Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

The Doom Trail used broods of renegades were all awake to greet us, and our guards forced a passage through the mass with difficulty. To our surprize, we were carried by the oblong hulk of the Council-House, and traversed the Indian village without stopping. Ahead of us loomed the tower of the chapel and the house where Murray dwelt, encircled by its stockade. am | 1WOmen stood by the gate of the fs. - stockade to greet us. One was <1 Murray, debonair as ever in a frieze greatcoat, with a showing of lace at the collar, and a cocked hat. The other was Baptiste Meurier. The unsavory face of the courrier de bois grinned appreciation of my astonishment. ‘“Peste, monsieurl’”’ he exclaimed. ‘It seems you are a slow traveler. I feared I might be behind you, but I arrived twenty- four hours in advance. I have to thank you for the beaver-pelts. They. were a sufficient bribe for my immediate release.” “That will do, Baptiste,” interjected Murray. And to me: “One might think the animal deserved credit for a plan in which he was the humble instrument of superior intellects—which, I am bound to say, displayed their superiority mainly by seizing upon the opening pre- sented to them by fortune. No, no; even had the good Baptiste been delayed we should have been ready for you. Heard you ever, Ta-wan-ne-ars, of scouts who wore bears’ pads for moccasins?” For the first and only time during our acquaintance Ta-wan-ne-ars was surprized into a look of chagrin. “We thought it was late for bears to be out,” he admitted. Murray chuckled with amusement. “Quite so, quite so! And so you visit us once more, Master’Ormerod. I confess ’tis an unexpected pleasure which we shall strive to make the most of.” “Sir,” I said earnestly, “it makes little difference to me what is my fate, but I conjure you by whatever pretensions to gentility you possess to give over your plan of selling your daughter.” He took snuff with his odd deliberation, and his face became as impassive as an Indian’s. / “The words you choose for your appeal do not commend it to me,” he returned., I2I “Nor do I perceive what business of yours it may be to question my daughter’s mar- riage.” Now, what put it in my head I know not, unless it was the fact that in her letter to me Marjory had spoken of him as “Mr. Murray;” but I leaped to the instant conclusion that she was not his daughter. Sure, no man could have disposed of his own daughter so cold-bloodedly! “She is not your daughter in the first place,” I retorted boldly. ‘And in the second place, she has expressed to me her abhorrence of the marriage, as you know.” His face revealed no expression but for a faint tremor ,of the eyelids. “Zooks,” he remarked mildly after an interval of silence, “ ’tis strong language that you use. You are a headstrong young man, Master Ormerod. Can it be that you have some personal interest in the matter?” Again some instinct prompted me. “T have,” I asserted. “Your daughter prefers me to the: man you would force upon her.”’ “Really,” he replied, “you possess vast self-assurance. You are my deadly enemy, you have sought by every means to ruin me, you were caught in an attempt to depredate my home—yet you would pose as a suitor for my daughter’s hand.” “She is not your daughter,” I repeated. ‘“‘And as a suitor, according to your esti- mates of the world’s opinion, I am far more eligible than this Frenchman.” “You are scarcely wise to say so to his face, and I beg leave to differ with you. I find the Chevalier de Veulle a very eligible young man, of rank in the world, of achieve- ment, of distinct promise for the future.” “Tf you can call a man eligible who was not even eligible for continued residence at the most profligate court in Europe, I agree with you.” “Tut, tut,’ remonstrated Murray. “Your words are not those of a gentleman, sir. We will abandon the subject. Where do you propose to incarcerate the prisoners, chevalier?”’ : “T would not risk them a second time in the keeping of the savages,” said de Veulle. “Let us try your strong-room. There you and I can have an eye to their security.” “That is well conceived. Is there any news of Pére Hyacinthe?”’ . DOOLK CO (C@