Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

I2 “Ves, Joan,” nodded her father, a smile cracking the grim mohogany of his face, ‘it’s been a long day. But here’s a nine- mile walk to stretch your legs.”’ “Vou’ve come far then, I take it,” put in Father Andrews rising from the bundle upon which he sat and extending his hand to the frontiersman. “From Fort Wayne on Sturgeon Lake,” replied the other, returning his grip. “I’m Ralph Wayne the Free-Trader, and this is my daugher Joan. We’re bound to Mon- treal. And you, I see by your netting, have followed the mosquito-pestered trail too. Where are you bound, Father?” “But here,”’ responded the priest, turning his head to see that none of the North- westers were in hearing and speaking in a lower voice. ‘I am Father Andrews, and I’ve come with a warning. «Richelieu and his partners have closed the Portage as private ground. They will seize you at the post. The partners want your trade, I understand, and Richelieu—well,” with a nod aside at Joan, ‘‘Richelieu wants some- thing else.”’ Into the fawn-green eyes in the mahogany gloom of Wayne’s face blazed a light like the flare of lightning in a murky cloud. In- stinctively his hand fell upon Joan’s arm in a protecting gesture, his tall frame straight- ened another inch, and his sweeping mus- taches began to quiver as a precursor of violent speech. But Andrews was quick to forestall him. “Be careful,” the priest warned hurriedly, “be very careful. These Northwesters all know what is going to happen to you, but don’t precipitate it by letting them know that you know. Is there any chance of your getting back up the Pigeon by a swift dash now? Are there any of their fleets afloat?” “Two of their Winnipegosis brigades behind me,” rasped Wayne in a voice virulent with bitterness and rage. “If things are as you say, they’ll be notified too. There’s no chance to pass them.”’ ‘Then there is nothing left to do but try for escape at the Superior end,’’ decided Andrews. ‘‘You won’t be able to count on your own men, since they’ll be watched or overpowered, but you may count on me and these four behind me: the courier, the voya- geur and the two Indians. Trust them as you would me!” “Thank God for your kindness and your Adventure warning, Father!” breathed Wayne, turning in the middle of his words as if from some trivial conversation to loudly order his men to lift the canoes and adjust the fur bales in tump lines for packing over to Grande Por- tage. “Thank God for it, I say, on account of my girl. If we can manage to get her safely through, for the rest I do not care.” “But I do, father,” declared Joan in a tremulous voice. “If I get through, you must too.~ Otherwise I don’t want to.” And as the white men of Wayne’s brigade, men of the Mississippi, men of the Missouri, men of the Red—independent-spirited ad- venturers like himself—together with his Crees and Chippewayans, shuffled off under their burdens of canoes and furs on the up- grade from Port Charlotte, the girl flashed a glance at the four whom Father Andrews had named as to be trusted. “Tell me,” she urged intensely, with the painful desire of one who will know the worst, “is there any real chance of getting through?”’ | Her beseeching eyes went past Drum- mond, past Missowa and Waseyawin as if the magnetic personality of Carlisle, hid- den though it was, drew them to himself, and for the first time since he had assumed the courier’s disguise the Factor silently cursed his masquerade. “By heavens yes, a real chance,” he swore fervently, “for rather than see harm come to you, I myself will sheathe a knife in Richelieu’s heart!” CHAPTER III AN INTERRUPTED MARRIAGE SACRAMENT Oa ae and his men running empty- handed had loped over the Portage in a little better than an hour, but it was more than a two-hours’ walk back for the laden brigade, and the laggard Summer dark came down as they neared the post. All the way across the two groups had kept well sepa- rated so as not to invite the notice or arouse the suspicions of the trooping Northwesters who at the end of their day’s work were flocking back to Grande Portage, and in the ordinary routine of superintending the pack- ing, Ralph Wayne had managed to let each member of his brigade know what to expect. That no Northwester attempted to mo- lest them yet or even speak to them further than to pass the customary greetings of the GOmiicdoo S (C@