Show law asir it str in 1 ua U a 0 Z N S TAR A 1 aw I 1 L V 1 ud VJ CHAPTER V continued 9 Para dees ces plays with you to get gel sow fur for went on omar in ojibwa 0 he Is a liar and leblond Is through with wa film he be lias has se sent fit him awny away to t the south you will see him no more mom at the words the indians exchanged surprised and puzzled looks for a time the older man smoked in silence his eyes on the fire then he addressed jim you ton do a foolish thing to come to the ri country the hunt ors n fear you do I 1 look like one to be feared fea redl demanded jim opening his arms 1 I come from the old company e who gave you yon and your fathers honest guns and blankets flour and ten tea before leblond poisoned your hearts against vs me I 1 come here now to seek beck your friendship and kill the lies iles of this paradis this moon in the south he tried to have me shot and his master leblond has sent him away if I 1 say but the word the fathers in ottawa will send men and take him to the railroad to be punished As jim spoke the indians small eyes probed his frank features as if attempting to measure his sincerity you seem to speak with a single tongue said the ojibwa your eyes tire are not the eyes of a liar ilar but the hunters fear your medicine they say you are the friend of demons I 1 came to warn you not to journey into the pipestone Pl country whitt what Is your name asked jim impressed by the speakers sincerity my name came Is baptiste this 1 in my son where Is the shaman JIn jing gwak wak asked esau abruptly scowled at the question he looked hard into the swart faces of omar and esau thrust toward him why do you ask because answered old esau with a grin he Is a false shaman a wabeno and Is paid by Para does dees to keep the trade for leblond 11 and his son exchanged significant ant looks JIn gwak Is a big bi medicine man replied the older man quietly this Is his country go back to before it Is too late the blood darkened the bronzed face of jim stuart as he replied go back and tell your people that the old company traded with their fathers fathers and wishes to trade with them I 1 have come to talk to them as their friend and will not be driven out by this false shaman this wabeno JIn gwak who Is paid by the french with muttered bol bo jos the indian and LIS his son went to their canoe and paddled away into the gloom well what ayou make of it asked jim of bis big friends you ton think do as he be said try to drive us out of the country beef eef dey vink we got devil wid us dey might try so ah ab hah hab 11 well are we going to be driven out by this JIn gwak omar spat into the fire and puffed for a moment before answering esau and omar tak good care ov OT dis jing wak nevalee fear dat but bot we want de fur dds long ion snows so 0 we go basee youre toure right omar well go slow wild and superstitious these people they might even ambush us it if we dont handle them right weve got a tough job ahead of us but leg ifa the only thing thaou save sunset house reaching these indians jim rolled up in his blanket to struggle with the problem which faced him while the voices of omar and esau smoking by the dying fire reached his ears in muffled monotone but desperate as were the present fortunes of jim stuart and sunset house he be shortly found himself back on the sand beach at gazing into the dark depths of aurora Le Blonds changing eyes watching tb the sunlight caught in the meshes of her thick hair listening to her low laugh long since the embers of the fire had bad grayed and died leaving the camp in gloom overhead the night had bad thickened masking the stars through the spruce no DO air stirred like a blanket the murk had settled upon the great lake except for the heavy breathing of three muffled figures there was no sound curled near his master nose burled buried under bushy busby tall tail smoke dreamed of snowshoe snow shoe rabbits leaping before him of lurking timber wolves and the white sterns of fleeing caribou then of a sudden his bis visions of the chase faded and he stirred uneasily la in his sleep presently a taint faint sound drifted to his pointed ears ile he slowly lifted his head bead his black nostrils quivered but the air told him nothing again his hl keen ears caught an almost imperceptible sound the great dog rose to his feet his back hair stiffening his nose testing the air sit as he be listened then satisfied with a roar be leaped toward the lake there was a muttered warning the sound of moccas ined feet the churn of paddles as the husky reached the beach to snarl narl his bis challenge to the unseen en enemies who had faded like ghosts into the gloom then omar grasping his big gun followed fol loed by esau and jim reached the shore seizing the dog by the nose to choke lis his yelping omar listened head bead close t to 0 the water to get the direction ol of the retreating canoe then fired twice take dat 1 he muttered light a candle esau they were otter after the canoe when smoke heard them said stuart they may have ruined herl berl already omar was groping with his by GEORGE MARSH service copyright by penn pub co C FROM THE BEGINNING sunset house la in the ibe canadian north jim stuart trader in charre at his M fur post lake she is t the in with his lil headman omar rescues a kirl girt from mi an overturned