Show affe wife ship hia a woman wo B sy y hugai Pen deter AY or to wems WS A CHAPTER XII continued ab our conference was not lending leading u us anywhere except into despondency and I 1 was rell relieved eved to witness a bus bug fling activity down tile lie creek where a group of natchez men seemed vitally tally interested in something the kroup group parted and I 1 was darlng nt at the gro annd d ton son of strong how bow the humn chief the young huma carried a long cill anlu U met which wits decorated with tile tho feathers of a white eagle angle snaking it a pipe of peace the word bearer 1 took ook the pire from film and star started teI with it toward tile lie of the til serpent at that moment la I 1 n glorieuse mine came on the scene barbaric and insolent and with will a rend read the he the hu atins allies of both tile the french und and tile the gulf choctaws Cho claws were tro sending a pence peace pipe to ill the natchez tile women questioned tie he humn rapidly then swiftly ran etier the aged word boarer hen both labrador and I 1 were consider ing the same questions whore where was wag damean bilat would tattooed lutto oed serpent return tile tho mint minutes ites passed and I 1 wondered what part la Glor lense was playing in tile the dramn inside the gilr chiefs cabin suddenly I 1 realized ren llred I 1 was doing wrong to aloof finhen I 1 knew her influx ellee would he be hostile to tile me and lab rador with mth a few hurried words to nn my friends I 1 rose roge arid made for the serpents alibin As I 1 benched the door lie iv word hearer calmo out importantly holding awrore min him n natchez white pipe him walked flip woman women tier her lark riwe lively with h ti triumph I 1 had hoped hie fie serpent would return a pipe ablaze with flain ingo feathers the serpent from ills cooch lv IY invited me to enter you send peace to the blumar who w tire nl wehing lilg but red and the frienda of the french I 1 sald lip ile stared tit lit me thoughtfully thought full and after a minute calmly replied 1 I do not ask white men pipes I 1 shall send to red men I 1 was to send brick the pipe put hut la in Glor leupe opened my mv oes eyes alu li send bend it wor w 11 r pipe liflie to men of my own color vi who ho mittit only peace it would bp be foolish it li Is time enough to send them abent it red ax when they begin to help the he french Dnn Dinu ionn onn the he fox for sent the altima with the tie pipe can my ni red brother ecil mp file the for I 1 ox Is ile he Is my mi en enemy cilly ite ile Is neair was the evasive nn 1 I hii have told him ailin lie may come com in n barety that we ws the talk I 1 sent witt tile the pipe lie ile la in word hearer bearer for the lie iron hand I 1 ri minded and the serpent fixl faid excellent caim canise to remember bienville alle and nd tits his ways w avs and hia law of tin nn eye ve fi fir r nn pv P 1 I do not ivar ft u tho tl lion timid be pritim misi I 1 do it not avar fi ir benth arid and yet ft I 1 tell flip liitt in linn all chilt thi nr the I 1 brench bendi Is not aidt to m my liking ily il mother iother li tit in gervat ir it sun slin 11 ashes ll ies it I 1 love lop my m brodber and must us its aar chief take dike tile lie path hut but I 1 do not like it tho the promised the impat sun miach alid made film see ihling tit in it dream the man in in you lal cull call tin it box 1 OY arnds it strona alk nil through iiii tilt the bilto pipe 1 I line have hill tell it to the flip arnt nt sun sim tn 11 flip lie kinnu hit imn hm n binl if ills his fall talk mull inin Is riol in the he var i nr ir if tile lie greni great still 1111 linn aill I 1 bo it no mil ill 7 then tie the hurstik ik nill all hf he enlen lik bark li k from nil our bindis aind bioni fl oll tin tilt clied flat if the lie iron hand demand luy m 11 heild bild 11 lie c cannot line have it mait what if tit lit ns that the woman h a sent bout to to 11 11 X 7 lie ile cannot havo have her site she to Is your our woman can iron hand bita hine e the man iah bah I 1 ab rador nol no it was afta explosive then at al roost most gently vi although though there was no gentleness in hla his dark eyes eves his face show no fear I 1 interpreted his cryptic words to mean my friend would die as a part of the funeral cerenio ceremony ny I 1 elred n and w waited allied slowly about the village trying to straighten out my thoughts though ta before rejoining my mends friends english working through the chiz vas lind had brought on the threat of wor ar against tile he french it would lie he most important news to carry east cast shout the natchez back away from their bargain more afore insistent wits te i ie fact that danisan with 11 lits hlo cunning would be fre frio e within four hours houra to walk alk around the t e village laloge and ply his arts on tb great sun although I 1 tinted Implicit iv tile the serpents assurances that hint the lie gl I 1 I 1 and I 1 acre ere safe I 1 was inot anxious to pet get d y from tile the village bearre the ut sun san could be induced to reva the var from the Cli lUsas is I 1 dep depended upon the lattera fth n i alp ship for or tle the W belp beli we ui agolli my journey to the english settlements nettle menta and their hatred for Bl enville would sorely prejudice them against my french friends especially if he told