Show BLACK FEATHER W IMF R TITUS 0 harold antus by HAROLD 0 service CHAPTER VIII continued 10 I 1 lie he led them crouched over to the ahe stockade and along its southern exposure toward the entrance the man on guard stood just outside 1 looking down upon the flat his rifle leaned against the pickets now N owl rickman choked and rose and ran the guard made no outcry that would reach his fellows ile he gasped in surprise as he whirled to the sound of softly thudding feet rickman was upon him bearing him down clapping a hand over his mouth hammering the mans with his other fist his feet first lie he hissed and conr conrad ad and the other drew the mans man s heels together and bound the ankles tightly with a thong 0 his shirt was drawn over his head and tied there gagging and half buffo cating him and then his arms were trussed behind his back now cried rickman rich follow me philippe watch the guarda and he ran within the gate mak ing for the glow of embers where fire died in the open space between buildings fuel was there he threw a handful of light stuff on the coals kneeling to blow them to flame by the light he selected a pine knot and another and another rich moaned in apprehension but rickman hickman hick man only cursed with never a look toward the gate the pitch ignited and handing conrad two of the blazing knots bearing two himself lie he ran for the storehouse quick fuel bowl now rickman cried heap it against the logs more that light stuff its its the blaze we want crackling flames leaped into the bundles of twigs dancing up against the logs of the structure lighting the place feeling for hold in the wall good he cried come bowl now As fast as ever you can and he led the way toward the gate making great speed with his long legs conrad pressing hard behind the guard rolled and threshed as rickman called to philippe to fonow follow before they were well out of sight he be had his hands free and was war tearing at the buckskin shirt over his head he opened his lips then in a mighty shout for aid and not trusting to voice alone floundered to his rifle cocked and fired it and on the shot shaws men turned they stampeded up the slope entered the gate and with buckets fell upon the flames which in the dampness and chill of the night were even then dying down from a safe distance rickman end and his companions saw the glare on shaws buildings fade there was no chance muttered conrad rich the air is heavy flame could not take hold the trader looked at him with a sneer did you dream I 1 hoped for destruction st by fire youve stayed too long at headquarters rich into bed now now both of you and I 1 am not cot there he said impressively remember you do not know where I 1 have gone bewildered rich knowing only a part of the plan and the boatman less than that they left him skulking swiftly for their quarters heavy with apprehension and puzzlement and when they had passed the gate and it was swung shut again rickman walked to the bushes where Mong azid crouched and whispered in the natives tongue the hunter launched his canoe and rickman followed in another they paddled silently into the lake the native turning westward and the trader shoving his frail craft into the overhanging branches of a small island the fire had done dome no more than lightly scorch the thick walls of the storehouse it was out no damage was done but rodney shaw moved among his excited men with an ominous silence and deliberation he wanted to be sure to make no move until certain that he would live to regret nothing again he confronted the guard the man was certain was he that the company trader himself had been there yes mister master with two he rubbed gently a wrist wrenched by thongs with the clerk and a boatman I 1 saw them all before the shirt was bound over my head and the trader himself entered the enclosure rodney turned from the chattering group walking stiffly toward his quarters he blew up the fire on the hearth and rose to confront basile who had followed the mans eyes questioned him begging mutely to know what was in mind weve enough of skulking and ambush and assault under cover of darkness he said the time has come basile for a settlement and openly as whites fight shaws long kentucky rifle rested on deer antlers anglers above his bed he took it down turned it over critically opened the pan cover tossed out the priming and poured fresh from his bis powder horn then basile asked his question this night shaw nodded sharply of 01 course the country does not grow larger hours increase the cramping im crowded with movements of his elbows as though driving them into bodies pressed closely about not not alone you flutter 11 like k e a mai maiden deril safer than going alone and at night will he be looking for that not hel he I 1 besides there are things that wont let a man wait basile and tasks in which one cannot ask another shoulder derl 1 ile he was gone smiling tightly and basile B a s i I 1 e crossed himself as he watched the departure it was what a man like shaw would do he knew his capacity tor for enduring persecution had been reached basile knew that and another knew that burke rickman had read shaws character aright and now he waited in safe seclusion warmed by a sense of impending success after long failure it was more mor ethan than a league by land to the company fort but rodney I 1 Z imez ex I 1 4 T A definite sickness ran through him covered the distance as rapidly as a man in haste would have done by daylight A pine tree threw its dark shadow over the stockade he made ford for this his only protection from froin the lately risen moon he slung the rifle across his back by its thong drew away ran forward touched the upright logs with one foot grasped for the top caught and swung upward no sound the fort lay peacefully in the moonlight rifle in his hands again he dropped to the ground he did not hesitate but went on quickly around the corner of the building running for the entrance rickman he rasped out of your blankets rickman A movement A strangled cry he is not here hes not here shaw it was conrad rich terrified and quaking in his bed where is he then god help me I 1 dont knowl know the man moaned 1 I dont know shaw the last I 1 saw irn im was outside the gate an hour or more ago oh a devils nightmare this shaw if you value your life and your safety go back to your fort the clerk was out of his bunk then advancing in the moonlight one hand extended in pleading stay where you are rich shaws eyes sweeping the recesses of the room as conrad halted had fallen on a garment lying across a bench in the moonlight it was a cloak a womans comans cloak a long cloak of heavy maroon stuff and at sight ot of it his heart seemed to stand still in his breast lie he had seen that cloak before he had held the figure wrapped within its folds in his arms annette Le cleres cloak here she must be here then and an odd compound of emotions ran him rage and jealousy and regret aregrett that was odd for a trader out to kill odd indeed so odd that it unsteadied him almost frightened him the regret was that the cloak lay here instead of in