Show The Wit Ship Woman I COMPLICATIONS Traveling SYNOPSIS Traveling b by c canoe cano no noon on till the Mississippi on hi his hi wa way to In the earl early days of th the settlement e of Louisiana William Brampton English spy py known to radiant Indian and settlers ri as a a the th tb White Whit Indian sees a Matches Indian po pot poet t a of war the For hi hie bl own purposes he h. hastens to to carry the new news to French governor Brampton masts meeta an anold old friend t Joe Joa Labrador In In- In dlan dean d who warn warns him Glenville ha h. has threatened to hang him aa a. a spy apy py Brampton refuses to turn back He falls fall In with JuJu Jul and Baill Matter on their way watto to Biloxi to to secure oUre wives from a ship the Main Malre bringing I women from France At t Brampton protect a woman from froma a sergeants sera brutality She tHa ell eIle him she Ihl I Is Claire ln picked up In a raid In Farls Parie evidently Evidently evi Evl dently well wen bred and educated she he Is II a mystery to Brampton He intervene to prevent a man English known a a a. Old Six Silt FinKen Fin Fin- Ken cen ter following her to New Or Or- leans llana A Frenchman Narbonne slightly lightly demented by tortes he ha hn has heard ud of the riches of If the New World introduces Intro intro- Introduce duce duces himself accuses Brampton of treachery but the latter secures a respite from death by revealing the Natchez declaration of war lie He Is to await the arrival of a former r companion the Fox who will exonerate or condemn him has document proving Brampton an En English lIsh 11 spy Brampton receives a aa a. a message from Claire begging him to help her reach the till English settlements settlements settle settle- ments mente Brampton trusts trust Narbonne Narbonne Nar Nar- bonne with a note not to Claire promising to meet her at New Orleans Orlean lie He plans piano his hla escape After A struggle le Brampton wrests wrest the Incriminating papers from front and escapes escapee from Biloxi He lie me meets ts the Matters and the they go EO to New Orleans In a n sailing calling packet racket At the landing place Brampton again encounters tern tera Joe Labrador whom he sends to brIng brine Claire to him Brampton questions her closely but she will tell hIm little of her history With Labrador Brampton ton and nd Claire leave In two canoes for the English settle nettle lI ments ment Claire turn turns out to be bea a creature of mood moods and a terrible ter handicap In a race for life CHAPTER VII VII Continued 10 10 One must catch the Hie fish first was the quiet response Besides I pIa placed cell the wood on the blaze monsieur started start start- ed The Tile coals couls will be ready rady All AU the wood woody It I de de- de- de She Bhe bridled at my tone A tug at my line Une demanded my attention After a brief fight I landed a catfish She waited until I bad had secured my hook and coiled colled my line Une i then she said aid The wood was to burn bum Yes s yes nut But not all aU at once A little at a n time I was not flot t to know without being told she said paid with much dl dignity If It monsieur will wilt be he explicit another time perhaps I will do better But Hut wood ILa I ILa ILa La I La 1 l There Is la nothing but wood Surely one does not have to be sparIng sparIng spar spar- Ing of ot wood In this land lI I l II II I hesitated whether to explain the danger of big fires and much smoke e I V I k r a Pet I f 1 1 I Darted My G Gaze on en the River I Discovered Die Dis covered Nothing Until Sho She Stood Close at My Side and Pointed a Finger being seen sen by an enemy or te to wait walt and after acting as my own tender fire for tor a while see It If she did not learn net her lesson by observation If It we have ha finished with the matter of th the fire she quietly resumed I would like to ask monsieur the meanIng mean mean- Ing log of that object which no floats ts upstream upstream up up- stream across the dying patch of ot sun sun- tight light I darted my gaze on the river I discovered nothing until she stood close nt nl m my she slue and pointed a fin finger eri then I saw U g a canoe fur far out and presumably Bunting for tor dead water on the opposite shore SliME Indians Probably llamas We Ve are arela In la their country I told her Are HAre they wicked Will they trouble BI eel an she demanded glancing up Into 1 7 y race fare Not I a bl blk tor t was I afraid of for I r hi had d many friends among the river people Including the Humus Bg thigh Hugh o of Kings Kin of the Missouri Pay Faq A MA Virginia a Six Seoul ut eta Copyright by Hugh nuh 1111 v It B Service anice net Returning my gaze raze to the river I w was s troubled to observe the canoe was making no progress toward io t the e opposite site Bite shore And only white mem Ignorant Ignorant Ignorant Igno Igno- rant of ot the river riles would skirt the edge of ot the mighty current and barely hold bold their own when ea easy y p d lo was to tobe tobe tobe be enjoyed along the shore Now she one can hardly see them cried Well go back and cook coole our fish I said laid The Tile canoe conoe was h heading toward us thus making It appear to to be a aspeck aspeck speck And I had no doubt the smoke from our generous fire had attracted the voyageurs voyageurs' attention