| Show ahe wife sho IP woman A BY HUGH author of A M copyright by hugh THE FOX SYNOPSIS nr by canoe cano on the M mississippi 1 on his way to biloxi 1 in the early days day of th settlement of louisiana william brampton english spy known to indians and settlers a as the white indian sees a natches indian post poat a declaration of war against the french for his own against the french vor for ht his own purposes he hastens to biloxi to carry the news new to Bl enville french governor brampton meets an old friend joe labrador indian halt halfbreed breed who warns him Di enville has threatened to hanf him as an a apy py brampton refuse refuge to turn back ile he falls in with jules and basile mattor matter on their way vay to to ao secure wives from a ship the Malre alre bringing women from france at biloxi brampton protects a woman from a sergeants erre anta brutality she tells telli him she bhe la in claire picked up in a raid in parla paris evidently well bred and educated she to la a mystery to brampton ile he intervenes intervened Inter venea to prevent a roan english known BI as old bold six fingers following follow lne hei bei to now new orlenna orleans A frenchman Fral ola cols narbonne slightly allet itly demented demente by stories he has baa heard 0 of the riches of the now new world introduce himself enville accuses brampton of treachery but the latter secures se a respite from death by curea rev 1 9 the natchez natches declaration of war lie he Is to await the arrival of a former companion damkaln damean the fox who will exonerate or condemn him damean has documents proving provin st brampton an english spy brampton receives a message mes Bagre from claire begging him to help her reach the english settlements brampton trusts narbonne with a note to claire promising to most meet her at now new orleans ile he plans his escape CHAPTER IV continued the conversation at the gate was being resumed the shrill voices of the women were being answered with broad retorts to jules julea I 1 murmured 1 I roust must be at ar Pasca pascagoula goula bay sometime tomorrow 1111 il 11 1 1 it bo be the fever stewing your brains monsieur eurl I 1 softly you fool I 1 here are five alve pla toles in tny my hand feel of them they are for you it if you do as aa I 1 say five pi stolen I 1 permit me to be blessed by touching them I 1 nom de aleu I 1 it to Is true then you will take them and help me god pity poor fishermen 1 we do not dare blood for blood 1 and he shivered 1 I will try the hot drink and the sweat then under my breath who Is to know you have been refused women you so go aboard your packet and start for Pont pontchartrain chartrain when beyond the island you turn and make for Pasca pascagoula goula bay but monsieur will be seen been entering my boat and leaving with us else that dog of a sergeant will shoot us fell all before we can raise the sail ball mumbled mattor his fingers jerkins jerking convulsively as they touched the pl 1 I shall not go with you you will enter your boat alone you are arc free to go when and where you will they will see you start back to lake Pont pontchartrain chartrain when out of sight night you will go 0 o to Pasca pascagoula goula you will carry these five fife pla toles with you all ah to ie bon dieul aleu I 1 and you wilt will fish in the bay until unset gunset tomorrow waiting for me to come overland and join you you will watch for my smoke on the shore and come in close I 1 will hold both arms high above my bead I 1 will steal a canoe or swim for it if you boti see my smoke but do not see me you will know you can wait until dark before taking me off thus avoiding any risk of being seen helping me then to Pensacol al whispered mattor matter my soul Is frightened an eye for an eye says his P then you will receive ten more bles plunge splunge me into hell bell if that much hard bard money Is to be found there 11 I 1 he be gasped good I 1 I 1 will take this hla money we will go eo to pensacola with you monsieur will bring the rest of the money 1 I have bate it with me now remember your sailing directions mike make for the west then double back and go to 0 o waning in pascagoula Pasca goula bay watch for or ale to come before sundi sundown wn mali aalt I 1 and ii if cropp 1 toine by attica mill aiu backsen bac khen with y your fish and keep the anoney monsieur has won my heart I 1 speak for my son as lor for myself I 1 tell teft you again monsieur jt win is not for me 1119 to say if you have bavo beren fever or are sick alck from eating poisoned fish ash it Is DO uso to walkabout talk about ito lt you tou are better off ff in tho ho house we taunt must g go a gretise us the sweet company of women they have bare a house filled with women and they refuse one for jutes mattor a brave pioneer tor for sharice 07 r and one for basile matter his bid I 1 fathers brave brate song con inte interpolated the youth 1 0 no more of that talk devil rou foa and your worthless coif on inest leave the fort remember if you are arc meera near the yVo omena meas houses bouses you millget will get abrat a cirace e of balls 11 broke in sergeant voice and I 1 realized the lattora were cunning an aa foxes andrad and bud sensed his silent approach and had shifted the cou conversation versa to blind him Sac acrel rel hissed bleser jules