Show black a harold titus BY tilvis service SYNOPSIS rodney shaw independent trader arrives in Michili mackinac in 1818 determined ter mined to fight the trade monopoly established tabb shed by the john jacob astor company in the northwest territory he is met by conrad rich an elderly clerk ramsay crooks actors dominant figure and annette leclere local beauty and inspiration to all the traders especially to burke rickman a ruthless trader who Is the instrument of destruction to traders refusing to amalgamate with the astor company roussel the town bully wearing the black feather symbol of invincibility knocks down shaws head oarsman basile and shaw in return throws roussel into the water ramsay crooks presents the symbolic black feather to shaw later at a conference shaw scorns asters proposal virtually to surrender his independence announces his readiness to fight the amalgamation and prepares to depart the following day at a ball that evening shaw recognizes burke rickman as the astor agent who had previously robbed him of his partner and his trade and as a dangerous rival tor for annette with whom he Is abed there is an exchange of bitter words annette Is chosen queen of the dance and after flirting with both rickman and shaw chooses shaw as s king tor for the following evening basil baille warns shaw to hasten his departure and tells him an old man awaits him at his tent shaw finds leslie an old free tree trader CHAPTER 11 II continued 3 aal ayl chos not heard of them far up the mississippi good hunters and in rich country but others are there others was gone now nor ire re gone by law th lone independent who opposed end em Is s gone sioux driven him out rich country waltin to be took by me with you I 1 got trade goods you got lot th ill tee fee nd ind wind look isaid he said astor figures to step in hes rickman well fix a for m he fumbled in the buckskin pouch which hung from his g girdle I 1 r d I 1 e herel he said aid anddrew out a map crudely etched on parchment and pointed to the winding course of the mississippi and to a lake indicated well towards its headwaters boril he said rich country baitin to be took again he fumbled in the pouch and this time produced an indian ceremonial stone of green shaped like a butterfly polished to satiny smoothness more powerful nor astor more valuable nor a ton 0 trade goods like a key to a lock key to pillager lock give to me by cloud pillager chief saved his hide three year back brothers me nd ind cloud brothers he passed th stone nd ind tells me to send it if ever I 1 need a brother no use then two forts aready amongst em trade wont stand another split but now its diff different erent he choked and gasped then and after a struggle gave u up p and once more reverted to signs rodney had strength and agility he indicated rodney could direct the march and pass the credits and see that they were collected just two of us old free traders left he whispered just two as wont belly crawl to astor do we deal rodney stirred though he was at the prospect demurred it was not fair he declared gabble the other cut in 1 I got goods goods ire re no use lessen strong legs nd ind hearts go with em you got legs nd ind heart do we deal dont we he be asked again and in his eyes was pleading which warmed shaw with something else than the prospect of being able to make good his boast and satisfy his impulse to stand against the great company they talked then until dawn silvered the east then rodney halt half led half carried the old trader to the camp he had made at the eastern end of the island and and left him with word that he would return and give his answer watch ye leslie muttered as rodney lowered him to his couch of buffalo robes watch ye like a lynx watches prey come late 1 I dont sleep nights 11 rodney slept until the sun was full an hour high he had gone to sleep with his heart still fast at thought of the opportunity to establish himself again and he awakened with his heart 9 going fit to choke him gasping to 1 himself a name over and over he repeated it sitting there in his robes blinking at the new day annette he said annette annette annette leclere leclerc basile cooked breakfast for him and shaw ate alone before his tent the old man eyeing him with ill concealed curiosity finally he could no longer restrain himself and put the question in french do we put out with the old one shaw smiled does one pass by rare opportunity does one basile of course we put out but not too hastily leslie is a sick man basile soberly perhaps even with a heavier sickness than one comprehends he is unfit for a march today we must make gestures at occupying ourselves tonight during the dance at which im to be king with a reminiscent grin 1 I slip away and go to him in the meantime the sound of shod wheels rolling on gravel checked him and he looked up to see annette in her gig careening down the narrow street but she could not help giving him notice as he leaped outward flinging up an arm to make the leading black shy wide grasping the fillys rein impudence she cried feigning pique you will have me upset rodney shaw stay back 1 I stay here I 1 defy you as he vaulted the wheel to the seat beside her but you were to be gone from mackinac all have heard the brave things you said to mr astor did you not mean them that be gone in defiance to him not until those ripe lips hunger as mine hunger nonsense sire so he drove with her that morning and strolled with her that afternoon he wooed roughly madly until late in the afternoon annette fled his avid arms and hungry lips and sought sanctuary from his determination in the house of the old aunt which was her home he went back to his tent walking lightly head high men turned to watch him because between sun and sun he had become famous he had defied astor and he had flaunted his his trespassing tres passing in romance upon grounds which that spring at least had been admittedly burke rick ma mans ns others wondered what manifestation ife Rick mans resentment might take but burke rickman was not to manifest his resentment not openly donald maciver Ma clver the shrewd scot and loyal servant had seen to that he and rickman were together when annette drove past that bright forenoon with the pugnacious young shaw on the gig seat beside her and maciver had seen the chill of threat show in the others eye and the heat of jealousy creep into his cheek dont lad maciver muttered while his eyes twinkled a passing thing no challenge to ye is yon upstart let him go on let him spend mayhap hours wi th lass hell gi us what we need quicker so thun by any ither means hes not actors mon nd he must be so if we discharge our auty he made his boasts last hed trade again nd ind in th ill territory its our obligation to de ta irmine where to follow to crush th juice 0 resistance from his very bones it if need be would he gi us a hint as to where hell trade no but will a lad tell th innermost secrets of his heart to a lass ay from her well learn rodney gestured as king at the dance in the company headquarters that night and told himself that he was only waiting tor for the hour to grow late before slipping away to join leslie