them the lie natchez refused to break away from their allegiance with the french in returning to my friends my attention was attracted attract id to a medicine with man seated before hia cabin ue he was busy mixing vermillon vermilion na as I 1 paused to give him greeting As the vermilion was not for war I 1 knew it must be for tile he funeral ceremony 1 who Is ili to t wear tile the new redal red I 1 asked after a respectful silence it Is to brighten the fare face of him who be abrald to die is ilia face show no fear he mumbled heading bending low over ner tits liln task as a hint bint lie he would talk no more with me th ill new paint was intended to cover coer any pallor in labrador adors a dark coun cenance it was a custom of the natchez tills this painting a victims face so BO that none could say ft 11 cowards death disgraced tile the noble lead dead tile the girl had fallen asleep in the worm warm sun Ia labrador brador was staring blaring at her most worshipfully without arousing her I 1 hurriedly informed him of tile the new paint whereat he be mado made a grimace I 1 told him of the natchez strong streng inclination to take back their war pipe from the chickasaws arid and bury flip he ax they had bird promised to raise up against the french in detail I 1 spoke of escape and announced my preference for the overland trip from tile the to long town rown lie ile readily agree we ie did better to trust to the chickasaws to between us ua and tiny pur pursuit sult provided they were not enraged by the withdrawal of the natilie natchez to a point baere biere they the must shed alt litte blood the start must be tonight lie he whispered anything to save made wol selle all ah that fox fort if I 1 could only meet him when tits choctaws choc taws are not at ills back I 1 well the 1 god may send that ha hapy PY day before this is finished I 1 have made my plan I 1 will ill go into tile alie village as aa if to visit tile the serpent arid and pass on into the for mt eit and keep keel on traveling I 1 will leave my musket with you and take only my ax linge knue and pistol they will thlik think I 1 am doming buck back so long us tie you two to are arc here and they will never look for me to leave leae unless I 1 go down the way ny we crime when it Is dark anric and mademoiselle take the 0 tho the young hurna huma carried a long calumet which was waa decorated Doc orated with the feathers of a white eagle mak ing it a pipe mile of peace trail to fort rosalle Ilo salle keep clear of the fo fort find and make tire the river north of it there you lou will divid pl rogues you will also alo find bud me waiting for you if all goes well without waiting to hear my opinion on hla his planning he laid selde aside his hie musket and strolled rolled gt into the village lie had thought it out very wisely the natchez would not suspect labrador of planning to escape in the daytime and without his gun CHAPTER XIII farewell to the river labrador brador Ln was waa waiting for us above fort rosalie Ko talle and we started on our long journey in fit a stolen pi pirogue we ave taw in nothing noll ilni of Dalno flu and ills nien men und as the days pulsed I 1 begun began t to hope he had bud abandoned the pur pursuit sult so with wit 1 rio no dalli daily crisis to keep keel us alert we ne three subsided and dwelt althin ourse hes with dinner danger left behind I 1 bad expected to amme and more girl IsIL to tile the cont inary she ahe etti atti tied to lo be aboa nature mature more mor thou at I 1 times I 1 almoas thought she eh rog regretted eted leaving new orleans and her countrymen that he already felt the chill ol of oar aur more mor rugged northern dime clime and WM was perhaps interpreting it as a am bol of the welcome her beyond the appalachian her bearing was vai less surprising than Labra labrador does he was preoccupied ofton often depressed and seldom spoke emoke un less one of us addressed him even answering the girl he be first had to tear teai his mind tree from some gloomy obsession instead of the excellent com companions compan lona we had bad been to fach other in the stress of danger we were three taciturn solemn individuals each wrapped in a blanket of introspection one night labrador left our ore and walked to the river bank and stared out over the water mademoiselle timidly asked me those english will they look on me as a queer woman they will think you a most wonder ful fat little woman but alone with two men and dressed like a savage sa they would think you ou mad to travel up this river without men to protect you or it if you vou wore the te flimsy gowns of the old co country yet they will ft not receive roe me as an equal we have some social distinctions I 1 admitted the landowner naturally lives on a different plane from the landless yet there to la nothing to prevent the first from degenerating to the lowest plane or the latter from climbing into the dignity of an estate of course this was false as there were certain types wh who never would be socially Boc lally received no matter bow much worldly gear they might accumulate cumulate te after a few minutes of silence she said monsieur that other matter you yon mentioned as a way to help me you yon understand how impossible that would her SO long as you say any so go it to Is most impossible