeyed popeyed pop pop- eyed to observe how calmly she accepted accept accept- ed his homa homage e. e She retired to her log pulling us along after her ber by the exquisite exquisite exquisite ex ex- charm of her manner It caused me grim amusement and some eom chagrin to realize she waited until Narbonne was present before exercising exercising ing the heIg height t of at her charm With a glance to make sure Six Fingers was not within hearing henring she confessed Messieurs I am much afraid afraM of that Narbonne bowed and turned to leave us but I seized his arm and detained him He roughly shook ofT off my grasp and whispered Did you not hear I have endured the little beast but surely mademoiselle mademoiselle mademoiselle selle should not be annoyed She understood this byplay and was between us If you hn have ve respect for tor forthe |