If ant and his lilg companions companion were were on the same side with us the Intervening forest would prevent his hla seeing the smoke It was his manito against mine and andI I was hampered by an Irresponsible girl CHAPTER VIII What the Smoke Brought Even If It the distant canoe was making ranking rank mok ing for tor our smoke I did dill not see how I could break brak camp and hIde In the forest or take to the tile pirogue Had nad nadI HadI I been heen alone the problem of or avoiding the two men would have been childs child's play i but the girl would hold me back In the woods while to continue In the pirogue would bring th the men upon us I was convinced conduced they could not be some Rome of ot m men n and this belIet belief belief be be- lief lIet reconciled me somewhat to meetIng meeting meet meet- ing them On reaching the fire I hurriedly hur bur cleaned the fish The girl Irl watched my preparations with u a little grimace I feared she sho was v o ous I broiled the Ille fish on the tile coals conic and served It t on two Iran clean pieces of ot hark bark She sot sat back from the tile fire and ond tentatively tentatively tenta tenta- nibbled at some smoked meat but hut refused the fish This was an arraignment of my rough ready cooking and provoking because she Rhe had lind made no offer to do the work h herself I was beginning to realIze real real- Ize Ire how low entirely useless this young Iier person on was when It cum come to caring for tor herself For one raised In poverty the In instinct of ot self preservation seemed emed to be bl meagerly developed eloped of ot course her hands should have hll told me that nt ut the Le ber She Sho eyed ed the tough smoked meat disapprovingly i then bravely remarked re re- re- re marked The flue file burned well Exceedingly well mademoiselle I Another and a longer pause then she was os timidly remarking There Ther came to me th the absurd notion no no- tion that Hint monsieur was wag displeased because because because be be- cause I user the wood But I tell myself myself my my- self there Is much touch wood enough for tor nil nil France Also A A ten In the more n Y nn th IA c m yu more coals What Ilat have llave I done that 13 la wrong wrong Nothing that Is wrong rong Only this I fire 1 al asked keil the wood flood to be fed Id on ona ona onn a n little nt at a time You put It all on at ut once But Dut It made m a good fire monsieur You Ton have said It yourself I 1 fear teRr you jou OU are o overnice In 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 would have said wid nothing this this' time but I did not want mademoiselle to be taken by surprise and perhaps alarmed This awful country where the sim elm simplest simplest pleat act art may bring death I I she dramatically dra dra- whispered I smiled reassuringly Hardly death or we would not be here waIting It Is nothing these nothing these strangers coming I only mention n them so mademoiselle will not be startled You have your musket close my your side as If It you jou ou feared 1 I I too V will be read ready And she lIe pulled the sheathed dirk from her b bosom and nil allowed owed It to hang outside her blouse blome Then as us nn an inspiration inapt ration But Hut the log boat I We should hide hid it It Then the they could not find us liS us Now Nov that the they have seen Fen the smoke It Is U better that they find fint u us I 1 answerEd an If It we should disappear they would find the fire and they would go goon goon 0 on up the river and tell of the deserted desert desert- ed t-d rump camp It would be bad for them to tell such news to the Fox For my fish I took my gun Iun and amI said Bald Mademoiselles courage Is fine She will sit where she Is while I 1 withdraw to one side I do not understand she faltered fly Hy this time the two men will be landing near our pirogue They will reconnoiter cautiously I must get them to the fire fir to see who they are to make sure they carr carry no tales ahead of us But nut would you leave m me here alone Only as bait tor for the trap Into which they must walk As soon as they thy break brak cover I will be by your jour our side Monsieur does dos not net go tar fur away awny Only Inside the trees e Have cour cour- age Nothing shall harm you jou ou I am em not afraid of ot men she coldly replied now sating fitting very ery erect It Is the tile land the great rut river th the unnamable able loneliness ss that brings fear tear But ButI I skill not nat grace you fOu The grande crande dame dame air In a doll and yet she carried It off ort most roost nC excellently excellently- I took my musket and slipped sapped Into cover and ani waited I heard the hymen tw hy two men climbing the tM bluff blurt long Ion b before fore they should have betrayed themselves The carelessness ess or awk awkwardness of ot t their approach told 1 me they were not COu re de bols bots This left lett them color nests from New Orleans sent In to blundering blundering blun and I was con conn confident dering pursuit of m me I could soon soon send them to the tile right about Now how they were passing through the thelast thelast last fringe of ot bushes encircling the fir fire and the girl suddenly gave a shrill scream As I gilded forward to close the trap 1 I heard a B rough voice