Show Wl I f B Jl rol nJ or Of fr By JAU I PAY r IGHT IV BY BlIGH 4 A YI VIRGINIA GINIA CHAPTER XI Continued XI-Continued Continued 14 14 Then he was Inspired to add But why not cot let me stay here bere while sou rou rou take toke mademoiselle She would wish you for her guide She was ayoung n a noung young oung wildcat when we tried to stop her ber from entering the village l before you jou ou gave the word I am the one must capture cop cap ture or kill Every one else even mademoiselle comes comell second In la Ills his plans He lie will not leave the feast so long as ns I am nm there It must must be as ns T 1 say Wonder about the nil village and use your wits In looking for tor a n loop loop- hole bole I will talk with mademoiselle To the girl I briefly repented repeated the orders I had given Inn to Labrador and Six Fingers and told her I would work workout workout workout I out the details during the day As I had anticipated she Immediately Interposed interposed Inter inter- posed objections She would go nowhere nowhere nowhere no no- where with Six Fingers unless I was present Labradors Labrador's company made no difference She would not leave the village unless In my company But I will overtake you I Insisted It Is most Important that I reach rench Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia lnla with the least possible delay I Ishall Ishall shall not waste any time In following I you And nd If not for me you would al already already already al- al ready be well on your way there sh she murmured Oh monsieur you are very brave I I wish I could have told you yon different when you spoke to me of your heart I 1 Her lIer In bringing up what I supposed to be most strongly forbidden n caused my mind to swirl In confusion I could only mumble We were not to speak of that again She further bewildered me ns as with the Innocence of a child she corrected me Not for you to speak of of course courbe But surely It Is for me to speak of when I wish Then sympathetically And does It hurt monsieur too much If if IfT T I n rt t of It tt I 1 think It does I promptly answered answered answered an an- be beginning to feel very un un- easy Yes I am quite sure Then It must not be mentioned she sighted sighed I 1 did not fully tully under under- stand I only wanted monsieur to to know I regretted It Is all ended You will be ready to go 1 with my friend Yes I will go 0 I bowed and backed from the opening open- open Ing In he followed me a few tew paces and andI I was disturbed to see she was fightIng fighting fight fight- Ing to control some violent emotion Monsieur Yes Yee Mademoiselle If I knew I was never r to see you again there Is something Yes Something Something I think I should so say shy My fy curiosity prickled for she was such a mixture of enigmas that one could never r guess Dess where her words would land I had seen her as haughty ns as a marquise Now she typed extreme youth and an entire lack of worldly wisdom So conscience stifled curiosity and I declared But you jou ou will see me again To To- night On the river My leaving this place ploce is nothing There will be a feast will be there to watch me me Ills His Indians will be there to help him That gives you OU a free road When I decide you have hoe made a good start I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall laugh at them and leave lea Merl monsieur she stiffly said You have sa ed rc re me from an tion I have all confidence in your confidence And yet et as I walked away there was the temptation to go back and ask her to tell what she had hod withheld I tried to blame my Interest in he her shirting shifting moods to my ray long withdrawal withdrawn from civilization and Its types o of dainty womanhood This In defense of my pence peace of mind Ind The rh sight o ot of leaving the nae in an company company company com com- pany with the chiefs chief's grandson helped me to tear my thoughts from the girland girl and antI concentrate on the grim problem of the tile night I For or notwithstanding IU roy raj assurance In n talking with mademoiselle selle selle I had no Idea just how I was to escape that lint night On reaching the cabin I found Labrador Labrador Lab Lab- rador waiting for me Ills His dark doll faCe fac was anxious and he asked Where is II that old pirate I thought he lie was with you He lie shrugged Ills Ifs shoulders rs helpless helpless' I 17 Ah that old pirate I lie He was with me At my ray heel heels Then pout I II lIe Ill was gone gont Hell snatch him I I have hav walked and walked around this curse cursed death trap death peeping Into luto every cabin anc and be Is not myself philosophically t to I r resigned Six Fingers Fingers' disappearance It If he was Vas gone lOne then that was an end nd of one o of mademoiselles mademoiselle's worries I remembered seeing leaving tl the e v village 1110 lie J I ue an to suspect hl his S going was n a par part catch Six Fingers ou ouo out of the game to o ee or bounds and do him to death dE It was wa this tn to Labra- Labra while 1 was explaining dor or that Six ringers lingers entered the tho cabin and nd stood grinning at us In a peculiar manner flack Duck again Where have you rou been Adrift he coolly answered I grew rew tired of this devils devil's cage The Time wom women omea 1 