julea turning and stamping stam 10 to the gate mumbling and grumbling father a and d son gained the shore for some tia after they had bad vanished from sight eight I 1 caught fragments of th ar oaths and their never to enter the gulf again extinguishing the he candle I 1 threw myself on my robes robea in the corner and waited outside the soldiers chatted lazily and speaking with much freedom now that the governor was not present to overhear gradually those vot not on guard surrendered to the claims of sleep and went to the ba barracks acks I 1 crawled to the lie window and peered out the th torch at the gate was extinguished within a rod of my window was the figure of a man year near the door was waa another As they occasionally moved about I 1 heard the rattle of their ac coutre ments and knew that despite my claim of being III the sergeant had hud posted guards I 1 wai waa wondering it if the back of the house was also under surveillance when a new note caused the two men outside tw to steal toward each other whispering excitedly A woman had laughed outside the gate she lian han left the copse house gaston chuckled the fellow nearest my window Mor bleul ut they have nil all left the house bouse I 1 dear the magpies I 1 what suarez will bo be hearing them take a look at monsieur through the window while I 1 run down to quiet them I 1 stole back to my corner and threw myself on my robes and began an excellent imitation of a man muttering in ili ills his sleep or while slightly delirious As I 1 mumbled and tossed about I 1 could discern a vague shape at the window and knew the fellow was listening greedily he withdrew and I 1 crossed the room ills route mate was back from quieting the women and I 1 was in time to hear the sentinel say fever or fish the devil has him in a black spell lie ile needs a guard no more than a dead natchez come on I 1 the two stole toward the gate to gether there was some muffled laughter and a guards sibilant warning for prudence then the telltale sounds grew fainter and I 1 knew they had bad withdrawn from the gate here was my chance to escape from the fort and make for the rendezvous at pascagoula Pasca goula bay I 1 leaned from the window and listened tor for further sounds then ducket ducked bade back an a figure stole through the gate cursing the sentinel for not with his mates I 1 batailo withdrew to ruy my robes and threw myself down domi I 1 loosened a pistol and lay on my back and through half closed lids gazed toward the door the room I 1 suddenly became illumined as the heavy door with scarcely arcely ac a sound bound swung open A lighted candle was advancing over the threshold I 1 closed my lids to mere silts with soft 1 padding steps a man swept across the room and seated himself at the table I 1 beard him sigh deeply as if contented I 1 turned my head bead ever so little until my gaze faze rested on his moccasins they were of shawano make dlo 1319 leggings I 1 next observed were much travel bravel stal stained ned I 1 increased tle the of vision until I 1 was staring at the fringed skirts of his hunting bunting shirt then the sleeves much worn and the long brown hands idly resting on the table my heart tightened as an I 1 watched the hands and noticed their peculiar trick 0 of f interlocking the fingers and pulling polling them apart I 1 was face to face with fate the coming of Blen vIlli was all that was needed to complete the situation I 1 was gazing on the sardonic profile of damohn the pox CHAPTER V the false trail he be shifted his position so as almost to foce face me and supposing I 1 was about to be discovered I 1 began drawing a pistol he had seen nothing in my dark corner comer however and was merely uneasy ile be twisted nervously in hla chair and darted his bis keerl keen gaze gaz about the room taking time with the tb window ind and clid closed door next he be drew from his bis belt lits casset castete cac tete a pique or iron tomahawk and threw it on with abang it bad interfered with his comfort then he be slumped ba back ek and folded his arms and became moi ma as an indian in ambush As an I 1 watched for an opportunity to take him unawares he suddenly leaped to his bis feet and snatching up the ax and tandl candle a glided t to 0 tho the door opening into his excellences bleeding bleeping Ble room and threw it open and peered inside his woods instinct was uri urging ing him to be on guard anda and be was wag puzzled that oat the warning shot geould be so strong and insistent here in the home of the governor be 14 walked backs back to the table slowly lils bis dark face drawn into ferocious lines and clattered the ax on the board and repeated his trick of continually darting side glances a trick irick learned in the forest when any tree might conceal it foe ills attitude proved he was conscious of bung being watched and that the affair must soon goon come to a head bead lie be was now standing with his back to me and I 1 came to my feet noiselessly and stole to the table I 1 think it t must have ve been some tremor in the puncheon floor that warned him ile he was no na longer alone for he be faced about his hand at his belt where his bis ax had bad hung bun for halt half a minute we stood there staring at each other I 1 with my fingers resting on the table and touching the handle