| Show I ty It K Ui D J 0 LD T Y IE 1 p Harold Titus T J-B. J t r.- r. I n SYNOPSIS Rodney Shaw Independent trader arrives In 10 In 1818 determined to fight light the trade monopoly established by the John Jacob Astor company In the Northwest territory He Is met by Conrad Rich an on elderly clerk Ramsay Crooks Astor's dominant dorm domi nant figure and Annette Leclere local beauty and Inspiration to all the traders especially to Burke Rickman a n ruthless trader who is the thc Instrument of destruction to traders refusing to amalgamate with the Astor company Roussel the town bully wearing the black feather symbol of invincibility knocks down Shaws Shaw's head oarsman Basile and Shaw In return throws Roussel Into the water Ramsay Crooks presents the symbolic black feather to Shaw Later at a conference Shaw scorns Astor Astor's s 's proposal proposal pro virtually to surrender his Independence ence announces his readiness to fight the amalgamation and prepares to depart the following day At a ball that evening Shaw recognizes Burke Rickman as 89 the Astor agent who had previously robbed him of his partner and his trade and as a n dangerous rival for lor Annette with whom he heIs heIs heIs Is Infatuated There Is an exchange of bitter words Annette Is chosen queen of the dance and chooses Shaw as King for the following evening Basile warns Shaw to hasten his departure and tells him an old man awaits him at his tent Shaw finds Leslie an old trader free who proposes that Shaw join him and go to the rich Pillager Pil lager country where Astor is planning to send Rickman He shows him a map and an Indian ceremonial stone given him by Standing Cloud Pillager chief Shaw ac cc accepts Leslie's LesUe's otter offer The spying Rickman finds Annette alone and artfully belittles Shaw aggravating Annette Into boasting of his plans until Rickman learns of the thc partnership part and the departure for rich unclaimed unclaimed un un- un claimed ground He follows Shaw to Leslie's Leslie's Les lies lie's camp and hides within earshot Shaw finds Leslie very attended by his clerk Giles With Giles as a n witness Leslie gives Shaw the map and the Indian stone After Arter Shaw departs Leslie dies Rickman ascertains the old mans man's death and plunges a knife Into his heart Shaw reaching his camp finds soldiers with a warrant for his arrest on a charge o of murdering Leslie Basile reports to Shaw v. in prison that Rickman Rickman Rick man embarks the following day and that Giles is intimidated from rom telling the truth Shaw Impatient at the delay orders Basile to hold nil all in readiness for the moment he hc can escape Annette makes love to Rickman Rick Rick- Rickman man man hoping to dela delay him r CHAPTER IV Continued IV Continued 5 g V But Basile did not see all heard nothing whatever He did not observe observe ob ob- serve Rickman's attempt at a final kiss did not see Annette twist and squirm from his arms could not hear her one honest word of the entire passage One word a strained gasped T N 1 i ever It was that word which sent Rickman Rickman Rick Rick- man n away an unhappy if commanding commanding commanding com com- manding figure And so Burke Rickman had a aday aday aday day and a half the advantage even though events might give Rodney his freedom of movement before another another another an an- other dawn Indeed it seemed until late afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon that another quiet northern night would follow But as the sun began to drop a murk appeared in the south and the wind veered J and softened and a thunder head rose above the strait and Rodney's heart picked up its measure Basile came on the pretext that the men were demanding the balance balance bal bal- ance of their compensation and Rodney told him to trade what remained remained re re- re of the packs The storm wi will l come master And HAnd give me cover for my task When the revelry is at its best launch the canoe Wait for forme forme forme me on the northern side of the is is- is land Ill I'll cry as a great owl The storm broke at midnight a furious lashing of wind and playing of lightning and cannonade of thun thun- d der i Tentatively ti ely Rodney touched I file to the bar and drew its edge slowly along the softer metal Its rasp was covered by the drum of ofrain ofrain rain and wind in the trees And then began his battle with his prison Savagely he sawed with the short file putting all the strength he could bring to bear against the cutting edge Sinewy as he was the task was labor The first bar went in twain and b by bya Y Ya a tentative test he knew his strength was great enough to bend it outward outward outward out out- ward But two more bars remained remained re re- re- re i. i before he could hope ope to squeeze his broad shoulders through I the opening He sawed madly The second bar yielded and the thel l 1 edges of the file were dulling Another Another An An- n. other thunder shower impending and lightning became more frequent The third bar was sundered and he dropped the file in every every every ev ev- ery muscle The sentry passed beneath beneath beneath be be- neath his window moving slowly on toward the clump of cedars Rodney Rodney Rodney Rod Rod- ney gripped the first bar with both hands and leaned against it Slowly It yielded The bar protruded at an angle