diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-0.txt | 393 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-0.zip | bin | 175752 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-8.txt | 8806 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-8.zip | bin | 175104 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-h.zip | bin | 281056 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293-h/43293-h.htm | 419 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293.txt | 8806 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 43293.zip | bin | 175043 -> 0 bytes |
8 files changed, 5 insertions, 18419 deletions
diff --git a/43293-0.txt b/43293-0.txt index a221795..3d247e1 100644 --- a/43293-0.txt +++ b/43293-0.txt @@ -1,37 +1,4 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Secret Cache - An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys - -Author: E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -Illustrator: W. H. Wolf - -Release Date: July 24, 2013 [EBook #43293] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43293 *** “MONGA LOOKED BACK ONCE JUST IN TIME TO SEE ONE OF THE GIANTS SPRING UP OUT OF THE ROCKS.” @@ -8445,360 +8412,4 @@ real for play._ End of Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - -***** This file should be named 43293-0.txt or 43293-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/2/9/43293/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43293 *** diff --git a/43293-0.zip b/43293-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 15f5304..0000000 --- a/43293-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/43293-8.txt b/43293-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a5bde43..0000000 --- a/43293-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8806 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Secret Cache - An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys - -Author: E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -Illustrator: W. H. Wolf - -Release Date: July 24, 2013 [EBook #43293] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -"MONGA LOOKED BACK ONCE JUST IN TIME TO SEE ONE OF THE GIANTS SPRING UP - OUT OF THE ROCKS." - "The Secret Cache." (See Page 277) - - - - - THE - SECRET - CACHE - - - AN ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY - STORY FOR BOYS - - BY - E. C. BRILL - - _ILLUSTRATED_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY - STORIES FOR BOYS - - - _By_ E. C. BRILL - - - Large 12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated. - - - THE SECRET CACHE - SOUTH FROM HUDSON BAY - THE ISLAND OF YELLOW SANDS - - - Copyright, 1932, by - Cupples & Leon Company - PRINTED IN U. S. A. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I. The Birch Bark Letter 7 - II. The Sloop "Otter" 14 - III. Driven Before the Gale 22 - IV. The Isle Royale 29 - V. The Half-Breed Brother 37 - VI. Down the Northwest Shore 46 - VII. At Wauswaugoning 55 - VIII. The Blood-Stained Tunic 62 - IX. The Giant Iroquois 70 - X. The Looming Sailboat 77 - XI. The Fire-Lit Orgy 85 - XII. The Hungry Porcupine 92 - XIII. The Painted Thwart 100 - XIV. Sailing Towards the Sunrise 110 - XV. The Rift in the Rock 117 - XVI. The Cache 127 - XVII. The Sealed Packet 137 - XVIII. The Fleeing Canoe 147 - XIX. The Bay of Manitos 156 - XX. Hugh Climbs the Ridge 164 - XXI. The Grinning Indian 172 - XXII. Blaise Follows Hugh's Trail 178 - XXIII. A Captive 185 - XXIV. In the Hands of the Giant 193 - XXV. The Chief of Minong 201 - XXVI. Escape 209 - XXVII. What Blaise Overheard 217 - XXVIII. Confusing the Trail 223 - XXIX. The Cedar Barrier 234 - XXX. The Flight From Minong 242 - XXXI. With Wind and Waves 249 - XXXII. The Fire at the End of the Trail 256 - XXXIII. The Capture of Monga 264 - XXXIV. Monga's Story 272 - XXXV. The Fall of the Giant 280 - XXXVI. How Blaise Missed His Revenge 290 - XXXVII. The Packet is Opened 297 - - - - - THE SECRET CACHE - - - - - I - THE BIRCH BARK LETTER - - -On the river bank a boy sat watching the slender birch canoes bobbing -about in the swift current. The fresh wind reddened his cheeks and the -roaring of the rapids filled his ears. Eagerly his eyes followed the -movements of the canoes daringly poised in the stream just below the -tossing, foaming, white water. It was the first day of the spring -fishing, and more exciting sport than this Indian white-fishing Hugh -Beaupr had never seen. Three canoes were engaged in the fascinating -game, two Indians in each. One knelt in the stern with his paddle. The -other stood erect in the bow, a slender pole fully ten feet long in his -hands, balancing with extraordinary skill as the frail craft pitched -about in the racing current. - -The standing Indian in the nearest canoe was a fine figure of a young -man, in close-fitting buckskin leggings, his slender, muscular, bronze -body stripped to the waist. Above his black head, bent a little as he -gazed intently down into the clear water, gulls wheeled and screamed in -anger at the invasion of their fishing ground. Suddenly the fisherman -pointed, with a swift movement of his left hand, to the spot where his -keen eyes had caught the gleam of a fin. Instantly his companion -responded to the signal. With a quick dig and twist of the paddle blade, -he shot the canoe forward at an angle. Down went the scoop net on the end -of the long pole and up in one movement. A dexterous flirt of the net, -and the fish, its wet, silvery sides gleaming in the sun, landed in the -bottom of the boat. - -The lad on the bank had been holding his breath. Now his tense -watchfulness relaxed, and he glanced farther up-stream at the white water -boiling over and around the black rocks. A gleam of bright red among the -bushes along the shore caught his eye. The tip of a scarlet cap, then a -head, appeared above the budding alders, as a man came, with swift, -swinging strides, along the shore path. - -"Hol, Hugh Beaupr," he cried, when he was close enough to be heard -above the tumult of the rapids. "M'sieu Cadotte, he want you." - -The lad scrambled to his feet. "Monsieur Cadotte sent you for me?" he -asked in surprise. "What does he want with me, Baptiste?" - -"A messenger from the New Fort has come, but a few moments ago," Baptiste -replied, this time in French. - -Hugh, half French himself, understood that language well, though he spoke -it less fluently than English. - -"From the Kaministikwia? He has brought news of my father?" - -"That M'sieu did not tell me, but yes, I think it may be so, since M'sieu -sends for you." - -Hugh had scarcely waited for an answer. Before Baptiste had finished his -speech, the boy was running along the river path. The French Canadian -strode after, the tassel of his cap bobbing, the ends of his scarlet sash -streaming in the brisk breeze. - -Hastening past the small cabins that faced the St. Mary's River, Hugh -turned towards a larger building, like the others of rough, unbarked -logs. Here he knew he should find Monsieur Cadotte, fur trader and agent -for the Northwest Fur Company. Finding the door open, the lad entered -without ceremony. - -Monsieur Cadotte was alone, going through for a second time the reports -and letters the half-breed messenger had brought from the Company's -headquarters on the River Kaministikwia at the farther end of Lake -Superior. The trader looked up as the boy entered. - -"A letter for you, Hugh." He lifted a packet from the rude table. - -"From my father?" came the eager question. - -"That I do not know, but no doubt it will give you news of him." - -A strange looking letter Cadotte handed the lad, a thin packet of birch -bark tied about with rough cedar cord. On the outer wrapping the name -"Hugh Beaupr" was written in a brownish fluid. Hugh cut the cord and -removed the wrapper. His first glance at the thin squares of white, -papery bark showed him that the writing was not his father's. The letter -was in French, in the same muddy brown ink as the address. The -handwriting was good, better than the elder Beaupr's, and the spelling -not so bad as Hugh's own when he attempted to write French. He had little -difficulty in making out the meaning. - - "My brother," the letter began, "our father, before he died, bade me - write to you at the Sault de Ste. Marie. In March he left the Lake of - Red Cedars with one comrade and two dog sleds laden with furs. At the - Fond du Lac he put sail to a bateau, and with the furs he started for - the Grand Portage. But wind and rain came and the white fog. He knew - not where he was and the waves bore him on the rocks. He escaped - drowning and came at last to the Grand Portage and Wauswaugoning. But - he was sore hurt in the head and the side, and before the setting of - the sun his spirit had left his body. While he could yet speak he told - me of you, my half-brother, and bade me write to you. He bade me tell - you of the furs and of a packet of value hid in a safe place near the - wreck of the bateau. He told me that the furs are for you and me. He - said you and I must get them and take them to the New Northwest Company - at the Kaministikwia. The packet you must bear to a man in Montreal. - Our father bade us keep silence and go quickly. He had enemies, as well - I know. So, my brother, I bid you come as swiftly as you can to the - Kaministikwia, where I will await you. - - Thy half-brother, - Blaise Beaupr or Attekonse, Little Caribou." - -Hugh read the strange letter to the end, then turned back to the first -bark sheet to read again. He had reached the last page a second time when -Cadotte's voice aroused him from his absorption. - -"It is bad news?" the trader asked. - -"Yes," Hugh answered, raising his eyes from the letter. "My father is -dead." - -"Bad news in truth." Cadotte's voice was vibrant with sympathy. "It was -not, I hope, _la petite vrole_?" His despatches had informed him that -the dreaded smallpox had broken out among the Indian villages west of -Superior. - -"No, he was wrecked." Hugh hesitated, then continued, "On his spring trip -down his boat went on the rocks, and he was so sorely hurt that he lived -but a short time." - -"A sad accident truly. Believe me, I feel for you, my boy. If there is -anything I can do----" Cadotte broke off, then added, "You will wish to -return to your relatives. We must arrange to send you to Michilimackinac -on the schooner. From there you can readily find a way of return to -Montreal." - -Hugh was at a loss for a reply. He had not the slightest intention of -returning to Montreal so soon. He must obey his half-brother's summons -and go to recover the furs and the packet that made up the lads' joint -inheritance. Kind though Cadotte had been, Hugh dared not tell him all. -"He bade us keep silence," Little Caribou had written, and one word in -the letter disclosed to Hugh a good reason for silence. - -Jean Beaupr had been a free trader and trapper, doing business with the -Indians on his own account, not in the direct service of any company. -Hugh knew, however, that his father had been in the habit of buying his -supplies from and selling his pelts to the Old Northwest Company. Very -likely he had been under some contract to do so. Yet in these last -instructions to his sons, he bade them take the furs to the _New_ -Northwest Company, a secession from and rival to the old organization. He -must have had some disagreement, an actual quarrel perhaps, with the Old -Company. The rivalry between the fur companies was hot and bitter. Hugh -was very sure that if Monsieur Cadotte learned of the hidden pelts, he -would inform his superiors. Then, in all probability, the Old Northwest -Company's men would reach the cache first. Certainly, if he even -suspected that the pelts were destined for the New Company, Cadotte would -do nothing to further and everything to hinder Hugh's project. The boy -was in a difficult position. He had to make up his mind quickly. Cadotte -was eying him sharply and curiously. - -"I cannot return to Montreal just yet, Monsieur Cadotte," Hugh said at -last. "This letter is from my half-brother." He paused in embarrassment. - -Cadotte nodded and waited for the boy to go on. The trader knew that Jean -Beaupr had an Indian wife, and supposed that Hugh had known it also. -Part Indian himself, Cadotte could never have understood the lad's -amazement and consternation at learning now, for the first time, of his -half-brother. - -"My father," Hugh went on, "bade Blaise, my half-brother, tell me -to--come to the Kaministikwia and meet Blaise there. He wished me to--to -make my brother's acquaintance and--and receive from him--something my -father left me," he concluded lamely. - -Cadotte was regarding Hugh keenly. The boy's embarrassed manner was -enough to make him suspect that Hugh was not telling the truth. Cadotte -shrugged his shoulders. "It may be difficult to send you in that -direction. If you were an experienced canoeman, but you are not and----" - -"But I _must_ go," Hugh broke in. "My father bade me, and you wouldn't -have me disobey his last command. Can't I go in the _Otter_? I still have -some of the money my aunt gave me. If I am not sailor enough to work my -way, I can pay for my passage." - -"Eh bien, we will see what can be done," Cadotte replied more kindly. -Perhaps the lad's earnestness and distress had convinced him that Hugh -had some more urgent reason than a mere boyish desire for adventure, for -making the trip. "I will see if matters can be arranged." - - - - - II - THE SLOOP "OTTER" - - -His mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts and feelings, Hugh Beaupr left -Cadotte. The preceding autumn Hugh had come from Montreal to the Sault de -Ste. Marie. Very reluctantly his aunt had let him go to be with his -father in the western wilderness for a year or two of that rough, -adventurous life. Hugh's Scotch mother had died when he was less than a -year old, nearly sixteen years before the opening of this story. His -French father, a restless man of venturesome spirit, had left the child -with the mother's sister, and had taken to the woods, the then untamed -wilderness of the upper Great Lakes and the country beyond. In fifteen -years he had been to Montreal to see his son but three times. During each -brief stay, his stories of the west had been eagerly listened to by the -growing boy. On his father's last visit to civilization, Hugh had begged -to be allowed to go back to Lake Superior with him. The elder Beaupr, -thinking the lad too young, had put him off. He had consented, however, -to his son's joining him at the Sault de Ste. Marie a year from the -following autumn, when Hugh would be sixteen. - -Delayed by bad weather, the boy had arrived at the meeting place late, -only to find that his father had not been seen at the Sault since his -brief stop on his return from Montreal the year before. The disappointed -lad tried to wait patiently, but the elder Beaupr did not come or send -any message. At last, word arrived that he had left the Grand Portage, at -the other end of Lake Superior, some weeks before, not to come to the -Sault but to go in the opposite direction to his winter trading ground -west of the lake. There was no chance for Hugh to follow, even had he -known just where his father intended to winter. By another trader going -west and by a Northwest Company messenger, the boy sent letters, hoping -that in some manner they might reach Jean Beaupr. All winter Hugh had -remained at the Sault waiting for some reply, but none of any sort had -come until the arrival of the strange packet he was now carrying in his -hand. This message from his younger brother seemed to prove that his -father must have received at least one of Hugh's letters. Otherwise he -would not have known that his elder son was at the Sault. But there was -no explanation of Jean Beaupr's failure to meet the boy there. - -Hugh was grieved to learn of his parent's death, but he could not feel -the deep sorrow that would have overwhelmed him at the loss of an -intimately known and well loved father. Jean Beaupr was almost a -stranger to his older son. Hugh remembered seeing him but the three times -and receiving but one letter from him. Indeed he was little more than a -casual acquaintance whose tales of adventure had kindled a boy's -imagination. It was scarcely possible that Hugh's grief could be deep, -and, for the time being, it was overshadowed by other feelings. He had -been suddenly plunged, it seemed, into a strange and unexpected -adventure, which filled his mind to the exclusion of all else. - -He must find some way to reach the Kaministikwia River, there to join his -newly discovered Indian brother in a search for the wrecked bateau and -its cargo of pelts. Of that half-brother Hugh had never heard before. He -could not but feel a sense of resentment that there should be such a -person. The boy had been brought up to believe that his father had loved -his bonny Scotch wife devotedly, and that it was his inconsolable grief -at her death that had driven him to the wilderness. It seemed, however, -that he must have consoled himself rather quickly with an Indian squaw. -Surely the lad who had written the letter must be well grown, not many -years younger than Hugh himself. - -As he walked slowly along the river bank, Hugh turned the bark packet -over and over in his hand, and wondered about the half-breed boy who was -to be his comrade in adventure. Attekonse had not spent his whole life in -the woods, that was evident. Somewhere he had received an education, had -learned to write French readily and in a good hand. Perhaps his father -had taught him, thought Hugh, but quickly dismissed that suggestion. He -doubted if the restless Jean Beaupr would have had the patience, even if -he had had the knowledge and ability to teach his young son to write -French so well. - -Uncertain what he ought to do next, the puzzled boy wandered along, -glancing now and then at the canoes engaged in the white-fishing below -the rapids. That daring sport had lost its interest for him. At the -outskirts of an Indian village, where he was obliged to beat off with a -stick a pack of snarling, wolf-like dogs, he turned and went back the way -he had come, still pondering over the birch bark letter. - -Presently he caught sight once more of Baptiste's scarlet cap. No message -from Cadotte had brought the simple fellow this time, merely his own -curiosity. Hugh was quite willing to answer Baptiste's questions so far -as he could without betraying too much. Seated in a sheltered, sunny spot -on an outcrop of rock at the river's edge, he told of his father's death. -Then, suddenly, he resolved to ask the good-natured Canadian's help. - -"Baptiste, I am in a difficulty. My half-brother who wrote this,"--Hugh -touched the bark packet--"bids me join him at the Kaministikwia. It was -my father's last command that I should go there and meet this Blaise or -Little Caribou, as he calls himself. We are to divide the things father -left for us." - -"There is an inheritance then?" questioned Baptiste, interested at once. - -"Nothing that amounts to much, I fancy," the lad replied with an -assumption of carelessness; "some personal belongings, a few pelts -perhaps. For some reason he wished Blaise and me to meet and divide them. -It is a long journey for such a matter." - -"Ah, but a dying father's command!" cried Baptiste. "You must not disobey -that. To disregard the wishes of the dead is a grievous sin, and would -surely bring you misfortune." - -"True, but what can I do, Baptiste? Monsieur Cadotte doesn't feel greatly -inclined to help me. He wishes me to return to Montreal. How then am I to -find an opportunity to go to the Kaministikwia?" - -Baptiste took a long, thoughtful pull at his pipe, then removed it from -his mouth. "There is the sloop _Otter_," he suggested. - -"Would Captain Bennett take me, do you think?" - -"I myself go as one of the crew. To-morrow early I go to Point aux Pins. -Come with me and we shall see." - -"Gladly," exclaimed Hugh. "When does she sail?" - -"Soon, I think. There were repairs to the hull, where she ran on the -rocks, but they are finished. Then there is new rigging and the painting. -It will not be long until she is ready." - -That night Hugh debated in his own mind whether he should tell Cadotte of -his proposed visit with Baptiste to Point aux Pins. He decided against -mentioning it at present. He did not know what news might have come in -Cadotte's despatches, whether the trader was aware of the elder Beaupr's -change of allegiance. At any rate, thought the lad, it would be better to -have his passage in the _Otter_ arranged for, if he could persuade her -captain, before saying anything more to anyone. - -Early the next morning Baptiste and Hugh embarked above the rapids in -Baptiste's small birch canoe. The distance to Point aux Pins was short, -but paddling, even in the more sluggish channels, against the current of -the St. Mary's River in spring flood was strenuous work, as Hugh, -wielding the bow blade, soon discovered. Signs of spring were everywhere. -The snow was gone, and flocks of small, migrating birds were flitting and -twittering among the trees and now and then bursting into snatches of -song. The leaves of birches, willows and alders were beginning to unfold, -the shores showing a faint mist of pale green, though here and there in -the quiet backwaters among rocks and on the north sides of islands, ice -still remained. - -At Point aux Pins, or Pine Point, was the Northwest Company's shipyard. -In a safe and well sheltered harbor, formed by the long point that ran -out into the river, the sailing vessels belonging to the company were -built and repaired. The sloop _Otter_, which had spent the winter there, -was now anchored a little way out from shore. The repairs had been -completed and a fresh coat of white paint was being applied to her hull. -Tents and rude cabins on the sandy ground among scrubby jack pines and -willows housed the workers, and near by, waiting for the fish cleanings -and other refuse to be thrown out, a flock of gulls, gray-winged, with -gleaming white heads and necks, rode the water like a fleet of little -boats. As the canoe approached, the birds, with a splashing and beating -of wings, rose, whirled about in the air, and alighted again farther out, -each, as it struck the water, poising for a moment with black-tipped -wings raised and half spread. - -On a stretch of sand beyond the shipyard, Baptiste and Hugh landed, -stepping out, one on each side, the moment the canoe touched, lifting it -from the water and carrying it ashore. Then they sought the master of the -sloop. - -Captain Bennett was personally superintending the work on his ship. To -him Baptiste, who had been previously engaged as one of the small crew, -made known Hugh's wish to sail to the Kaministikwia. The shipmaster -turned sharply on the lad, demanding to know his purpose in crossing the -lake. Hugh explained as well as he could, without betraying more than he -had already told Cadotte and Baptiste. - -"Do you know anything of working a ship?" Captain Bennett asked. - -"I have sailed a skiff on the St. Lawrence," was the boy's reply. "I can -learn and I can obey orders." - -"Um," grunted the Captain. "At least you are a white man. I can use one -more man, and I don't want an Indian. I can put you to work now. If you -prove good for anything, I will engage you for the trip over. Here, -Duncan," to a strapping, red-haired Scot, "give these fellows something -to do." - -So it came about that Hugh Beaupr, instead of going back at once to the -Sault, remained at the Point aux Pins shipyard. He returned in the -_Otter_, when, three days later, she sailed down the St. Mary's to the -dock above the rapids where she was to receive her lading. In the -meantime, by an Indian boy, Hugh had sent a message to Cadotte informing -him that he, Hugh Beaupr, had been accepted as one of the crew of the -_Otter_ for her trip to the Kaministikwia. Cadotte had returned no reply, -so Hugh judged that the trader did not intend to put any obstacles in the -way of his adventure. - -The goods the sloop was to transport had been received the preceding -autumn by ship from Michilimackinac too late to be forwarded across -Superior. They were to be sent on now by the _Otter_. A second Northwest -Company ship, the _Invincible_, which had wintered in Thunder Bay, was -expected at the Sault in a few weeks. When the great canoe fleet from -Montreal should arrive in June, part of the goods brought would be -transferred to the _Invincible_, while the remainder would be taken on in -the canoes. Hugh was heartily glad that he was not obliged to wait for -the fleet. In all probability there would be no vacant places, and if -there were any, he doubted if, with his limited experience as a canoeman, -he would be accepted. He felt himself lucky to obtain a passage on the -_Otter_. - -The sloop was of only seventy-five tons burden, but the time of loading -was a busy one. The cargo was varied: provisions, consisting largely of -corn, salt pork and kegs of tried out grease, with some wheat flour, -butter, sugar, tea and other luxuries for the clerks at the -Kaministikwia; powder and shot; and articles for the Indian trade, -blankets, guns, traps, hatchets, knives, kettles, cloth of various kinds, -vermilion and other paints, beads, tobacco and liquor, for the fur -traders had not yet abandoned the disastrous custom of selling strong -drink to the Indians. - -During the loading Hugh had an opportunity to say good-bye to Cadotte. -The latter's kindness and interest in the boy's welfare made him ashamed -of his doubts of the trader's intentions. - - - - - III - DRIVEN BEFORE THE GALE - - -On a clear, sunny morning of the first week in May, the Northwest -Company's sloop _Otter_, with a favoring wind, made her way up-stream -towards the gateway of Lake Superior. At the Indian village on the curve -of the shore opposite Point aux Pins, men, women, children and -sharp-nosed dogs turned out to see the white-sailed ship go by. Through -the wide entrance to the St. Mary's River, where the waters of Lake -Superior find their outlet, the sloop sailed under the most favorable -conditions. Between Point Iroquois on the south and high Gros Cap, the -Great Cape, on the north, its summit indigo against the bright blue of -the sky, she passed into the broad expanse of the great lake. The little -fur-trading vessels of the first years of the nineteenth century did not -follow the course taken by the big passenger steamers and long freighters -of today, northwest through the middle of the lake. Instead, the Captain -of the _Otter_ took her almost directly north. - -The southerly breeze, light at first, freshened within a few hours, and -the sloop sailed before it like a gull on the wing. Past Goulais Point -and Coppermine Point and Cape Gargantua, clear to Michipicoton Bay, the -first stop, the wind continued favorable, the weather fine. It was -remarkably fine for early May, and Hugh Beaupr had hopes of a swift and -pleasant voyage. So far his work as a member of the crew of six was not -heavy. Quick-witted and eager to do his best, he learned his duties -rapidly, striving to obey on the instant the sharply spoken commands of -master and mate. - -At the mouth of the Michipicoton River was a Northwest Company trading -post, and there the _Otter_ ran in to discharge part of her cargo of -supplies and goods. She remained at Michipicoton over night, and, after -the unloading, Hugh was permitted to go ashore. The station, a far more -important one, in actual trade in furs, than the post at the Sault, he -found an interesting place. Already some of the Indians were arriving -from the interior, coming overland with their bales of pelts on dog -sleds. When the Michipicoton River and the smaller streams should be free -of ice, more trappers would follow in their birch canoes. - -As if on purpose to speed the ship, the wind had shifted to the southeast -by the following morning. The weather was not so pleasant, however, for -the sky was overcast. In the air was a bitter chill that penetrated the -thickest clothes. Captain Bennett, instead of appearing pleased with the -direction of the breeze, shook his head doubtfully as he gazed at the -gloomy sky and the choppy, gray water. A sailing vessel must take -advantage of the wind, so, in spite of the Captain's apprehensive -glances, the _Otter_ went on her way. - -All day the wind held favorable, shifting to a more easterly quarter and -gradually rising to a brisk blow. The sky remained cloudy, the distance -thick, the water green-gray. - -As darkness settled down, rain began to fall, fine, cold and driven from -the east before a wind strong enough to be called a gale. In the wet and -chill, the darkness and rough sea, Hugh's work was far harder and more -unpleasant. But he made no complaint, even to himself, striving to make -up by eager willingness for his ignorance of a sailor's foul weather -duties. There was no good harbor near at hand, and, the gale being still -from the right quarter, Captain Bennett drove on before it. After -midnight the rain turned to sleet and snow. The wind began to veer and -shift from east to northeast, to north and back again. - -Before morning all sense of location had been lost. Under close-reefed -sails, the sturdily built little _Otter_ battled wind, waves, sleet and -snow. She pitched and tossed and wallowed. All hands remained on deck. -Hugh, sick and dizzy with the motion, chilled and shivering in the bitter -cold, wished from