Show H K D LD K T Q Harold Service T Titus 8 rr CHAPTER r X Continued X-Continued Y-f Y Continued I I wes eyes The fevered fe flare re w was s gone I Shaws Shaw's men went about rousing no I But you came from there 13 1 13 3 I She had run along the lake sho land insisted on being brought heto heto he hei to to serve Shaw when the last ti tithe tim tir he the had seen her she was her arms and lips on Burke Ric Kiel Kielman man It was too much for the c ol fellow to fathom and he did n have in him the impulse to ask Sher the questions which would I his perplexity So long as s sh shwas was of aid to Shaw he was sat I was fled led fled 1 She sent men into the fore for searching for the herbs her m mi wife aunt had used Leaves a al an stalks to be cooked to pulp a al an bandaged over the gaping woun wound fin jin Shaws Shaw's flesh Quietly he lay there Now a an al again at first first he moaned Oc c his eyes would open a aJ an his brows gather as though he str u with some complicated pr pro lem He licked water dropped fr fra fro froia o I a cup to his lips with f greediness and that was his fir fin flu word Water Water faintly faintly but with de dc need Fever Annette moaned to ing hard at Basile and helpless a L peal was in her eyes Fever follows wounds the m ms ma masaid s said id and shrugged slowly in in somi som so me thing of a shudder Its upon Ric Kiel Kielman man one would wish fever Rickman The name repeat in that strained echo of Shaw Shay I voice was startling I His eyes were open he frown frowne upward blankly and his fang e worked worked Rickman he said in in a hi hig pitched monotone m II hunters its it's my trade You ca can n have bave any of them any of it Rieman Rie Ric man Youre You're a braggart but youve you've parts Youre You're no foe foo fo youve you've eyes and ears and wit Bi But But trying to rise a Annette on her knees arms ab abot him strove to prevent the g which set him panting But it itt w wt wa was t h c t vixen behind you I h screamed I told my secrets her and she told I tell you Let go Let me go an or Ill I'll send your heart smoked a an ar cured back to Astor himself t Water from the spring Ai AJ A- A I nette neUe said to Basile She stroked Rodney's brow soo soot th Ij and he smiled closing hi h eyes Crooks gave me me Hi H His I voice was only a murmur Cr Crook Croo o 0 0 black feather Crooks sai s aid said Crooks gave it 1 t me Rickman As a jest But Ive I've held it pa win weakly at the blankets Ive h hel he e I Ithe the black feather against y you YOt o damned company They ca can take it from me He did didn n know 0 his jest stood for surrender Where'd it 0 g go 3 o Where'd I 0 put put He struggled to sit up this Ibis his bed and Annette slipping hand into her bosom brought o ou it Lit folded in thin cloth what remain of the black feather she had from the sand at Mackinac Mackinac- after Shaws Shaw's arrest Here Rodney breathlessly You have the black feather Burke Burk I Rickman hasn't taken it iu Well We'll kee keep keel lit it safe safe for you Rodney ISee See It is here Something in the nature of a smile smil I twitched at his cracking lips as sh she thrust the feather into his hands i Fingers closed on it he relaxed d I and lay mumbling hi in in whispers n no nc longer striving to rise I The water came Cloths were wet soaked in it and placed across hi hiI his I brow about his wrists and ankles changed and to cool th the 1 fevered blood Wordlessly the girl worked after I Ithe the routine was established NOI Now Nov I and then she gave an order by gesture gesture ture Iture When he tried t trise to tc torise rise Irise she li held ld him back when h he rolled in torment she kept him o othis on or n this pallet Now he slept heavily unmoving his breath alarmingly loud again he mumbled incoherent incoherent- ily on occasion he cried out sharply and fought them Dawn and they did not notice and dusk again and still the gi girl gir rl sat there changing her compresses s' s dribbling herb teas into his mouth mout h holding him quiet Toward mor moring morn morn- n I ling ing she slept fallen to her sid side curled close e. e to his blankets like ea bride half repulsed But before su sunrise sun sun- n- n rise he was raving again and shwas she sh ne was up refusing food which Basil Basile tried to force upon her until h he hI said that perhaps the master life depended on her strength The Ther she ate though they could see th tha L the sustenance was repulsive to he hei tongue Day and night night and da day y with his eyes giving birth to a ar al orange flare skin of his face stretch h ing tight over the bones dyed wit the stain of fever with his wrist is shrinking and his body trembling g. g Chills came and the hot stone ston es were snuggled close clos to him again and once more the fever and theone the thel one afternoon a queer sudden tra tran n- n B Basile sile and Annette knelt there as aj a Shaw drew a deep sigh and raise a hand to his brow and opened h hi is Basile he whispered a are are re rere smiled He closed his eyes re rene sighed deeply in relief After me ne rte neot these these 0 dreams he s sz ng and feebly groped for the m mk mak mat ma k k- k hand Good Basile My Erie frier old lId Basile 1 not ot at Annette had not moved except t o of f work the fingers in to their tight cl cla re- re e e- against