you should not trouble yourself by thinking of it abe river makes one forget I 1 al ways think of it stretching around the world I 1 last ast night I 1 dreamed I 1 was dead that the three of us here were dead and that flint we must forever work our way up this ferocious stream I 1 awoke rind for a bit believed we throe three were bend I 1 tried to remember just i when we died or were killed hilled mon bleur labrador I 1 Is no longer droll ue lae thinks of a CT woman oman of the indian hornun who lied died she softly explained ridiculous I 1 cried she lifted tier her head and stared at me icily as a well bred woman rebukes one guilty of an incivility I 1 was blundering around in the raids ot of apologies apolo feles when I 1 labrador abrader returned to the fire tits his forehead wore a frown ue he did not seem to see us old friend you are held by little devils I 1 said of what are you thinking r 1 I was thinking of a woman mon the girl glanced at me in haughty triumph labrador twisted his cap into smaller compass and sadly added 0 of the woman she was very fond of me lie he had no more to confide and my respect for the girls renso reasoning nIng sud denly became exaggerated it was the last explanation of labrador adors s mood I 1 would have arrived it once I 1 knew it however there tere was nothing to be ruined gained by meditating on it but the girls girl s reference to my olter offer of mar ariage was an entirely entire different matter that contained endless room for spec ula tion the flie next day opened with rain the storm blew down the river anil and vaa was very disagreeable to fuce face as the rain blurred the vision yet let I 1 was determined to make the bluffs that duj day und and onie once for or till all have done with tle the mississippi when lun ve axe landed at esaw bluffs she jave gave voice to a ferment thank god dodl I 1 irom from now on it will be overland travel mademoiselle I 1 told tier her y ou ma find and it kinrd tit nt first although tile liall all j good we e will go 90 sl slowly ly un 11 you are used to it go fut fait go co fust fast slie she urged urel the farther firt lier we e draw front tin flip river rier the miserable nils erable flie better I 1 sli s ill all feel ve e gained the top of tile the muffs bluffs avil ai d I 1 led the way into tile the chlola saw trail I 1 explained to tile the girt girl how bow we must follow it for more m ore than a hundred and sixty awes to reach long trow town labrador as g it if bidding farewell to the river forever went to the brink of a bluff and stand gloomily at the beahen waters below I 1 saw law him lift his bis hands as aa if in afteu then leave the gesture unfinished and lean forward and peer intently downstream down stream I 1 called and after a bit of hesitation he be turned and swaggered back to us ua ile he smiled broiled at the girl and gave me a look that made me examine the flint in my gun forty foot pirogue coming upstream filled with indians indiana 1 I 0 think link there Is one white man in it he told me in choctaw with a flash of hla his white teeth the girl was riot not to be deceived by his cheery manner and fiercely demanded what it Is where are thear they there to is a canoe down the river heading this way we dont know who Is in it there Is nothing to fear if mademoiselle will put her beat foot forward for a few miles we will laugh at them Tte remember member there la Is no danger we shall b be far up the trail before they can even land I 1 beant this assurance only in part mademoiselle at tier her best could make but slow blow progress not used to forest travel and long confined to the pirogue she made me groan inwardly she believed site she was doing famously and y f I 1 raced along at his HI side and when he tired he passed her to M me as the hc choctaws would hunt us silently not daring to proclaim their presence by their usual cries of discovery I 1 expected any minute to behold them bounding from the bu bublies bustles bust les labrador too wits was very uneasy and wished to drop buck back and guard the trail I 1 would not listen to hla him proposition and muttering under his breath he suddenly caught the girl up and ran with her she protested and struggled but he paid no heed she quickly quieted when she saw it was useless to resist I 1 raced along at ills his side and when he tired lie passed tier her to nie me and in this fashion we ran taking turns in carrying her and making excellent progress I 1 believed we were beyond all danger our awakening came when the girl happened to glance back she gave a shrill scream before she had finished labrador had her behind a tree anil and I 1 was under comer coer on the other side of the anil I 1 could see nothing not liing to cause al a i what mas ins it mademoiselle I 1 asked my iny voice olce betraying toy my ampa thence I 1 fear A painted face nee dose alose to ill the ground site she replied and pointing a trembling bling inper finger at a sycamore halt hall way down don our field of vision you imagined it I 1 told her a she walked beside tile me up the trail with lilt bringing up the rear 1 I tell you iou I 1 saw it I 1 A horrible corrll race fuce etli with arid and yellow st stripe running up and do don n with a low exclamation that lint was wai more inure it a hurl hark than tiny spoken word |