Interested me the for a n bit but they blackeR blacken their teeth teth and when they hey smiled I ran I went outside You are lucky to be back alive What Is the matter with you Your legs and arms are wet I went to a brook and washed How did you jou go without my seeing you on little spider asked Labrador Six Fingers chuckled it was as ns simple as sailing Into the win wind In the fence back of ot mademoiselles mademoiselle's mademoiselles mademoiselle's made mode moiselle's cabin Is a hole It Is covered cov- cov red ered from sight by vines I saw a fowl enter the vines She She did not come comeback back ack back I cruised Inshore and cast cost the lend lead I 1 found the hole Labrador the big ilg pig was sailing salling before the wind I slipped through the hole and went to o the brook And here I am all safe and sound Yet you are lucky I warned Da moan and his bis Choctaws have been outside out out- sIde Ide all the morning This washed the grin rIn from his hili wrinkled face I was not satisfied with Six Fingers' Fingers explanation of his excursion outside he tile stockade How Dow could I know that I he le had hod not met outside the village and had made a compact with him Narbonne was dead and there was as no possible chance to continue the quest for tor I warned Labrador Lab Labrador Lab Lab- rador Say nothing to Six Fingers about tonight's plans There was a look In its iris eyes that tells me he is trying to to hide ilde something from us I said Mid When I start with mademoiselle tonight tonight to to- night I shall give gl him no chance chonce to spoil the plan pIon Of course we shall go through the hole bole In the stockade lOOt Of course And I will keep Six Fingers with me lIe He frightens the girl gin At midday I went to mademoiselles mademoiselle's cabin and called her out and Informed her of the hole in the palings s and warned her to be ready to leave leav by means of It You are determined de not to go with me me she asked If I planned d that way none of us could go I shall be right behind you rou I shall keep Six Fingers with me me She was relieved to know Six Fingers Fing Fing- ers was not to accompany herI herI her I will not fall fail you monsieur she whispered There remained nothing n naw now w but to wait nit until evening Owing to the brief time allowed for preparations the h hunters could not roam very far and some of these were returning continually continually ally usually with strings of ot small game I tried to get some rest relit against the exertions of the night but each ench I ret returning hunter was greeted with with much shouting and sleep was Imps Imps- sible It was twilight when returned returned re re- returned re- re turned to the village lIe He went out of his way ay to pass within a rod of ot me and the look his dark eyes gave ave me roe was wail wasie i e me of triumph Yet I could not comprehend any Immediate Imme danger The Time peace smoke would not blow away without some warning plus an announcement announcement announcement an an- as to when it could be renewed With Wit h the going down of the sun the women begun began running about the village cackling excitedly Fires were started in the Ole opening before the chiefs chief's cabin Kettles were hun hung over the fires and the various kinds of game were dumped In the contributions ranging from squirrels and water fowl to deer meat kept to the theother theother theother other side of the village and had his Choctaws posted about the exit lie He Hebelle belle believed ed he had hind us bottled up until the protection of the calumet had end end- ed When It grew so dark there was no danger of being closely observed I walked to the girls girl's cabin and was pleased to find the Indian women had lied succumbed to the temptation of the twinkling fires and had left mademoiselle mademoiselle made made- moiselle unattended I Instructed her After I have hae gone back I want wont you ou to steal behind the cabin and see if it the hole is there aa oS Six Fingers de de- scribed It Is there I saw him when he came through It It Then be ready for tor Labrador to call for tor you jou ou When he comes you ou must act swiftly Do a as he says The other Ive told you he stays stay with me lIeIs lIe He HeIs lieis Is acting queer qUler lIes lIe's been up to some mischief He Ill may ha have bargained to sell us out To my astonishment she Instantly denied dE this possibility declaring Ill He would never sell me No no I monsieur lIe He is evil but he wants me meto meto to Lo escape from this village and from the man you rou call the Fox More of the mystery I l I made matIe no comment but but repeated my mr request I that the abe be In tn constant readiness re to tot t I. I with Labrador Then I wished her ber hera a stoat heart hurt and good lood luck She came ame to me and took one hand handin in ID both of hers her and held beld it to her het heart and Ind without a word ord retreated ln Inside ld the c cabin I began to how horrible the whole situation must bt be for her She was dented denied the tonic of action and must dully watt wait H always always' fearing the worst I was U back at my cabin In time to meet Little Turkey and six Ix warriors warrior who as an escort of honor came to lead Labrador Six Fingers Fin gene gers and me to the feast As