her breast Hope rode w ehe he heis the achievement in her eyes a aher isher is- is her breath was quick She I h brought him back from death t est sst man she had loved and wronged a d- d lived to save nd ld I HI must've be been n here id nd long he whispered looking a ads ag agis ds is into Basile's face I HI 0 I member Little Duck and a a nd ld d being cold and hot I la land a- a face clouding clouding Ive Ive had drear drearr nd ld my friend Terrible drear drea a ig- ig g i ob ib- ib gb Still Shaw had not looked at atm ibm m nette neUe ng 19 g Those dreams Must 0 st been fever I I dreamed t tI th damned vixen was here Basile s s- s sk ik- ik kp s ip- ip pm an m anic 1 ic- ic ick ck ked k- k f s k's ed d t r's rs S r ed d rs s sIY sh h my ay IY It ut t tk k- k fi fill n 1 11 ut Jt r as is out ut Jt lie lieas l Ie e as is ashe isIe he heto Ie Ielo to lo ton h n 1 t id nd n 1 Basile and Annette Knelt There C hlis h- h l- l lis is s making a wry face I dreamed dreame d saw her felt her touch ITs m IT meven s even Ugh 0 0 sac such suchs h ks s dream id d The old man holding his h hai ha to tour 0 stirred uneasily His quick gla glan went to the girl and Rodney SEg se ng g ing moved his head slightly T Td Th d stared eyes upon her as if tr a ur urit tr fixed t Is this another dream he c cut cri crit r It ut t brokenly Is this more tort rare ire are still Are you real Do you live Rodney the girl broke jg i j ng g Rodney It is I It is no drea drear a a And I came this way to beg y t to forget the terrible thing I 1 I ed d Forget he cried struggling g d OO 1 00 1 H up l aJL lilt Lila LU dV UL CI r Ho Things come bac back k now The pain in my back bullet that must have been Ric Rid Rick k mans Whose else Your swee sweet sweethearts sweetheart's t hearts heart's bullet eh Dear God t tawake tc awake to find you here Basile alarm stamping his face fac e gestured her to leave them and An Annette nette slipped from the tent stars standing stand standing ing alone in the dappled sunlight 1 eyes closed against tears pulse fai fain faini and slow Tears had blinded her and sh she brushed them away to see that sh she had come near to Jacques sitting 1 cross legged mending a moccasin n The trader lives she sail sai tremulously and in patois Jacque exposed his white teeth in a magni magnificent cent grin We Ve will want now noti y partridge You go Jacques H He went at her command as they a al had obeyed her orders And Mon Mar n 1 gaud living in a spruce thick e C eI I across the stream where he cowl coull see and could hear wriggled soft backward into a shallow ravin r where he had come the the way h he had been coming these many days day s now to see what he could se see anc ani hear what he could hears hear A aged man Burke Rickman Hickman n after that first night that Shaw wa known to be lying with life in th thi balance Did he leave his fort b bj canoe and head up the lake canoe from Shaw s s establish men nt e appeared menacingly e When he went down the lak laks lake lakes e s away from Fort Shaw in a direction dire direction c tion opposite that where the lift litH t trader lay none followed The westward west westward r ward courses only were watchet and forbidden him had come 1 his three packs parks of beaver but thi th was after Basile's messengers ha hat returned for what was needed fro fron m Fort Shaw bringing word that the master lived Skins for you R i c k m a scoffed When your hand tie tien trembles trem trembles m- m n bles when your eye goes blind N No o Flat Mouths Mouth's is still a shadow across your pat path h But there may be a way way ma hy be be And so M unsuspected b r n nd d suspicion keeping safe for far l 1 ll lo a and andall l d hours in his concealment across all river from where Annette made aid fight for Rodney's life and rep repe ms m's ing nightly to Rickman what tr t nd He came this evening Theto Thet The t to tie trader will live he said asp shifted his gaze from ith face The white woman speaks speak s and md I heard her words lad had Heavy drinking then in the t tr his this tl ers er's quarters mutterings and m mand mui and md and Rickman paced room like a wolf dragging an i ifor iJ ir t for trap back and acid forth up and do doAnd do dm gain ain And once stopping he snatch i reind re- re rethe the girls girl's cloak from the peg wh and ind n indus it had hung this fortnight a ripp d the fabric to shreds silent us ns more terrible in his silence than ms would have been shouting threats threat s A Ar An- An mAnnette m- m Annette did not again en ent Shaws Shaw's tent Another which s ve ye could occupy now that 1 hat lat was gone was at a little dista distan She lay there sleepless that ni niland nil nig and at dawn was up Partridge were dressed and f fro the breasts she made a n br bro brol cooked slowly thick with the n nut ment of succulent flesh When Sh roused she heard and gave Ba Baa Bas Basa a jot dot of the broth in to a cup to cato ca car carto to him Shaw slept quietly most of 1 t E day rousing thrice for more d dol do o of nourishment and the morn f found him with renewed vigor 1 b before he drank broth again asked the question that had been his mind Basile is she is the theis is the still in to camp Yes She stays Rodney's face clouded I felt it with it with an uneasy m ment like an abortive spud She came from