canoe in the fur birlem birl nM in a spirit of lun fun she aurora Le leblond Blood daughter of stuarts Stu artt rival his bl halfbreed island lebland Lc BIond with and jim arrange to it notes on an a certain Linit imant arria avea in search of the th missing gurl irl Par aills displays enmity toward jim though leblond acknowledges his debt of gratitude gratl tuda going to the island to s if auroro aurore has ha loft left the tb promised premised note dot jim is ambushed by paradis parada and forced to travel toward the lablond post on the way be overturns overturn the boat leaving having bit bl enemy on the beach jims andrew christie I alard at trade showing how inc allows allow make rood goj J pastille bribes bribe an indian to ambush him bun at his bis reque request at one year to go jim and omar caw the attempt falls fall oad nad jim takes take the he indian to LADI lealond Le Olond ond after hearing the story leblond discharges caradia Pa radia jim and aurore aurora arrange ft a rendezvous at which they acknowledge their mut mutual al love lova though aurore aurora Is returning to to make A personal appell to the indians who have and jim hae best p planned ed a canoe trip persistently refuted refused to trade their furs fure with him chadds over the upturned peterboro peter boro on the beach seeking possible dan damage tage when esau returned with a lighted candle not a mark he announced bicy acy want to steal her but smoke he be hear bear dem too quick well we know now what to expect from the Pl country said jim gloomily with a shake of his liend head do you suppose it was that no said faid omar be know de dog was here wed better paddle straight to the islands in the morning nud aud talk to them as if nothing had happened ah hah we go to de camp first ving I 1 see wat dat say by sunrise they were on their way As the strange barange canoe approached the lie fishing camp on the islands groups of women gathered in front of the men lien visiting their gill nets set in the channels stopped their work to call to each other curious of the identity of the strangers for the canoe of a white man had bad seldom nosed its way over the waters of the Pl lakes deep in the heart of Ne wedin A rabble of wolfish dogs met the canoe as it slid into the beach of an island leaving esau in the boat with the challenging smoke who with stiff mane and bared fangs answered the snarls of the indian hu huskies omar and jim stepped ashore we are from the lake of the sand beaches announced jim in ojibwa to an old indian with face teamed with wrinkles who left the group of women by the cipis tipis and met fiet them 1 I wish to speak to the hunters who mho trade there send word to the oilier islands with face immobile as stone the grizzled veteran scrutinized jim and omar through keen mink like ees aies before he replied i what are your names he be asked quietly 1 I am stuart of the old company said tim jim and this Is omar my head man there was a shrewdness an intelligence in id the rugged features of the old man which impressed stuart 4 and he wondered if he be too were under the spell of Jin gwak the sorcerer ton have journeyed far what have you come to the Pl ri to tell us irritated by the calm insistence of tie the ojibwa omar broke in you will hear when you have called the hunters together send these boys here with word to the other islands the weathered skin of the indians face creased with a dry smile as he countered who are you to give orders in the ri pipestone country omar laughed goodnature dy as he be passed the indian a plug of nl ger uy my father has swallowed the of a dore and they prick bis big throat there Is tobacco and tea in the tha canoe send tor for the hunters with a grin the old man ordered some boys who stood near the group listening to the talk with hushed bushed interest to take stuarts message what druh think of him has garadis got him elm whispered jim to omar hard to tell jim sauntered to tho the old indian as he talked rapidly to the group of curious and awed aed squaws squads near the you yon have seen many long snows come and go he sold said in ojibwa you hate haie lived long and seen the faces ot of many men look lonk at niel met do I 1 spent with a single toD tongue gue the old indian met jims eyes with candid gaze ile he removed the pipe he had filled with tobacco spat then replied 1 I know the face of the white man la in my youth I 1 voyaged many mally long snows for the old oil company down at fort nope hope on the albany there I 1 learned from the oblate father that there Is no truth in medicine men put but the people here will not listen to me they bellere believe this Wabe wabeno tio jing wals wak yes man many v believe him and the frenchman ls 11 jim was stirred by the open speaking of the shrewd old man here was a possible ally ile he must be culap cult bated what Is your name ovide Zot alre they called me at fort hope my father was wag halt half french where Is this JIn gwak now ne ile summers in the sturgeon river country three bleeps toward the big water have you ever seen this frenchman ra garadis radis ls yes he was here the last long snows he came with a dog team what does tell the was about me and the post of the old company to co keep them from bringing me their furs old lotaire laughed as he replied lie he