bundle of the french ax and he with one hand band clutching the empty ox ax loop I 1 will always give him credit for being a most consummate actor As if he had bad just recognized we me he came forward both slim dark hands bands outstretched and his mellow voice joyously crying my friend 1 my friendt friend I 1 ah what good lucki luck my old comrade here in biloxi but my medicine Is stron strong gl I 1 my empty hands bands met ills and w we otherl stood there smiling into each othere laces faces Damo damorol all I 1 how anxiously I 1 have waited tor for your coming I 1 was waa asleep in the corner I 1 cried and how much swifter I 1 would have ome come had I 1 known you were herel he be fondly replied 1 I reached the gate the soldiers were at it ore oce side too busy with some women to see me I 1 come here and find a candle and enter cuter I 1 feel the spirit of my friend then behold I 1 like some apparition pari parl tion you are standing behind we mel I 1 my eyes were staring at the right breast of his hunting shirt where a slight blight bulgo bulge suggested a packet jf it pa pars p j the forced cordiality of his black eyes could not be sustained deep in ue tie depths of hta his gaze twin kled murde ous little devils there was something in my tense staring that caused ills his gaze to drop to see if Ms his hunting shirt was open and I 1 sensed a slight tightening of his bla fingers and I 1 increased my own pressure I 1 was the heavier but lie he possessed a panthers quickness which I 1 never saw equaled in any man with a scream of rage lie he threw aside all pretense and attempted to jerk me to ruy my knees I 1 tore my left hand free I 1 and smeared his bis cap down over his mouth at the same time thrusting my foot behind his heel and hurling him back across the table butting my lea deac into his chest I 1 got the neck aeck of ills shirt between my teeth and tore it open then he knew what I 1 was after and seized my left wrist and wrenched it clear bt bf his face down went nay my head again this time ilme hitting him under the chin and driving his jaws together with a snap and my fumbling lips found the papers and my teeth closed upon them with a muffled howl of rage he be released ray my wrist and snatched for the papers and took away a handful of my beard instead his bis hand followed as I 1 jerked up my head bead but bt now I 1 had bad him by the wrist I 1 straightened up a bit and dropped the abe papers on the floor and kicked them toward the window he twisted like a snake the instant the pressure was wall removed and before I 1 knew it he be was face down on the table with his him right hand closing about the handle of the tomahawk I 1 fell on his big back and stuffed staffed the cap into his face and tried to catch his bis right hand and secure the ax avoiding my clutching fingers he wung swung the heavy ex ax up op over his shoulder in an attempt to brain me I 1 dug my head bond down into the hollow of 0 his left e I 1 t shoulder and received the length of the ax handle across my back and secured his wrist from the gate came excited cries the englishman Is mad with the beverl fever yelled a soldier once more I 1 sent cent the fox against the table this time knocking the candle to the floor r r stepped on it if plunging the room into darkness and wrenching the ax at from him struck where his head bead should have be been en I 1 hit him but with the flat fiat side only down he went into the upturned table I 1 dropped on all fours and as my foot ht the papers I 1 secured them and tucked them into my shirt shirl A streak of fire and he had used one of his pistols I 1 leaped toward the window and hurled the ax as in his direction A knappins knap ping of wood told mei me the ax bad a table leg or the cnair he be fired hui his second pistol but I 1 was now against the he wall taking car cart not to pans pan afore I 1 fore the window I 1 had bad located my mj musket and was war making ready t fir fire eliher when the door burst buret open 1 v hems yOu 1 t cowardly pigs 1 I al 44 the sergeants ij ahe ard him rufic rash across the floor nowhere to where damo damean sho should abb the standing the serre sergeant ani grappled with him thinking he was waa 1 I band aad a madmen madman I 1 I 1 to boot for there was wa a stamping and strangled led outcry and aid the fox was screaming watch the window 1 dont let pa the english apy spy escape es capel I 1 by this time line several soldiers had bad crowded crowd ea into the room all shouting excitedly As I 1 leaped to the ground and ducked and dodged from side to tilde side a gun crashed in the room behind me and ae the clear voice of the fox was waa raised in orders for the men to give chase I 1 reached the gate and there was waa no one there io to oppose my going which wag well for I 1 pa passed ned through with the butt of my musket poised ready for a drive against the arst head I 1 could find when I 1 crawled up the east slope of the abe ravine I 1 could tell by the shouting that near nearly lyall all the soldiers were searching the shore expecting to find me trying to escape in some boat above their foolish ton confusion fusion rose the mellow voice of the pox this time la in a peculiar cry a signal it wa enla an from the forest north coith of the settlement by a long war whoop which I 1 |
