Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

The Bush Lopers Carcajou twisted his head about and be- held the heavy face of Brouwer peering over Turcot’s shoulder. Beside him was young Chartier, not quite certain what it all meant. In a dull singsong the men began singing: “Fight! Fight!” Chartier’s slim figure wriggled to the front of the circle. He caught Carcajou’s eye and cried: “Monsieur, you shall have fair play. Only one at a time shall meet you.” Yells of laughter greeted this. “Throw the bantam into the water!” cried John Black. 3 Chartier drew himself up and clapped a hand to his rapier. Jeers instantly turned to snarls. Dubeau snatched him off his feet and slowly advanced to the shore, Chartier frantically striving to loose his weapon. Carcajou barred Dubeau’s path, pressed the edge of his palm against the short, thick neck and advised him: “Old bear, gently place M’sieur de Ni- agara on his feet. His ways are not ours, but he means well and is not afraid. Down gently, my bear, or you'll get something in your throat that will take all the fight out of you.” Dubeau glared fiercely but did not at- tempt to back away from the pressure against his throat. Still holding Chartier above his head and ready to hurl him into _the water, he hoarsely told Carcajou: “Three strings of wampum sometimes buys a man’s life. Do you offer me a fight, Wolverene, to save this squirrel a wetting?” Carcajou began to lose his patience and some of his good nature. His one desire was to find Durantaye. He must deliver Perrot’s message, and, of more importance in his estimation, he must explain how he bad traded the stolen goods. His story was simple and rather bald but the best he had been able to devise during the voyage down the lake. Chartier’s face was pale with rage be- cause of his ignominious plight. Death was preferable to being manhandled. And he had meant well. He had observed the coureurs de bois at a distance, as he had lived much with the officers. Failing to under- stand that so much roughness could be asso- ciated with good nature, he had feared that Carcajou would not receive fair play. “T trade a fight,” surrendered Carcajou. 115 “Place him gently on his feet. No man here can stand against him, fighting his way.” “And he tessed his belt of weapons on the ground, handed his rifle to La Blanche and stripped off his shirt. Dubeau lowered his victim to the ground. Chartier would have pulled his rapier and defied the whole assemblage had not Car- cajou seized his arm and assured him: “Tt was well meant, my friend. I will remember. But this is a bit of woods play. Stand back there beside Old Papa Simple and watch the fun.” La Blanche was kneeling behind Carca- jou’s weapons and surreptitiously opening the mouth of his medicine bag. Carcajou wasted no time in preliminaries. Suddenly whirling upon Dubeau, he leaped upon him like a tree-cat, and was all over him and had slipped behind him almost before the breed realized the fight was begun. And as he darted behind him he hooked an arm around the thick neck and violently hurled him to the ground and was dancing out of reach. Dubeau slowly crawled to his feet and shook his head, for his neck had been se- verely wrenched by the ferocious onslaught. Grinning shamefacedly, he muttered— “Next time I’ll know when you’re com- “You'll never know when a wolverene is coming until he has gone,” taunted Car- cajou, springing in and striking the edge of his iron hand against the base of the breed’s nose and eliciting a grunt of rage and pain. For a moment the small eyes were filled with water, and as Dubeau raised his hand to clear them he found his wrist clasped. Had he forgotten to double his arm his shoulder would have been dislocated. He struck blindly with his free hand, and Car- cajou staggered back and wondered if his skull was broken. “Strike him again, bear! Smash him, bear!”’ shouted Black. “Rip his hide off, Wolverene!’’ cried the Picard. Carcajou backed away, seeking time to clear his head. Dubeau grinned and cau- tiously followed him, and said: “This is going to be a good fight after we get warmed up. A bigger fight than the other.” Carcajou sidled a step closer and ex- plained: “Taminahurry. I have other business.” And he shot out his long leg and caught MICGLOOO