Show OR under frozen stars by george manh copyright by penn pub W C ner brulc CHAPTER VIII contin Contu A aed ed 13 no ride rifle shots fillou followed ed the doomed figure standing with betting setting polo pole in the stern of tho the birch bark as it leaped forward in abie an the men of paradas watched the rind mad ca deliberately steer his craft into the maw of death down doun into the maelstrom 0 of f broken water plunged the canoe guided by the spruce pole of the g gallant al old ojibwa in the stern roi 1 loving 0 tie a black block water channels past boulders mounded with foam und and knIte edged rocks thrusting through the spume checking with his ills pole then the way was as blind then on grazing calamity by a pad dies breadth as be he rode tho the roaring reaches vent the dauntless old voyageur ur drenched with spray his leaking canoe scarred with wounds from a hundred rods he ought fought his vay may until suddenly tie river widened into an unbroken barrier of white nater with a groan esau read his doom written in the burled buried boulders which barred his path pam ue he bad made the fight taken the long chance for jim and now it was overl over I 1 but esau kotchig would go donn dotin figh fighting I 1 into the chaos of foaming boulders dropped the canoe snubbed I 1 by the I 1 lending ending pole the bottom grounded in cn a rock was lifted off by the pole tl tie e boat was caught and swung into another by baffling cross crosscurrents currents but still the old man fought unconquered in the face of certain disaster dismer at last the unleashed river caught the shattered canoe be ke a straw and dropped it on a huge boulder over which the water mounded pivoting on the rock the canoe rolled and started to fill it was the end I 1 with a desperate leap esau was in the water nater his ills feet braced on the submerged rock A heave and he be freta the rapidly filling boat swung her i ith the current and fell gaping on his knees inside clutching ills his poe shortly he was clear of the shallows then on down through the riot of plunger iri lr river the bent figure in the stern steered his boat the glitter of victory in his black eyes lie ile had hong hung for a space on the lip up of death but he had won then his heart sank as be he saw a canoe below him desperate he took his ills rifle from where it lay at his feet in the water and boldly drifted down on the waiting canoe As he neared the craft the faces of the occupants watched him with awe are aou ou n a spirit 11 gasped an ojibwa that you pass alive through gli the rapids of the 11 indigo I 1 sau put down his gun 1 I am ant a great shaman in to the land where the sun goes to sleep I 1 tear fear no rapids here was an opportunity to impress the indians of the sturgeon country end and the keen witted old man swiftly made the most of it IL the spirits are your fr trie leids ids for the 11 indigo allows no man to pass his rapids esau gravely nodded anh En henh bah yes the spirits are my friends the indian exchanged frightened looks with the awed shuw who cowered in his cance Jin gwak the shaman ears fears to pass these rapids in his canoe your medicine Is stronger than his 11 A look of contempt crystallized on the face of the old man angway Jin gwak Is a wabeno who deceives the was to get their fur tor for the trader ls lue tae spirits do not dot know fani lou ion go to the lake of the sturgeon yei yea tell the people there you saw the beaman from the land of the setting sun who cornea comes to talk to them pass unhurt from the rapids of the windigo I 1 have traveled many sleeps to find and jing Jin gwak wak the false shaman who speaks with a double tongue to the ojibway and drive him from the country with a sweep of his paddle esau left the spellbound hunter and bis his squaw and con continued tinted down tl 0 river going ashore belind the first bend he rested then carried the canoe into the thick bush built a fire ere to dry his outfit and with pitch and spruce roots started the necessary repairs As he worked over the rock scarred craft the wrinkled face of the old man lit with smiles of satis faction he ile haf hao beaten paradis and lived through whitewater white water that no canoe had passed to start on its way tay the story of his charmed life and miraculous powers which would travel swiftly from UPI to tipi up and down the lake for a time be he would hide bide while his mysterious appearance pea pe arance ranee swayed rayed the talk around the supper fares for he k lew bis his people then he would strike s rot three days day jim and omar camped near jinai while the infection la in the inn arm of the old squaw rapidly cleared under stuart stuarts care then when she could travel the gratful rat efna ful ina ll 11 ua started dovra down tha tbs bat t lake to end endeavor avor to learn the th w 1 of 0 esau to two nights later the h 4 canoe from sunset alouse waited it at the ren denous the rattle snake had set in a deep cove near the foot of the lake liest less from day days of doubt atad forced inaction in which the air erat 1 hau sau might bae so sorely needed their aid jim and omar cat sat beside their hidden canoe dero dere ces cc jinai 9 anno announce amor as a black shadow slid in toward the shore esau Is here on the lake began the old roan man who ho spoke no english 1 I lne