the bottom of his heart he had never set foot upon the -sloop. Struggling to keep his footing on the heaving, ice-coated deck, -and to hold fast to slippery, frozen ropes, he was of little enough use, -though he did his best. - -The dawn brought no relief. In the driving snow, neither shore nor sky -was to be seen, only a short stretch of heaving, lead-gray water. -Foam-capped waves broke over the deck. Floating ice cakes careened -against the sides of the ship. On the way to Michipicoton no ice had been -encountered, but now the tossing masses added to the peril. - -Midday might as well have been midnight. The falling snow, fine, icy, -stinging, shut off all view more completely than blackest darkness. The -weary crew were fighting ceaselessly to keep the _Otter_ afloat. The -Captain himself clung with the steersman to the wheel. Then, quite -without warning, out of the northeast came a sudden violent squall. A -shriek of rending canvas, and the close-reefed sail, crackling with ice, -was torn away. Down crashed the shattered mast. As if bound for the -bottom of the lake, the sloop wallowed deep in the waves. - -Hugh sprang forward with the others. On the slanting, ice-sheathed deck, -he slipped and went down. He was following the mast overboard, when -Baptiste seized him by the leg. The dangerous task of cutting loose the -wreckage was accomplished. The plucky _Otter_ righted herself and drove -on through the storm. - -With the setting of the sun, invisible through the snow and mist, the -wind lessened. But that night, if less violent than the preceding one, -was no less miserable. Armored in ice and frozen snow, the sloop rode -heavy and low, battered by floating cakes, great waves washing her decks. -She had left the Sault on a spring day. Now she seemed to be back in -midwinter. Yet, skillfully handled by her master, she managed to live -through the night. - -Before morning, the wind had fallen to a mere breeze. The waves no longer -swept the deck freely, but the lake was still so rough that the -ice-weighted ship made heavy going. Her battle with the storm had sprung -her seams. Two men were kept constantly at the pumps. No canvas was left -but the jib, now attached to the stump of the mast. With this makeshift -sail, and carried along by the waves, she somehow kept afloat. - -From the lookout there came a hoarse bellow of warning. Through the -muffling veil of falling snow, his ears had caught the sound of surf. The -steersman swung the wheel over. The ship sheered off just as the foaming -crests of breaking waves and the dark mass of bare rocks appeared close -at hand. - -Along the abrupt shore the _Otter_ beat her way, her captain striving to -keep in sight of land, yet far enough out to avoid sunken or detached -rocks. Anxiously his tired, bloodshot eyes sought for signs of a harbor. -It had been so long since he had seen sun or stars that he had little -notion of his position or of what that near-by land might be. Shadowy as -the shore appeared in the falling snow, its forbidding character was -plain enough, cliffs, forest crowned, rising abruptly from the water, and -broken now and then by shallow bays lined with tumbled boulders. Those -shallow depressions promised no shelter from wind and waves, even for so -small a ship as the _Otter_. - -No less anxiously than Captain Bennett did Hugh Beaupr watch that -inhospitable shore. So worn was he from lack of sleep, exhausting and -long continued labor and seasickness, so chilled and numbed and weak and -miserable, that he could hardly stand. But the sight of solid land, -forbidding though it was, had revived his hope. - -A shout from the starboard side of the sloop told him that land had -appeared in that direction also. In a few minutes the _Otter_, running -before the wind, was passing between forest-covered shores. As the shores -drew closer together, the water became calmer. On either hand and ahead -was land. The snow had almost ceased to fall now. The thick woods of -snow-laden evergreens and bare-limbed trees were plainly visible. - -Staunch little craft though the _Otter_ was, her strained seams were -leaking freely, and her Captain had decided to beach her in the first -favorable spot. A bit of low point, a shallow curve in the shore with a -stretch of beach, served his purpose. There he ran his ship aground, and -made a landing with the small boat. - -His ship safe for the time being, Captain Bennett's next care was for his -crew. That they had come through the storm without the loss of a man was -a matter for thankfulness. Everyone, however, from the Captain himself to -Hugh, was worn out, soaked, chilled to the bone and more or less battered -and bruised. One man had suffered a broken arm when the mast went over -side, and the setting of the bone had been hasty and rough. The mate had -strained his back painfully. - -All but the mate and the man with the broken arm, the Captain set to -gathering wood and to clearing a space for a camp on the sandy point. The -point was almost level and sparsely wooded with birch, mountain ash and -bushes. Every tree and shrub, its summer foliage still in the bud, was -wet, snow covered or ice coated. Birch bark and the dry, crumbly center -of a dead tree trunk made good tinder, however. Baptiste, skilled in the -art of starting a blaze under the most adverse conditions, soon had a -roaring fire. By that time the snow had entirely ceased, and the clouds -were breaking. - -Around the big fire the men gathered to dry their clothes and warm their -bodies, while a thick porridge of hulled corn and salt pork boiled in an -iron kettle over a smaller blaze. The hot meal put new life into the -tired men. The broken arm was reset, the minor injuries cared for, and a -pole and bark shelter, with one side open to the fire, was set up. Before -the lean-to was completed the sun was shining. In spite of the sharp -north wind, the snow and ice were beginning to melt. A flock of -black-capped chickadees were flitting about the bare-branched birches, -sounding their brave, deep-throated calls, and a black and white -woodpecker was hammering busily at a dead limb. - -No attempt was made to repair the ship that day. Only the most necessary -work was done, and the worn-out crew permitted to rest. A lonely place -seemed this unknown bay or river mouth, without white man's cabin, -Indian's bark lodge or even a wisp of smoke from any other fire. But the -sheltered harbor was a welcome haven to the sorely battered ship and the -exhausted sailors. Wolves howled not far from the camp that night, and -next morning their tracks were found in the snow on the beach close to -where the sloop lay. It would have required far fiercer enemies than the -slinking, cowardly, brush wolves to disturb the rest of the tired crew of -the _Otter_. Hugh did not even hear the beasts. - - - - - IV - THE ISLE ROYALE - - -Shortly after dawn work on the _Otter_ was begun. The water was pumped -out, most of the cargo piled on the beach, and the sloop hauled farther -up by means of a rudely constructed windlass. Then the strained seams -were calked and a few new boards put in. A tall, straight spruce was -felled and trimmed to replace the broken mast, and a small mainsail -devised from extra canvas. The repairs took two long days of steady -labor. During that time the weather was bright, and, except in the deeply -shaded places, the snow and ice disappeared rapidly. - -From the very slight current in the water, Captain Bennett concluded that -the place where he had taken refuge was a real bay, not a river mouth. He -had not yet discovered whether he was on the mainland or an island. The -repairs to his ship were of the first importance, and he postponed -determining his whereabouts until the _Otter_ was made seaworthy once -more. Not a trace of human beings had been found. The boldness of the -wolves and lynxes, that came close to the camp every night, indicated -that no one, red or white, was in the habit of visiting this lonely spot. - -On the third day the sloop was launched, anchored a little way from shore -and rigged. While the reloading was going on, under the eyes of the mate, -the Captain, with Baptiste and Hugh at the oars, set out in the small -boat for the harbor mouth. - -The shore along which they rowed was, at first, wooded to the water line. -As they went farther out and the bay widened, the land they were skirting -rose more steeply, edged with sheer rocks, cliffs and great boulders. -From time to time Captain Bennett glanced up at the abrupt rocks and -forested ridges on his right, or across to the lower land on the other -side of the bay. Directly ahead, some miles across the open lake, he -could see a distant, detached bit of land, an island undoubtedly. Most of -the time, however, his eyes were on the water. He was endeavoring to -locate the treacherous reefs and shallows he must avoid when he took his -ship out of her safe harbor. - -An exclamation from Baptiste, who had turned his head to look to the west -and north, recalled the Captain from his study of the unfamiliar waters. -Beyond the tip of the opposite or northwestern shore of the bay, far -across the blue lake to the north, two dim, misty shapes had come into -view. - -"Islands!" Captain Bennett exclaimed. "High, towering islands." - -Baptiste and Hugh pulled on with vigorous strokes. Presently the Captain -spoke again. "Islands or headlands. Go farther out." - -The two bent to their oars. As they passed beyond the end of the low -northwestern shore, more high land came into view across the water. - -"What is it, Baptiste? Where are we?" asked Hugh, forgetting in his -eagerness that it was not his place to speak. - -"It is Thunder Cape," the Captain replied, overlooking the breach of -discipline, "the eastern boundary of Thunder Bay, where the Kaministikwia -empties and the New Fort is situated." - -"Truly it must be the Cap au Tonnerre, the Giant that Sleeps," Baptiste -agreed, resting on his oars to study the long shape, like a gigantic -figure stretched out at rest upon the water. "The others to the north are -the Cape at the Nipigon and the Island of St. Ignace." - -"We are not as far off our course as I feared," remarked the Captain with -satisfaction. - -Hugh ventured another question. "What then, sir, is this land where we -are?" - -Captain Bennett scanned the horizon as far as he could see. "Thunder Cape -lies a little to the north of west," he said thoughtfully. "We are on an -island of course, a large one. There is only one island it can be, the -Isle Royale. I have seen one end or the other of Royale many times from a -distance, when crossing to the Kaministikwia or to the Grand Portage, but -I never set foot on the island before." Again he glanced up at the steep -rocks and thick woods on his right, then his eyes sought the heaving blue -of the open lake. "This northwest breeze would be almost dead against us, -and it is increasing. We'll not set sail till morning. By that time I -think we shall have a change of wind." - -Their purpose accomplished, the oarsmen turned the boat and started back -towards camp. Hugh, handling the bow oars, watched the shore close at -hand. They were skirting a rock cliff, sheer from the lake, its -brown-gray surface stained almost black at the water line, blotched -farther up with lichens, black, orange and green-gray, and worn and -seamed and rent with vertical cracks from top to bottom. The cracks ran -in diagonally, opening up the bay. As Hugh came into clear view of one of -the widest of the fissures, he noticed something projecting from it. - -"See, Baptiste," he cried, pointing to the thing, "someone has been here -before us." - -The French Canadian rested on his oars and spoke to Captain Bennett. -"There is the end of a boat in that hole, M'sieu, no birch canoe either. -How came it here in this wilderness?" - -"Row nearer," ordered the shipmaster, "and we'll have a look at it." - -The two pulled close to the mouth of the fissure. At the Captain's order, -Baptiste stepped over side to a boulder that rose just above the water. -From the boulder he sprang like a squirrel. His moccasined feet gripped -the rim of the old boat, and he balanced for an instant before jumping -down. Hugh, in his heavier boots, followed more clumsily. Captain Bennett -remained in the rowboat. - -The wrecked craft in which the two found themselves was tightly wedged in -the crack. The bow was smashed and splintered and held fast by the ice -that had not yet melted in the dark, cold cleft. Indeed the boat was half -full of ice. It was a crude looking craft, and its sides, which had never -known paint, were weathered and water stained to almost the same color as -the blackened base of the rocks. The wreck was quite empty, not an oar or -a fragment of mast or canvas remaining. - -The old boat had one marked peculiarity which could be seen even in the -dim light of the crack. The thwart that bore the hole where the mast had -stood was painted bright red, the paint being evidently a mixture of -vermilion and grease. It was but little faded by water and weather, and -on the red background had been drawn, in some black pigment, figures such -as the Indians used in their picture writing. Hugh had seen birch canoes -fancifully decorated about prow and stern, and he asked Baptiste if such -paintings were customary on the heavier wooden boats as well. - -"On the outside sometimes they have figures in color, yes," was the -reply, "but never have I seen one painted in this way." - -"I wonder what became of the men who were in her when she was driven on -these rocks." - -Baptiste shook his head. "It may be that no one was in her. What would he -do so far from the mainland? No, I do not think anyone was wrecked here. -This bateau was carried away in a storm from some beach or anchorage on -the north or west shore. There is nothing in her, though she was right -side up when she was driven in here by the waves. And here, in this -lonely place, there has been no one to plunder her." - -"Do no Indians live on this big island?" queried Hugh. - -"I have never heard of anyone living here. It is far to come from the -mainland, and I have been told that the Indians have a fear of the place. -They think it is inhabited by spirits, especially one bay they call the -Bay of Manitos. It is said that in the old days the Ojibwa came here -sometimes for copper. They picked up bits of the metal on the beaches and -in the hills. Nowadays they have a tale that spirits guard the copper -stones." - -"If there is copper on the island perhaps this boat belonged to some -white prospector," suggested Hugh. - -Baptiste shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps, but then the Indian manitos -must have destroyed him." - -"Well, at any rate the old manitos haven't troubled us," Hugh commented. - -Again Baptiste shrugged. "We have not disturbed their copper, and--we are -not away from the place yet." - -The inspection of the wreck did not take many minutes. When Baptiste made -his report, the Captain agreed with him that the boat had probably -drifted away from some camp or trading post on the mainland, and had been -driven into the cleft in a storm. As nothing of interest had been found -in the wreck, he ordered Baptiste and Hugh to make speed back to camp. - -By night the reloading was finished and everything made ready for an -early start. After sunset, the mate, adventuring up the bay, shot a -yearling moose. The crew of the _Otter_ feasted and, to celebrate the -completion of the work on the sloop, danced to Baptiste's fiddle. From -the ridges beyond and above the camp, the brush wolves yelped in response -to the music. - -Baptiste's half superstitious, half humorous forebodings of what the -island spirits might do to the crew of the _Otter_ came to nothing, but -Captain Bennett's prophecy of a change of wind proved correct. The next -day dawned fair with a light south breeze that made it possible for the -sloop to sail out of harbor. She passed safely through the narrower part -of the bay. Then, to avoid running close to the towering rocks which had -first appeared to her Captain through the falling snow, he steered across -towards the less formidable appearing northwest shore. That shore proved -to be a low, narrow, wooded, rock ridge running out into the lake. When -he reached the tip of the point, he found it necessary to go on some -distance to the northeast to round a long reef. The dangerous reef -passed, he set his course northwest towards the dim and distant Sleeping -Giant, the eastern headland of Thunder Bay. - -To the relief of Hugh Beaupr, the last part of the voyage was made in -good time and without disaster. The boy looked with interest and some awe -at the towering, forest-clad form of Thunder Cape, a mountain top rising -from the water. On the other hand, as the _Otter_ entered the great bay, -were the scarcely less impressive heights of the Isle du Pat, called -to-day, in translation of the French name, Pie Island. Hugh asked -Baptiste how the island got its name and learned that it was due to some -fancied resemblance of the round, steep-sided western peak to a French -pat or pastry. - -By the time the sloop was well into Thunder Bay, the wind, as if to speed -her on her way, had shifted to southeast. Clouds were gathering and rain -threatened as she crossed to the western shore, to the mouth of the -Kaministikwia. The river, flowing from the west, discharges through three -channels, forming a low, triangular delta. The north channel is the -principal mouth, and there the sloop entered, making her way about a mile -up-stream to the New Fort of the Northwest Company. - -From the organization of the Northwest Fur Company down to a short time -before the opening of this story, the trading post at the Grand Portage, -south of the Pigeon River, and about forty miles by water to the -southwest of the Kaministikwia, had been the chief station and -headquarters of the company. The ground where the Grand Portage post -stood became a part of the United States when the treaty of peace after -the Revolution established the Pigeon River as the boundary line between -the United States and the British possessions. Though the Northwest -Company was a Canadian organization, it retained its headquarters south -of the Pigeon River through the last decade of the eighteenth century. In -the early years of the nineteenth, however, when the United States -government proposed to levy a tax on all English furs passing through -United States territory, the company headquarters was removed to Canadian -soil. Near the mouth of the Kaministikwia River on Thunder Bay was built -the New Fort, later to be known as Fort William after William -McGillivray, head of the company. - - - - - V - THE HALF-BREED BROTHER - - -The Northwest Fur Company's chief post was bustling with activity. The -New Fort itself, a stockaded enclosure, had been completed the year -before, but work on the log buildings within the walls was still going -on. Quarters for the agents, clerks and various employees, storehouses, -and other buildings were under construction or receiving finishing -touches. When the sloop _Otter_ came in sight, however, work ceased -suddenly. Log cabin builders threw down their axes, saws and hammers, -masons dropped their trowels, brick makers left the kilns that were -turning out bricks for chimneys and ovens, the clerks broke off their -bartering with Indians and half-breed trappers, and all ran down to the -riverside. There they mingled with the wild looking men, squaws and -children who swarmed from the camps of the voyageurs and Indians. When -the _Otter_ drew up against the north bank of the channel, the whole -population, permanent and temporary, was on hand to greet the first ship -of the season. - -From the deck of the sloop, Hugh Beaupr looked on with eager eyes. It -was not so much of the picturesqueness and novelty of the scene, however, -as of his own private affairs that he was thinking. Anxiously he scanned -the crowd of white men, half-breeds and Indians, wondering which one of -the black-haired, deerskin-clad, half-grown lads, who slipped so nimbly -between their elders into the front ranks, was his half-brother. Many of -the crowd, old and young, white and red, came aboard, but none sought out -Hugh. He concluded that Blaise was either not there or was waiting for -him to go ashore. - -Hugh soon had an opportunity to leave the ship. He had feared that he -might be more closely questioned by Captain Bennett or by some of the -crew about what he intended to do at the Kaministikwia, and was relieved -to reach shore without having to dodge the curiosity of his companions. -Only Baptiste asked him where he expected to meet his brother. Hugh -replied truthfully that he did not know. - -Unobtrusively, calling as little attention to himself as possible, the -boy made his way through the crowd, but not towards the New Fort. No -doubt the Fort, with all its busy activity in its wilderness -surroundings, was worth seeing, but he did not choose to visit the place -for fear someone might ask his business there. He was keenly aware that -his business was likely to be, not with the Old Northwest Company, but -with its rival, the New Northwest Company, sometimes called in derision -the X Y Company. In a quandary where to look for his unknown brother, he -wandered about aimlessly for a time, avoiding rather than seeking -companionship. - -The ground about the New Fort was low and swampy, with thick woods of -evergreens, birch and poplar wherever the land had not been cleared for -building or burned over through carelessness. Away from the river bank -and the Fort, the place was not cheerful or encouraging to a lonely boy -on that chill spring day. The sky was gray and lowering, the wind cold, -the distance shrouded in fog, the air heavy with the earthy smell of -damp, spongy soil and sodden, last year's leaves. Hugh had looked forward -with eager anticipation to his arrival at the Kaministikwia, but now all -things seemed to combine to make him low spirited and lonely. - -That the X Y Company had a trading post somewhere near the New Fort Hugh -knew, but he had no idea which way to go, and he did not wish to inquire. -At last he turned by chance into a narrow path that led through the woods -up-river. He was walking slowly, so wrapped in his own not very pleasant -thoughts as to be scarcely conscious of his surroundings, when a voice -sounded close at his shoulder. It was a low, soft voice, pronouncing his -own name, "Hugh Beaupr," with an intonation that was not English. - -Startled, Hugh whirled about, his hand on the sheathed knife that was his -only weapon. Facing him in the narrow trail stood a slender lad of less -than his own height, clad in a voyageur's blanket coat over the deerskin -tunic and leggings of the woods and with a scarlet handkerchief bound -about his head instead of a cap. His dark features were unmistakably -Indian in form, but from under the straight, black brows shone hazel eyes -that struck Hugh with a sense of familiarity. They were the eyes of his -father, Jean Beaupr, the bright, unforgettable eyes that had been the -most notable feature of the elder Beaupr's face. - -"Hugh Beaupr?" the dark lad repeated with a questioning inflection. "My -brother?" - -"You are my half-brother Blaise?" Hugh asked, somewhat stiffly, in -return. - -"_Oui_," the other replied, and added apologetically in excellent French, -"My English is bad, but you perhaps know French." - -"Let it be French then, though I doubt if I speak it as well as you." - -A swift smile crossed the hitherto grave face. "I was at school with the -Jesuit fathers in Quebec four winters," Blaise answered. - -Hugh was surprised. This new brother looked like an Indian, but he was no -mere wild savage. The schooling in Quebec accounted for the well written -letter. Before Hugh could find words in which to voice his thoughts, -Blaise spoke again. - -"I was on the shore when the _Otter_ arrived. I thought when I saw you, -you must be my brother, though you have little the look of our father, -neither the hair nor the eyes." - -"I have been told that I resemble my mother's people." Hugh's manner was -still cool and stiff. - -Without comment upon the reply, Blaise went on in his low, musical voice -with its slightly singsong drawl. "I wished not to speak to you there -among the others. I waited until I saw you take this trail. Then, after a -little while, I followed." - -"Do you mean you have been following me around ever since I came ashore?" -Hugh exclaimed in English. - -"Not following." The swift smile so like, yet unlike, that of Jean -Beaupr, crossed the boy's face again. "Not following, but,"--he dropped -into French-"I watched. It was not difficult, since you thought not that -anyone watched. We will go on now a little farther. Then we will talk -together, my brother." - -Passing Hugh, Blaise took the lead, going along the forest trail with a -lithe swiftness that spurred the older lad to his fastest walking pace. -After perhaps half a mile, they came to the top of a low knoll where an -opening had been made by the fall of a big spruce. Blaise seated himself -on the prostrate trunk, and Hugh dropped down beside him, more eager than -he cared to betray to hear his Indian brother's story. - -A strange tale the younger lad had to tell. Jean Beaupr had spent the -previous winter trading and trapping in the country south of the Lake of -the Woods, now included in the state of Minnesota. Blaise and his mother -had remained at Wauswaugoning Bay, north of the Grand Portage. Just at -dusk of a night late in March, Beaupr staggered into their camp, his -face ghastly, his clothes blood stained, mind and body in the last stages -of exhaustion. At the lodge entrance he fell fainting. It was some time -before his squaw and his son succeeded in bringing him back to -consciousness. In spite of his weakness he was determined to tell his -story. Mustering all his failing strength, he commenced. - -Before the snow had begun to melt under the spring sun, he had started, -he told them, with one Indian companion and two dog sleds loaded with -pelts, for Lake Superior. Travelling along the frozen streams and lakes, -he reached the trading post at the Fond du Lac on the St. Louis River. -While he was there, a spell of unusually warm early spring weather -cleared the river mouth. The winter had been mild, with little ice in -that part of the lake. At Fond du Lac Beaupr obtained a bateau, as the -Canadians called their wooden boats, and rigged it with mast and sail. He -and his companion put their furs aboard, and started up the northwest -shore of Lake Superior. - -Thus far he succeeded in telling his story clearly enough, then, worn out -with the effort, he lapsed into unconsciousness. Twice he rallied and -tried to go on, but his speech was vague and disconnected. As well as he -could, Blaise pieced together the fragments of the story. Somewhere -between the Fond du Lac and the Grand Portage the bateau had been wrecked -in a storm. When he reached this part of his tale, Jean Beaupr became -much agitated. He gasped out again and again that he had hidden the furs -and the "packet" in a safe cache, and that Blaise and his other son Hugh -must go get them. He called the furs his sons' inheritance, for he was -clearly aware that he could not live. The pelts were a very good season's -catch, and the boys must take them to the New Northwest Company's post at -the Kaministikwia. But it was the packet about which he seemed most -anxious. Hugh must carry the packet to Montreal to Monsieur Dubois. -Blaise asked where his brother was to be found, and received instructions -to go or send to the Sault. Before the lad learned definitely where to -look for the furs and the packet, Jean Beaupr lapsed once more into -unconsciousness. He rallied only long enough for the ministrations of a -priest, who happened to be at the Grand Portage on a missionary journey. - -Though Hugh had scarcely known his father, he was much moved at the story -of his death. He felt a curious mixture of sympathy for and jealousy of -his Indian half-brother, when he saw, in spite of the latter's controlled -and quiet manner, how strongly he felt his loss. Hugh respected the depth -of the boy's sorrow, yet he could not but feel as if he, the elder son, -had been unrightfully defrauded. The half-breed lad had known their -common father so much better than he, the wholly white son. For some -minutes after Blaise ceased speaking, Hugh sat silent, oppressed by -conflicting thoughts and feelings. Then his mind turned to the present, -practical aspect of the situation. - -"It will not be an easy search," he remarked. "Have you no clue to the -spot where the furs are hidden?" - -"None, except that it is a short way only from the place where the -wrecked boat lies." - -"Where the boat lay when father left it," commented Hugh thoughtfully. -"It may have drifted far from there by now." - -"That is possible. I could not learn from him where the wreck happened, -though I asked several times. The boat was driven on the rocks. That is -all I know." - -"And his companion? Was he drowned?" - -Blaise shook his head. "I know not. Our father said nothing of Black -Thunder, but I think he must be dead, or our father would not have come -alone." - -"How shall we set about the search?" - -"We will go down along the shore," Blaise replied, taking the lead as if -by right, although he was the younger by two or three years. "We will -look first for the