but when the hour grew late he put it off multiple joy and achievement were there annette first ot of all was there challenging and tantalizing tal izing him and rickman was there his resentment badly under control but depart at last he did and found leslie waiting well do ye take my offer the old trader asked 1 I do pardner good well sting im th two on us well sting astor and claw back at rickman for what he done to ye look pard pardner nerl 1 he led shaw to the stores of trade goods snug under their oilcloths and by the light of a blazing torch rodney beheld the valuables piled neatly there ought to be spry leslie whis my men tell on hearin Q well sting atter astor and claw back at rickman rickman puts out afore long wed best be weeks ahead on him can you travel shaw asked bluntly few days resell fix me so for a week while he waited tor for leslie to gain strength rodney shaw reveled in the pretense that feminine charms held him at mackinac despite the truth that courtship served as a blind to confound the watch he knew must be kept on him he was enmeshed as many another had been caught in this half decade since annette leclere done with montreal schooling had come back to live with her old aunt A forbidding woman this aunt a grim forbidding woman sprung from metia bettt stock a fixture in the place midwife and speaking a jargon of ojibway and patios and seemed to take pride that so few understood her well shaw disturbed the old lady and she stormed at annette tor for having him about but it did no good the girl laughed at her then from pan to fire rickman w was a s banished tossed a aside s I 1 d e snubbed it would seem and now it was shaw who came hammering on doors before dew was dry CHAPTER ill III rodney shaw changed his approach to annette scarce knowing that he changed the light of amused combat left his eyes for minutes his voice pleaded softly he lost poise lost years he would boast to her of what he had done of what he could do he would strut before her and he would plead almost seriously as others had pleaded almost seriously not i quite and not tor for long and at those times the girl was not so ready of 0 tongue she listened denying his half reverent pleas by her silence but still she listened today he was in such a mood stupefied by her intoxicating beauty pleading with her to go inland with him and she put him off and when he wheedled tor for reasons she listed his shortcomings she was in play but he failed to realize her words were not full meant presumptuous reckless auda clous cious foolhardy P to desire one so lovely to risk further the ill will of the compa company hol ho he laughed why should 1 tear fear but they have strip st rippee pec you of your dour tradel trade they will crush you if you persist they will try yes but they do not guess the card hidden in my sleeve card you possess some secret or is this only an idle boast he had been toying with that same black ostrich plume which had reposed these days in his waistcoat pocket and now he waved the symbol of superior strength in a dismissing gesture Li listen stent he said halting in their walk and leaning close they think me a pauper and that is well but here under their nose ive acquired a share in goods beyond my wildest dream and with these goods I 1 march to the richest ground untended a ground they plan to work they were on a forest trail on the heights of the island dappled suling ht fell upon them scents of balsam and cedar were in their nostrils ah annette he breathed taking her hands 1 I never dreamed in the years ive lived that such a desirable person as you pressed foot to earth she was in his arms then yielding gently and he felt her quick and irregular breathing against him dear annette sweet annette An 1 and ive wasted years thinking of trade when its love I 1 want ive wasted my life holding freedom as a goal when its enslavement in your heart I 1 need enslavement rodney enslavement I 1 he repeated the word aloud and looked away from her and at his manner alarm swept into the girls face of course its what I 1 want he cried laughing hungrily to cover his confusion youre sweet you set me on fire he muttered grasping her so roughly that half frightened she sought escape they returned to the village shaws tongue losing its ease he tried to pass off that unguarded moment those impetuous words and conduct himself as he had at other times but fright persisted let lips seduce him from that objective which was the breath of his bis life ali ah no hed gone far enough along this course at the gate he told her he could not be with her this night he had affairs to attend he said he was brusque and au having leeis frightened b the strength of his own emotions he left her impelled to run in flight and she stared after him with the mingled feelings of one who has been rebuffed so that night the girl sat alone hurt and outraged and burke rickman prowling the places of merriment in his role of spy saw neither her nor shaw but shaw he discovered was at his tent annette then might be alone and the tims tim ala he had awa awaited ted and the which had been so long in shaping might have arrived so he rapped on the aunts door and found her there with signs of tears on her cheeks and high temper in her eyes sly this rickman in playing on tempers he questioned adroitly and probed and prodded to no avail and he kept on belittling rodney scoffing at him predicting his dire future until annette went white again with provoked loyalty and boasted of shaws strength and courage and possessions and plans her thoughts and impulses were all hating and loving rodney in the same moment defending him while she longed to hurt him she achieved both her boasts were the things rickman had wait ed to hear that was all he needed to know shaw had a partnership inq haf and planned to march to a rich ground unclaimed by traders so at midnight when rodney slipped along the trail to lesliea Le tent another followed furtively and when shaw heard from his partners lips the thing he had suspected and feared this other listened prone behind a boulder leslie no longer deceived himself the hand of death lay heavily upon him giles his clerk was holding a cup of water to his lips lipa as rodney appeared the old man smiled weakly ive held ye back delayed ye th inkin I 1 might git strength no good he whispered aist one thing I 1 want its to seeth pillager trade out of yon hands you go he said and weak though he was the order came imperiously rodney knelt beside him in the entry to the tent he could not hear the light scruff scruff of a body worming closer could not know that alien ears heard those rasping words spoken at the cost of such torture you take th goods affen I 1 dont follow yourn he added and his suffering eyes gleamed with stalwart friendliness no strings to lem em yourn he said and looked at giles as if to adjure the man to bear witness to the agreement he fumbled then in his pouch and drew out the map and butterfly ornament take em he gasped use em cloud in U treat ye like brother ill go rodney said ill give them such opposition never dreamed of ill be gone before the sun shows he promised TO BE CONTINUED |