Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

52 ‘“‘There’s no use in making confounded fools of yourselves,” he told them. ‘You have to face the situation anyway, so why not face it like men? I’m not going to let you get away to anyother post or Indian camp to spread the infection there. Just make up your minds to fight a sane fight here. First, some Free-Trader cut loose Wayne and the rest!’ } HARRIS, the Mississippi River man wry who had wanted to sing Wayne a ites song, stepped forth. The crisis had sobered him like a dash of cold water, and he quickly slit the chair lashings with his sheath knife, freeing the six men. “Now, Wayne, you and your Free-Trad- ers are under quarantine with the North- westers,”’ Carlisle informed him. ‘I hope you’re not thinking of making any trouble about it. If you are, make it right now and we'll have it over with.” “Do you take me for a cursed fool?” blazed Wayne. “I know smallpox. I had it myself once on the Red River. My men have been hobnobbing with these North- westers and two of the bloody dogs mauled me all over. Why, I wouldn’t dream of going back to my post. I wouldn’t go near my worst enemy. I wouldn’t rub up against you, Carlisle, and I hate you worse than a hundred hells.” “Thanks,” Carlisle sent back sarcasti- cally. ‘‘Wayne, you’re no hypocrite, any- way!” : “But for heaven’s sake, watch my girl,” Wayne implored in his next breath. ‘‘Keep her away from this place. Joan, stand back from the doorway, there.” “T’m all right, father,” Joan assured him. “Dye never been in the room.’ “Did Richelieu touch you, girl?” ‘‘No, father, no, he didn’t. And how I wish you’d never gone in after your men!” “So do I, though I’m not afraid for my- self,”’ growled her father. ‘‘But it can’t be helped now. Anyhow not likely anything will come of it. What’s the program, Carlisle?” “Everybody parade for inspection, ” Car- lisle answered., “You'll all pass before Andrews. Any further cases remain here in the mess-room with Richelieu. The rest go over to the trading-room till we see what develops. Richelieu’s house we’ll save for the recoveries. e File up, every one! Some bold, some fearful, nearly all ner- Adventure vous, they passed in review before the priest, who examined each one closely for symp- toms with his lighted candle. Now and then he put a question bearing on their general health or diet. Twice he motioned a Northwester out of the line to sit down in a chair by the table. ‘There was scarcely need to examine the Free-Traders, since they had been ex- posed to infection only that day, but for the impression of equality in the unfortu- nate circumstance Andrews scanned them over with the rest. “Only the two cases besides Richelieu,” he announced when he had finished his in- spection. “All right, the two cases can clear this room and knock together three bunks while the rest go to the trading-room as I said,”’ directed Carlisle. “But bon Dieu,’ burst out the North- wester Dentaire, he of the pointed mus- tache and the large hawked nose, ‘‘do you - mean to pack us-there like curs waiting for the Red Death to come and choose which one?” ‘Where else can I put you?” countered Carlisle. ‘Out in the freezing woods?” “T—I will not go,” Dentaire shrieked, his pale face contracting in convulsive muscular twitchings, his eyes staring wide, horrific, his trembling fingers never ceasing their continual crossing. ‘“‘Non! Non! Nor mes camarades either!” “Come out first, you!”’ ordered Carlisle, sensing a new outbreak and leveling his weapons at Dentaire. | Dentaire dived suddenly behind the crowd and with a sweep of his feet kicked out the legs of the big sheet-iron stove in the middle of the room. With a crash the mass of red-hot metal fell upon the floor, -and its bushels of glowing coals poured out across the planks. Dry as dead moss, the slivery planks blazed up instantaneously, and not content with fire in one place Dentaire scattered the coals to all corners of the room. “You hold us here to do your will?” he gibbered behind the screen of his fellows, “You will not let us out of theroom? Vozdld, then, there will be no room. The candles, mes camarades—the candles aussil” — They seized them from the table and flung them lighted into anything inflammable, into the woodbox, into the cupboard, into piles of old papers on the shelves about the COnnicloookxs (C@