anele outward The guard did did not look up The second bar bent before Rodney's strength and then the third His fingers gripped the outside edge of the stone window ledge He leaped wriggling himself outward belly on the sill He breathed free air His head and shoulders were outside the pris pris- on He wriggled frantically The whitewashed wall of the building spread below him In another second second second sec sec- ond he would be silhouetted against it for any eye to see And the last lightning flare fiare of the spent t storm revealed him hanging there swinging like a pendulum ready to drop to the turf below 1 Halt The sentry's shout went through Rodney like a knife stab He let go o his hold He dropped f J t t r Ii r rolling in the wet grass He was on his feet crouching gauging the approach approach approach ap ap- I of the soldier whose feet thudded on the path Shaw backed a step gripped the corner of the building swung around it and began to run Halt or I fire J the guard cried Fire and be beThe beThe be- be The crash of the musket cut off oft Rodney's cry of defiance He felt the breath of the bullet on his cheek and a savage elation swept him The musket was empty The sound of the shot would rouse the garrison and th the roused garrison would rouse the village But he was free plunging into drenched shrubbery Free in cover with a aplan aplan aplan plan before him and all he asked was this meager chance at freedom freedom freedom free free- dom 1 He ran with all the strength in his chest and legs He gained the shingle angle of the islands island's northern beach standing there alone in the darkness He fought to still his breath and gave the hollow falsetto cry of a great owl He listened and from Cram somewhere across the water it was answered and he heard the thud of an oar against canoe rail and I ran that way crying out again Rodney was wading out to his knees to his hips He was being lifted into his canoe by loyal hands as streaming water he gained his p place I 1 a ace c e. e Bravo he breathed Bravo my brave children To oars now March MarchI Sixteen days men had said from Point Iroquois to the St. St Louis Shaw laughed as his canoe nosed into the bay which is the mouth of I the river They had silently passed I Rickman's brigade encamped on the shore three nights ago Sixteen days he taunted Eight Eight days from the point of the Iroquois Your names shall live forever green in the of the North One passes the lair of opposition disdainfully and Shaw did not even I glance at the walls of the company I fort they breasted at sundown with its flag limp and men staring They et vv u 1 w t l fi E Ed s1 l d I 1 r a 1 k 4 W Halt or I Fire the Guard Cried would see they would tell but it would be days yet before Rickman arrived with intent ears to hear their I telling On above was the first portage and there camped the canoe mak maker r of whom Leslie had told The great canoe was abandoned at the natives native's natives native's na na- natives native's na- na tives tive's camp and two smaller craft procured because the other would be unwieldy in the narrow rivers and difficult to transport on the long carries These arrangements made the portage awaited Nine miles it was 19 pauses a winding twisting trail up tortuous clay banks over unyielding unyielding unyielding un un- yielding rocks with the forest brushing the faces of men who toiled with great diligence over it it Up good children Shaw cried flinging portage collars at them Up Jacques with your back of an ox You will lead I Jacques grinning twisted thong ends about a package shouldered the straps and nestled his forehead against leather Another package was set i on th the fi first and d hunched d into position a third and the man grinned Two hundred and seventy pounds he bore But as he swayed forward for the first slow step he was halted by Rodney's cry Un autre mon man enfant The smile died and a hurt look came into the fellows fellow's eyes No Shaws Shaw's question was mock incredulity My good Jacques says No He stood a moment shaking his head dolefully Too great the burden Yes But look Observe the trader then Re Regard Regard Regard gard a back untried by the collar He dropped to his knees and adjusted ad ad- j lusted sted the thongs to a package He slung it as he rose and gestured them to burden him Another a third Quatre He was bidding them do to him what had made the great Jacques demur Am Ama d. d v oiled his bur- bur u i i I den higher Alors cinq They murmured and burst into laughter and sobered quickly and did his bid bid- ding Five packages Four hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred and fifty pounds I Allez he cried and led the way with a grunt of command for them to follow He moved bent far forward right hand on the topmost piece which towered towered towered tow tow- ered above his shoulders left arm armat armat armat at a stiff angle for balance He swayed from side to side the muscles muscles muscles mus mus- cles of his legs bulged and corded against buckskin Upward on and on reeling as he gained the crest and then upon level ground moving steadily stifling stifling sti st- sti- sti fling moans And now he reached the first pause His packages thudded thudded thudded thud thud- ded to the ground he straightened painfully and turned to watch the approach of his brave but