wrecked bateau. When we have found that, we will make -search for the cache of furs." - -Hugh's thoughts turned to another part of his half-brother's tale. "Tell -me, Blaise," he said suddenly, "what was it caused my father's death, -starvation, exhaustion, hardship? Or was he hurt when the boat was -wrecked? You spoke of his blood-stained clothes." - -"It was not starvation and not cold," the half-breed boy replied gravely. -"He was hurt, sore hurt." The lad cast a swift glance about him, at the -still and silent woods shadowy with approaching night. Then he leaned -towards Hugh and spoke so low the latter could scarcely catch the words. -"Our father was sore hurt, but not in the wreck. How he ever lived to -reach us I know not. The wound was in his side." - -"But how came he by a wound?" Hugh whispered, unconsciously imitating the -other's cautious manner. - -Blaise shook his black head solemnly. "I know not how, but not in the -storm or the wreck. The wound was a knife wound." - -"What?" cried Hugh, forgetting caution in his surprise. "Had he enemies -who attacked him? Did someone murder him?" - -Again Blaise shook his head. "It might have been in fair fight. Our -father was ever quick with word and deed. The bull moose himself is not -braver. Yet I think the blow was not a fair one. I think it was struck -from behind. The knife entered here." Blaise placed his hand on a spot a -little to the left of the back-bone. - -"A blow from behind it must have been. Could it have been his companion -who struck him?" - -"Black Thunder? No, for then Black Thunder would have carried away the -furs. Our father would not have told us to go get them." - -"True," Hugh replied, but after a moment of thought he added, "Yet the -fellow may have attacked him, and father, though mortally wounded, may -have slain him." - -A quick, fierce gleam shone in the younger boy's bright eyes. "If he who -struck was not killed by our father's hand," he said in a low, tense -voice, "you and I are left to avenge our father." It was plain that -Christian schooling in Quebec had not rooted out from Little Caribou's -nature the savage's craving for revenge. To tell the truth, at the -thought of that cowardly blow, Hugh's own feelings were nearly as fierce -as those of his half-Indian brother. - - - - - VI - DOWN THE NORTHWEST SHORE - - -Hugh slept on board the _Otter_ that night and helped with the unloading -next day. His duties over, he was free to go where he would. To -Baptiste's queries, he replied that he had seen his half-brother and had -arranged to accompany him to the Grand Portage. Later he would come again -to the Kaministikwia or return to the Sault by the southerly route. -Having satisfied the simple fellow's curiosity, Hugh went with him to -visit the New Fort. - -Baptiste had a great admiration for the Fort. Proudly he called Hugh's -attention to the strong wooden walls, flanked with bastions. He obtained -permission to take his friend through the principal building and display -to him the big dining hall. There, later in the year, at the time of the -annual meeting, partners, agents and clerks would banquet together and -discuss matters of the highest import to the fur trade. He also showed -Hugh the living quarters of the permanent employees of the post, the -powder house, the jail, the kilns and forges. When the Fort should be -completed, with all its storehouses and workshops, it would be almost a -village within walls. Outside the stockade was a shipyard and a tract of -land cleared for a garden. Hugh, who had lived in the city of Montreal, -was less impressed with the log structures, many of them still -unfinished, than was the voyageur who had spent most of his days in the -wilds. Nevertheless the lad wondered at the size and ambitiousness of -this undertaking and accomplishment in the wilderness. Far removed from -the civilization of eastern Canada, the trading post was forced to be a -little city in itself, dependent upon the real cities for nothing it -could possibly make or obtain from the surrounding country. - -To tell the truth, however, Hugh found more of real interest and novelty -without the walls than within. There, Baptiste took him through the camps -of Indians, voyageurs and woodsmen or coureurs de bois, where bark lodges -and tents and upturned canoes served as dwellings. In one of the wigwams -Blaise was living, awaiting the time when he and his elder brother should -start on their adventurous journey. - -Already Blaise had provided himself with a good birch canoe, ribbed with -cedar, and a few supplies, hulled corn, strips of smoked venison as hard -and dry as wood, a lump of bear fat and a birch basket of maple sugar. He -also had a blanket, a gun and ammunition, an iron kettle and a small axe. -Hugh had been able to bring nothing with him but a blanket, his hunting -knife and an extra shirt, but, as he had worked his passage, he still -possessed a small sum of money. Now that he was no longer a member of the -crew of the _Otter_, he had no place to sleep and wondered what he should -do. Blaise solved the problem by taking him about a mile up-river to the -post of the New Northwest or X Y Company, a much smaller and less -pretentious place than the New Fort, and introducing him to the clerk in -charge. Blaise had already explained that he and Hugh were going to get -the elder Beaupr's furs and would bring them back to the New Company's -post. So the clerk treated Hugh in a most friendly manner, invited him to -share his own house, and even offered to give him credit for the gun, -canoe paddle and other things he needed. Hugh, not knowing whether the -search for the furs would be successful, preferred to pay cash. - -From the X Y clerk the lad learned that his father, always proud and -fiery of temper, had, the summer before, taken offence at one of the Old -Company's clerks. The outcome of the quarrel had been that Beaupr had -entered into a secret agreement with the New Company, promising to bring -his pelts to them. The clerk warned both boys not to let any of the Old -Company's men get wind of their undertaking. The rivalry between the two -organizations was fierce and ruthless. Both went on the principle that -"all is fair in love or war," and the relations between them were very -nearly those of war. If the Old Company learned of the hidden furs, they -would either send men to seek the cache or would try to force the boys to -bring the pelts to the New Fort. The X Y clerk even hinted that Jean -Beaupr had probably been the victim of some of the Old Company's men who -had discovered that he was carrying his furs to the rival post. Hugh, -during his winter at the Sault, had heard many tales of the wild deeds of -the fur traders and had listened to the most bitter talk against the X Y -or New Northwest company. Accordingly he was inclined to believe there -might be some foundation for the agent's suspicions. Blaise, however, -took no heed of the man's hints. When Hugh mentioned his belief that his -father had been murdered because of his change of allegiance, the younger -boy shrugged his shoulders, a habit caught from his French parent. - -"That may be," he replied, "but it is not in that direction _I_ shall -look for the murderer." And that was the only comment he would make. - -To avoid curiosity and to keep their departure secret if possible, the -boys decided not to go down the north branch of the Kaministikwia past -the New Fort, but upstream to the dividing point, then descend the lower -or southern channel. Early the third morning after Hugh's arrival, they -set out from the New Northwest post. Up the river against the current -they paddled between wooded shores veiled by the white, frosty mist. -Without meeting another craft or seeing a lodge or tent or even the smoke -of a fire, they passed the spot where the middle channel branched off, -went on to the southern one, down that, aided by the current now, and out -upon the fog-shrouded waters of the great bay. Hugh could not have found -his way among islands and around points and reefs, but his half-brother -had come this route less than two weeks before. With the retentive memory -and excellent sense of direction of the Indian, he steered unhesitatingly -around and among the dim shapes. When the sun, breaking through the fog, -showed him the shore line clearly, he gave a little grunt of -satisfaction. He had kept his course and was just where he had believed -himself to be. - -This feat of finding his way in the fog gave the elder brother some -respect for the younger. Before the day was over, that respect had -considerably increased. As the older boy was also the heavier, he had -taken his place in the stern, kneeling on his folded blanket. Wielding a -paddle was not a new exercise to Hugh. He thought that Blaise set too -easy a pace, and, anxious to prove that he was no green hand, he -quickened his own stroke. Blaise took the hint and timed his paddling to -his brother's. Hugh was sturdy, well knit and proud of his muscular -strength. For a couple of hours he kept up the pace he had set. Then his -stroke grew slower and he put less force into it. After a time Blaise -suggested a few minutes' rest. With the stern blade idle and the bow one -dipped only now and then to keep the course, they floated for ten or -fifteen minutes. - -Refreshed by this brief respite and ashamed of tiring so soon, Hugh -resumed work with a more vigorous stroke, but it was Blaise who set the -pace now. In a clear, boyish voice, which gave evidence in only an -occasional note of beginning to break and roughen, he started an old -French song, learned from his father, and kept time with his paddle. - - "Je n'ai pas trouv personne - Que le rossignol chantant la belle rose, - La belle rose du rosier blanc!" - -Roughly translated: - - "Never yet have I found anyone - But the nightingale, to sing of the lovely rose, - The lovely rose of the white rose tree!" - -At first Hugh, though his voice broke and quavered, attempted to join in, -but singing took breath and strength. He soon fell silent, content to dip -and raise his blade in time to the younger lad's tune. An easy enough -pace it seemed, but the half-breed boy kept it up hour after hour, with -only brief periods of rest. - -Hugh began to feel the strain sorely. His arms and back ached, his breath -came wearily, and the lower part of his body was cramped and numb from -his kneeling position. He had eaten breakfast at dawn and, as the sun -climbed the sky and started down again, he began to wonder when and where -his Indian brother intended to stop for the noon meal. Did Blaise purpose -to travel all day without food, Hugh wondered. He opened his lips to ask, -then, through pride, closed them again. Blaise, just fourteen, was nearly -three years younger than Hugh. What Blaise could endure, the elder lad -felt he must endure also. He did not intend to admit hunger or weariness, -so long as his companion appeared untouched by either. With empty stomach -and aching muscles, the white boy plied his paddle steadily and doggedly -in time to the voyageur songs and the droning, monotonous Indian chants, -the constantly repeated syllables of which had no meaning for him. - -It was the weather that came to Hugh's rescue at last. After the lifting -of the chill, frosty, morning fog, the day was bright. The waters of -Thunder Bay were smooth at first, then rippled by a light north breeze. -As the day wore on, the breeze came up to a brisk blow. Partly protected -by the islands and points of the irregular shore, the two lads kept on -their way. The wind increased. It roughened every stretch of open water -to waves that broke foaming on the beaches or dashed in spray against the -gray-brown rocks. Paddling became more and more difficult. Blaise ceased -his songs. As they rounded a low point edged with gravel and sand, and -saw before them a stretch of green-blue water swept by the full force of -the wind into white-tipped waves, the half-breed boy told Hugh to steer -for the beach. A few moments later he gave his elder brother a quick -order to cease paddling. - -Realizing that Blaise wished to take the canoe in alone, Hugh, breathing -a sigh of relief, laid down his paddle. The muscles of his back and -shoulders were strained, it seemed to him, almost to the breaking point, -and he felt that, in spite of his pride, he must soon have asked for -rest. Without disturbing the balance of the wobbly craft, he tried to rub -his cramped leg muscles. He feared that in trying to rise and step out, -he might overturn the boat, to the mirth and disgust of his Indian -brother. - -With a few strong and skillful strokes, Blaise shot the canoe into the -shallow water off the point. When the bow struck the sand, with a sharp -command to Hugh, he rose and stepped out. As quickly as he could, Hugh -got to his feet, and managed to step over the opposite side without -stumbling or upsetting the canoe. Raising the light bark craft, the two -carried it up the shelving shore, to the bushes that edged the woods, -well beyond the reach of the waves. - -The canoe carefully deposited in a safe spot, Hugh turned to Blaise. -"Shall we be delayed long, do you think?" he asked. - -Blaise gave his French shrug. "It may be that the wind will go down with -the sun." - -"Then, if we are to stay here so long, a little food wouldn't come -amiss." - -The younger boy nodded and began to unlash the packages which, to -distribute the weight evenly, were securely tied to two poles lying along -the bottom of the canoe. Hugh sought dry wood, kindled it with sparks -from his flint and steel, and soon had a small fire on the pebbles. From -a tripod of sticks the iron kettle was swung over the blaze, and when the -water boiled, Blaise put in corn, a little of the dried venison, which he -had pounded to a powder on a flat stone, and a portion of fat. He had -made no mention of hunger, but when the stew was ready, Hugh noticed that -he ate heartily. Meanwhile the elder boy, tired and sore muscled, watched -for some sign of weariness in his companion. If Blaise was weary he had -too much Indian pride to admit the fact to his new-found white brother. - -The open lake was now rich blue, flecked with foamy whitecaps, the air so -clear that the deep color of the water formed a sharp cut line against -the paler tint of the sky at the horizon. The May wind was bitterly cold, -so the lads rigged a shelter with the poles of the canoe and a blanket. -The ground was so hard the poles could not be driven in. Three or four -inches down, it was either frozen or composed of solid rock. The boys -were obliged to brace each pole with stones and boulders. The blanket, -stretched between the supports, kept off the worst of the wind, and -between the screen and the fire, the two rested in comfort. Hugh soon -fell asleep, and when he woke he was pleased to find that Blaise had -dropped off also. Perhaps the latter was wearier than he had chosen to -admit. - -The wind did not go down with the sun, and the adventurers made camp for -the night. Both blankets would be needed for bedding, so the screen was -taken down and the canoe propped up on one side. Then a supply of wood -was gathered and balsam branches cut for a bed. After a supper of corn -porridge and maple sugar, the two turned in. Blaise went to sleep as soon -as he was rolled in his blanket, but Hugh was wakeful. He lay there on -his fragrant balsam bed in the shelter of the canoe, watching the -flickering light of the camp fire and the stars coming out in the dark -sky. Listening to the rushing of the wind in the trees and the waves -breaking on the pebbles and thundering on a bit of rock shore near at -hand, surrounded on every side by the strange wilderness of woods and -waters, the boy could not sleep for a time. He kept thinking of his -roving, half-wild father, and of the strange legacy he had left his sons. -Twice Hugh rose to replenish the fire, when it began to die down, before -he grew drowsy and drifted away into the land of dreams. - - - - - VII - AT WAUSWAUGONING - - -Hugh woke chilled and stiff, to find Blaise rekindling the fire. The -morning was clear and the sun coming up across the water. Winds and waves -had subsided enough to permit going on with the journey. - -Cutting wood limbered Hugh's sore muscles somewhat, and a hot breakfast -cheered him, but the first few minutes of paddling were difficult and -painful. With set teeth he persisted, and gradually the worst of the -lameness wore off. - -Skirting the shore of Lake Superior in a bark canoe requires no small -amount of patience. Delays from unfavorable weather must be frequent and -unavoidable. On the whole, Hugh and Blaise were lucky during the first -part of their trip, and they reached the Pigeon River in good time. -Rounding the long point to the south of the river mouth, they paddled to -the north end of Wauswaugoning Bay. - -Hugh was gaining experience and his paddling muscles were hardening. He -would soon be able, he felt, to hold his own easily at any pace his -half-brother set. So far Blaise had proved a good travelling companion, -somewhat silent and grave to be sure, but dependable, patient and for the -most part even tempered. His lack of talkativeness Hugh laid to his -Indian blood, his gravity to his sorrow at the loss of the father he had -known so much better than Hugh had known him. Blaise, the older boy -decided, was, in spite of his Quebec training and many civilized ways, -more Indian than French. Only now and then, in certain gestures and quick -little ways, in an unexpected gleam of humor or sudden flash of anger, -did the lad show his kinship with Jean Beaupr. - -Satisfactory comrade though the half-breed boy seemed, Hugh was in no -haste to admit Blaise to his friendship. Since first receiving his -letter, Hugh had felt doubtful of this Indian brother, inclined to resent -his very existence. Their relations from their first meeting had been -entirely peaceful but somewhat cool and stiff. As yet, Hugh was obliged -to admit to himself, he had no cause for complaint of his half-brother's -behavior, but he felt that the real test of their companionship was to -come. - -The search for the cache of pelts had not yet begun, but was to begin -soon. It was into his wife's lodge at Wauswaugoning Bay that Jean Beaupr -had stumbled dying. Somewhere between Grand Portage Bay, which lies just -to the west and south of Wauswaugoning, and the Fond du Lac at the mouth -of the St. Louis River, the bateau must have been wrecked and the furs -hidden. - -The two boys landed on a bit of beach at the north end of the bay, hid -the canoe among the alders, and set out on foot. Blaise fully expected to -find his mother awaiting him, but the cleared spot among the trees was -deserted. Of the camp nothing remained but the standing poles of a lodge, -from which the bark covering had been stripped, and refuse and cast-off -articles strewn upon the stony ground in the untidy manner in which the -Indians and most of the white voyageurs left their camping places. With a -little grunt, which might have meant either disappointment or disgust, -Blaise looked about him. He noticed two willow wands lying crossed on the -ground and pegged down with a crotched stick. - -"She has gone that way," said the boy, indicating the longest section of -willow, pointing towards the northeast. - -"If she travelled by canoe, it is strange we did not meet her," Hugh -remarked. - -Blaise shrugged. "Who knows how long ago she went? The ashes are wet with -rain. I cannot tell whether the fire burned two days ago or has been out -many days. There is another message here." He squatted down to study the -shorter stick. At one end the bark had been peeled off and a cross mark -cut into the wood. The marked end pointed towards a thick clump of -spruces. - -The boy rose and walked towards the group of trees, Hugh following -curiously. Blaise pushed his way between the spruces, and, before Hugh -could join him, came out again carrying a mooseskin bag. In the open -space by the ashes of the fire, he untied the thong and dumped the -contents. There was a smaller skin bag, partly full, a birch bark package -and a bundle of clothing. Tossing aside the bundle, Blaise opened the -small bag, thrust in his hand, then, with the one word "manomin," passed -the bag to Hugh. It was about half full of wild rice grains, very hard -and dry. The bark package Blaise did not open. He merely sniffed at it -and laid it down. Hugh, picking it up and smelling of it, recognized the -unmistakable odor of smoked fish. The bundle, which the younger boy -untied next, contained two deerskin shirts or tunics, two pairs of -leggings of the same material and half a dozen pairs of moccasins. All -were new and well made, the moccasins decorated with dyed porcupine -quills, the breasts of the tunics with colored bead embroidery. - -The lad's face lighted with a look of pleasure, and he glanced at Hugh -proudly. "They are my mother's work," he said, "made of the best skins, -well made. Now we have strong new clothes for our journey." - -"We?" replied Hugh questioningly. - -"Truly. There are two suits and six pairs of moccasins. Look." He held up -one of the shirts. "This she made larger than the other. She knows you -are the elder and must be the larger." He handed the shirt to Hugh, -following it with a pair of the leggings. Looking over the moccasins, he -selected the larger ones and gave them also to his white brother. "They -are better to wear in a canoe than boots," he said. - -For a moment Hugh was silent with embarrassment. He was touched by the -generosity of the Indian woman, who had put as much time and care on -these clothes for her unknown stepson as upon those for her own boy. He -flushed, however, at the thought of accepting anything from the squaw who -had taken his mother's place in his father's life. Yet to decline the -gift would be to offer a deadly insult not only to the Indian woman but -to her son as well. - -"I am obliged to your mother," Hugh stammered. "It was--kind of her." - -Blaise made no other reply than a nod. He appeared pleased with the -appearance and quality of the clothes, but took it as a matter of course -that his mother should make them for Hugh as well as for himself. - -"I wish she had left more food," he said after a moment, "but at this -time of the year food is scarce. That manomin is all that remained of the -harvest of the autumn. We have eaten much of our food. We must fish when -we can." - -"Can't we buy corn and pork from the traders at the Grand Portage?" Hugh -inquired. - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "We will try," he said. - -He put the food back in the mooseskin bag and hung it on a tree. Then he -turned to Hugh and said softly and questioningly, "You wish to see where -we laid him?" - -Hugh nodded, a lump rising in his throat, and followed his brother. -Beyond the clump of spruces, in a tiny clearing, was Jean Beaupr's -grave. Hugh was surprised and horrified to see that it was, in -appearance, an Indian grave. Poles had been stuck in the ground on either -side, bent over and covered with birch bark. The boy's face flushed with -indignation. - -"Why," he demanded, "did you do that?" He pointed to the miniature lodge. - -Blaise looked puzzled. "It is the Ojibwa custom." - -"Father was not an Ojibwa. He was a white man and should have been buried -like a white man and a Christian," Hugh burst out. - -Blaise drew himself up with a dignity strange in so young a lad. "He -_was_ buried like a Christian," he replied quietly. "Look." He pointed to -the rude cross set up in front of the opening to the shelter, instead of -the pole, with offerings and trophies hung upon it, usually placed beside -Ojibwa graves. "The good father absolved him and read the burial service -over him," the lad went on, "and I placed the cross there. Then the -friends of my mother covered the spot according to the Ojibwa custom. Our -father was an Ojibwa by adoption and it was right they should do that. -Now no Ojibwa will ever disturb that spot." - -Hugh's anger had been cooling. After all, his father had thrown in his -lot with the Indians and they had meant to honor him. At least he had -received Christian burial, and it was something to know that his grave -would not be disturbed. In silence Hugh turned away. He could not quite -bring himself to apologize for his hasty words. - -The relations between the half-brothers were more than ordinarily cool -the rest of that day. Blaise, travelling overland by a trail he knew, -went to the Grand Portage Bay in quest of supplies. Even before the -formation of the Northwest Company, the bay had been a favorite stopping -place, first for the French, and then for the English traders who -followed the Pigeon River route to the country west of the lake. An old -Indian trail led from the bay to a spot on the river above the falls and -rapids that make its lower course unnavigable. Gitchi Onegam -Kaministigoya the Indians had called the trail and the bay, "the great -carrying place of the river that is hard to navigate." Early in the -history of the fur trade, the white traders began to use that trail, -portaging their goods some nine miles from the bay to the river and -bringing the bales of furs back over the same route. - -Since the Old Northwest Company had removed its headquarters to Thunder -Bay and had practically abandoned the Pigeon River route for the -Kaministikwia, Grand Portage was not so busy a place, but the Old Company -still maintained a post at the partly deserted fort on the north shore of -the bay. On the west side the chief post and headquarters of the New -Company also remained open for business. Blaise visited both posts, only -to find that, as the winter's supplies were almost exhausted and no one -knew when fresh stores would arrive, nothing could be spared. - -Anxious to avoid questions, Hugh had not accompanied Blaise. He occupied -himself with fishing from the canoe, and caught one lake trout of about -three pounds weight. Making a grill of willow twigs resting on stones -over the coals, he had the trout ready to broil when Blaise returned. The -common way of cooking fish among both the Indians and white men of the -woods was to boil them, but Hugh, recently from the civilized world, -preferred his broiled, baked or fried. - -Blaise, after one mouthful, deigned to approve his elder brother's -cooking. "It is good," he said. "I have not eaten fish so cooked since I -ate it on Fridays in school at Quebec." - -Neither lad had anything more to say during the meal or for some time -afterwards. Finally Blaise put his hand in the leather pouch he wore at -his belt, drew out something and handed it to Hugh. The latter unwrapped -the bit of soft doeskin and found his father's gold seal ring. He glanced -quickly up at Blaise. - -"It is yours," the younger brother said. "I gave it not to you before, -because I liked not to part with it." - -Moved by a generous impulse, Hugh stretched out his hand to return the -ring, but Blaise would not take it. - -"No," he said firmly. "You are the elder son. It is yours." - -The adventurers intended to continue their trip next day, but fate was -against them. Before dawn rain was beating on the canoe that sheltered -them, and the thundering of the waves on the rocks in the more exposed -part of the bay sounded in Hugh's ears as he woke. That storm was the -beginning of a period of bad weather, rain, fog, and wind that cleared -the air, but rose to a gale, lashing the waters of the bay to -white-capped waves that did not diminish until hours after the wind had -blown itself out. Eight days the two camped in a hastily built wigwam on -Wauswaugoning Bay, fishing when they could, and snaring one lean hare and -a few squirrels. They hunted for larger game and found some deer tracks, -but did not catch sight of the animals. As for birds, they saw none but -gulls, a loon or two and an owl, and did not care to try anything so -tough and strong for food. So they were obliged to consume a good part of -their corn. - - - - - VIII - THE BLOOD-STAINED TUNIC - - -But a few days of May remained when Hugh and Blaise left Wauswaugoning. -Their progress was necessarily slow, not only on account of delays due to -wind and weather, but because they were obliged to skirt the shore -closely, entering each bay and cove, rounding every point, and keeping -keen watch for any sign of the wrecked boat. They had no clue to the spot -where it lay. It might have been thrown up on the open shore, or driven -into some rock-infested bay or stream mouth. At each stream they made a -close examination, ascending a short distance, by canoe where that was -possible, or up over the rocky banks on foot. They had searched the -mouths of more than a dozen streams and creeks when they came to one, -where Blaise, in entering, cautioned Hugh to steer far to one side. -Almost across the river mouth extended a long bar of sand and gravel, -covered by an inch or two of water, for the river was still high from the -spring flood. Bars or rock reefs were, Hugh was learning, common -characteristics of the streams emptying into Superior. To enter them -without accident required care and caution. - -The bar was passed, but further progress up-stream proved impossible. The -current was strong, and just ahead were foaming rapids where the water -descended among rocks and over boulders. Steering into a bit of quiet -backwater behind the bar, the boys found a landing place and carried the -canoe ashore. Then they