haie talked to tho the hunters at many camps A story hai has passed dow don n the lalie lake sc sei en on sleeps ago an indian and hie his woman saw a canoe pass out of 0 the of 0 the indigo in it was a great elia man milo who told them his ills name vas a and he bought sought the sorcerer Jin gnk gAnk he ile ran those rapids 1 jim peered triumphantly into omars startled start lei face py garl grunted the surprised halt bait breed how ilow he be do dull dat I 1 no canoe has cur cier before passed the rapids of the added jinai the woman who caw aw it says the boat had wings and neer rode the water flow did he do it cried jim elated ralth the good news now where ore are paradis and JIn gwak 1 returned and the fam files of 0 four of 0 those who went with him are asking for their sons gut but he will not speak I 1 but JIn gwak what does he say bayl Is he afraid of this medicine man who ran the rapids to reach himl him I 1 he ile tells them that bis his magic will destroy the stranger did you see your son les ies he re said that and two others saw this shaman drive two men with their canoe into the rapids but paradis has closed his lips two more who hunted for the white trader on the lake have not ret returned umed lmh I 1 omar granted grunted I 1 lie weel wait long lorig tarn tam for dem 11 far into the night the three dis cussed the situation omar wished to go in search of esau at once but dinow objected there Is now fear in the camp of paradis the young men are wor ried about the strange shaman from the west wesl let me go again to the fishing camps and talk to the peo pie the time Is not yet right for you to show shew yourselves to the N was as but we must find esau he ile may need us urged jim 1 I will find him and return in two sleeps to this place said bald the old man as he stepped into into his canoe chafing under the lack of action imposed upon them by the old in illan dlan jim and omar spent two mare days in hiding on the second night jinai returned and the news he brought quickened quirt ened the blood in the veins of the two who listened jinai told them chrt some of the older indians had dern laded that angway prove his superiority over tho stranger whose magic canoe had been seen on the lake and so word had gone out to the people of sturgeon lakes that the shaman angway would erect his ills medicine lodge at the great medicine stone store and prove his magic stronger than that of the sor cerer who had cone come among them only to bide esaus smoked him outi good old esau I 1 heres bis his chancel cried jim but what under heaven Is he going to do omar 1 I e go and see grunted the halt half b breed reed CHAPTER IX FOR fol two days canoes from the four winds passed the hiding place of jim and omar on their way to the medicine making beside the mammoth boulder enoi known n as the great Ne medicine dicine stone store As he sat watching UK moving canoes through hij binoculars jim wondered how in the face of the odds which him the lit tie old nan man hoped to outwit tha th sorcerer what coald could he contrive before these gaping red men to make the fakir JIn gwak a laugh ing stock in the eyes of 0 bis his own people and la in omar jim found no corn com fort beef esau do not mak de do beeg medicine we nevalee see home further than that omar would nit go what ll 11 he holding so closely behind those stiff stift lips of 0 his I 1 jim ruminated rumina ted he ile certain ly hag has some idea about what esau will do when the twilight died and the lake lay muffled in shadow jim and omar slipped their canoe into the water ana started for the island A few hours now would tell the tale jim pondered non Aon dered if this was the end in the mad hope of 0 saving sunset alouse he had put aside his love for the girl who had bad begged him to stay and arid now on the desperate chance of esau winning over the in by some sleight of hand some artifice of the conjuror learned teamed from his father they were giving para dis odds of ten let to ode in a knife fight in the dirk at last off the shore where here the expectant ojibwa were gathered before the fire ere the peter boro drift ed la in the murk A short distance from the fire ore dimly outlined in the shadows at rt the foot of the medicine stone stood a small cylindrical eipl of caribou bide ornamented with the rote 1111 behane Pel of serpent serpents and atil mils it vai was the medicine lodge p ft fsr valc wo we wait walt for beem to mak de beeg howl den we go nab abshire ire below here whispered dinar omar can you make out Pa I 1 replied jim caradea Tara Pa radea deci keep een de do dark until he see how bow do magic of worx beef tet ct mork orar we have to fight for esau presently the rattle of hells shells mingled the beat of the cine drum drifted froni from the tent the low hum of tho squatted audience died diel the sorcerer lad bad begun his ills Ini oration of the at the fire snarl faces turned eriv alth dread suddenly out of tho bush lifted a folco from the grave A spirit in as speaking the stranger from the lani abere the tun bun sleep sleeps Is no shaman sli aman lie ile come came from rora the trader of c tho the house of the setting sun the launie of devils where Is 13 tills this conjuror asked the sepulchral voice who telle the hh his magic Is stronger than that mat of Jl arvak my