we walked between them and entered the firelight I beheld the chiefs chief's grandson and I a delegation dele of or warriors performing perform perform- ing the same courtesy sy for the Fox Behind came all alt of his Choctaws except four left to guard the exit The chief gave the sign slim for tor the feasting to be begin ln Minute portions ns were tossed over the shoulders shoulder for the tho ghosts and the pence peace calumet was hung up on n a pole by the side stile of the chief f and was made the recipient of scraps of meat and rations of beans Strong How Bow looked up and down the double line of men bolting the meat mat like dogs mind and asked me the wh wiry why the white woman was not standing among the Indian women to watch the tea feast st st. I 1 told him she was WM a queen quen In her own country and not used to standing w men ate nto and that she preferred remaining In her cabin until the dancing dancing ing began when she would appear Damoon grinned griMed widely and antI murmured murmured mur mur- She will stand while I eat ent my friend I pretended not to hear anti Da- Da moan stared at me the curiously trying to fathom my ray mind Like the fox he feared n a trap but so long as DB I and my male companions were wre within Immediate immediate Im im- im mediate reach he could not reason out where we had a single Ingle chance Six Fingers never raised his eyes from his food and lint yet he be was not hungry Labrador Labrador Lab Lab- rador devoured huge portions of under- under 1 Z- Z s r It Was Wat at as Simple a at as Sailing In the Wind In the Fence Back of Ma Ma- Cabin It 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 tile warrior warriors warriors war war- retired to paint for their dance I called to Labrador In French and requested re reo requested re- re quested him to wait walt on mademoiselle and ask her to come and see the dancing demanded my attention by asking So we renew the peace smoke In two sleeps eh ehl There was so much exultation In his tone so much in his grinning face that I knew he was up to some Ome new trick something I had not dreamed of ot I guessed frantically and could not Imagine what hat It was yet et I knew he had hod his plans all laid before the feast began and that be lie was not dependent upon upon the Interval between bet the time end eutI of the first smoke and und the beginning beginning be be- ginning tInning of the second Much 1 may happen In two days I carelessly replied As true as heaven hea he lie mocked And much may happen In one day day day- before another sun What are you ou planning to try tonight to tonight night I bluntly asked He lie laughed merrily and protested I try try Pardieu l I Think I would break the law of the Humus But If it you should break It It eh eh Come now would the peace smoke hover ho-er over your English hud head for few twe te day days if It It was Wal known knoWD that you yon bad had broken the Ole 1 laser a t There was n DO no guessing hit his meaning munier although he meant munt death I scoured my mT brain but could find no signs liI which would lead me to his hidden trail trait I was 1 still on this new attitude of hi his when the freshly n painted IS warriors armed with axes nUll and bows bow and arrows leaped In between the fires and began their war dance suddenly turned turne-d hi hit his head bead and fiercely demanded Where Is Iii my may woman r rI I eased my Ire by reminding him Your scalp shall pa pay the whole price I IlIe Ilie lIe He leaped le to his feet ft and spoke to the chiefs chief's grandson on who wes was reluctant relue tent tant to do what hat was ns n asked kd then spoke to me saying If the woman does dOlI not come rome the will bring her ber As Labrador and antI the girl had had time to get far down the river r trail I knew this would be some task tORk for the pumas to accomplish h. h Yet I fought for tor more morl time by appealing to the chiefs sense senile of Justice urging him to declare the white woman need n.-ed not show herself nt at all nil unless ss she so o de de- sired Only the fear of HI nv whose worth word he re knew knE was 1 caused hIm to hesitate He lie would hunt bunt with the French and run with tho the t English hr lI and he sug suggested tested It would make the hearts of the llamas very ery light Ight It if the white woman would Mould come and antI watch them dance So Ro be it It I said I will go iO and ask her I Oo to not believe would have sus any ruse Il hind had tI It not been n for tor Six Fingers Fingers' frantic haste to follow at my heels Let them theta stay here re herel I I shouted the Fox The Iron Hand Hond will lit fall and crush the Dumas If they do not stay here Stop cried the time chief now In panic panle I at the threat of the Fox word-bearer word I of The eyes of the I would be made glad at sight of the white woman I Strong Bow chief of the will go and ask asle her to come chuckled contentedly and said to the chief We will wait a moment There I Is a R present the white whiteman whiteman whiteman man has prepared for his woman lIe He had It hid In the woods but my Choctaws Choctaws Choc Choc- taws found It It We will have It ready when she comps comes the dance lIe He whistled shrilly and very Tery soon two Choctaws came come trotting from the exit with a long |