his quarters so she had come all this way to rickman who would hot remain with her despite her public kisses and embrace embra cesi sl A definite sickness ran through him where was rickman none knew gone then expecting a revengeful sally such as this hiding fearful of retribution ali ah could shaw have guessed the truth 1 could he have but known that he walked into a trap he retreated to the upper end of the enclosure where the stockade threw its heavy shadow and stood there rifle across his arm he would stay he would stay there on hostile ground until the company trader showed himself then he need never again give opposition so much as a second thought but a queer despair weighted his determination annette hero here annette herel and while he waited burke rickman eased his canoe up the lake until he was abreast the medicine lodge its fire its mourning natives continually his eyes traveled the moonlit surface of the lake on the watch for another craft the canoe came from the shore by the flat after rickman had whistled as a plover a score of times it came somewhat cautiously but when he whistled again the approach was faster and shortly it come came close and the weasel his hair caked with mourning mud looked inquiringly into the white mans face he listened closely to tg what rickman hickman said he greedily snatched the tobacco off offered ered him it will be done he promised and turned and paddled shoreward again ag ain dawn rodney shaw watched it come from his station within the company stockade burke rickman bickman stretched and grumbled in his hiding place on the islet and observed that the east was paling the moon losing its lustre and far up the sluggish waters of a river river which flowed into the lake young Mong azid grasped overhanging bushes and held his canoe motionless ti he dragged his canoe out and returned to replace the dogwood twigs his landing had ruffled he pushed on cautiously and reached the bend above where on the other bank he could see a lone old woman with a withered leg hobbling about a smudge of fire before an otherwise deserted lodge little duck this her daughters had I 1 left eft her behind denying her the holiday of the medicine and the whisky which she loved he went on walking silently and swiftly through the lush carpeted forest until he was halt half a league above the encampment with its old woman there he lay down in tall grasses which grew on a high bank overlooking the stream his eye was good his hand was steady and three packs of beaver awaited him that fur meant life and life was sweet the life of a white man who has no ways of retribution when it is not known who strikes was as nothing at that Trio moment ment compared kom pared to his own life CHAPTER IX the night had not been good to the weasel he had been cuffed and clubbed away from the whisky but the he weasel had a story to tell did they not know he demanded of 0 any who might hear that shaw had driven this company trader from his fort yes the little trader had gone there in the night heavy with weapons and the one of flaming hair had fled like a frightened fox he ran this company trader with whom I 1 must trade he protested like a woman he runs from the little trader and who gives his cowards heart shelter in this time of danger but black beaver who said that he was our friend while he lied to us this rickman skulks in black beavers lodge afraid of the sun afraid of the moon and stars so from mauth to ear and ear to mouth the news ran reaching basile when at broad dawn after hours of sleepless worry he came out of shaws stockade to look for his employer until the sun rose rodney shaw continued his vigil then rising stiffly he went slowly down to the gate heedless of the faces peeping at him from the cracks of doors flung aside the bar and looked across the placid lake to see basile approaching in a canoe come away the clerk growled come before some company engage strikes from behind rickman has gone gone where tersely the story that the weasel yelped was told and shaw drew a deep breath out with a gesture 1 I want wa nt the canoe but of course I 1 follow no dont squall warnings basile I 1 should have guessed hed go straight to black beaver when driven from his den oh save your warnings im no fool fool ill go as far by the usual route as I 1 safely can and then swing into the encampment from the rear he was gone then leaving basile on the beach grumbling and mumbling it was a morning of wondrous silence of gorgeous pence peace of vivid color the tranquility of late summer the peace of a flawless day but in the affairs of men no tranquility qui lity no peace rodney shaw passed the island with rickman leering at him from his shelter and trust in treachery high in his heart and pressed on for that river where Mong azid lay waiting an agent of destruction shaw rounded a point swung toward the land and entered the river he reached that bend where the old crone raked ashes from coals and dangled a shred of meat there on a stick blinking her eyes with their baleful lights he called a bluff greeting to little duck but she did not reply just stared sourly at him and mumbled the day held silent the air air was clear so clear and so still that small sounds were distinct also the sounds of a paddle ever so cautiously wielded traveled a great distance Mong azid bieard heard and a slight tremor ran his frame not of dismay or of compunction but of preparation ile he raised himself to elbows and knees safe in his screen of long cured grasses shaw came and the indian raised his gun but one does not shoot a man with a face like that from in front not even when his concealment is perfect one waits from the rear it is safer on went shaw eyes raking the banks seeing nothing to alarm his jaw was set gray eyes glowing in a short distance now he we would ad land lan and proceed by foot to black beavers lodge he was abreast mon hiding place he was beyond but not far enough the current ran swiftly in this bend A movement above might be seen from the corner of an eye keen as those gray ones he was turned with his back squarely toward the high bank as he drove his canoe to the inside of the bend and monga zid rose to one knee he came up slowly silently the trade rifle rose to his shoulder he pressed his cheek to the cool stock he squinted over the coarse sight A busy woodpecker cassed its prodding for food and darted away as the sound of the shot ripped the stillness in the canoe there the man rocked forward as though a heavy stone had been flung against his back he t threw 11 rew 0 out ut a h hand a nd to grasp his rifle the weapon steadied him but sud slid along the gun wales as his weight came on it he reached with the other hand sought to brace himself turned fumbled for the trigger and another shot ripped the serene silence but that bullet tore no flesh it rent only water fired as it was without sighting in the last fractional second of consciousness the gun slipped from flexing fingers and thudded into the canoe bottom with a long retching breath shaw doubled slowly forward twi twisted sted once and lay still 10 70 BE CONTINUED |