brother brot herT ue he Is not berel hil fears the wrath of Jin gwak the great shaman jims jim S cumes stiffened tuemo the moment had come it was time to strike but where was esau I 1 hes ilos not herel whispered jim 11 wed od better work toward the canoe hut but the man at his side hose whose fingers clamped on the born handle of a knife ar i he peered at the medicine lodge stood motionless the stranger stra oger has the beall of a rabbit iiii ills mouth Is full of lies iles lie ile hides from the magic of jing wok wak I 1 with a glance at the spellbound indians jim took tank omars arm coma come on I 1 go crany in a minute I 1 we well 11 bo be cut off frow the cabool canoe 1 then the iron fingers of omar dug into jims arm as be he muttered look I 1 beside the medicine lodge stood an apparition from the nodding head lend al alonea ove a chalk white mask with eye holes and a grimacing mouth rose the antlers of a caribou on the skin clad body writhed painted snakes at the sash bung hung the med acine bag and shell rattle of a con juror A ahl swept the startled ojibway the sh shaman amaril I 1 the shaman sha manill 1 there was a pause wide eyed the electrified indians waited for the tho funereal voice from the brask I 1 have come oh I 1 kotchig tho the shaman from gods lake who fears not your magic Is herel befell but from the UPI of came no sound come forth oh magician with the split tongue kotchig the from gods god s lake laughs at your mod ined belne I 1 still the lodge of gave no answer from the squatted ojibway rose murmurs of surprise why did not speak suddenly in the gloom across the fire sounded heated words jims eyes turned from the horned shape by the medicine lodge an in flamed amed face lit by the glow faded into into the birkness dir kness it was paradis does Jing Jin gwak wal the friend of the trader paradis fear the magic of kotchig that he hides his face low g groans greeted this stange be havor of 0 the mute conjuror con juar in the tent lies iles afraid to come put 1 whis jim excitedly esau done to him himl I 1 ahe half breed breeds a answer was a fierce squeeze of the arm shortly above the murmuring ot of the indians lifted the voice of jinai the rattlesnake I 1 the strange shaman has put a spell upon jing ang Ns waki ak I 1 there was a movement in the mcd med acine lodge the door flap was thrust aside and the conjuror crawled slowly out As he rose the rat like eyes in the pal painted face avoided the mask of kotchig shifted furtively from side to side lies iles quit quill I 1 esaus esau s got him I 1 wed better work around behind to hold cm em off if they rush I 1 I 1 breathed jim no de indians bellegie esau wait I 1 I 1 tak care of Para parades dees I 1 I 1 look men of the sturgeon on the great 11 abano I 1 I 1 jeered the voice from the chalk white mask as jing wals hunted eyes fell before the rows of fire fim lit faces ills 1313 friend the spirit asks me for magic I 1 behold the medicine of kotchig AN with ith an ear torturing scream ts to stiffened his arms arras and sliced the nir air downward to bis his side without 11 blood I 1 have taken bis his earsl ears I 1 announced the voice from the mask I 1 go goto to him and I 1 the magic of kotchig 11 the desperate dev erate turned to escape in the blackness of 0 the spruce but jinai and two ojibway ii were ere on him and dragged drugged the panic stricken sorcerer back to the fire pushing aside the long hair which hung to bis his shoulders the blattle snake exposed the sides of jing head to the view of the aslon asbed ojibway the ears had been removed close to the skull I 1 for a hushed bushed interval the awed ojibway gasped in wonder at this proof of kotchig s magic trenwith then with a roar there was a rush for the imposter who had bad deceived them with his boasting hut but the terrified jing wak wrenched tree free of thear the arms mithat that held him and disappeared in lat the blackness at the same time jim and omar cat cut bick back to the he shore to head bead oft off paradis but he had foreseen defeat mil fad his canoe bad lost iteck itself in to the shadow s furious at having the man who luj MOM them slip through their finger fingers and omar returned to the fire then jinai shouted for hence allence while tho the triumphant a 11 rau rath ered the fruits of ills victory the last doubter was com incel he ile find won I 1 the mercurial red men waited while the rent great shaman kotchig removed his costume then esau addressed them going coin back to god gods i lake lie be told of the for fair ef baling in which the indians had held hed the older stuart and his eon ion the dell stry of jing wak the liar har which mitch hild kept tho the hunter hunters from the post was the in of paradis to hold the fur trade angway and tho the I 1 frenchman hman they would neier see again isau told them if the people wished it he would como come each summer and make medicine at the great stone and soon in the little moon bloon of the spirit when ben the trails were vere broken for sledding he lie would bring flour and trade goods for ti ato i ho found the journey too long to the alouse of the sunset in turn jim and onar ficke tj ta the hunters warning them that paradis was now an outlaw and in alting them to sunset house thou shaking the hand ot of the indians some of whom stuart |