Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

114 Some of our men say it will not stop fol- lowing us until we drink it. What can we we do with ite” Perrot drew the borrowed ax from the _ back of his belt, stepped inside the circle and cried: “Look here, you Potawatomi men! This is what you can do with it. You must do the same with the Iroquois when you are in a fight. You must strike them with an ax just as I strike this keg.”’ And he smashed in the head of the keg and kicked it over so that all the rum was lost in the ground. Then he handed Carca- jou his ax and calmly continued: “Put pitch on your canoes. After one sleep we start for Detroit. Metaminen will wait no longer for any man.” Leaving the Potawatomi to overhaul their canoes, he visited the Ottawa village and fiercely upbraided the men for cowardice. He taunted them with being afraid of the Iroquois and told them they were fit only to shoot small game and bring wood and water for the women. Having abused them soundly, he returned to the fort and delighted Carcajou by commanding: “Start as soon as you can for Detroit. Tell Messieurs Durantaye and Tonty I am leaving here inside of twenty-four hours. If my ax is not picked up by then I shall come without the Ottawas. Tell them they need not wait for me as I will overtake them before they make the Niagara.” Papa La Blanche was disgruntled and refused to make the trip. He said he was old and tired of traveling, and that he was about to take a new wife. Carcajou did not stop to argue with him but picked him up and carried him, kicking violently, placed him in the canoe and warned him: “Be sure I find you here when I return, Old Foolish, or I'll send you back to that Mascouten woman. I go to get the packs and guns.” And when he returned La Blanche was in the canoe and appeared to be quite recon- ciled to the journey. THE voyageurs landed at the first camp-fire above the fort and imme- diately were surrounded by a whoop- ing band of coureurs de bois. A circle of flying hands smacked Carcajou mightily on back and shoulders as various old forest acquaintances pressed around him and marveled that there was no fleur-de-lis _ nuisance. Adventure branded on his cheek. Some uproariously demanded to know how he managed to escape from the galleys. “How did you get out of the Cape Dia- mond cage?” yelled the Picard, seizing him by the shoulders and striving to rock him back and forth. Grinning amiably, Carcajou called out to Dubeau, now working his way through the group: “Here, you strong man, take this child away. He annoys me.” Dubeau seized the Picard by the shoul- der and hurled him aside, bowling over three men. Then he rejoiced: “You come, Wolverene. I have hunted this camp over, seeking a strong man. These are weak fellows. My muscles ache.” “Turning to the boisterous, reckless woods runners, he waved his arms and cried: “Fall back! Give room to two chiefs. Here is a man who comes to do me great honor before I break his bones. We shall need much room.”’ Yelling joyously, the men gave ground and formed a huge ring. Carcajou, still smiling, sought to avoid the contest by saying: “Listen to me, impatient one. I bring a talk to Durantaye. It is very important. Let us put our play off till my work is done. Let us——” “Let us! Let us!” mocked Dubeau, throwing off his shirt and threshing his mighty arms across his hairy chest. “No, no, my Wolverene. You have a way of running into the woods and hiding. I owe you something for that crack on my head. I have waited toolong. Youaresly. You would keep me waiting until I am an old man without any teeth and living on potage, and my muscles so many thin strings. Now you’ve walked into a trap, my Wol- verene. You must fight to get out of it. Sharpen your claws.” “That’s right! Make him fight, big Dubeau!” shouted John Black. The Picard, still rubbing his bruised shoulder, urged: “Break him in two, Carcajou. He’s a He’s been trying to pick a fight with all of us.” ‘The Wolverene is quick to fight. He says he’s a hard fighter,” called out an- other. GOmIGIoOoO (©