humbled Jacques who came on with many manya a gasped and Rodney calling calling calling call call- ing a natured good-natured taunt that one should puff so under half a load They snored that night beside a tiny stream threading abrupt hills heavily clothed with pine and hem hem- lock Shaw frittered no precious moments moments moments mo mo- ments of the hours wasted no pound of his mens men's strength but assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance now rode high in his heart He would have been less assured had he been back yonder at the company fort at the rivers river's mouth to see Burke Rickman land and to hear what was told to him Youre c e r t a i in n Rickman asked A IIA tall man Tall as I 11 And broad And with a leathery leathery leathery leath leath- ery old devil at the steering oar Yes that was certain Damn said Rickman without passion now but calculatingly as one who knows he must plan well welland welland welland and promptly He looked at Conrad Rich whose eyes were wide and smiled without mirth Fools he muttered They let him escape After Id I'd arranged matters matters matters mat mat- so hed he'd never annoy us again they they they- He broke off biting his lip and Conrad started slightly as he sensed the fact that Rickman had betrayed himself ana and nis ms part pan in inthe inthe Inthe the arrest of Rodney Rickman paced the room II At At Knife portage yesterday he queried and did not so much as nod at the confirming reply Three days ahead Well So we will show the jackass what it costs to forge ahead in rivers And now another company of men feverishly fought the turbulent St. St Louis A small company this Three men a single canoe with only an oilcloth and blankets and meager meager meager mea mea- ger foods as burden Rickman's brigade was reforming for the river travel but this detachment detachment detachment detach detach- ment went out ahead light-footed light if not light And so as embers died in Shaws Shaw's camp three pairs of eyes watched and three pairs of brawny hands clung to alder branches to hold their canoe in its vantage point while Shaw slept heavily storing energy for the morrow He had taken precautions had posted a boatman to watch But the stream was noisy Its rush and tumble drowned small sounds such as a man cautiously wading under the alders So the guard could make no sound as a hand clamped over his mouth from behind and a knife-butt knife rapped his skull No the guard did not waken Rodney Shaw but the thing which one cry from the guard I could have prevented did He sat up sharply The sound which had roused him came again and yet again a hollow crunching crunching crunching crunch crunch- ing crash His men were stirring about the dead fire indistinct moving moving moving ing humps muttering huskily through their sleep Once more that sound as Shaw leaped to his feet and then came a splashing in the water a grunt a muffled exclamation out there in the stream He was bounding to the waters water's edge still bewildered by sleep and a prey of racing mis mis- givings Now came the sound of paddles driven deeply and in answer answer answer an an- to his hail a mocking taunting taunting taunting taunt taunt- ing laugh Rodney just stood there staring at the gaping holes in the birch skins and the broken ribs of his canoe It was vast irreparable damage done by stoutly wielded axes His transport lay wrecked with his only source of replenishment replenish replenish- ment more than a hard days day's march behind He must retrace the way he had come wait until canoes could be built lose all he had gained and more Well Vell it was so no other procedure was open CHAPTER V They did not sleep again They prepared the goods for a move by byland byland byland land and when the first hint of daylight daylight daylight day day- light appeared took up the task Upstream and back into the forest forest for for- est cst Rodney led them establishing a camp in a place from which it could not be observed by travelers on the river There under heavy guard he would leave his goods while he made his way down to the canoe makers maker's and awaited the building of a new transport When the camp was made he led two of his stalwarts under heavy burdens over the way he had come Near the end of the journey which consumed the entire day at forced march he heard the voices of men in the river far below the heights he traveled A canoe had just passed a a shallow rapid half light and the boatmen had been removed These goods were largely casks The casks held alcohol he knew each gallon five-gallon container potentially 20 of spirits as liquor was diluted in the trade A wealth of property there Enough to enslave a mighty band of hunters or l' l I His tiis heart went aown down then men u It fell leu 1111 lower than it had on his arrest lower than the level it had reached when he watched Rickman put off fr from m At dusk he stalked into the canoe makers maker's camp and told briefly of his need The fabrication of one canoe had already been started but it was a small craft a two-man two canoe with less than half the capacity of the four-fathom four canoes used by brigades brigades brigades bri bri- bri- bri gades in river travel It however was the thing to which Rodney turned with shining eyes when his bargain for other work had been driven How |