scrambled up the bank a short distance, searching -the stream mouth for signs of the wreck. Caught in a blossoming -serviceberry bush growing on a rock at the very edge of the river, Blaise -found an old moccasin. He examined the ragged, dirty, skin shoe in -silence for a moment. Then, hazel eyes gleaming, he held the thing out to -Hugh. - -"It is my mother's work," he said in tense tones. Hugh snatched the worn -moccasin. "Do you mean this was my father's?" - -Blaise nodded. "It is my mother's work," he repeated. "I would know it -anywhere, the pattern of quills, the shaping, even the skin. It is from -the elk hide our father brought from the region of the great river." He -made a gesture towards the southwest, and Hugh knew he referred to the -Mississippi. "See, it is just like ours," Blaise concluded, holding up -one foot. - -Hugh glanced from the almost new moccasin to the ragged one, and drew a -long breath. "Then it may be about here somewhere father was wrecked." - -"We must make search," was the brief reply. - -Thoroughly they searched, first the banks of the stream, then the lake -beach, parallel ridges of flat flakes of rock pushed up by the waves. -They even examined the ground beyond the beach, a rough slope composed of -the same sort of dark rock flakes, partly decomposed into crumbly soil. -The two pushed through the bushes and small trees that sparsely clothed -the stony ground, but nowhere did they find any sign of wrecked boat or -hidden cache. Yet they did find something, something that hinted of -violence and crime. - -Well up from the shore and not far from the stream bank, Hugh came upon -an open space, where a ring of blackened stones and ashes showed that a -cooking fire had burned. He took one look, turned and plunged into the -bushes to find Blaise. But he stopped suddenly. His foot had come in -contact with something that was not a rock, a stump or a stick. Stooping, -he pulled from under a scraggly wild raspberry, where it had been dropped -or thrust, a bundle. Unrolling it, he found it to be a ragged deerskin -tunic, damp, dirty and bearing dark stains. The boy stood transfixed -staring at the thing in his hands. After a moment he raised his head and -shouted for Blaise. - -Blaise answered from near by, but to Hugh it seemed a long time before -the younger boy came through the bushes. In silence the elder handed the -other the stained shirt. Blaise took it, examined it quickly and uttered -an Indian grunt. - -"Blood?" asked Hugh pointing to the stains. - -Blaise grunted assent. - -"Father's blood?" Hugh's voice broke. - -Blaise looked up quickly. "No, no. Black Thunder's." - -"How do you know?" - -"By this." The lad pointed to a crude figure, partly painted, partly -embroidered in black wool, on the breast of the tunic. "This is Black -Thunder's mark, the thunder bird. Without doubt this shirt was his." - -"But how did it come here? There's no sign of the wrecked boat." - -Blaise shook his head in puzzlement. "I do not understand," he said -slowly. - -The half-breed lad was keen witted in many ways, but the white boy's mind -worked more quickly on such a problem. "It may be," Hugh speculated, -"that they were wrecked farther along the shore. Coming on by land, they -camped here and some accident happened to Black Thunder, or perhaps he -had been bleeding from a hurt received in the wreck, and he changed his -shirt and threw away the bloody one." - -"Where was it?" asked Blaise. - -"Under this raspberry bush, rolled up." - -"And why think you they camped here?" - -"I'll show you." - -Hugh led the way to the little clearing. Carefully and absorbedly Blaise -examined the spot. - -"Someone has camped here," he concluded, "but only a short time, not more -than one night. He made no lodge, for there are no poles. He cut no -boughs for beds, and he left scarce any litter. It may be he cooked but -one meal and went on. If he lay here for the night, the marks of his body -no longer remain. If anyone was slain here," he added after a moment, -"the rains washed out the stains. It was a long time ago that he was -here, I think." - -"If Black Thunder was killed here," Hugh questioned, "what was done with -his body?" - -Blaise shrugged. "There is the lake, and a body weighted with stones -stays down." - -"Then why was his blood-stained shirt not sunk with him?" - -"That I know not," and the puzzled look returned to the lad's face. - -"Might it not be that father was wearing Black Thunder's shirt and that -the stains are from his wound?" - -"He wore his own when he came to the lodge, and the stains are in the -wrong place. They are on the breast. No, he never wore this shirt. The -blood must be Black Thunder's." - -The sun was going down when the two boys finally gave up the search for -the wrecked boat or some further trace of Jean Beaupr and his companion. -Neither lad had any wish to camp in the vicinity. Blaise especially -showed strong aversion to the spot. - -"There are evil stories of this river," he explained to his brother. "If -our father camped here, it was because he was very weary indeed. He was a -brave man though, far braver than most men, white or red." - -"Why should he have hesitated to camp here?" Hugh inquired curiously. -"It's true we have seen pleasanter spots along this shore, yet this is -not such a bad one." - -"There are evil stories of the place," Blaise repeated in a low voice. -"The lake from which this river flows is the abode of a devil." The boy -made the sign of the cross on his breast and went on in his musical -singsong. "On the shores of that lake have been found the devil's tracks, -great footprints, like those of a man, but many times larger and very far -apart. So the lake is called the 'Lake of Devil Tracks' and the river -bears the same name. It is said that when that devil wishes to come down -to the shore of the great lake to fish for trout, it is this way he -comes, striding along the bed of the river, even at spring flood." - -Hugh Beaupr, half Scotch, half French, and living in a time when the -superstitious beliefs of an earlier day persisted far more actively than -they do now, was not without his share of such superstitions. But this -story of a devil living on a lake and walking along a river, struck him -as absurd and he said so with perfect frankness. - -"Surely you don't believe such a tale, Blaise, and neither did my -father." - -"I know not if the tale is true," the younger boy answered somewhat -sullenly. "Men say they have seen the footprints and everyone knows there -are devils, both red and white. Why should not one live on that lake -then? How know we it was not that devil who killed Black Thunder and left -the bloody tunic under the raspberry bush as a warning to others not to -camp on his hunting ground? I am no coward, as I will speedily show you -if you want proof, but I will not camp here. If you stay, you stay -alone." - -"I don't want to stay," Hugh replied quickly. "Devil or not, I don't like -the place. We'll go on till we find a better camping ground." - -In the light of the afterglow, which was tinting sky and water with pale -gold, soft rose and lavender, and tender blue, they launched their canoe -again and paddled on. The peace and beauty around him made the sinister -thing he had found under the raspberry bush, and the evil deed that thing -suggested, seem unreal to Hugh, almost as unreal as the devil who lived -at the lake and walked down the river to his fishing. Nevertheless he -turned his eyes from the soft colors of sky and water to scan the shore -the canoe was skirting. Not a trace of the wrecked bateau appeared, -though both boys watched closely. - -Several miles beyond the Devil Track River, they made camp on a sloping -rock shore wooded with spruce and balsam, where nothing worse than a -plague of greedy mosquitoes disturbed their rest. Hugh thought of -suggesting that the horde of voracious insects might have been sent by -the evil spirit of Devil Track Lake to torment the trespassers. Fearing -however that a humorous treatment of his story might offend the halfbreed -lad's sensitive pride, he kept the fancy to himself. - -Going on with their journey the next morning, the two came to the spot -known to the French fur traders and to the English who followed them as -the Grand Marais, the great marsh or meadow. There a long sand and gravel -point connects with a low, marshy shore, a higher, rocky stretch, once a -reef or island, running at right angles to the gravel spit. The T-shaped -projection forms a good harbor for small boats. Closely scanning every -foot of beach and rock shore, Hugh and Blaise paddled around the T. On -the inner side of the spit, they caught sight of what appeared to be part -of a boat half buried in the sand and gravel. They landed to investigate. -The thing was indeed the shattered remnants of a wreck, old and weathered -and deep in sand and pebbles. It was not Jean Beaupr's boat, but a birch -canoe. - -Leaving the T, the lads skirted the low, curving shore. When they rounded -the little point beyond, they discovered that the waves, which had been -increasing for some hours, had reached a height dangerous to a small -boat. The time was past noon, and Blaise thought that the sea would not -be likely to go down before sunset. So he gave the word to turn back and -seek a camping ground. In the angle of the T just where the sand spit -joined the rocky reef, they found shelter. - -Realizing that they must conserve their scanty food supply, the two, -instead of eating at once, went fishing in the sheltered water. Hugh, in -the stern of the canoe, held the hand line, while Blaise paddled. Luck -was with them and when they went ashore an hour later they had four fine -trout, the smallest about three and the largest at least eight pounds. In -one thing at least, cooking fish, Hugh excelled his younger brother. He -set about broiling part of his catch as soon as he had cleaned them. -Without touching their other supplies, the lads made a hearty meal of -trout. - -The wind did not fall till after sunset. Knowing it would be some hours -before the lake would be calm enough for canoe travel, the boys prepared -to stay where they were till morning. The night was unusually mild for -the time of year, so they stretched themselves under their canoe and let -the fire burn itself out. - - - - - IX - THE GIANT IROQUOIS - - -At dawn Hugh woke and found his half-brother stirring. - -"I go to see how the lake appears," Blaise explained. - -"I'll go with you," was Hugh's reply, and Blaise nodded assent. - -They crawled out from under the canoe, and, leaving the beach, climbed up -the rocky cross bar of the T-shaped point. The younger boy in the lead, -they crossed the rough, rock summit, pushing their way among stunted -evergreens and bushes now leafed out into summer foliage. Suddenly Blaise -paused, turned his head and laid his finger on his lips. Hugh strained -his ears to listen, but could catch no sound but the whining cry of a -sea-gull and the rippling of the water on the outer rocks. Blaise had -surely heard something, for he dropped on hands and knees and crept -forward. Hugh followed in the same manner, trying to move as noiselessly -as the Indian lad. With all his caution, he could not avoid a slight -rustling of undergrowth and bushes. Blaise turned his head again to -repeat his gesture of silence. - -After a few yards of this cautious progress, Blaise came to a stop. -Crawling up beside his brother, Hugh found himself on the edge of a steep -rock declivity. Lying flat, screened by an alder and a small balsam fir, -he looked out across the water. He saw what Blaise had heard. Only a few -hundred feet away were two canoes, three men in each. Even at that short -distance Hugh could barely detect the sound of the dipping paddles and -the water rippling about the prows. His respect for his half-brother's -powers of hearing increased. - -The sun had not yet risen, but the morning was clear of fog or haze. As -the first canoe passed, the figures of the men stood out clear against -lake and sky. Hugh's attention was attracted to the man in the stern. -Indeed that man was too notable and unusual a figure to escape attention. -A gigantic fellow, he towered, even in his kneeling position, a good foot -above his companions. A long eagle feather upright from the band about -his head made him appear still taller, while his huge shoulders and -big-muscled arms were conspicuous as he wielded his paddle on the left -side of the canoe. - -Hugh heard Blaise at his side draw a quick breath. "Ohrante!" he -whispered in his elder brother's ear. "Do not stir!" - -Obeying that whispered command, Hugh lay motionless, bearing with Spartan -fortitude the stinging of the multitude of mosquitoes that surrounded -him. When both canoes had rounded a point farther up the shore and -vanished from sight, Blaise rose to his feet. Hugh followed his example, -and they made their way back across the rocks in silence. By the time -camp was reached, the elder brother was almost bursting with curiosity. -Who was the huge Indian, and why had Blaise been so startled, even -frightened, at the sight of him? - -"Who is Ohrante?" Hugh asked, as he helped to lift the canoe from the -poles that propped it. - -"He is more to be feared than the devil of the lake himself," was the -grim reply. Then briefly Blaise told how the big Indian, the summer -before, had treacherously robbed and slain a white trader and had -severely wounded his Ojibwa companion, scalped him and left him to die. -The wounded man had not died, though he would always be a cripple. He had -told the tale of the attack, and a party of Ojibwas, led by Hugh's -father, had pursued Ohrante and captured him. They were taking him back -to stand trial by Indian law or to be turned over to white -justice,--there was some disagreement between Jean Beaupr and his -companions as to which course should be followed,--when the giant made -his escape through the help of two of the party who secretly sympathized -with him and had fled with him. From that day until this morning, when he -had recognized the big Indian in the passing canoe, Blaise had heard -nothing of Ohrante. - -"But two men went with him when he fled," the boy concluded. "Now he has -five. He is bold to return so soon. I am glad he goes up the shore, not -down. I should not wish to follow him or have him follow us. He hated our -father and nothing would please him more than to get us in his hands. I -hope my mother is with others, a strong party. I think Ohrante will not -risk an encounter with the Ojibwas again so soon, unless it be with two -or three only." - -"Isn't he an Ojibwa himself?" Hugh asked. - -"No, he is a Mohawk, one of the Iroquois wolves the Englishmen have -brought into the Ojibwa country to hunt and trap for the Old Company. It -is said his mother was an Ojibwa captive, but Ohrante is an evil Iroquois -all through." - -"Monsieur Cadotte says the bringing in of Iroquois hunters is unwise -policy," Hugh remarked. - -"The company never did a worse thing," Blaise replied passionately. "The -Iroquois hunters trap and shoot at all seasons of the year. They are -greedy for pelts good and bad, and care not how quickly they strip the -country of beasts of all kinds. If the company brings in many more of -these thieving Iroquois, the Ojibwa, to whom the land belongs, will soon -be left without furs or food." - -"That is short-sighted policy for the company itself, it seems to me," -commented Hugh. - -"So our father said. He too hated the Iroquois intruders. He told the men -of the company they did ill to bring strange hunters into lands where -they had no right. Let the Iroquois keep to their own hunting grounds. -Here they do nothing but harm, and Ohrante is the worst of them all." - -Hugh had scarcely heard the last part of the lad's speech. His mind was -occupied with a thought which had just come to him. "Do you think," he -asked suddenly, "that it was Ohrante who killed father?" - -"I had not thought it till I saw him passing by," Blaise replied gravely. -"I believed it might be another enemy. Now I know not what to think. I -cannot believe the traders have brought Ohrante back to hunt and trap for -them. And my heart is troubled for my mother. Once when she was a girl -she was a captive among the Sioux. To be captured by Ohrante would be -even worse, and now there is no Jean Beaupr to take her away." - -"Do you mean that father rescued her from the Sioux?" Hugh asked in -surprise. - -"He found her among the Sioux far south of here on the great river. She -was sad because she had been taken from her own people. So he bought her -from the chief who wished to make her his squaw. Then our father brought -her to the Grand Portage. There the priest married them. She was very -young then, young and beautiful. She is not old even now, and she is -still beautiful," Blaise added proudly. - -Hugh had listened to this story with amazement. Had he misjudged his own -father? Was it to be wondered at that the warm-hearted young Frenchman -should have taken the only possible way to save the sad Ojibwa girl from -captivity among the cruel Sioux? The elder son felt ashamed of his bitter -thoughts. Blaise loved his mother and was anxious about her. Hugh tried -to comfort his younger brother as well as he could. - -"The willow wand showed that your mother had gone up the shore," he -hastened to say. "Ohrante is not coming from that way, but from the -opposite direction, and there are no women in his canoes. Surely your -mother is among friends by this time, and Ohrante, the outlaw, will never -dare attack them." - -"That is true," Blaise replied. "She cannot have fallen into his hands, -and he, with so few followers, will not dare make open war." He was -silent for a moment. Then he said earnestly, "There is but one thing for -us to do. We must first find the wreck and the cache, as our father bade -us. Then we must track down his murderer." - -Hugh nodded in perfect agreement. "Let us get our breakfast and be away -then." - -Blaise was untying the package of maple sugar. He took out a piece and -handed it to Hugh. "We make no fire here," he said abruptly. "The -Iroquois is not yet far away. He might see the smoke. We will go now. -When the wind rises again we can eat." - -Hugh was hungry, but he had no wish to attract the attention of the huge -Mohawk and his band. So he made no objection, but nibbled his lump of -sugar as he helped to load the canoe and launch it. Before the sun peeped -over the far-away line where lake and sky met, the two lads were well on -their way again. - - - - - X - THE LOOMING SAILBOAT - - -Though favored by the weather most of the time for several days in -succession, the brothers went ahead but slowly. The discovery of the worn -moccasin and the stained tunic had raised their hopes of finding the -wrecked bateau soon. At any moment they might come upon it. Accordingly -they were even more vigilant than before, anxiously scanning every foot -of open shore, bay, cove, stream mouth and island. - -One evening before sunset, they reached a beautiful bay with small -islands and wooded shores, where they caught sight of a group of bark -lodges. Blaise proposed that they land and bargain for provisions. There -proved to be about a dozen Indians in the encampment, men, squaws and -children. Luckily two deer and a yearling moose had been killed the day -before, and Blaise, after some discussion in Ojibwa, succeeded in -obtaining a piece of fresh venison and another of moose meat. The Indians -refused Hugh's offer of payment in money, preferring to exchange the meat -for ammunition for their old, flint-lock muskets. They were from the deep -woods of the interior, unused to frequenting trading posts, and with no -idea of money, but they understood the value of powder and shot. - -To one of the men Blaise spoke of having seen the outlaw Ohrante. The -Ojibwa replied that he had heard Ohrante had come from his hiding place -seeking vengeance on those who had captured him. He had never seen the -giant Iroquois, the man said, but he had heard that it was through his -great powers as a medicine man that he had escaped from his captors. -Without divulging that he was the son of the man who had led the -expedition against Ohrante, Blaise asked the Indian if he knew when and -where the outlaw had first been seen since his exile. - -"I was told he was here at this Bay of the Beaver late in the Moon of the -Snow Crust," the Ojibwa replied, and the boy's hazel eyes gleamed. - -Not until they had made camp did Blaise tell Hugh of the information he -had received. - -"In the Moon of the Snow Crust!" the latter cried. "That is February or -March, isn't it? And it was late in March that father died!" - -The younger boy nodded. "Ohrante killed him, that I believe. Some day, -some day----" Blaise left the sentence unfinished, but his elder brother -had no doubt of the meaning. Hugh's heart, like the younger lad's, was -hot against his father's murderer, but he remembered the powerful figure -of the Iroquois standing out dark against the dawn. How and when would -the day come? - -After thoroughly exploring the Bay of the Beaver that night, the boys -were off shortly after dawn the next morning. Just as the sun was coming -up, reddening the white mist that lay upon the gently rippling water, -they paddled out of the bay. As they rounded the southern point, Blaise -uttered a startled exclamation. - -Hugh, in the stern, looked up from his paddle. "A ship!" he cried. - -Coming directly towards them, the light breeze scarce filling her sail, -was a ship. So high she loomed through the morning mist Hugh thought she -must be at least as large as the _Otter_, though she seemed to have but -one square sail. What was a ship doing here, so far south of the -Kaministikwia and even of the Grand Portage? Did she belong to some of -the Yankee traders who were now invading the Superior region? Hugh knew -he had been in United States waters ever since passing the mouth of the -Pigeon River. - -And then, as the canoe and the ship approached one another, a curious -thing happened. The ship shrank. She was no longer as large as the -_Otter_. She was much smaller. She was not a ship at all, only a wooden -boat with a sail. There was something about the light and the atmospheric -conditions, the rising sun shining through the morning mist, that had -deceived the eye and caused the approaching craft to appear far taller -than it really was. - -The sailboat was coming slowly in the light wind. As the boys paddled -past, they saw it was a small, flat-sided, wooden boat pointed at both -ends. It was well loaded and carried three men. Hugh shouted a greeting -and an inquiry. A tall fellow in blanket coat and scarlet cap, who was -steering, replied in a big, roaring voice and bad French, that they were -from the Fond du Lac bound for the Kaministikwia. - -Blaise had been even more amazed than Hugh at the deceptive appearance of -the sailboat. When they landed later to inspect a stream mouth, the -half-breed said seriously that some spirit of the lake must have been -playing tricks with them. He wondered if one of the men aboard that -bateau was using magic. - -"I doubt that," Hugh answered promptly. "I think the queer light, the -sunrise through the mist, deceived our eyes and made the boat look -taller. Once on the way from Michilimackinac to the Sault, we saw -something like that. A small, bare rock ahead of us stretched up like a -high island. The Captain said he had seen the same thing before in that -very same spot. He called it 'looming,' but he did not think there was -anything magical about it." - -Blaise made no reply, but Hugh doubted if the lad had been convinced. - -Several times during the rest of the trip down shore, the boys met canoes -loaded with trappers and traders or with families of Indians journeying -to the Grand Portage or to the New Fort. The two avoided conversation -with the strangers, as they did not care to answer questions about -themselves or their destination. - -The journey was becoming wearisome indeed. The minuteness of the search -and the delays from bad weather prolonged the time. Moreover the store of -food was scant. The lads fished and hunted whenever possible without too -greatly delaying progress, but their luck was poor. Seldom were they able -to satisfy their hearty appetites. They lay down hungry under the stars -and took up their paddles at chilly dawn with no breakfast but a bit of -maple sugar. Hugh grew lean and brown and hard muscled. Except for the -redder hue of his tan, the light color of his hair and his gray eyes, he -might almost have been whole brother to Blaise. The older boy had become -expert with the paddle and could hold his own for any length of time and -at any pace the half-breed set. As a camper he was nearly the Indian -lad's equal and he prided himself on being a better cook. It would take -several years of experience and wilderness living, however, before he -could hope to compete with his younger brother in woodcraft, weather -wisdom or the handling of a canoe in rough water. - -As mile after mile of carefully searched shore line passed, without sign -of the wrecked bateau or trace of Jean Beaupr's having come that way, -the boys grew more and more puzzled and anxious. Nevertheless they -persisted in their quest until they came at last to the Fond du Lac. - -Fond du Lac means literally the "bottom of the lake," but the name was -used by the early French explorers to designate the end or head of Lake -Superior, where the River St. Louis discharges and where the city of -Duluth now stands. To-day the name is no longer applied to the head of -the lake itself, but is restricted to the railway junction and town of -Fond du Lac several miles up the river. There was no town of Fond du Lac -or of Duluth in the days of this story. Wild, untamed, uninhabited, rose -the steep rock hills and terraces where part of the city now stands. - -As they skirted the shore, the boys could see ahead of them a narrow line -stretching across the water to the southeast. That line was the long, low -point now known as Minnesota Point, a sand-bar that almost closes the -river mouth and served then, as it does now, to form a sheltered harbor. -Drawing nearer, they discovered that the long, sand point was by no means -bare, much of it being covered more or less thickly with bushes, -evergreens, aspens and willows. The two lads were weary, discouraged and -very hungry. Since their scanty breakfast of wild rice boiled with a -little fat, they had eaten nothing but a lump of sugar each, the last -remnant of their provisions. Nevertheless they paddled patiently along -the bar to the place where the river cut diagonally through it to reach -the lake. Entering the narrow channel, they passed through to absolutely -still water. - -The sun was setting. Unless they went several miles farther to a trading -post or caught some fish, they must go to sleep hungry. They decided to -try the fishing. Luck with the lines had been poor throughout most of the -trip, but that night fortune favored the lads a little. In the shallower -water within the bar, they caught, in less than half an hour, two small, -pink-fleshed lake trout, which Hugh estimated at somewhat less than three -pounds each. - -On the inner side of the point, the brothers ran their canoe upon the -sand beach. Then they kindled a fire and cooked their long delayed -supper. When the meal was over, nothing remained of the fish but heads, -fins, skin and bones. - -Usually both fell asleep as soon as they were rolled in their blankets. -That night, on the low sand-bar, the mosquitoes came in clouds to the -attack, but it was not the annoying insects that kept the boys awake. -They wanted to talk over their situation. - -"It seems," Hugh said despondently, "that we have failed. That wrecked -boat must have been battered to pieces and washed out into the lake. Our -only chance of discovering the cache was to find the boat, and that -chance seems to be gone." - -"There is still one other chance, my brother," Blaise replied quietly. -"Have you forgotten what we found at the River of Devil Tracks? We must -go back there and make search again." - -"You are right," was Hugh's quick rejoinder. "We didn't find any sign of -the boat, yet it may once have been there or near by." - -Blaise nodded. "The bateau was perhaps driven on the bar at the river -mouth and afterwards washed out into the lake. We must make speed back -there. But, Hugh, if it was Ohrante who killed our father, he may also -have found the furs." - -"And carried them away." Hugh slapped savagely at a mosquito. "I have -thought of that. I believe in my heart that Ohrante killed father. Yet -the murderer may not have taken the furs. Father told you he was wrecked -in a storm, and, unable to carry the furs with him, he hid them. That -much you say he made clear. When and where he was attacked we do not -know, but I believe it must have been after he cached the furs. When he -told of the wreck and the hiding of the pelts, he said nothing of his -wound?" - -"Nothing then or afterwards of the wound or how he got it. He bade me -seek you out and find the furs and the packet. When I asked him how he -came by the hurt, he was beyond replying." - -Both boys were silent a moment listening to the howling of a lonely wolf -far off in the high hills to the north. - -Then Hugh said emphatically, "We must go back and search every inch of -ground about that river. We will not give up while