where The company fort As we wethe h the word of you she came R Ru R ning fling She She One did not wa w wa waa a woman here but she comman command that she come and sh ru ging one ging one does not deny a worn won like that who demands From the company fort eh Shed She'd been there before me I s sher Si her cloak Shaw swallow slowly Shed come to him w wh refused to stay with her eh The gift of God her coming comin l I Ine the old man said earnestly S ne me le has healing powers from her a aa am a a Without her we would have b be helpless She she the theand cheat md nd death of you master nee ice ce Errand of mercy eh S She She Sh see see- ee- ee e- e asked bitterly Shed do that f 1 fa hen en a dog dog A dog orns or h ns- ns sweethearts sweetheart's rival He drew great and weary breath Get hed h haway I. I ed away Basile Get her away I sa saye say e and he closed his eyes wearily 0 So Basile went to Annette Words at first stuck in his th thin in m. and then emerged in volleys of u J m nf finished sentences One humo hum you ou the sick he protested as if s had hurled argument at him w wh to she had only stood silent Wb n the ha bod v i is j wr weak have i h B Bt t h i t health But But he is not a m mA ma A for woman He is is a trader ma mai ried to trade Truly the mad madl moiselle has cheated death of hir hit hiro t- t o 0 but he will not grow strong agai aga with her about I will go Basile she said quit qui simply when he having heard muc mu d- d and known little about women ha expected an outburst nt This overwhelmed the old mar mat made him jubilant and engender e a feeling of great friendliness f fe fc her He would return her to t th e g company fort Cort in an hour he d de glared d But I do not go to the com compan pan rry fort tort she saidEh saidEh said s fl- fl Eh Dieu Where then modem ot- ot selle Belle I have my own encampment on o 0 oan 11 an island nearby My men a ar r there Or should be CM- CM rin-i rin h J n 1 C C. C 1 16 A i 1 1 L L- ong ng But I cannot return there t the ile He His fingers fumbled at his h her wondering at her manner so ort ort- spirited and hopeless May Iran I an- an Would it not not Could one st sto stop op Fort Shaw and prepare for 1 lit lit- homeward journey a md and Yes she could Indeed anus ns n's could Shaw would not need to k it it and she would be out of this with the trader th rad ad- ad ening erring to fall into heavy sick tm- tm again at thought of her pros presen t the theron Within the hour he would take ron ton there wn Within the hour then led ed gave Basile minute directions ere the preparation of other foods n nr and ind ing the days when Rodney m mi fly ly taste the flesh of fowl and h hi he heiter fish She told him what to exp eXI by way of good sign and bad in condition ter iter I will be near for a few da dahe day dab she he she said if he should not gum g gm gi um m steadily strong She did nee ice finish that Her lips trembled ht she turned away She embarked with Jacques om rom another in the canoe but as t tl oth tl th prepared to shove off Basile tri tri- back and whispered a delaw dela delay la aw w word silo sile But wait Here made mader rry ry Belle selle This was found in his b bl b It was yours I saw you g git E the it to him to quiet his fever les iles Strange creatures women Sh St Si ing ingon ln taken the remnant of a black ost but plume from her bosom and prese pres Pre ne he e it into Rodney's hand It mus muston must t on something of value to be car carr so It had served its purpose should be returned 0 Annette took it with an odd s sand SIT sn and turned her face away canoe slid out into the current eve ve- c- c Shaw roused and drank a m der er generous portion of broth smiled at Basile had ad What happened he as ask ash un- un Just what ant lOJ The other told piecing the tat tale talethe e de d e g gether ether as well as he could f frIg fr ug- ug g the time the fabricated story an lan Rickman's flight to Black Be Bea was spread until they found I r o. o there saw aw lW The mademoiselle took c cc ved ed mand Basile said gravely no ho o gave the orders orders- she He stopped as Shaw turned g Bf face away She he Has she g gone one he asked int- int Id Yes While you slept S een en went went went- ted ed Then she is wholly gone We not even speak again of her haw aw lW for or And so at Fort Shaw a won her er slept in the traders trader's bed slept 1 Ic Ie a and heavily and awoke still we wea lier Her boatmen were summoned fr f their island and brought within enclosure Jacques took command comm and tended her solicitously E f. Eshe root oat t la she not saved the life of his id un un- His trader who had humbled e e ors s his mighty back on the Aorta porta shen hen jen e Basile came on the second d den dien staying but briefly to secure ien en e n nee articles r nn an Yes he reported Shaw w 1 stronger He had a great hung hunt a now His smile flashed through h am m set perplexity He was uneasy j in n the time when Rod would demand that they bring he h to toch e here He did not want him to t th fl ch h the woman here but said no wd W we d of leaving A great lethargy settled upon I J 1 nette neUe She had no hope she v v ved ed ci hurt and bruised beyond hop l lIr or Ir Neither did she have he e because she reasoned nothing t te tl U e she ever could do would offset 1 injury |