Adventure Magazine Cover — page 69: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

victim. Now the puppy realized his danger, and, remembering only the kindly hand that had fed him the delectable duck, he scampered whimpering into the stall. The man with the ax regained his balance, his eyes bulging with a fear that bordered on . madness. The man at the door ceased his blasphemy and led in a horse. He was as- - tounded at the tableau. He harshly cried: “Ho, Le Petit Jean! So you drink till you would kill your good friends. Parbleu, but you’re anice fellow! Drop the ax, madman.” “He fights the devil, not us, good Pierre,” hastily corrected one of the men. “The devil is in the stall. He steals hot duck from a boiling kettle. The fires of hell = in his eyes,” hurriedly added the third He has taken the form of a little dog. The little white dog with the black eye you call the © Rogue,” w d the executioner. The man with the horse roared in rage, and at last managed to warn— “Now may the devil take you three worthless ones if you have hurt my little Rogue!” “But the devil is in him!’ screamed the man with the ax. “I, Little Jean, have seen the Evil One looking from his eyes.” And he crossed himself and groaned dismally; for sorry the fate of him who had passed under © the Evil Eye. The* dog’s owner became shaken. — His anger was strongly leavened with superstition. After all it was a well known and fully authen- ticated fact that Satan took on most deceiving ises. ? He hesitated, then whistled faintly to the dog and stepped back toward the door. The puppy, his nose deep in the débris of the fri- cassee, paid no attention to the call. The horse, finding himself released, made for the stall. “See! The horse knows there is nothing to fear,’”” hoarsely said the man at the door. But the horse by this time had detected the unfamiliar shape at the head of the stall and was hearing the worrying sounds made by the puppy. With a snort of alarm he backed from the stall. The keen vision of the man by the door was as yet undimmed by brandy. Now he screamed: “Our Lady help us and save us! There is _ something in there!” Putnam knew that the climax had arrived. Pulling the bearskin over his head and grasping the gun by the barrel to be used as a club, he stood up, emitted a horrible roar and lunged toward the door. The terrified nag reared with a snort, and, clumsily pivoting, bolted through the door, knocking his owner prostrate. The three drinkers were convinced the devil now had them for certainty as the huge, hairy form shot from the stall. A fat puppy had retired there to change into this fearful The Bushfighters o9 monster. over each other in making for the door. - Once outside they cast off their drunkenness and ran like deer for the lake. Putnam threw aside the skin and waited until they were out of view. Then, seeing that the way was clear, he made to leave, only to be deterred by a whimpering note and something soft falling against his legs. He glanced down and beheld the puppy, an animated ball of rejoicing at having found such a good frierid. “They’ll burn him and do lots of things to drive out the bad spirit,’”’ mused Putnam as he stared down into the small, beady eyes. “You poor little varmint, guess you won’t be much of a load.” And he picked the puppy up, dropped him into the bosom of his belted shirt and stepped through the door. He had thought to run to the cover of the mountain, but found ‘himself confronting an officer.in the uniform of the French Regulars. CHAPTER XI THE ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAIN “CPN PEAN, I believe,” saluted Putnam after the two had stared at each other in astonishment for a moment. ‘Believe me, sir, 1 am mighty glad to meet you.” “Mordieul The English Putnam!” ex- claimed Pean, his haggard face lighting in cruel triumph. “It is the will of the good God. Come. We will walk to the lake and find a boat.” “And finding the boat?” “We will go the fort, m’sieur.” “That would be neighborly of you, but it would be putting you out of your way. You’ve just come from there,” said Putnam, beginning to thrill with the hope Pean had not yet de- livered his budget of information. ~ “A thousand pardons, mon ami, but I am on my way there now. My story will sound so incredible in the chevalier’s ears that I shall need you to vouch for it.” “T see. How is the wounded shoulder?” “Bah! It was but a scratch. I have for- gotten it. You ranger should hang for shoot- ing so poorly when he had such an excellent target.” “T shall discipline him. Yet it is good. It makes me feel better. I hate like sin to kill a wounded man, and yet I’ll be —— if I’m With terrific screams they tumbled _ not going to try taking you a prisoner to Fort William Henry.” -- “Zul! You will show resistance?” softly queried Pean, his eyes glittering and a hand dropping to an Indian ax in his belt. Putnam laughed harshly and cast a glance toward the lake. To his great relief he saw no signs of soldiers or Canadians. He realized COMCEIOOKS (©)