a chance remains of -finding the cache," he added with stubborn determination. - - - - - XI - THE FIRE-LIT ORGY - - -Before starting back the way they had come, the brothers had to have -provisions. Early the next morning they went up the St. Louis River. -Beyond the bar the river widened to two miles or more. In midstream the -current was strong, but Hugh steered into the more sluggish water just -outside the lily pads, reeds and grass of the low shore. About three -miles above the mouth, a village of bark lodges was passed, where -sharp-nosed dogs ran out to yelp and growl at the canoe. - -A short distance beyond the Indian village stood the log fort and trading -post of the Old Northwest Company's Fond du Lac station, one of several -posts that were still maintained in United States territory. The two boys -landed and attempted to buy provisions. Blaise was not known to the clerk -in charge, and Hugh, when asked, gave his middle name of MacNair. Jean -Beaupr had passed this post on his way down the river, and the lads did -not know what conversation or controversy he might have had with the Old -Company's men. So they thought it wise to say nothing of their -relationship to the elder Beaupr. Brought up to be truthful and -straightforward, Hugh found it difficult to evade the clerk's questions. -The older boy left most of the talking to the younger, who had his share -of the Indian's wiliness and secretiveness. Blaise saw nothing wrong in -deceiving enemies and strangers in any way he found convenient. To Hugh, -brother and comrade, Blaise would have scorned to lie, but he did not -scruple to let the Northwest Company's man think that he and Hugh were on -their way from the south shore to the Kaministikwia in the hope of taking -service with the Old Company. - -The post could spare but little in the way of provisions. Less than a -half bushel of hulled corn, a few pounds of wild rice, left from the -supply brought the preceding autumn from the south shore, and a very -small piece of salt pork were all the clerk could be persuaded to part -with. As they were leaving he gave the boys a friendly warning. - -"Watch out," he said, "for an Iroquois villain and his band. They are -reported to be lingering along the north shore and they are a bad lot. He -used to be a hunter for the company, but he murdered a white man and is -an outcast now, a fugitive from justice. The rascal is called Ohrante. If -you catch sight of a huge giant of an Indian, lie low and get out of his -way as soon and as fast as you can." - -On the way back to the river mouth, the lads stopped at the Indian -village. After much bargaining in Ojibwa, Blaise secured a strip of dried -venison, as hard as a board, and a bark basket of sugar. To these people -the lad spoke of the warning the clerk had given him, but they could tell -him no more of the movements of Ohrante than he already knew. - -The brothers were glad to get away from the Indian encampment and out on -the river again. The village was unkempt, and disgustingly dirty and ill -smelling. It was evident that most of the men and some of the squaws were -just recovering from a debauch on the liquor they had obtained from the -traders. - -"They are ruining the Ojibwa people, those traders," Blaise said angrily, -after the two had paddled a short distance down-stream. "Once an Ojibwa -gets the habit of strong drink, he will give all he has for it. The rival -companies contend for the furs, and each promises more and stronger -liquor than the other. So the evil grows worse and worse. In the end, as -our father said, it will ruin the Ojibwa altogether." - -Hugh did not reply for a moment, then he said hesitatingly, "Did father -buy pelts with drink?" - -"Not the way most of the others do," Blaise replied promptly. "Liquor he -had to give sometimes, as all traders must, now the custom is started, -but our father gave only a little at a time and not strong. Whenever he -could he bought his furs with other things. Always he was a friend to the -Ojibwa. He became one of us when he married into the nation, and he was a -good son, not like some white men who take Ojibwa wives. Many friends he -had, and some enemies, but few dared stand against him. He was a strong -man and a true one." - -Blaise spoke proudly. Once again Hugh, though glad to hear so much good -of his adventurous father, felt a pang of jealousy that the half-breed -boy should have known and loved him so well. - -Departure was delayed by rain and a brisk wind from the lake, that swayed -and bent the trees on the exposed bar, drove the waves high on the outer -shore and blew the sand into food and cooking fire. Not until late -afternoon of the next day did Hugh and Blaise succeed in getting away. -They paddled till midnight and, determined to make the greatest possible -speed up the shore, took but four hours' rest. All the following day they -travelled steadily, then camped at a stream mouth and were away again at -dawn. Bad weather delayed them that day, however, and caused a late start -next morning. Eager to get ahead, they did not land to prepare food until -mid-afternoon. After the meal and a rest of not more than a half hour, -they resumed their paddles. - -Even the going down of the sun did not persuade them to cease their -labor. There would be no moon till towards morning, but the brothers -paddled on through the darkening twilight. The wind was light, merely -rippling the water, and they wanted to get as far on their way as -possible. - -Blaise, in the bow, was still steadily plying his blade, when, through -the blackness of the gathering night, he caught sight of a spark of -light. He uttered an exclamation and pointed to the light with his -paddle. - -"A camp," he said, speaking softly as if he feared being overheard even -at that distance. "It is best to avoid it." - -As they went on, the light grew stronger and brighter. A fire was blazing -in an open spot on an island or point. Tiny black figures became visible -against the flames. The sounds of shouts and yells were borne across the -water. Something out of the ordinary was going on. That was no mere -cooking fire, but a huge pile, the flames lighting up the land and water. -Around the blaze, the black figures were capering and yelling. Was it -some orgy of devils? Had the place where the fire burned been near the -Devil Track River, even Hugh might have thought this a feast of fiends. -But it was some miles away from the Devil Track. Moreover, his ears -assured him that the yells, sounding louder and louder, were from the -throats of men, not of spirits. - -Blaise had been considering his whereabouts. With the Indian's keen sense -of location and accurate memory of ground he has been over, he had -concluded that the place where the fire burned was the rocky end of an -island he remembered passing on the way down. The island lay close in, -only a narrow waterway separating it from the heavily wooded main shore -where trees grew down to the water's edge. - -Paddles dipped and raised noiselessly, the canoe slipped through the -water. Blaise set the pace, and Hugh kept the craft close in the shadow -of the wooded mainland. As they drew nearer the island, Blaise raised his -blade and held it motionless. Hugh immediately did the same. The canoe, -under good headway, slipped by, without a sound that could be -distinguished from the rippling of the water on the rocks of the island. -Hidden in the blackness beyond the circle of wavering firelight, the two -gazed on a fear-inspiring scene. - -Close to the leaping flames, lighted clearly by the glare, rose the white -stem of a tall birch. Tied to the tree was a man, his naked body red -bronze in the firelight and streaked with darker color. Five or six other -figures were leaping and yelling like fiends about the captive, darting -in on him now and again to strike a blow with club, knife or fire brand. -The meaning of the horrid scene was plain enough. An unlucky Indian -captive was being tortured to death. - -It was not the tortured man, however, or the human fiends dancing about -him that held Hugh's fascinated gaze. Motionless, arms folded, another -figure stood a little back from the fire, a towering form, gigantic in -the flickering light. - -Paddles raised, rigid as statues, scarcely daring to breathe, the two -lads remained motionless until the slackening and swerving of their craft -made it necessary for Blaise to dip his blade cautiously. They were -beyond the fire now and still in the deep shadow of the overhanging -trees. But the waterway between shore and island was narrow. Until they -had put a greater distance between themselves and the hideous, fire-lit -picture, they could feel no assurance of security. Keeping close to -shore, they used the utmost caution. At last a bend in the mainland, with -a corresponding curve in the island, hid the fire from sight. Looking -back, they could still see the light of the flames through the trees and -on the water, but the blazing pile itself was hidden from view. - -Even then the two boys relaxed their caution but little. Near exhaustion -though they were, they paddled on and on, with aching muscles and heads -nodding with sleep. Not until they were several miles away from the -island orgy of Ohrante and his band, did the brothers dare to land and -rest. Too weary to cook a meal, each ate a lump of maple sugar, sucked a -bit of the hard, unchewable, dried venison, rolled himself in his blanket -and slept. - - - - - XII - THE HUNGRY PORCUPINE - - -Hugh was alone in a canoe struggling to make headway against the waves. -Bearing down upon him, with the roaring of the storm wind, was an -enormous black craft with a gigantic form towering in the bow and -menacing him with a huge knife. The boy was trying to turn his canoe, but -in spite of all his efforts, it kept heading straight for the terrifying -figure. - -From somewhere far away a voice shouted, "Hugh, Hugh." The shouts grew -louder. Hugh woke suddenly to find his half-brother shaking him by the -shoulder. Storm voices filled the air, wind roared through the trees, -surf thundered on the rocks. A big wave, curling up the beach, wet his -moccasins as he struggled to his feet. - -Wide awake in an instant, Hugh seized his blanket and fled up over the -smooth, rounded pebbles out of reach of the waves. In a moment he -realized that Blaise was not with him. He looked back--and then he -remembered. The supplies, the canoe, where were they? He and his brother -had unloaded the canoe as usual the night before, had propped it up on -the paddles, and had crawled under it. But, overcome with weariness, they -had left the packets of food and ammunition lying where they had been -tossed, on the lower beach. Now, in the dull light of dawn, Hugh could -see the waves rolling in and breaking far above where the packages had -been dropped. The canoe had disappeared. It took him but a moment to -grasp all this. He ran back down the beach to join Blaise, who was -plunging in to his knees in the attempt to rescue what he could. - -"The canoe?" Hugh shouted. - -"Safe," Blaise replied briefly, and made a dash after a retreating wave, -seizing a skin bag of corn just as it was floating away. - -At the same instant Hugh caught sight of a packet of powder, and darted -after it, a bitter cold wave breaking over him just as he bent to snatch -the packet. - -The two worked with frantic haste, heedless of the waves that soaked them -above the knees and sometimes broke clear over their heads as they -stooped to seize bag or package. They saved what they could, but the -dried meat, one sack of corn, Hugh's bundle of extra clothing, the roll -of birch bark and the pine gum for repairing the canoe, had all gone out -into the lake. The maple sugar was partly dissolved. Some of the powder, -though the wrapping was supposed to be water-proof, was soaked, and -Hugh's gun, which he had carelessly left with the other things, was so -wet it would have to be dried and oiled before it could be used. Blaise -had carried his gun to bed with him, and it was safe and dry. - -Even the half-breed boy, who usually woke at the slightest sound, had -been so tired and had slept so heavily that the rising of the wind and -the pounding of the waves had not disturbed him. It was not until a -strong gust lifted the canoe from over his head, and a falling paddle -struck him sharply, that he woke. He had sprung up, seized the overturned -canoe and carried it to the shelter of a large rock. Then he had -returned, flung his gun and the paddles farther up the beach, and had -aroused the still sleeping Hugh. - -When everything they had rescued had been carried beyond the reach of the -waves and placed in the lee of a rock out of the wind, the two boys -skirted the beach in the hope that the meat, corn or clothes might have -been cast up in some other spot. The beach, at the head of a small and -shallow cove, was not long. When Hugh had gone as far over pebbles and -boulders as he could, he scrambled up the rock point that bounded the -cove on the north and followed it to the end, without seeing anything of -the lost articles. As he reached the bare rock tip, the sun was just -coming up among red and angry clouds across the water, flushing with -crimson and orange the wildly heaving waves. The wind was a little east -of north. No rain had fallen where the boys were camped, but Hugh felt -sure from the clouds that a storm must have passed not many miles away. -The little cove being open and unprotected to the northeast, the full -force of the wind entered it and piled the waves upon the beach. - -When Hugh returned to the camping place, he found that Blaise, who had -gone in the other direction, had had no better luck. The strong under -pull of the retreating waves had carried the lost articles out to deep -water. - -Going on with the journey in such a blow was out of the question. The -boys made themselves as comfortable as possible behind a heap of boulders -out of the wind. - -"I wish we knew in which direction Ohrante is bound," Hugh said, as he -scraped the last morsel of his scanty portion of corn porridge from his -bark dish, with the crude wooden spoon he had carved for himself. - -"He went up the shore as we came down," Blaise replied. "He is probably -going down now. Somewhere he has met his enemies and has taken one -prisoner at least." - -"I wish we might have travelled farther before camping," Hugh returned. - -Blaise shrugged in his French fashion. "He cannot go on in this weather, -and we cannot either. Passing him last night was a great risk. I knew -that all their eyes would be blinded by the fire glare, so they could not -see into the shadows, else I should not have dared. All went well, yet we -must still be cautious and make but small fires and little smoke." - -"No column of smoke can ascend high enough in this gale to be seen," Hugh -argued. - -"But the smell will travel far, and the wind blows from us to them. -Caution is never wasted, my brother." - -Forced to discontinue the journey for most of the day, the lads spent the -time seeking food. They were far enough from Ohrante's camp to have -little fear that any of his party would hear their shots, yet they chose -to hunt to the north rather than to the south. With some of the dry -powder and the shot that had been saved, Blaise started out first, while -Hugh spread the wet powder to dry on a flat rock exposed to the sun but -sheltered from the wind. Then he cleaned and dried his gun and greased it -with pork fat before leaving camp. - -Hugh wandered the woods in search of game for several hours. He did not -go far back from shore. Traversing the thick woods, where there was much -undergrowth, was difficult and he did not greatly trust his own -woodcraft. He had no wish to humiliate himself in his half-brother's eyes -by losing his way. Moreover, as long as he kept where the wind reached -him, he was not much annoyed by the mosquitoes, at their worst in June. -Whenever he reached a spot where the wind did not penetrate, the -irritating insects came about him in clouds, settling on his hands, face, -wrists and neck and even getting inside his rather low necked, deerskin -shirt. - -Whether he did not go far enough into the woods or for some other reason, -his luck was not good. He shot a squirrel and a long-eared, northern hare -or snowshoe rabbit and missed another, but did not catch a glimpse of -deer, moose, or bear. Neither squirrel nor rabbit meat was at its best in -June, but it was at least better than no meat at all. Carrying his meager -bag, he returned late in the afternoon. He found Blaise squatting over a -small cooking fire. The iron kettle gave out a most appetizing odor. The -younger boy had secured three plump ruffed grouse. In the Lake Superior -wilderness of that day no laws prohibited the shooting of game birds out -of season. The stew which appealed so strongly to Hugh's nostrils was -made up of grouse and squirrel meat, with a very little salt pork to give -it savor. - -The wind had fallen and since noon the waves had been going down. By -sunset, though the lake was by no means smooth, travel had become -possible for skilled canoeists. Had Hugh and Blaise not been in such a -hurry to put distance between themselves and Ohrante, they would have -waited until morning. They were so anxious to go on that they launched -the canoe while the afterglow was still reflected in pink and lavender on -the eastern sky. A few miles would bring them to the Devil Track River, -but, not choosing to camp in that evil spot, Blaise insisted on landing -about a mile below the stream mouth. - -Leaving their camp early next morning, the two started overland to the -Devil Track. All day long they sought for some trace of the hidden cache. -Not until after sunset did they cease their efforts. Weary and -disheartened they returned to their camping place, Hugh in the lead. They -had left the canoe turned bottom up over their supplies and well -concealed by a thicket of red-stemmed osier dogwoods. The elder brother's -sharp exclamation when he reached the spot made the younger one hasten to -his side. - -"Look!" cried Hugh, pointing to the birch craft. - -Blaise did not need to be told to look. The ragged, gaping hole in the -bark was too conspicuous. "A porcupine," he exclaimed. - -"It was the devil in the form of a porcupine, I think," Hugh muttered. -"What possessed the beast?" - -"He smelled the pork and gnawed his way through to it. The porcupine -loves all things salt. We will see." - -Blaise was right. When the canoe was lifted, the boys discovered that the -small chunk of salt pork was gone, taken out through the hole the beast -had gnawed. Nothing else was missing. - -"Either he didn't like the other things or the pork was all he could -carry away at one trip," said Hugh. "If we had stayed away a little -longer, he might have made off with the corn and the sugar as well." - -"The loss of the pork is bad," Blaise commented gravely. "The hole in the -canoe is bad also, and we must delay to mend it." - -The loss of the pork was indeed serious. The rabbit and the squirrel Hugh -had shot the day before had been eaten, and nothing else remained but a -few handfuls of corn and a little sugar. So once more, after setting some -snares, the lads went to sleep supperless. They slept with the corn and -sugar between them for protection. - -Blaise might have suspected that the fiend of the river had put a spell -on his snares, for in the morning he found them all empty. The dry, stony -ground showed no tracks. If any long-legged hare had come that way, he -had been wary enough to avoid the nooses. - -After the scantiest of breakfasts the boys set about repairing the canoe. -Luckily the ball of wattap, the fine, tough roots of the spruce prepared -for use as thread, had not been lost when the waves covered the beach at -their former camp. From a near-by birch Blaise cut a strong, smooth piece -of bark without knotholes. With his knife he trimmed the ragged edges of -the hole. Having softened and straightened his wattap by soaking it, he -sewed the patch on neatly, using a large steel needle he had bought at -the trading post at the Kaministikwia. - -In the meantime Hugh sought a pine grove up the river, where he obtained -some chunks of resin. The resin he softened with heat to a sticky gum and -applied it to the seams and stitches. Blaise went over them again with a -live coal held in a split stick, and spread the softened resin skillfully -with thumb and knife blade. Then the canoe was left bottom side up for -the gum to dry and harden. - -In spite of the fact that the boys, on their way down the shore, had -searched the land to the east of the Devil Track with considerable -thoroughness, they were determined to go over it again. By means of a -fallen tree and the boulders that rose above the foaming rapids, they -crossed the river where it narrowed between rock walls. Late in the -afternoon, Blaise, scrambling up a steep and stony slope well back from -the stream, heard two shots in quick succession and then a third at a -longer interval, the signal agreed upon to indicate that one or the other -had come across something significant. The sounds came from the direction -of the lake, and Blaise hastened down to the shore. - - - - - XIII - THE PAINTED THWART - - -Blaise found Hugh stooping over a heap of shattered, water-stained -boards, crude planks, axe hewn from the tree. - -"Can this be the boat, do you think?" Hugh asked. - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "It was not here on the beach when we -came this way before." - -"Yet it may be part of the wreck washed from some outer rock and cast -here by that last hard blow," reasoned the older boy. - -"That is possible. If we could find more of it, the part that bears the -sign----" - -"What sign? You told me of no sign. I have often wondered how, if we -found a wrecked boat, we should know whether it was the right one." - -"Surely I told you of the sign. The board that bears the hole for the -mast is painted with vermilion, and on it in black is our father's sign, -the figure that means his Ojibwa name, 'man with the bright eyes, the -eyes that make sparks.' Twice the sign is there, once on each side of the -mast." - -Hugh was staring at his younger brother. Black figures on a vermilion -ground! Where had he seen such a thing, seen it recently, since he left -the Sault? Then he remembered. "Show me, Blaise," he cried, "what that -figure looks like, that means father's Indian name." - -Blaise picked up a smooth gray flake and with a bit of softer, dark red -stone scratched the figure. - -"That is it," Hugh exclaimed. "I have seen that wrecked boat, a bateau -with the thwart painted red and that very same figure drawn in black." - -"You have seen it?" The younger brother looked at the elder wonderingly. -"In your dreams?" - -"No, I was wide awake, but it was a long way from here and before ever I -saw you, Blaise." Rapidly Hugh related how he and Baptiste had examined -the old bateau in the cleft of the rocks of the Isle Royale. - -Blaise listened in silence, only his eyes betraying his interest. "Truly -we know not where to search," he said when Hugh had finished. "The bateau -drifted far. How can we find where it went upon the rocks?" - -"I don't believe it drifted far. If it was so badly damaged father had to -abandon it, could it have floated far? Surely it would have gone to the -bottom. When that boat was carried across to Isle Royale, I believe -father and Black Thunder were still in it with all their furs. The storm -drove them out into the lake, they lost their bearings, just as we in the -_Otter_ did. They were borne away and dashed by the waves into that crack -in the rocks. Near there somewhere we shall find the cache, if we find it -at all." - -Hugh spoke confidently, very sure of his own reasoning, but the younger -lad was not so easily convinced. - -"How," Blaise questioned, "did he come away from that island Minong if he -was wrecked there? He could not come by land and the bateau is still -there." - -"He made himself a dugout or birch canoe to cross in when the weather -cleared." - -"But then why came he not to Wauswaugoning by canoe?" - -"Because," persisted Hugh, "when he reached the mainland he fell in with -some enemy here at the Devil Track River. We know his wound was not -received in the wreck. You yourself say it was a knife wound. Black -Thunder wasn't killed in the wreck either. They escaped unharmed but the -bateau was beyond repair. So they built a canoe and crossed to this -shore. Here they were set upon and Black Thunder was killed and father -sorely wounded." - -Again the sceptical Blaise shook his head. "Why were they away down here -so far below the Grand Portage? And why, if they had a canoe, brought -they not the furs and the packet with them?" - -Hugh was aware of the weak links in his theory, yet he clung to it. -"Maybe they did bring them," he said, "but couldn't carry them overland, -so they hid them." - -"No, no. Our father told me that the furs were not far from the wreck. He -said that three or four times. I cannot be mistaken." - -"Perhaps their canoe wasn't big enough to hold all of the pelts," Hugh -speculated. "What they did bring may have fallen into Ohrante's hands. So -father spoke only of the rest, hidden in a secret place near the wreck. -To me that seems reasonable enough. But," he admitted honestly, "I don't -quite understand how they came to be so far down the shore here, and, if -the packet is valuable, why didn't father bring that with him if he -brought anything? And why didn't he tell you that the storm drove him on -Isle Royale?" - -"You forget," Blaise said slowly, "that our father's body was very weak -and his spirit just about to leave it. I asked him where to find the -bateau. He told me of the way it was marked, but he could say no more. I -think he could not hear my questions." - -Both lads were silent for several minutes, then Hugh said decisively, -"Well, Blaise, there are just two things we can do, unless we give up the -quest entirely. We can go back down the shore, searching the land for -some sign of the cache, or we can cross to Isle Royale, find the cleft in -the rocks where the bateau lies, and seek there for the furs and the -packet. I am for the latter plan. To search the whole shore from here to -the Fond du Lac for a hidden cache to which we have no clue seems to me a -hopeless task." - -"But to cross that long stretch of open water in a small canoe," Blaise -returned doubtfully. - -"We must choose good weather of course, and paddle our swiftest to reach -the island before a change comes. Perhaps we can rig some kind of sail -and make better time than with our paddles." - -It was plain that Hugh had made up his mind to return to Isle Royale. -Hitherto he had been content to let Blaise take the lead, but now he was -asserting his elder brother's right to leadership. Better than his white -brother, Blaise understood the hazards of such an undertaking, but the -half-breed lad was proud. He was not going to admit himself less -courageous than his elder brother. If Hugh dared take the risk, he, -Little Caribou, as his mother's people called him, dared take it also. - -The brothers must provision themselves for the trip. Even if they reached -the island safely and in good time, they could not guess how long their -search might take, or how many days or weeks they might be delayed before -they could return. Fresh supplies might have reached the Grand Portage by -now and corn at least could be bought. From the Indians always to be -found near the posts, other food supplies and new moccasins might be -obtained. - -Considering food supplies reminded the lads of their hunger. They decided -to devote the remaining hours of daylight to fishing for their supper. -They would start for the Grand Portage in the morning. Blaise paddled -slowly along a submerged reef some distance out from shore, while Hugh -fished. - -In a very few minutes he felt a pull at his line. Hand over hand he -hauled it in, Blaise helping by managing the canoe so that the line did -not slacken even for an instant. Nearer and nearer Hugh drew his prize, -until he could see the gleaming silver of the big fish flashing through -the clear water. Then came the critical moment. He had no landing net, -and reaching over the side with net or gaff would have been a risk at -best. Without shifting his weight enough to destroy the balance, while -Blaise endeavored to hold the canoe steady with his paddle, Hugh must -land his fish squarely in the bottom. With a sudden swing, the long, -silvery, dark-flecked body, tail wildly flapping, was raised from the -water and flung into the canoe. Almost before it touched the bottom, Hugh -had seized his knife and dealt a swift blow. A few ineffectual flaps and -the big fish lay still. - -"Fifteen pounds at least," Hugh exulted. "I have seen larger trout, but -most of them were taken in nets." - -"They grow very big sometimes, two, three times as big, but it is not -good to catch such a big one with a line. Unless you have great luck, it -overturns your canoe." - -The sight of the big trout sharpened the boys' hunger pangs and took away -all zest from further fishing. They paddled full speed for shore and -supper. - -Favored by good weather they made a quick trip to the Grand Portage. In -the bay a small ship lay at anchor, and they knew supplies must have -arrived. - -"That is not the _Otter_," Hugh remarked as they paddled by. - -"No, it is not