Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

Ambush “There’s where the Red Death started, Soaring Eagle,’ he informed. “So ran the story of those who fled among the Indians and posts of the other districts,” nodded the old chief. “And there,’ went on Carlisle, point- ing to Fort Wayne, “the Northwest leader is sick with it. There the Free-Trade leader watches by the bed of Mason, the only one left alive of five faithful men. ‘There our praying man is with them, all under the lague.” “So,” nodded Soaring Eagle, unmoved. “Vou are not afraid?” “T am not afraid, Factor. If it was not good for us to come, you would have sent arunner to warn us. Weare here, and after the feast we trail to the Wenipak.”’ “Tt is well,” concluded Carlisle. ‘‘Go to the store now and Galt will give you your gifts.” “Tt is Oochemegou Kesigow,”’ reminded Soaring Eagle, looking at Joan. Carlisle’s eyes twinkled again, but Joan was equal to the occasion. “T kiss you all,”’ she spoke tacitly in Cree, touching her finger-tips to her lips and toss- ing them the caress. Soaring Eagle and the others gravely acknowledged the salute, catching the kiss in mid-air on their own finger-tips and carry- it to their mouths; then they stalked off to the store. CARLISLE backed hastily indoors under Joan’s indignant assault. “You wanted him to say it,” she accused. “Just wait till you have to salute all the greasy squaws! But, seriously, Paul, isn’t it horrible news?” _ “It’s very bad,” admitted Carlisle with a shake of his head. ‘‘Yet don’t let it spoil our New Year’s dinner, Joan. I wouldn’t care about myself, but I want Lewis and the men of the other posts to enjoy themselves. You see it’s the only break for them in the whole Winter.”’ “T won’t let the news spoil it,” she prom- ised. ‘“Though there’s fear in my heart!” “Fear of what?” “Fear that it means the end of my father’s already shaken power!” “T don’t know,” Carlisle deftly hedged. “T can’t tell anything about it till I get word how things stand in the other districts from official quarters. The governor promised when I left James Bay to have a message o7 routed through before Spring to let me know the exact situation. But hurry, Joan. It will soon be dark, and the men will be over from the store.” Joan hastened about, directing the work of the two young Cree maids in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches upon her New Year’s dinner spread upon the long table in the Factor’s council-room, and while he watched her gliding about, Carlisle mar- veled at the miracle of a woman’s touch in softening the bare austerity of his former quarters. He had given the house up to her entirely since the night Richelieu’s post was wrecked and the rest went to Fort Wayne, to do with it what she willed. He himself had taken business and sleep- Ing quarters in Galt’s trading-room with Galt and Drummond, and it was ever a source of pleasure to them to pass from that rough environment into this newly conse- crated feminine sphere for their meals or to spend the long, storm-bitten Winter evenings before the roaring birch logs of the fireplace. The possessions transferred from Fort Wayne before it went under quarantine she had used to garnish Cumberland House. Formerly Carlisle’s council-room contained nothing but table and chairs, guiltless of any adornment. Now the bare planks of the floor were hidden under a plethora of fur rugs, skins of the wolf, lynx, black and grizzly bears; the bare walls were covered with curios, weapons of the savage tribes, antlers of the red deer, moose and caribou, horns of mountain-sheep and musk-ox. Her cushions, filled with downy wild- goose feathers, covered with leather in colored patterns and trimmed with Indian bead-work, padded the chairs. Her couch, luxuriously fur-robed, invited lounging by the fireplace; her pictures decorated the mantel above. In one corner stood her harpsichord brought in by the Red River route from St. Paul. While upon a shelved cabinet beside was piled her music and her library, a col- lection begun while schooling at St. Paul and added to at every opportunity—history, travel, poetry, French and Spanish novels which she read in the original. Upon the table she hovered over in the deepening dusk of the room was arrayed her cherished linen, flat silverware, china, the magnificent silver tea-service and _ tall brass candelabra. COnnicloool< (C@