Adventure Magazine Cover — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

106 you. The Indiarr is Ta-wan-ne-ars, of the Seneca Wolves, War Chief of the Iroquois. The white man is Harry Ormerod, an En- glish spy and a deserter from the Jacobites. He was stationed in Paris for some years, and recently was sent to New York. Bur- - net, the Governor of New York, dispatched him here to spy out what you were doing. “Twas fortunate I had an errand to Jagara, for he seems to have deluded you com- pletely.” “That may be so,” assented Joncaire; “but it happens that I command here. These men are my prisoners. You will order your Indians from the room. Francois, get your musket and stand guard.” S oe ~ DE VEULLE drew a paper from a pocket inside his leather shirt and presented it to Joncaire with irritat- ing deliberation. “Here,” he said, ‘you will find my war- rant from thé King himself to exercise what powers I deem necessary along the frontier. Only the governor-general may overrule me.” Joncaire studied the paper. “That is so,” he admitted. “But I tell you this, de Veulle, you have a bad record on the frontier for a trouble-maker. But for you I should have had the Senecas and Onondagas in our“interest before this. I write to Quebec by the first post, demanding a check upon your activities. We have too much at stake to permit you to jeopardize it.” “At De-o-nun-de-ga-a it is known that Ta-wan-ne-ars and his brother Ormerod journeyed to Jagara,” interposed the Seneca in his own language. ‘‘Does Joncaire think the Senecas will be quiet when one of their chiefs is given up to the Keepers of the Doom Trail for torment?” “The Senecas will be told that you never reached Jagara,” replied de Veulle before Joncaire could speak. “T will have nothing to do with it,” de- clared the commandant of the post. “Spies they may be, and as such they may be im- prisoned; but I will have nothing to do with turning them over to the Keepers. De Veulle, this is on your own head.” “T am content,” *said de Veulle with a mocking smile. Joncaire turned to me. “Well, my Jean,” he said soberly, “‘what- ever your name may be, you have gotten 9) Adventure yourself into a nasty mess. You will be lucky if you die quickly. This is what comes of trying to fool old Papa Joncaire.” “You will admit that I fooled you,” I re- plied as lightly as I could. “You did,” he conceded, nearly the first.” “Will you do me a favor in memory of Arles—I have really visited that renowned city—monsteur?”’ “Gladly.” ‘““Get word sometime to Peter Corlaer that I fooled you, and ’twas no fault of mine I was taken.” He clapped me on the back. “That’s the spirit, mon bravel Ill do it without fail. And my advice to you is to pick tHe first chance ta die, no matter how it may be. These Keepers—feste! They are a bad lot. They are artists in torment. "Tis part of their religion, which I will say they still practise, even though Pére Hya- cinthe were to excommunicate me.” “Better not let the worthy priest hear you,” admonished de Veulle with his mock- ing smile. ‘“‘Have you finished your homily and last word to the condemned?” “T have finished my last word to you,” snarled Joncaire. “Perhaps, monsieur,” I said, “you have never chanced to hear of a certain duel with small-swords in the = De Veulle struck me with all his strength across the niouth. “Flere,” he called to the waiting Cahnua- gas, “bind him—and make a sure job of it. Be not careful of his comfort.” Joncaire looked him up and down with indescribable contempt. . “There is a bad air in here, Monsieur En- glishman,”’ he said. “Even the company of that ass de Lery is preferable to this miser- able person. I bid you adieu.”’ But as he was about to climb the stairs de Lery had ascended, de Veulle called him back. “One moment! Sealine officially, Mon- sieur de_Joncaire, I desire you to send out belts to all friendly tribes, summoning them to a council-fire which will be held here by the King’s command in August.” Joncaire bowed. “Tt shall be done,” he said. “Now then—” de Veulle addressed me— “we will consider your case. Are the bonds sufficiently tight?” “and you are I had been bound with strips of rawhide , \ COMMICLOOOKS (E@)