one of the Old Company's ships. I think it belongs to the -New Company." - -"I'm glad it isn't the _Otter_," Hugh replied. "I shouldn't know how to -answer Baptiste's questions." - -The ship proved, as Blaise had guessed, to belong to the New Company. She -sailed the day after the boys arrived, but had left ample supplies. They -had no difficulty in buying the needed stores, though Hugh's money was -exhausted by the purchases. He left explanations to Blaise, confident -that his younger brother could not be persuaded to divulge the -destination or purpose of their trip. - -Again bad weather held the lads at the Grand Portage and Wauswaugoning. -The last day of their stay, when they were returning from the New -Company's post, they came upon the camp of the trappers whose bateau had -loomed like a ship through the morning mist when the boys were leaving -the Bay of the Beaver. Hugh recognized at once the tall fellow in the -scarlet cap who had replied to his shout of greeting. The trappers had -disposed of their furs at the Old Company's post and were about to leave. -They were going to portage their supplies to Fort Charlotte above the -falls of the Pigeon River and go up the river in a canoe. Hugh inquired -what they intended to do with their small bateau which was drawn up on -the shore. - -"You want it?" the leader questioned in his big voice. - -"Will you sell it?" the boy asked eagerly. - -The man nodded. "What you give?" - -Hugh flushed with chagrin, remembering that all his money was gone. -Blaise came to the rescue by offering to trade some ammunition for the -boat. The man shook his head. Blaise added to his offer a small quantity -of food supplies, but still the fellow refused. "Too little," he -grumbled, then added something in his curious mixture of Scotch-English -and Ojibwa. He was a Scotch half-breed and Hugh found his dialect -difficult to understand. - -Blaise shrugged, walked over to the boat and examined it. He turned -towards the man and spoke in rapid Ojibwa. The fellow answered in the -same tongue, pointing to the lad's gun. - -"What does he say?" asked Hugh. - -"I told him his bateau needs mending," Blaise answered in French, "but he -will not trade for anything but my gun, which is better than his. I will -not give him the gun. Our father gave it to me." - -Hugh understood his half-brother's feeling, but he was eager to secure -the boat. "He may have my gun," he whispered. He knew that the tall -fellow understood some French. "Tell him if he will include the sail--he -had one, you know--I'll give him my gun and some ammunition. Mine doesn't -shoot as accurately as yours, but it looks newer." - -Blaise made the offer in Ojibwa, Hugh repeated it in English, and after -an unsuccessful attempt to get more, the man agreed. He put into the boat -the mast and canvas, which he had been using as a shelter, and Hugh -handed over the gun and ammunition. - -The rest of the day was spent in making a few necessary repairs to the -bateau, and the following morning, before a light southwest breeze, the -lads set sail. Blaise knew nothing of this sort of water travel, but Hugh -had handled a sailboat before, though never one quite so clumsy as this -crude, heavy bateau. The boat was pointed at both ends, flat bottomed and -built of thick, hand-hewn boards. It carried a small, square sail on a -stubby mast. With axe and knife Hugh had made a crude rudder and had -lashed it to the stern in the place of the paddle the trappers had been -content to steer with. Blaise quickly learned to handle the rudder, -leaving Hugh free to manage the sail. It was a satisfaction to the older -boy to find something in which he excelled his younger brother and could -take the lead. It restored his self-respect as the elder. Blaise, on the -other hand, obeyed orders instantly and proved himself as reliable a -subordinate as he had been leader. The breeze holding steady, the bateau -made fairly good speed. They might possibly have made better time in a -canoe, but the new mode of travel was a pleasant change from the constant -labor of plying the blades. - -Had the lads but known it, their wisest course would have been to cross -directly from the Grand Portage to the southwestern end of Isle Royale -and then skirt the island to its northeast tip. But they had no map to -tell them this. Indeed in those days the position of Isle Royale was but -imperfectly understood. It had been visited by scarcely any white men and -was avoided by the Indians. During the boys' detention at the Grand -Portage, rain and fog had rendered the island, some eighteen or twenty -miles away, invisible. The day they set sail the sky was blue overhead, -but there was still haze enough on the water to obscure the distance. It -was not strange that they believed Isle Royale farther off than it really -was. From its northeastern end the _Otter_ had sailed to the -Kaministikwia, and Hugh took for granted that the shortest way to reach -the island must be from some point on Thunder Bay. He was aware of the -deep curve made by the shore to form the great bay, and realized that to -follow clear around that curve would be a loss of time. Instead of -turning north to follow the shore, he held on to the northeast, along the -inner side of a long line of narrow, rocky islands and reefs, rising from -the water like the summits of a mountain chain and forming a breakwater -for the protection of the bay. - -It was from one of those islands, now called McKellar Island, south about -two miles from the towering heights of the Isle du Pat and at least -fifteen miles by water from the southern mouth of the Kaministikwia, that -the adventurers finally set out for Isle Royale. Before they dared -attempt the perilous sail across the long stretch of the open lake, they -remained in camp a day to let the southwest wind, which had risen to half -a gale, blow itself out. Wind they needed for their venture, but not too -much wind. - - - - - XIV - SAILING TOWARDS THE SUNRISE - - -"Truly the spirit of the winds favors us." Blaise forgot for the moment -his Christian training and spoke in the manner of his Indian forefathers. -He had waked at dawn and, finding the lake merely rippled by a steady -west breeze, had aroused Hugh. - -So anxious were the two to take advantage of the perfect weather that -they did not wait for breakfast, but hastily flung their blankets and -cooking utensils into the boat. With the two strong paddles included in -the purchase, they ran the bateau out of the little cove where it had -lain sheltered. Then, hoisting the sail, they steered towards the dawn. - -Hugh Beaupr never forgot that sail into the sunrise. Ahead of him the -sky, all rose and gold and faint green blending into soft blue, met the -water without the faintest, thinnest line of land between. Before and -around the boat, the lake shimmered with the reflected tints that -glorified even the patched and dirty sail. Was he bound for the other -side of the world, for some glorious, unearthly realm beyond that -gleaming water? A sense of mingled dread and exultation swept over the -boy, his face flushed, his gray eyes sparkled, his pulse quickened. He -knew the feeling of the explorer setting out for new lands, realms of he -knows not what perils and delights. - -The moment of thrill passed, and Hugh turned to glance at Blaise. The -younger boy, his hand on the tiller rope, sat like a statue, his dark -face tense, his shining hazel eyes betraying a kindred feeling to that -which had held Hugh in its thrall. Never before in all their days of -journeying together had the white lad and the half-breed felt such -perfect comradeship. Speech was unnecessary between them. - -As the sun rose higher and the day advanced, Blaise was not so sure that -fortune was favoring the venture. The wind sank until the water was -broken by the merest ripple only. There was scarcely enough pressure -against the sail to keep the boat moving. - -"At this rate we shall be a week in reaching the island," said Hugh, -anxiously eying the canvas. "We can go faster with the paddles. Lash the -rudder and we'll try the blades." - -For the first time since they had changed from canoe to sailboat Blaise -voiced an objection. "To paddle this heavy bateau is hard work," he said. -"We cannot keep at it all day and all night, as we could in a bark canoe. -As long as the wind blows at all and we move onward, even slowly, we had -best save our strength. Soon we shall need it. Before the sun is -overhead, there will be no wind at all, and then we must paddle." - -Hugh nodded agreement, but, less patient than his half-brother, he found -it trying to sit idle waiting for the gentle breeze to die. Blaise had -prophesied truly. Before noon the sail was hanging loose and idle, the -water, blue under a cloudless sky, was without a wrinkle. It is not often -really hot on the open waters of Lake Superior, but that day the sun -glared down upon the little boat, and the distance shimmered with heat -haze. The bateau had no oars or oarlocks, only two stout paddles, and -paddling the heavy, clumsy boat was slow, hot work. - -Pausing for a moment's rest after an hour's steady plying of his blade, -Hugh uttered an exclamation. "Look, Blaise," he cried. "We haven't so far -to go. There is the Isle Royale ahead, and not far away either." - -He pointed with his blade to the hazy blue masses across the still water. -High the land towered, with points and bays and detached islands. -Encouraged by the sight, the two bent to their paddles. - -In a few minutes Hugh cried out again. "How strange the island looks, -Blaise! I don't remember any flat-topped place like that. See, it looks -as if it had been sliced off with a knife." - -The distant shore had taken on a strange appearance. High towering land -it seemed to be, but curiously level and flattened at the top, like no -land Hugh had seen around Lake Superior. - -"There is something wrong," the boy went on, puzzled. "We must be off our -course. That is not Isle Royale, at least not the part I saw. Where are -we, Blaise? Are we going in the wrong direction? Can that be part of the -mainland?" - -"It is not the mainland over that way," Blaise made prompt reply. "It -must be some part of Minong." He used the Indian name for the island. - -"But I saw nothing the----" Hugh began, then broke off to cry out, "Look, -look, the island is changing before our eyes! It towers up there to the -right, and over there, where it was high a moment ago, it shrinks and -fades away!" - -"It is some enchanted land," the younger boy murmured, gazing in wonder -at the dim blue shapes that loomed in one place, shrank in another, -changed size and form before his awestruck eyes. "It is a land of -spirits." He ceased his paddling to cross himself. - -For a moment Hugh too was inclined to believe that he and his brother -were the victims of witchcraft. But, though not free from superstition, -he had less of it than the half-breed. Moreover he remembered the looming -of the very boat he was now in, when he had first seen it in the mists of -dawn, and also the rock that had looked like an island, when he was on -his way from Michilimackinac. The captain of the ship had told him of -some of the queer visions called mirages he had seen when sailing the -lakes. Turning towards Blaise, Hugh attempted to explain the strange -sight ahead. - -"It is the mirage. I have heard of it. The Captain of the _Athabasca_ -told me that the mirage is caused by the light shining through mist or -layers of cloud or air that reflect in some way we do not understand, -making images of land appear where there is no land or changing the -appearance of the real land. Sometimes, he said, images of islands are -seen upside down in the sky, above the real water-line. It is all very -strange and no one quite understands why it comes or how, but there is no -enchantment about it, Blaise." - -The younger boy nodded, his eyes still on the changing, hazy shapes -ahead. Without reply, he resumed his paddling. How much he understood of -his elder brother's explanation, Hugh could not tell. At any rate Blaise -was too proud to show further fear of something Hugh did not seem to be -afraid of. - -In silence the two plied their paddles under the hot sun, but the heavy -wooden boat did not respond like a bark canoe to their efforts. Progress -was very slow. White clouds were gathering in the south, moving slowly up -and across the sky, though the water remained quiet. The clouds veiled -the sun. The distant land shrank to a mere blue line, its natural shape -and size, and seemed to come no nearer for all their efforts. Both boys -were growing anxious. After the heat and stillness of the day, the -clouds, slow moving though they were, threatened storm. The two dug their -blades into the water, straining muscles of arms and shoulders to put all -their strength into the stroke. - -A crinkle, a ripple was spreading over the green-blue water. A breeze was -coming up from the southwest. Hugh laid down his blade to raise the sail. -In the west the rays of the setting sun were breaking through the clouds -and dyeing them crimson, flame and orange. He was glad to see the sun -again, for it brought him assurance that he was keeping the course, not -swinging too far to north or south. - -The breeze, very light at first, strengthened after sunset and became -more westerly, the most favorable direction. The clumsy boat and square -sail could not be made to beat against the wind, but Hugh's course was a -little north of east. He could sail directly with the wind and yet be -assured of not going far out of his way. The farthest tip of land ahead, -now freed from the false distortions of mirage, he took to be the end of -the long, high shore, where, in the fissure, he and Baptiste had found -the old bateau. That land was still very far away, other islands or -points of the main island lying nearer. - -As darkness gathered, the breeze swept away the clouds, and stars and -moon shone out. Sailing over the gently heaving water, where the -moonlight made a shimmering path, was a pleasant change from paddling the -heavy boat in the heat of the day. The boys' evening meal consisted of a -few handfuls of hulled corn and some maple sugar, with the clear, cold -lake water for drink. Both Blaise at the tiller and Hugh handling the -sheet found it difficult to keep awake. The day had been a long one, but -they must remain alert to hold their course and avoid disaster. - -They were approaching land now. In the moonlight, to avoid islands and -projecting rocks was not difficult. Sunken reefs were harder to discern. -Only the breaking of waves upon the rocks that rose near to the surface -betrayed the danger. So the steersman shunned points and the ends of -islands from which hidden reefs might run out. Hugh would have been glad -to camp on the first land reached, but he knew he ought to take advantage -of the favorable wind and get as near as possible to the spot where the -wreck lay. Shaking off his drowsiness, he gave his whole attention to -navigation. - -Several islands and a number of points, that might belong either to the -great island or to smaller bordering ones, were passed before reaching a -low shore, well wooded, which Hugh felt sure he recognized. He remembered -that the _Otter_ had been obliged to go far out around the tip to avoid a -long reef. He warned Blaise to steer well out, but the latter did not go -quite far enough and the boat grazed a rock. No damage was done, however. -The bateau was now headed for a strip of much higher land, showing dark -between sky and water. Hugh thought that must be the towering, -tree-crowned, rock shore he recalled. To land there tonight was out of -the question. The moon had gone down, and to run, in the darkness, up the -bay to the spot where the _Otter_ had taken shelter might also prove -difficult. Hugh decided they had better tie up somewhere on the point -they had just rounded. He lowered the sail and both boys took up their -paddles. For some distance they skirted the steep, slanting rock shore -where the trees grew down as far as they could cling. - -One mountain ash had lost its footing and fallen into the lake. To the -fallen tree Hugh tied the boat, in still water and under the shadow of -the shore. Then he and Blaise rolled themselves in their blankets and lay -down in the bottom. Heedless of the dew-wet planking they were asleep -immediately. The water rippled gently against the rough sides of the -boat, an owl in a spruce sent forth its eerie hoots, from across the -water a loon answered with a wild, mocking cry, but the tired lads slept -on undisturbed. - - - - - XV - THE RIFT IN THE ROCK - - -The brothers were in the habit of waking early, but it had been nearly -dawn when they lay down, and, in the shadow of the trees, they slept -until the sun was well started on his day's journey. When they did wake, -Hugh's first glance was towards the land across the water. - -There was no mistaking that high towering shore, steep rocks at the base, -richly forest clad above. It was the same shore he had seen weeks before, -the first time dimly through fog and snow, again clear cut and distinct, -when he and Baptiste had rowed Captain Bennett out of the bay, and yet a -third time from the deck of the _Otter_ as she sailed away towards -Thunder Cape. - -"We have come aright, Blaise," said Hugh with satisfaction. "That is the -place we seek, and it can't be more than a mile away. Do you see that -spot where the trees come to the water, that tiny break in the rocks? It -is a little cove with a bit of beach, and in that stretch of rocks to the -left is the crack where the old boat lies. I'm sure of the spot, because -from the _Otter_, when we were leaving, I noticed the bare rock pillars -of that highest ridge away up there, like the wall of a fort among the -trees. It doesn't show quite so plainly now the birches are in leaf, but -I'm sure it is the same. There are two little coves almost directly below -that pillared rock wall, and the cliff is a little farther to the left. -Oh, but I am hungry," he added. "We must have a good breakfast before we -start across." - -Over the short stretch of water that separated the low point from the -high shore, the bateau sailed before the brisk wind. The stretch of gray, -pillared rock, like the wall of a fortress, high up among the greenery, -served as a guide. As the boat drew nearer, the twin coves, shallow -depressions in the shore line separated by a projecting mass of rock, -came clear to view. - -"Steer for the cliff just beyond the left hand cove," Hugh ordered. -"We'll run in close and then turn." - -Blaise obediently steered straight for the mass of rock with the vertical -fissures, as if his purpose were to dash the boat against the cliff. As -they drew close, Hugh gave a shout. - -The crack had come into view, a black rift running at an angle into the -cliff. As the boat swung about to avoid going on the rocks, the younger -boy's quick eye caught a glimpse, in that dark fissure, of the end of a -bateau. To give him that glimpse, Hugh had taken a chance of wrecking -their own boat. Now he was obliged to act quickly, lowering the sail and -seizing a paddle. - -In the trough of the waves, they skirted, close in, the steep, rugged -rocks. Almost hidden by a short point was the bit of beach at the end of -the first of the twin coves. With a dexterous twist of the paddles, the -boys turned their boat and ran up on the beach. Landing with so much -force would have ground the bottom out of a birch canoe, but the heavy -planks of the bateau would stand far worse battering. - -The appearance of the cove had changed greatly since that day when Hugh -and Baptiste had rowed past. Then the bushes, birches and mountain ash -trees that ringed the pebbles had been bare limbed. Now, with June more -than two-thirds gone, they were all in full leaf. Big clusters of buds -among the graceful foliage of the mountain ashes were almost ready to -open into handsome flowers. The high-bush cranberries bore white blossoms -here and there, and the ninebark bushes were covered with masses of -pinkish buds. Though Hugh's mind was on the wreck, his eyes took note of -the almost incredible difference a few weeks had made. His nose sniffed -with appreciation the spicy smell of the fresh, growing tips of the -balsams, mingled with the heliotrope-like odor of the tiny twin-flowers -blooming in the woods. He did not let enjoyment of these things delay -him, however. - -"Now," he cried, when he and Blaise had pulled up the boat, "we must get -into that crack. We can't reach it from the water in this wind. Perhaps -we can climb down from the top." - -Up a steep rock slope, dotted with fresh green moss, shiny leaved -bearberry, spreading masses of juniper and a few evergreen trees growing -in the depressions, he hastened with Blaise close behind. Along the top -of the cliff they made their way until they reached the rift. Though the -sides of the crack were almost vertical, trees and bushes grew wherever -they could anchor a root. Through branches and foliage, the boys could -get no view of the old boat at the bottom. - -"We must climb down," said Hugh. - -"It will be difficult," Blaise replied doubtfully. "To do it we must -cling to the roots and branches. Those trees have little soil to grow in. -Our weight may pull them over." - -"We must get down some way," Hugh insisted. "We shall have to take our -chances." - -"The wind and waves will calm. We have but to wait and enter from the -water." - -Hugh had not the Indian patience. "The wind is not going down, it is -coming up," he protested. "It may blow for a week. I didn't come here to -wait for calm weather. I'm going down some way." - -He wriggled between the lower branches of a spruce growing on the very -verge of the crack and let himself down a vertical wall, feeling with his -toes for a support. Carefully he rested his weight on the slanting stem -of a stunted cedar growing in a niche. It held him. Clinging with fingers -and moccasined feet to every projection of rock and each branch, stem or -root that promised to hold him, he worked his way down. He heeded his -younger brother's warning in so far as to test every support before -trusting himself to it. But in spite of his care, a bit of projecting -rock crumbled under his feet. His weight was thrown upon a root he had -laid hold of. The root seemed to be firmly anchored, but it pulled loose, -and Hugh went sliding down right into the old boat. The ice, which had -filled the wreck when he first saw it, had melted. The bateau was more -than half full of water, into which he plumped, splashing it all over -him. He was not hurt, however, only wet and shaken up a bit. - -Blaise had already begun to follow his elder brother into the cleft, when -he heard Hugh crash down. Halfway over the edge, the younger boy paused -for a moment. Then Hugh's shout came up to him. "All right, but be -careful," the elder brother cautioned. - -Light and very agile, the younger lad had better luck, landing nimbly on -his feet on the cross plank of the old boat. It was the vermilion painted -thwart that had held the mast. Eagerly both lads bent over it to make -out, in the dim light, the black figures on the red ground. - -"It is our father's sign," Blaise said quietly, "our father's sign, just -as I have seen it many times. This was his bateau, but whether it was -wrecked here or elsewhere we cannot tell." - -"I believe it was wrecked here," Hugh asserted. "See how the end is -splintered. This boat was driven upon these very rocks where it now lies, -the prow smashed and rents ripped in the bottom and one side. But it is -empty. We must seek some sign to guide us to the furs. We need more -light." - -"I will make a torch. Wait but a moment." - -Blaise straightened up, hooked his fingers over the edge of a narrow, -rock shelf, swung himself up, and ascended the rest of the way as nimbly -as a squirrel. In a few minutes he came scrambling down again, holding in -one hand a roughly made torch, resinous twigs bound together with a bit -of bearberry vine. With sparks from his flint and steel, he lighted the -balsam torch. It did not give a very bright light, but it enabled the -boys to examine the old bateau closely. The only mark they could find -that might have been intended as a guide was a groove across the fore -thwart. At one end of the groove short lines had been cut diagonally to -form an arrow point. - -"The cache, if it is on the island, must be sought that way," said -Blaise. - -"The arrow surely points up the crack. We'll follow it." - -The smashed bow of the boat was firmly lodged among the fragments of rock -upon which it had been driven. Over those fragments, up a steep slope, -the boys picked their way for a few yards, until the walls drew together, -the fissure narrowing to a mere slit. By throwing the light of the torch -into the slit and reaching in arm's length, Hugh satisfied himself that -there were no furs there. Nevertheless the arrow pointed in that -direction. He looked about him. The left hand wall was almost -perpendicular, solid rock apparently, with only an occasional vertical -crack or shallow niche where some hardy bit of greenery clung. But from -the right wall several blocks had fallen out. On one of those blocks Hugh -was standing. He held the torch up at arm's length. - -"There's a hole up there. Such a place would make a good cache." - -"Let me up on your shoulders," Blaise proposed, "and I will look in." - -Sitting on Hugh's shoulders, Blaise threw the light of the torch into the -hole. Then he reached in his arm. "There are no furs here," he said. - -Hugh had been almost certain he had found the cache. He was keenly -disappointed. "Are you sure?" he cried. - -"Yes. It is a small place, just a hole in the rock. Let me down." - -"There are no furs there," Blaise repeated, when he had jumped down from -Hugh's shoulders. "But something I found." He held out a short piece of -rawhide cord. - -Hugh stared at the cord, then at his half-brother. "You were not the -first to visit that hole then. What is the meaning of this?" He took the -bit of rawhide in his fingers. - -"I think it means that the furs have been there, but have been taken -away," was the younger lad's slow reply. "It is a piece from the thong -that bound a bale of furs. That is what I think." - -"Someone has found the cache and taken away the pelts." - -"I fear it," agreed Blaise. Though he spoke quietly, his disappointment -was as strong as Hugh's. - -"That someone is probably one of the Old Company's men. Then the furs are -lost to us indeed. Yet we do not know. How did anyone learn of the cache? -It may have been Black Thunder of course, but then what was the meaning -of the blood-stained shirt? No, we don't know, Blaise. Our furs may be -gone for good, but we can't be sure. Father may have put them in there -out of reach of the storm and later moved them to some other place, or -they may never have been in that hole at all. Some animal may have -carried that bit of rawhide there." - -Blaise shook his head. "What animal could go up there?" - -"A squirrel perhaps, or a bird, a gull. Anyway we can't give up the -search yet, just because we have found a bit of rawhide in a hole in the -rocks. That would be folly. Perhaps the arrow points up the rift to some -spot above. We can't climb up here. We must go back." - -The two returned to the wreck and climbed up the way they had come down. -Hugh again in the lead, they followed along the top of the rift to its -head. There they sought earnestly for some sign that might lead them to -the cache, but found none. When at sunset they gave up the search for -that day, their fear that the furs had been stolen from the hole in the -rock had grown near to a certainty. Well-nigh discouraged, they went back -to the beach in the shallow cove where they had left their boat. - -"Why is it, Blaise," Hugh asked, as they sat by the fire waiting for the -kettle to boil, "that no Indians dwell on this big island? It is a -beautiful place and there must be game and furs for the hunting." - -Blaise gave his characteristic French shrug. "I know not if there is much -game, and Minong is far from the mainland. I have heard that there is -great store of copper in the rocks. The Ojibwas say that the island was -made by the giant Kepoochikan. Once upon a time the fish quarrelled with -Kepoochikan and tried to drown him by making a great flood. But he built -a big floating island and made it rich with copper and there he took his -family and all the kinds of birds and beasts there are. When the water, -which had spread over the whole earth, stopped rising, he told a gull to -dive down to the bottom and bring up some mud. The gull could not dive so -far, but drowned before he reached the bottom. Then Kepoochikan sent a -beaver. The beaver came up almost drowned, but with a ball of mud -clutched tight in his hands. Kepoochikan took the mud and made a new -earth, but he kept the island Minong for his home. After many years there -was another giant, the great Nanibozho, who was chief of all the Indians -on the new land Kepoochikan had made. Nanibozho is a good manito and -Kepoochikan a bad one. They went to war, and Nanibozho threw a great -boulder from the mainland across at Kepoochikan and conquered him. The -boulder is here on Minong yet they say. Since then Nanibozho has guarded -the copper of Minong, though some say his real dwelling place is on -Thunder Cape. Off the shore and in the channels of