yell In InI English I Blast mast my eyes If It It aint herl her Ahoy la lass s. s wheres where's your our coO convoy Here lIere I I spoke up stepping Into the firelight my ruy musket across my left lett arm The girl was crouching behind a log and from her face tace one would have bave thought she was facing a panther Old SI Six FIngers ringers more apish than ever stood leering at her hIs yellow snags nags showing In an ugly grin On recognizing recognizing me he be lowered his arm and with witha a scowl growled So Its It's you Is It Ho eho Monsieur Brampton we e mee meet again I loudly greeted Narbonne lunging clear of a grapevine Behold give I-give you the freedom of ot my river I Mademoiselle 1 command me I I throw myself at your feet teet She ross rose and seated herself herselt on the tile log In an effort to recover her dignity but never allowing her frightened eyes eyl's to stray long from the grinning face tare of ot Six Fingers Monsieur was so 10 good as asto asto asto to do me a service In la Nouvelle Or Or- leans Ills Ills Ills' presence Is always most welcome she nervously assured the Frenchman We go up the river to find the tile country country country coun coun- try of ot where the diamonds grow row on bushes rode and the women are almost as beautiful as mademoiselle selle prattled Narbonne with a smirk at the girlAnd girl And now wes we's picked you Tip up well we'll sail soli In convoy grinned Six Fingers And he broke Droke Into some of ot his horrible horrible hor hor- sea doggerel and began chanting Heave hoi And the devil He sits site In the sun lun Hurrah bullies for the Spanish main mall I hot Heave And the red blood From white whit throats throat will run Hurrah I u. u r was n nearest arest to him mm and ana with a backhanded sweep he stilled the vicious lips and sent Six Fingers o over backward Now I had no desire for either o othe of the two to b be traveling ahead of ot me Narbonne would not wittingly harm rm me but but buthe he eccentric to say soy the least east Ills Ill companion was capable of or any Infamy If It left unwatched So I affected ted the role of ot pacificator and said I Let t bygones be bygones Six Fingers Fingers Fin Fin- gers forgot his sea ditties are not for young loung ears He Ill will not forget torget again Gnome Come A me come om men you'll youl need stout hearts for tor to the nibas Six Fingers pressed his fingers to hIs its split lips and made mide animal noises Narbonne was was staring at nt him coldly one hand on the hilt of his sword The Theold Theold Theold old villain essayed something Intended for an nn affable alTable smile and croaked Rough day mate mote but Im I'm used to rough living and rough ways ns I was forgetting the lass las Ill I'll stay f rard utter otter this And theres there's a Jug of gf brandy In the boat what Ill I'll overhaul I 1 signaled for tor Narbonne to let him himo go o for tor his departure would give gl me n a chance to talk alone with the French French- i man Once One Six Sic Fingers had disappeared disappeared toward the edge of ot the tile bluff blurt I drew diew Narbonne farther apart from the girl and sold said You know I nm am being hunted Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps you jou OU do not know that there are ore those ahead abend whom I fear tar more than all those rr remaining behind I do not know how fur far 1 I cnn can trust your com com- companion companion panion but to you I tell this At Point Coupee a days day's Journey from here the river makes makl's a big loop My enemies ene ene- mica mies will I believe follow v the main channel There Is a II small bayou or canal not more than six fIx feet wide wille and usually choked with lIh drift at the open open- Ing If I can cnn reach that unseen anti and cut across the loop loop-l will save Rave a day It Is 18 at nt Point Coupee Couple I 1 plan pIau to get gel ahead of or my pursuers Narbonne stiffly answered ered Monsieur I have an equity In this cursed river I am a landed tor I have Invested a n hundred thousand thou sand sant In this country 1 I am re reo for law and order I 1 shall go with lIh you ou to protect you ou lie Ho Raid said It as If standing In the center cen cen- ter of ot broad ancestral acres as If It an army of mInIons was ready to carry carryout carryout carryout out his Ills every ery wish And hIs bis heart wa way wasas as aa honest In hI Its purpose as It If he had commanded the obedience and Ity tty paid to Louis XIV In his lifetime I 1 tried to thank him for tor carrying my note to Mademoiselle bu buhe but buthe buthe he would not permit declaring Nay Xay not so sn The Tile thanks are fo fome forme for tor torme me to utter It U gave JR me the rarest rare pl pleasure a ure to speak peat with ma mademoiselle emol eU agaIn gala I am am In your debt The girl now shyly ahll advanced and anel extended a hand hani to Narbonne saying I II I have hare the brave Frenchman to tG thank again Th The absurd fellow was all but kneeling kneel In ing as he he reverently kissed the slim dim hand his cap gathering Catherine more trim grime from th the forest And I was popeyed popeyed pop pop- eyed to observe how bow calmly she a accepted accept accept- ed d his homage She retired to her lo log pulling us us' along after bel herby berby by th |