says that the good spirits he talks with tell him that the house of the Sett settling ting sun Is the home of devils he says you have the evil eye and the people believe him bluml some do but not all what do you think Jin gwak Is 14 a a liar para Us ds leeps keeps his opt filled with tobacco anil and flour jim glanced at omar who listened beside him the face of the halfbreed half breed was black with rage the muscles of his square jaws bulged as his teeth crunched ills his little eyes snapped as he leaned toward the old indian you show me de trail to de sturgeon calmly gazed into the blood filled features of the halfbreed half halt breed 1 I am an old man and it Is tar far he answered A look of satisfaction touched omars fierce eyes in our canoe Is flour tobacco and ten tea you are a wise man and our friend he said significantly antly the old company will not forget Zot alre gradually the bark canoes from the fishing camps assembled at the island where jim and omar waited some of the men and women came forward with friendly bo josl joa and shook hands with the strangers others hung bung back conversing in whispers their grave questioning faces picturing their misgivings concerning this white man from the house of the devils from the actions ot of the and squaws squads it was evident to stuart that efforts successful as they had been in keeping the trade of these people from sunset house had failed to instill fear of him personally except among the most superstitious for at his fits request they had come to look at him and listen to his words after passing tobacco to the men jim told them that their fathers for two hundred years had trailed traded with the old company and always had received fair treatment to save them from a longer journey fouth couth the old company had bad built a post on the lake of the sand benches beaches and wished to trade with them put but paradis had come among them with lies which only children would believe in his pay was a false shaman who lived on the bounty of the northwest north west company As jim mentioned the name of jing wak wait from a group of young men in the rear of the lie ojibway rose groans of protest it Is a lie P shouted a youth but the voice of lifted above the clamor of dissent bisant keep quintill quiet quie till 1 commanded t the h e old man you listened to paradis v bell dpn he said that this man who speaks had the evil eye and tallied talked with aeils now listen to him and judge for yourselves who speaks with a double tongue jims heart leaped at the old indians defense of him blyn here was a friend in need then jim told tho the indians that he would come in december the little moon of the spirit with dog teams loaded with honest trade goods and save them the long trip south at the announcement there was wag a nodding of heads among the older men but from the year rear of the assembly groans and cat calls however when omar told them of the disgrace of paradas by his own chief how be had been sent to nipigon Nl Ni a bush tell fell upon the swart faced audience shaking hands with most of the older men and women jim returned to the canoe to fin find d eg esau au an and d omar squatted suat ted on the beach watching zo dalre trace with his fingers a rough sketch of the trail north to the sturgeon river through the afternoon the three friends paddled down the first brat of the Pl lakes and made camp on an island near the outlet to the north lay other and larger lakes of the pipestone Pl chain which formed the headwaters of the sturgeon river eating their supper of bannock tried fried pike and tea they considered the situation as they smoked too had bad old come with ai us regretted jim he seems to have influence with these people ile he had fear to travel to de sturgeon replied esau he tell we me dey might keel beem beef eef dey foun heem beem wid us rara Parade dees cs and got plentie fren up dere added the brooding omar were in for trouble on the star geon I 1 guess but im going to find that crooked fakir trouble or no trouble snapped jim ive got just one year to get some of that fur or quit for a space omar looked at his discouraged cou raged chief as he sat elbows on knees head bead in hands then the halfbreed rested an iron hard hand on jims shoulder as he said we stay een dees countree and hunt for daft dat until de ice fee drive us sout 11 but suppose we do find him bobre we ve going to break his hold on the indians leave dat to omar and esau what ayou two intend to do you cant kill him you know you old wolf ruin me it if you did and get you before you got out remember youve got a family the black eyes of omar twinkled as aa they met the gare of the old indian esau and omar fin find de way to fee it dat wabeno but jim saw little hope in the situation ile he had recklessly undertaken to double the trade of sunset house within the year by getting some of the ri pipestone and sturgeon river fur from Leni leblond ond but would these was trade with h him im when n h he e stole a march on his rival and came to them on the snow in december however there was but one line of action open at present and that vi nas as to visit them show himself and talk to them as he had talked to the fishing fis hini camps up the lake then the thought of the girl who had begged him to stay at mita wang agama |