Minong he has set -sharp rocks to destroy the canoes that approach the island, and he has -many spirits to help him guard the treasure." - -"That is only a tale, of course," said Hugh somewhat disdainfully. "We of -the ship _Otter_ camped here several days and we saw or heard no spirits. -We found nothing to fear." - -"You sought no copper," was the retort. "It is said that sometimes -Kepoochikan and Nanibozho fight together on the rocks and hurl great -boulders about. Strange tales there are too of the thick forest, of the -little lakes and bays. There is one place called the Bay of Manitos, -where, so I have heard, dwell giant Windigos and great serpents and huge -birds and spirits that mock the lonely traveller with shouts and threats -and laughter." - -"Surely you do not believe such tales, Blaise," Hugh protested, "or fear -such spirits." - -"I know that neither Kepoochikan nor Nanibozho made the world," the -younger boy replied seriously. "My father and the priests taught me that -the good God made the world. But whether the tales of giants and spirits -are true, I know not. That I do not fear them I have proved by coming -here with you." - -To that remark Hugh had no answer. To believe or be inclined to believe -such tales and yet to come to the enchanted island, to come with only one -companion, surely proved his half-brother's courage. Indeed the older boy -had no thought of questioning the younger's bravery. He had come to know -Blaise too well. - - - - - XVI - THE CACHE - - -The night being clear, the boys did not trouble to prepare a shelter. -They merely cut some balsam branches and spread them smoothly on the -beach. Strange to say, the more superstitious half-breed lad fell asleep -immediately, while the white boy, who had scorned the notion of giants -and manitos, found sleep long in coming. That night seemed to him the -loneliest he had ever spent. Camp, on the trip down and up the main -shore, had, to be sure, usually been made far from the camps of other -men. But there _were_ men, both red and white, on that shore. When the -lake was not too rough, there was always the chance that the sound of -human voices and the dip of paddles might be heard at any time during the -night, as a canoe passed in the starlight. - -Here, however, the whole length and breadth of the great island,--which -the two lads believed even larger than it really is, some fifty miles in -length and twelve or fourteen broad at its widest part,--there lived, so -far as they knew, not one human being. Never before had Hugh felt so -utterly lonely, such a small, insignificant human creature in an unknown -and unfeeling wilderness of woods, waters and rocks. The island was far -more beautiful and hospitable now than it had appeared when he visited it -before, but then, almost uncannily lonely and remote though the place had -seemed, he had had the companionship of Baptiste and Captain Bennett and -the rest of the ship's crew. - -Yet what was there to fear? It was not likely that Isle Royale contained -any especially fierce beasts. There were wolves and lynxes, but they were -skulking, cowardly creatures, and, in the summer at least, must find -plentiful prey of rabbits and other small animals. Moose too there were -and perhaps bears, but both were harmless unless attacked and cornered. -It was not the thought of any animal enemy that caused Hugh's uneasiness, -as he lay listening to the night sounds. His feeling was rather of -apprehension, of dread of some unknown evil that threatened his comrade -and himself. He tried to shake off the unreasonable dread, but everything -about him seemed to serve to intensify the feeling, the low, continuous -murmur of the waves on the rocks, the swishing rustle of the wind in the -trees, the long-drawn, eerie cries of two loons answering one another -somewhere up the bay, the lonely "hoot-ti-toot" of an owl. Once from the -wooded ridges above him, there came with startling clearness the shrill -screech of a lynx. But all these sounds were natural ones, heard many -times during his adventurous journey. Why, tonight, did they seem to hold -some new and fearful menace? - -Disgusted with himself, he resolved to conquer the unreasonable dread. -Will power alone could not triumph over his unrest, but physical -weariness won at last and he fell asleep. A brief shower, from the edge -of a passing storm-cloud, aroused him once, but the rain did not last -long enough to wet his blanket, and he was off to sleep again in a few -minutes. - -Hugh woke with a start. Dawn had come, but the little cove was shrouded -in white mist. Beside him on the balsam bed, Blaise was sitting upright, -his body rigid, his bronze face tense. He was listening intently. Hugh -freed his arms from his blanket and raised himself on his elbow. Blaise -turned his head. - -"You heard it?" he whispered. - -"Something waked me. What was it?" - -"A gun shot." - -"Impossible!" - -"I heard it clearly. I had just waked." - -"Near by?" - -"Not very far away. Up there somewhere." - -Blaise pointed to the now invisible woods above the sheer cliff that -formed the central shore of the cove between the beaches. "It is hard to -be quite sure of the direction in this fog, and there was only one shot." - -For some minutes the two lads sat still, listening, but the sound was not -repeated. It seemed incredible that any human being should be so near on -the big island where neither white men nor Indians were ever known to -come intentionally. Hugh was inclined to think Blaise mistaken. The -younger boy had certainly heard some sharp sound, but Hugh could scarcely -believe it was the report of a gun. - -However, the mere suspicion that any other man might be near by was -enough to make the boys proceed with the greatest caution. Veiled by the -fog,--which had been caused by the warm shower falling on the lake during -the night,--they could be seen only by someone very near at hand, but -there were other ways in which they might be betrayed. The sound of their -voices or movements, the smell of the smoke from their cooking fire might -reveal their presence. The secret nature of their quest made them anxious -that their visit to the island should not become known. So they lighted -no fire, breakfasting on the cold remains of last night's corn porridge -sprinkled with maple sugar. They talked little and in whispers, and took -care to make the least possible noise. - -Having decided to give at least one more day to the search for the furs, -the lads climbed the steep slope and made their way to the head of the -fissure. Up there the fog was much less thick than down in the cove. The -crack in the rock had narrowed to a mere slit almost choked with tree -roots upon which fallen leaves and litter had lodged. Near the edge, in a -depression where there was a little soil, stood a clump of birch sprouts -growing up about the stump of an old broken tree. In their search for -some blaze or mark that might guide them, the two thought they had -examined every tree in the vicinity. - -That morning, as he was about to pass the clump of birches, Hugh happened -to notice what a rapid growth the sprouts had made that season. The sight -of the new growth suggested something to him. He began to pull apart and -bend back the little trees to get a better view of the old stump. There, -concealed by the young growth, was the mark he sought. A piece of the -ragged, gray, lichen-scarred bark had been sliced away, and on the bare, -crumbly wood had been cut a transverse groove with an arrow point. - -Hugh promptly summoned Blaise. The cut in the old stump seemed to prove -that the furs might not, after all, have been stolen from the hole in the -rocks. The arrow pointed directly along the overgrown crack, which the -lads traced for fifty or sixty feet farther, when it came abruptly to an -end. They had come to a hollow or gully. The crack showed distinctly in -the steep rock wall, but the bottom of the hollow and the opposite -gradual slope were deep with soil and thick with growth. The rift, which -widened at the outer end into a cleft, ran, it was apparent, clear -through the rock ridge that formed the shore cliff. The searchers had now -reached the lower ground behind that ridge. Which way should they turn -next? - -That question was answered promptly. The abrupt face of the rock wall was -well overgrown with green moss and green-gray lichens. In one place the -short, thick growth had been scratched away to expose a strip of the gray -stone about an inch wide and six or seven inches long. The clean-cut -appearance of the scratch seemed to prove that it had been made with a -knife or some other sharp instrument. So slowly do moss and lichens -spread on a rock surface that such a mark would remain clear and distinct -for one season at least, probably for several years. There was no arrow -point here, but the scratch was to the left of the crack. The boys turned -unhesitatingly in that direction. - -The growth in this low place was dense. They had to push their way among -old, ragged birches and close standing balsams draped with gray beards of -lichen which were sapping the trees' life-blood. Everywhere, on the steep -rock wall, on each tree trunk, they sought for another sign. For several -hundred yards they found nothing, until they came to a cross gully -running back towards the lake. In the very entrance stood a small, broken -birch. The slender stem was not completely severed, the top of the tree -resting on the ground. - -"There is our sign," said Blaise as soon as he caught sight of the birch. - -"It is only a broken tree," Hugh protested. "I see nothing to show that -it is a sign." - -"But I see something," Blaise answered promptly. "First, there is the -position, right here where we need guidance. The tree has been broken so -that it points down that ravine. The break is not old, not weathered -enough to have happened before last winter. Yet it happened before the -leaves came out. They were still in the bud. It was in late winter or -early spring that tree was broken." - -"Just about the time father must have been on the island," Hugh -commented. - -Blaise went on with his explanation. "What broke the tree? The wind? -Sound birches are not easily broken by wind. They sway, they bend, -sometimes they are tipped over at the roots. But the stem itself is not -broken unless it is rotten or the storm violent. Here are no signs of -strong wind. There are no other broken trees near this one." - -"That is true," murmured Hugh looking about him. - -"Now we will look at the break," Blaise continued confidently. "See, the -trunk is sound, but it has been cut with an axe, cut deep and bent down. -And here, look here!" His usually calm voice was thrilling with -excitement. He was pointing to some small cuts in the white bark just -below the break. - -"J. B., father's initials!" cried Hugh. - -Blaise laid his finger on his lips to remind his companion that caution -must still be observed. They had heard no further sound and had seen no -sign of a human being, but the half-breed lad had not forgotten the sharp -report that had so startled him in the dawn. It was best to move silently -and speak with lowered voice. - -Blaise led the way down the narrow cross gully, so narrow that where a -tree grew,--and trees seemed to grow everywhere on this wild island where -they could push down a root,--there was scarcely room to get by. After a -few hundred yards of such going, the ravine began to widen. The walls -became higher and so sheer that nothing could cling to them but moss, -lichens and sturdy crevice plants. Under foot there was no longer any -soil, only pebbles and broken rock fragments. Ahead, beyond the deep -shadow of the cleft, lay sunlit water. This was evidently another of the -fissures that ran down through the outer rock ridge to the water, -fissures that were characteristic of that stretch of shore. - -"We are coming back to the lake through another crack much like the one -where the old boat lies," said Hugh. "We must be off the trail somewhere. -There is no place here to hide furs." - -Blaise, who was still ahead, did not answer. He was closely scanning the -rock wall on either side. A moment later, he paused and gave a little -grunt of interest or satisfaction. - -"What is it?" Hugh asked. - -Blaise took another step forward, and pointed to the right hand wall. A -narrow fissure extended from top to bottom. So narrow was the crack that -Hugh rather doubted whether he could squeeze into it. - -"I will go first, I am smaller," Blaise suggested. "If I cannot go -through, we shall know that no man has been in there." - -Slender and lithe, Blaise found that he could wriggle his way through -without much difficulty. The heavier, broader-shouldered Hugh found the -task less easy. He had to go sidewise and for a moment he thought he -should stick fast, but he managed to squeeze past the narrowest spot, to -find himself in an almost round hollow. This hole or pit in the outer -ridge was perhaps twenty feet in diameter with abrupt rock walls and a -floor of boulders and pebbles, among which grew a few hardy shrubs. It -was open to the sky and ringed at the top with shrubby growth. Hugh -glanced about him with a keen sense of disappointment. Surely the furs -were not in this place. - -Blaise, on the other side of a scraggly ninebark bush, seemed to be -examining a pile of boulders and rock fragments. The older boy rounded -the bush, and disappointment gave way to excitement. By what agency had -those stones been heaped in that particular spot? They had not fallen -from the wall beyond. The pit had no opening through which waves could -wash. Had that heap been put together by the hand of man? Was it indeed a -cache? - -Without a word spoken, the two lads set about demolishing the stone pile. -One after another they lifted each stone and threw it aside. As he rolled -away one of the larger boulders, Hugh could not restrain a little cry. A -bit of withered cedar had come to light. With eager energy he flung away -the remaining stones. There lay revealed a heap of something covered with -cedar branches, the flat sprays, withered but still aromatic, woven -together closely to form a tight and waterproof covering. Over and around -them, the stones had been heaped to conceal every sprig. - -With flying fingers, the boys pulled the sprays apart. There were the -bales of furs each in a skin wrapper. The brothers had found the hidden -cache and their inheritance. Both lads were surprised at the number of -the bales. If the pelts were of good quality, no mean sum would be -realized by their sale. They would well repay in gold for all the long -search. Yet, to do the boys justice, neither was thinking just then of -the worth of the pelts. Their feeling was rather of satisfaction that -they were really carrying out their father's last command. The long and -difficult search was over, and they had not failed in it. - -They lifted the packages from a platform of poles resting on stones. The -whole cache had been cleverly constructed. No animal could tear apart the -bales, and, even in the severest storm, no water could reach them. Over -them the branches had formed a roof strong enough to keep the top stones -from pressing too heavily upon the furs. - -"But where is the packet?" cried Hugh. "It must be inside one of the -bales, but which one I wonder." - -"I think it is this one," Blaise replied. - -The package he was examining seemed to be just like the others, except -that into the rawhide thong that bound it had been twisted a bit of -scarlet wool ravelled from a cap or sash. Blaise would have untied the -thong, but the impatient Hugh cut it, and stripped off the wrapping. The -bale contained otter skins of fine quality. Between two of the pelts was -a small, flat packet. It was tied with a bit of cedar cord and sealed -with a blotch of pitch into which had been pressed the seal of the ring -Hugh now wore. - -"Shall we open this here and now, Blaise?" Hugh asked. - -"That is for you to say, my brother. You are the elder." - -"Then I think we had best open it at once." - -Hugh broke the seal and was about to untie the cord, when from somewhere -above the rim of the pit, there rang out a loud, long-drawn call, -"Oh-eye-ee, oh-eye-ee-e." It was not the cry of an animal. It was a human -voice. - - - - - XVII - THE SEALED PACKET - - -Hastily Hugh thrust the unopened packet into the breast of his deerskin -tunic, and looked up apprehensively at the border of green about the rim -of the pit. The man who had shouted could not be far away. There might be -others even nearer. If anyone should push through that protecting fringe -of growth, he would be looking directly down on the two lads. The bales -would be in plain view. - -Hugh thought quickly. "We must conceal the furs again, Blaise," he -whispered, "until we can find some way to get them to the boat." - -Blaise nodded. "We will take them away at night." - -Rapidly and with many an apprehensive glance upward, the two replaced the -bales on the platform of poles, covered the heap with the cedar boughs -and built up the stones around and over the whole. They were in too great -haste to do as careful a piece of work as Jean Beaupr had done. Their -rock pile would scarcely have stood close scrutiny without betraying -something suspicious. From above, however, its appearance was innocent -enough, and no chance comer would be likely to descend into the hole. - -Squeezing through the narrow slit, the brothers examined the cleft that -ran down in a steep incline of rock fragments to the water. The simplest -plan would be to bring the boat in there. With strangers likely to appear -at any moment, it would be best to wait until nightfall. The two decided -to return to the cove where they had camped, and wait for darkness. - -Back through the fissure and over the low ground behind the shore ridge, -they made their way cautiously, silently. They went slowly, taking pains -to efface any noticeable tracks or signs of their passage, and watching -and listening alertly for any sight or sound of human beings. A rustling -in the bushes caused both to stand motionless until they caught sight of -the cause, a little, bright-eyed squirrel or a gray-brown snowshoe rabbit -with long ears and big hind feet. Both boys would have liked that fresh -meat for the dinner pot, but they had no wish to attract attention by a -shot. - -When they reached the top of the cliff, they found that the fog had -entirely disappeared, driven away by a light breeze. As they went down -the steep, open slope to the little beach, they knew themselves to be -exposed to the view of anyone who might happen to be looking out from the -woods bordering the cove. Anxiously they scanned woods, rocks and lake, -but saw no sign of any human being. Not a living creature but a fish duck -peacefully riding the water was to be seen. The boat and supplies were -undisturbed. - -The boys stayed quietly in the cove during the remaining hours of -daylight. The beach was partially hidden from the water by the end of the -shore ridge, and screened on the land side by the dense growth of trees -and bushes bordering the pebbles. Beyond the beach was a vertical rock -cliff sheer to the water from its forested summit. Then came another -short stretch of pebbles bounded by a low rock wall and protected by the -jutting mass of rock, only scantily wooded, that formed the dividing line -between the twin coves. To anyone standing over there or among the trees -at the edge of the high central cliff, the boys and their boat would have -been in plain sight. The shot Blaise had heard in the early dawn had come -from somewhere above that cliff, but it was not likely that the man who -had fired that shot was still there. Doubtless he had been hunting. At -any rate the lads had no better place to wait for darkness to come. They -were at least far enough from the pit so their discovery by wandering -Indians or white hunters need not lead to the finding of the furs. As the -day wore on, the brothers cast many an anxious glance around the shores -of the cove. They were startled whenever a squirrel chattered, a -woodpecker tapped loudly on a branch, or two tree trunks rubbed against -one another, swayed by a stronger gust of wind. - -As their food was ill adapted to being eaten raw, they permitted -themselves a small cooking fire, taking care to use only thoroughly dry -wood and to keep a clear flame with as little smoke as possible. After -the kettle had been swung over the fire, Hugh drew from his breast the -packet and examined the outside carefully. The wrapping was of oiled -fish-skin tied securely. - -"Shall we open it, Blaise?" he asked again. - -The younger boy cast a quick glance about him, at the rock slope they had -descended, the dense bushes beyond the pebbles, the forest rim along the -summit of the high central cliff, the rough, wave-eaten rock mass across -the cove. Then his eyes returned to his companion's face and he nodded -silently. - -Curious though he was, Hugh was deliberate in opening the mysterious -packet. He untied the cord and removed the outer cover carefully not to -tear it. Within the oiled skin wrapper was still another of the finest, -whitest, softest doeskin, tied with the same sort of bark cord. The cord -had been passed through holes in a square of paper-thin birch bark. On -the bark label was written in the same faint, muddy brown ink Blaise had -used: - - "To be delivered to M. Ren Dubois, - At Montreal. - Of great importance." - - -Hugh turned over the packet. It was sealed, like the outer wrapper, with -drops of pitch upon which Jean Beaupr's seal had been pressed. For -several minutes the boy sat considering what he ought to do. Then he -looked up at his half-brother's equally grave face. - -"I don't like to open this," Hugh said. "It is addressed to M. Ren -Dubois of Montreal and it is sealed. I think father intended me to take -it to Monsieur Dubois with the seals unbroken. Doubtless he will open it -in my presence and tell me what it contains." - -Blaise nodded understandingly. He had lived long enough in civilization -to realize the seriousness of breaking the seals of a packet addressed to -someone else. "That Monsieur Dubois, do you know him?" he inquired. - -"No, I didn't know my father had any friends in Montreal. He never lived -there, you know. His old home was in Quebec, where I was born. I don't -remember that I ever heard of Monsieur Ren Dubois, but my relatives in -Montreal may know him. Probably I can find him. If I can't, then I think -it would be right to open this packet, but not until I have tried. Shall -I take charge of this, Blaise?" - -"You are the elder and our father said you must take the packet to -Montreal." - -To the impatient Hugh the wait until the sun descended beyond the woods -of the low point across the water seemed long indeed. He found it hard to -realize that only two nights before he and Blaise had reached the point -and had tied up there. They had surely been lucky to find the cache of -furs so soon. - -Not until the shadows of the shore lay deep upon the water did the lads -push off the bateau. They paddled silently out of the little cove and -close under the abrupt, riven rocks, taking care not to let a blade -splash as it dipped and was withdrawn. The water was rippled by the -lightest of breezes, and the moon was bright. The deep cleft where Jean -Beaupr's wrecked boat lay was in black darkness, though. Hugh could not -even make out the stern. His mind was busy with thoughts of the father he -had known so slightly, with speculations about his coming to the island, -about the way he had left it. Through what treachery had he received his -death blow? - -Another rift in the rock was passed before the boys reached a wider, -shallower cleft they felt sure was the one leading to the cache. -Cautiously they turned into the dark mouth of the fissure and grounded -the boat on the pebbles, water-worn and rounded here where the waves -reached them. Overhead the moonlight filtered down among the thick sprays -of the stunted cedars that grew along the rim and even down into the -crack. But the darkness at the bottom was so deep the brothers could -proceed only by feeling their way with both hands and feet. In this -manner they went up over pebbles and angular rock fragments to the narrow -slit in the wall, and squeezed through in pitch blackness to the circular -hollow. - -There was moonlight in the pit, but the cache, close under the rock wall, -was in the shadow. So difficult did the boys find it to remove the stones -in the darkness, that they decided to risk lighting a torch. During the -afternoon Blaise had made a couple of torches of spruce and balsam. He -lighted one now and stuck it in a cranny of the rock just above the heap -of stones. By the feeble, flickering and smoky light, the cache was -uncovered. Pushing and hauling the bales through the narrow crack was -difficult and troublesome. The larger ones would not go through, and had -to be unwrapped and reduced to smaller parcels. Even by the dim light of -the torch, the boys could see that the furs were of excellent quality. -Before loading, the bateau had to be pushed out a little way, Blaise -standing in the water to hold it while Hugh piled in the bales. Then both -climbed in and paddled quietly out of the crack. - -There was not breeze enough for sailing. Hugh and Blaise were anxious to -get away from the spot where they had found the furs and had heard the -shout, but paddling the heavily laden bateau was slow work. Without a -breeze to fill the sail, they were loth to start across the open lake, so -they kept on along shore to the northeast. When they had put a mile or -more between themselves and the place where they had found the furs, they -would camp and wait for sunrise and a breeze. - -Slowly and laboriously they paddled on, close to the high shore. The -calm, moonlit water stretched away on their left. The dark, -forest-crowned rocks, huge, worn and seamed pillars, towered forbiddingly -on the other side. At last the wider view of the water ahead and the -barrenness of the tumbled rocks to the right indicated that they were -reaching the end of the shore along which they had been travelling. - -"We'll land now," said Hugh, "as soon as we can find a place." - -The abrupt, truncated pillars of rock were not so high here, but were -bordered at the water's edge with broken blocks and great boulders, -affording little chance of a landing place. By paddling close in, -however, slowly and cautiously to avoid disaster, the boys discovered a -niche between two blocks of rock, with water deep enough to permit -running the boat in. There they climbed out on the rock and secured the -bateau by a couple of turns of the rope around a smaller block. In rough -weather such a landing would have been impossible, but on this still -night there was no danger of the bateau bumping upon the rocks. Farther -along Blaise found a spot where the solid rock shelved down gradually. -Rolling themselves in their blankets, the brothers stretched out on the -hard bed. - -The plaintive crying of gulls waked Hugh just as the sun was coming up -from the water, a great red ball in the morning mist. "I don't like this -place," he said as he sat up. "We can be seen plainly from the lake." - -"Yes," Blaise agreed, "but we can see far across the lake. If a boat -comes, we shall see it while it is yet a long way off. I think we need -not fear anything from that direction. No, the only way an enemy can draw -near unseen is from the land, from the woods farther back there." - -"The water is absolutely still," Hugh went on. "There isn't a capful of -wind to fill our sail, and we can't paddle this loaded boat clear across -to the mainland. We must find a better place than this, though, to wait -for a breeze. I am going to look around a bit." - -The lads soon found that they were near the end of a point, a worn, -wave-eaten, rock point, bare except for a few scraggly bushes, clumps of -dwarfed white cedar and such mosses and lichens as could cling to the -surface. Farther back were woods, mostly evergreen. The two felt that -they must find a spot where they could wait for a wind without being -visible from the woods. Yet they wanted to remain where they could watch -the weather and get away at the first opportunity. At the very tip of the -point, the slate-gray rocks were abrupt, slightly overhanging indeed, but -in one spot there lay exposed at the base a few feet of low, shelving, -wave-smoothed shore, which must be under water in rough weather. On this -calm day the lower rock shore was dry. There, in the shelter of the -overhanging masses, the boys would be entirely concealed from the land -side. A little farther along on the end of the point, rose an abrupt, -rounded tower of rock. Between the rock tower and the place they had -selected for themselves was a narrow inlet where the bateau would be -fairly well hidden. They shoved the boat out from between the boulders, -where it had lain safe while they slept, and paddled around to the little -inlet. On the wave-smoothed, low rock shore, they kindled a tiny fire of -dry sticks gathered at the edge of the woods, and hung the kettle from a -pole slanted over the flames from a cranny in the steep rock at the rear. - -The wind did not come up as the sun rose higher, as the lads had hoped it -would. The delay was trying, especially to the impetuous Hugh. They had -found the cache, secured the furs and the packet, and had got safely away -with them, only to be stuck here on the end of this point for hours of -idle waiting. Yet even Hugh did not want to start across the lake under -the present conditions. Paddling the bateau had been laborious enough -when it was empty, but now, laden almost to the water-line, the boat was -far worse to handle. Propelling it was not merely hard work, but progress -would be so slow that the journey across to the mainland would be a long -one, with always the chance that the wind, when it did come, might blow -from the wrong quarter. The bateau would not sail against the wind. To -attempt to paddle it against wind and waves would invite disaster. -Sailing the clumsy craft, heavy laden as it was, across the open water -with a fair wind would be quite perilous enough. There was nothing to do -but wait, and this seemed as good a place in which to wait as any they -were likely to find. - - - - - XVIII - THE FLEEING CANOE - - -As the morning advanced, the sun grew hot, beating down on the water and -radiating heat from the rocks. Scarcely a ripple wrinkled the blue -surface of the lake, and the distance was hazy and shimmering. An island -with steep, straight sides, four or five miles northeast of the point, -was plainly visible, but Thunder Cape to the west was so dim it could -barely be discerned. The day was much like the one on which the lads had -come across from the mainland. - -Hugh grew more and more restless. Several times he climbed the only -climbable place on the overhanging rock and peeped between the branches -of a dwarfed cedar bush. He could see across to the edge of the woods, -but he discovered nothing to either interest or alarm him. By the time -the sun had passed the zenith, he could stand inaction no longer. He was -not merely restless. He had become vaguely uneasy. The boat was hidden -from his view by the rocks between. In such a lonely place he would have -had no fear for the furs, had it not been for the shot and the call he -and Blaise had heard. - -"Someone might slip out of the woods and down to the boat without our -catching a glimpse of him," Hugh remarked at last. "I'm going over there -to see if everything is all right." - -To reach the boat, he was obliged to climb to his peeping place and pull -himself up the rest of the way, or else go around and across the top of -the steep rocks. He chose the latter route. The boat and furs he found -unharmed. The only trespasser was a gull that had alighted on one of the -bales and was trying with its strong, sharp beak to pick a hole in the -wrapping. He frightened the bird away, then stopped to drink from his -cupped palm. - -A low cry from Blaise startled him. He glanced up just in time to see his -brother, who had followed him to the top of the rocks, drop flat. -Curiosity getting the better of caution, Hugh sprang up the slope. One -glance towards the west, and he followed the younger lad's example and -dropped on his face. - -"A canoe! They must have seen us." - -Cautiously Hugh raised his head for another look. The canoe was some -distance away. When he had first glimpsed it, it had been headed towards -the point. Now, to his surprise, it was going in the opposite direction, -going swiftly, paddles flashing in the sun. - -"They have turned about, Blaise. Is it possible they didn't see us?" - -"Truly they saw us. My back was that way. I turned my head and there they -were. My whole body was in clear view. Then you came, and they must have -seen you also. They are running away from us." - -"It would seem so indeed, but what do they fear? There are four men in -that canoe, and we are but two." - -"They know not how many we are. They may have enemies on Minong, though I -never heard that any man lived here." - -"Something has certainly frightened them away. They are making good speed -to the west, towards the mainland." - -The boys remained stretched out upon the rock, only their heads raised as -they watched the departing canoe. - -"They turn to the southwest now," Blaise commented after a time. "They go -not to the mainland, but are bound for some other part of Minong." - -"They were bound for this point when we first saw them," was Hugh's -reply. "We don't know what made them change their minds, but we have -cause to be grateful to it whatever----What was that?" - -He sprang to his feet and turned quickly. - -"Lie down," commanded Blaise. "They will see you." - -Hugh, unheeding, plunged down to the bateau. It was undisturbed. Not a -living creature was in sight. Yet something rattling down and falling -with a splash into the water had startled him. He looked about for an -explanation. A fresh scar at the top of the slope showed where a piece of -rock had chipped off. Undoubtedly that was what he had heard. His own -foot, as he lay outstretched, had dislodged the loose, crumbling flake. - -Reminded of caution, Hugh crawled back up the slope instead of going -upright. The canoe was still in sight going southwest. Both boys remained -lying flat until it had disappeared beyond the low point. Then they -returned to the low shore beneath the overhanging rock. For the present -at least there seemed to be nothing to be feared from that canoe, but -would it return, and where was the man who had fired the shot and later -sent that call ringing through the woods? Did he belong with the canoe -party? Had he gone away with them, or was he, with companions perhaps, -somewhere on the wooded ridges? The boys did not know whether to remain -where they were or go somewhere else. - -The weather finally brought them to a decision. All day they had hoped -for a breeze, but when it came it brought with it threatening gray and -white clouds. Rough, dark green patches on the water, that had been so -calm all day, denoted the passing of squalls. Thunder began to rumble -threateningly, and the gray, streaked sky to the north and west indicated -that rain was falling there. The island to the northeast shrank to about -half its former height and changed its shape. It grew dimmer and grayer, -as the horizon line crept gradually nearer. - -"Fog," remarked Blaise briefly. - -"It is coming in," Hugh agreed, "and this is not a good place to be -caught in a thick fog. Shall we go back into the woods?" - -"I think we had best take the bateau and go along the other side of this -point. We cannot start for the mainland to-night, and we shall need a -sheltered place for our camp." - -The fog did not seem to be coming in very rapidly, but by the time the -bateau had been shoved off, the island across the water had disappeared. -The breeze came in gusts only and was not available for sailing. So the -lads were obliged to take up their paddles again. - -Beyond the tower-like rock there was a short stretch of shelving shore, -followed by abrupt, dark rocks of roughly pillared formation. Then came a -gradual slope, rough, seamed and uneven of surface. It looked indeed as -if composed of pillars, the tops of which had been sliced off with a -downward sweep of the giant Kepoochikan's knife. The shore ahead was of a -yellowish gray color, as if bleached by the sun, slanting to the water, -with trees growing as far down as they could find anchorage and -sustenance. These sloping rocks were in marked contrast to those of the -opposite side of the point, along which the boys had come the night -before, where the cliffs and ridges rose so abruptly from the lake. - -After a few minutes of paddling, the brothers found themselves passing -along a channel thickly wooded to the water-line. The land on the right -was a part of the same long point, but on the left were islands with -short stretches of water between, across which still other islands beyond -could be seen. The fog, though not so dense in this protected channel as -on the open lake, was thickening, and the boys kept a lookout for a -camping place. - -When an opening on the left revealed what appeared to be a sheltered bay, -they turned in. Between two points lay two tiny islets, one so small it -could hold but five or six little trees. Paddling between the nearer -point and islet, the boys found themselves in another much narrower -channel, open to the northeast, but apparently closed in the other -direction. Going on between the thickly forested shores,--a dense mass of -spruce, balsam, white cedar, birch and mountain ash,--they saw that what -they had taken for the end of the bay was in reality an almost round -islet so thickly wooded that the shaggy-barked trunks of its big white -cedars leaned far out over the water. The explorers rounded the islet to -find that the shores beyond did not quite come together, leaving a very -narrow opening. Paddling slowly and taking care to avoid the rocks that -rose nearly to the surface and left a channel barely wide enough for the -bateau to pass through, they entered a little landlocked bay, as secluded -and peaceful as an inland pond. - -"We couldn't find a better place," said Hugh, looking around the wooded -shores with satisfaction, "to wait for the weather to clear. We are well -hidden from any canoe that might chance to come along that outer -channel." - -The little pond was shallow. The boat had to be paddled cautiously to -avoid grounding. Below the thick fringe of trees and alders, the prow was -run up on the pebbles. - -"We might as well leave the furs in the boat," Hugh remarked. - -"No." Blaise shook his head emphatically. "We cannot be sure no one will -come in here. The furs we can hide. We ourselves can take to the woods, -but this heavy bateau we cannot hide." - -"I'm not afraid anyone will find us here." - -"We thought there was no one on Minong at all. Yet we have heard a shot -and a call and have seen a canoe." - -"You're right. We can't be too cautious." - -While Hugh unloaded the bales, Blaise went in search of a hiding place. -Returning in a few minutes, he was surprised to find the boat, the prow -of which had just touched the beach, now high and dry on the pebbles for -half its length. Hugh had not pulled the boat up. The water had receded. - -"There is a big old birch tree there in the woods and it is hollow," -Blaise reported. "It has been struck by lightning and is broken. We can -hide the furs there." - -"Won't squirrels or wood-mice get at them?" - -"We will put bark beneath and over them, and we shall not leave them -there long." - -"I hope not surely." - -Blaise lifted a bale and started into the woods. Hugh, with another bale, -was about to follow, when Blaise halted him. - -"Walk not too close to me. Go farther over there. If we go the same way, -we shall make a beaten trail that no one could overlook. We must keep -apart and go and come different ways." - -Hugh grasped the wisdom of this plan at once. He kept considerably to the -left of Blaise until he neared the old birch, and on his return followed -still another route. He was surprised to find that the water had come up -again. The pebbles that had been exposed so short a time before were now -under water once more. The bow of the bateau was afloat and he had to -pull it farther up. - -"There is a sort of tide in here," he remarked as Blaise came out of the -woods. "It isn't a real tide, for it comes and goes too frequently. Do -you know what causes it?" - -"No, though I have seen the water come and go that way in some of the -bays of the mainland." - -"It isn't a true tide, of course," Hugh repeated, "but a sort of -current." - -Going lightly in their soft moccasins, the two made the trips necessary -to transport the furs. They left scarcely any traces of their passage -that might not have been made by some wild animal. Hugh climbed the big, -hollow tree which still stood firm enough to bear his weight. Down into -the great hole in the trunk he lowered a sheet of birch bark that Blaise -had stripped from a fallen tree some distance away. Then Hugh dropped -down the bales, and put another piece of bark on top. The furs were well -hidden. From the ground no one could see anything unusual about the old -tree. - -Returning to the shore, the two pushed off the boat and paddled to -another spot several hundred yards away. There Hugh felled a small poplar -and cut the slender trunk into rollers which he used to pull the heavy -bateau well up on shore where it would be almost hidden by the alders. - -Night was approaching and the wooded shores of the little lake were still -veiled in fog. The water was calm and the damp air spicy with the scent -of balsam and sweet with the odor of the dainty pink twin-flowers. On the -whole of the big island the boys could scarcely have found a more -peaceful spot. The woods were so thick there seemed to be no open spaces -convenient for camping, so the brothers kindled their supper fire on the -pebbles above the water-line, and lay down to sleep in the boat. - - - - - XIX - THE BAY OF MANITOS - - -The night passed quietly, unbroken by any sound of beast, bird or man, -until the crying of the gulls woke the sleepers in the fog-gray dawn. -Chilled and stiff, they threw off their damp blankets and climbed out of -the bateau. By dint of much patience and a quantity of finely shredded -birch bark, a slow fire of damp wood was kindled, the flame growing -brighter as the wood dried out. - -After he had swallowed his last spoonful of corn, Hugh remarked, "If we -are held here to-day, we must try for food of some kind. We haven't -hunted or fished since we left the mainland, and our supplies are going -fast." - -Blaise nodded. "We need fire no shots to fish." - -Fishing in the little pond did not appear promising. When the boys -attempted to paddle through the passageway, they ran aground, and were -forced to wait for the water to rise and float the boat. The same -fluctuation they had noticed the day before was still going on. Luck did -not prove good in the narrow channel, and they went on into the wider one -between the long point and the row of islands. The fog was almost gone, -though the sky was still gray. Would the weather permit a start for the -mainland? - -Turning to the northeast, they went the way they had come the preceding -afternoon. As they approached the end of the last island, they realized -that this was no time to attempt a crossing. Wind there was now, too much -wind. It came from the northwest, and the lake, a deep green under the -gray sky, was heaving with big waves, their tips touched with foam. The -bateau would not sail against that wind. To try to paddle the -heavily-laden boat across those waves would be the worst sort of folly. - -Turning again, they went slowly back through the protected channel, Hugh -wielding the blade while Blaise fished. Luck was still against them. -Either there were no fish in the channel or they were not hungry. On -beyond the entrance to the hiding place, the two paddled. Passing the -abrupt end of an island, they came to a wider expanse of water. They were -still sheltered by the high, wooded ridges to their right, where dark -evergreens and bright-leaved birches rose in tiers. In the other -direction, they could see, between scattered islands, the open lake to -the horizon line. Misty blue hills in the distance ahead, beyond islands -and forested shores, indicated another bay, longer and wider than the one -the _Otter_ had entered. - -Blaise, who was paddling now, raised his blade and looked questioningly -at Hugh. The latter answered the unspoken query. "I am for going on. We -have seen no signs of human beings since that canoe, and we need fish." - -Blaise nodded and dipped his paddle again. As they drew near a reef -running out from the end of a small island, Hugh felt his line tighten. -Fishing from the bateau was much less precarious than from a canoe. -Without endangering the balance of the boat, Hugh hauled in his line -quickly, swung in his fish, a lake trout of eight or ten pounds, and -rapped it smartly on the head with his paddle handle. He then gave the -line to Blaise and took another turn at the paddle. In less than ten -minutes, Blaise had a pink-fleshed trout somewhat smaller than Hugh's. - -Then luck deserted them again. Not another fish responded to the lure of -the hook, though they paddled back and forth beside the reef several -times. They went on along the little island and up the bay for another -mile or more without a nibble. It was a wonderful place, that lonely bay, -fascinating in its wild beauty. Down steep, densely wooded ridges, the -deep green spires of the spruces and balsams, interspersed with paler, -round-topped birches, descended in close ranks. Between the ridges, the -clear, transparent water was edged with gray-green cedars, white-flowered -mountain ashes, alders and other bushes, and dotted with wooded islands. -Far beyond the head of the bay blue hills rose against the sky. The -fishing, however, was disappointing, and paddling the bateau was tiresome -work, so the lads turned back. - -As they passed close to an island, the younger boy's quick eye caught a -movement in a dogwood near the water. A long-legged hare went leaping -across an opening. - -"If we cannot get fish enough, we will eat rabbit," said the boy, turning -the boat into a shallow curve in the shore of the little island. "I will -set some snares. If we are delayed another day, we will come in the -morning to take our catch." - -Tying the boat to an overhanging cedar tree, the brothers went ashore. On -the summit of the island, in the narrowest places along a sort of runway -evidently frequented by hares, Blaise set several snares of cedar bark -cord. While the younger brother was placing his last snare, Hugh returned -to the boat. He startled a gull perched upon the prow, and the bird rose -with a harsh cry of protest at being disturbed. Immediately the cry was -repeated twice, a little more faintly each time. Hugh looked about for -the birds that had answered. No other gulls were in sight. Then he -realized that what he had heard was a double echo, unusually loud and -clear. Forgetting caution he let out a loud, "Oh--O." It came back -promptly, "Oh--o, o--o." - -"Be quiet!" The words were hissed in a low voice, as Blaise leaped out -from among the trees. "Canoes are coming. We must hide." - -He darted back into the woods, Hugh following. Swiftly they made their -way to the summit of the island. The growth was thin along the irregular -rock lane. Blaise dropped down and crawled, Hugh after him. Lying flat in -a patch of creeping bearberry, the younger lad raised his head a little. -Hugh wriggled to his side, and, peeping through a serviceberry bush, -looked out across the water. - -The warning had been justified. Two canoes, several men in each, were -coming up the bay. The nearest canoe was not too far away for Hugh to -make out in the center a man who towered, tall and broad, above the -others. The boy remembered the gigantic Indian outlined against the sky, -as his canoe passed in the early dawn. He saw him again, standing -motionless, with folded arms, in the red light of the fire. - -Blaise, close beside him, whispered in his ear, "Ohrante himself. What -shall we do?" - -If the canoes came down the side of the island where the bateau was, -discovery was inevitable. For a moment, Hugh's mind refused to work. A -gull circled out over the water, screaming shrilly. Like a ray of light a -plan flashed into the boy's head. - -"Stay here," he whispered. "Keep still. Remember the 'Bay of Spirits.'" - -Swiftly Hugh wriggled back and darted down through the woods to the spot -where the bateau lay. He crouched behind an alder bush, drew a long -breath, and sent a loud, shrill cry across the water. Immediately it was -repeated once, twice, ringing back across the channel from the islands -and steep shore beyond. Before the final echo had died away, he sent his -voice forth again, this time in a hoarse bellow. Then, in rapid -succession, he hooted like an owl, barked like a dog, howled like a wolf, -whistled piercingly with two fingers in his mouth, imitated the mocking -laughter of the loon, growled and roared and hissed and screamed in every -manner he could devise and with all the power of his strong young lungs. -The roughened and cracked tones of his voice, not yet through turning -from boy's to man's, made his yells and howls and groans the more weird -and demoniac. And each sound was repeated once and again, producing a -veritable pandemonium of unearthly noises which seemed to come from every -side. - -Pausing to take breath, Hugh was himself startled by another voice, not -an echo of his own, which rang out from somewhere above him, loud and -shrill. It spoke words he did not understand, and no echo came back. A -second time the voice cried out, still in the same strange language, but -now Hugh recognized the names Ohrante and Minong and then, to his -amazement, that of his own father Jean Beaupr. For an instant the lad -almost believed that this was indeed a "Bay of Spirits." Who but a spirit -could be calling the name of Jean Beaupr in this remote place? Who but -Blaise, Beaupr's other son? It was Blaise of course, crying out in -Ojibwa from up there at the top of the island. He had uttered some threat -against Ohrante. - -Suddenly recalling his own part in the game, Hugh sent out another -hollow, threatening owl call, "Hoot-ti-toot, toot, hoot-toot!" The -ghostly voices repeated it, once, twice. Then he wailed and roared and -tried to scream like a lynx. He was in the midst of the maniacal loon -laugh, when Blaise slipped through the trees to his side. - -"They run away, my brother." The quick, flashing smile that marked him as -Jean Beaupr's son crossed the boy's face. "They have turned their canoes -and paddle full speed. The manitos you called up have frightened them -away. For a moment, before I understood what you were about, those spirit -cries frightened me also." - -"And you frightened me," Hugh confessed frankly, "when you shouted from -up there." - -A grim expression replaced the lad's smile. "The farther canoe had -turned, but the first still came on, with Ohrante urging his braves. Then -I too played spirit! But let us go back and see if they still run away." - -Hugh sent out another hoarse-voiced roar or two and Blaise added a war -whoop and a very good imitation of the angry cat scream of a lynx. Then -both slipped hurriedly through the trees to the top of the island and -sought the spot where they had first watched the approaching canoes. The -canoes were still visible, but farther away and moving rapidly down the -bay. - -"They think this a bay of demons," Hugh chuckled. "The echoes served us -well. But what was it you said to them, Blaise?" - -"I said, 'Beware! Come no farther or you die, every man!' They heard and -held their paddles motionless. Then I said, 'Beware of the manitos of -Minong, O Ohrante, murderer of our white son, Jean Beaupr.'" - -"Blaise, I believe it _was_ Ohrante who killed father." - -"I know not. The thought came into my head that if he was the man he -might be frightened if he heard that the manitos knew of the deed. And he -was frightened." - -"Did he order the canoe turned?" - -"I heard no order. He sat quite still. He made no move to stay his men -when they turned the canoe about. Ohrante is a bold man, yet he was -frightened. That I know." - -"Was it one of those canoes we saw yesterday, do you think?" - -"It may be, but Ohrante was not in it. He is so big, far away though they -were, we should have seen him." - -"We couldn't have helped seeing him. I wonder if they came around the end -of the long point. How could they in such a sea?" - -"It may be that the waves have gone down out there. See how still the -water is in here now." - -"Then we can start for the mainland. We must go back. The canoes are out -of sight." - -"No, no, that would be folly. If they go straight out of this bay all -will be well, but we know not where they go or how far or where they may -lie in wait. No, no, Hugh, we have frightened them away from this spot, -but we dare not leave it ourselves until darkness comes." - - - - - XX - HUGH CLIMBS THE RIDGE - - -The small island was scarcely a half mile in circumference, and it did -not take Hugh and Blaise long to explore it. Its only inhabitants -appeared to be squirrels, hares and a few birds. Breakfast had been -light, and by mid-afternoon the boys were very hungry. The lighting of a -fire involved some risk, but they could not eat raw fish. On a bit of -open rock at the extreme upper or southwest end of the island, they made -a tiny blaze, taking care to keep the flame clear and almost smokeless, -and broiled the fish over the coals. The meal put both in better spirits -and helped them to await with more patience the coming of night. - -The evening proved disappointing. The sun set behind black clouds that -came up from the west. The water was calm, the air still and oppressive, -and above the ridges lightning flashed. The prospect of making a start -across the open lake was not good. Yet in one way the threatening weather -served the lads well. The night was intensely dark. The lightning was too -far away to illuminate land or water, and this black darkness furnished -good cover. When they pushed off from the little island, they could see -scarcely a boat's length ahead. - -Close to the shores of the islands and the long point, they paddled, -avoiding wide spaces, which were, even on this dark night, considerably -lighter than the land-shadowed water. As he sat in the stern trying to -dip and raise his paddle as noiselessly as his half-brother in the bow, -Hugh felt that the very bay had somehow changed its character. That -morning the place had seemed peaceful and beautiful, but to-night it had -turned sinister and threatening. The low hanging, starless sky, the dark, -wooded islands, the towering ridge, its topmost line of tree spires a -black, jagged line against the pale flashes of lightning, the still, -lifeless water, the intense silence broken only by the far-away rumble of -thunder and the occasional high-pitched, squeaking cry of some night -bird, all seemed instinct with menace. The boy felt that at any moment a -swift canoe, with the gigantic figure of Ohrante towering in the bow, -might dart out of some black shadow. Frankly Hugh was frightened, and he -knew it. But the knowledge only made him set his teeth hard, gaze keenly -and intently into the darkness about him and ply his paddle with the -utmost care. What his half-brother's feelings were he could not guess. He -only knew that Blaise was paddling steadily and silently. - -In the thick darkness, the older boy was not quite sure of the way back -to the hidden pond, but Blaise showed no doubt or hesitation. He found -the channel between the point and the chain of islands, and warned Hugh -just when to turn through the gap into the inner channel. When it came to -feeling the way past the round islet and through the narrow passage, Hugh -ceased paddling and trusted entirely to Blaise. The latter strained his -eyes in the effort to see into the darkness, but so black was it on every -hand that even he had to depend more on feeling with his paddle blade -than on his sense of sight. It was partly luck that he succeeded in -taking the boat through without worse accident than grating a rock. He -did not attempt to cross the little pond, but ran the bateau up on the -pebbles just beyond the entrance. - -Hugh drew a long sigh of relief. They were back safe in the hidden pond -near the cache of furs. The sense of menace that had oppressed him was -suddenly lifted, and he felt an overpowering physical and mental -weariness. Blaise must have had some similar feeling, for he had not a -word to say as they climbed out of the bateau and pulled it farther up. -In silence he lay down beside Hugh in the bottom of the boat. In spite of -the rumbling of the thunder, and the flashing of the lightning, the two -boys fell asleep immediately. - -The storm passed around and no rain fell, but the sleepers were awakened -towards dawn by a sharp change in the weather. The air had turned cold, -wind rustled the trees, broken clouds were scudding across the sky -uncovering clear patches. The morning dawned bright. The little pond was -still, but it was impossible to tell what the weather might be outside. -The only way to find out was to go see. Their adventure of the day before -had made the boys more than ever anxious to get away from Isle Royale at -the first possible moment. Yet the thought that Ohrante might be lurking -somewhere near made them cautious. They hesitated to leave their hiding -place until they were sure they could strike out across the lake. To load -the furs and start out, only to be obliged to turn back, seemed a double -risk. - -"If the lake is rough it is likely that Ohrante and his band have not -gone far," Blaise remarked. "They may be in this very bay." - -"That does not follow," Hugh replied quickly and with better reasoning. -"There was a long interval between the time when we saw them and the -coming of the storm-clouds. Because the lake was rough in the morning is -no sign it was rough all day. They must have come in here from somewhere, -and we know that the wind changed. The water in the bay was as still as -glass last night. Ohrante was surely well frightened and I have little -doubt they made good speed away from the Bay of Spirits." Hugh was silent -for a few moments. Then he asked abruptly, "What would happen if we -should encounter Ohrante? He can't know what brought us here, and we have -done him no harm. Why should he harm us when he has nothing against us?" - -"He has this against us, that we are the sons of Jean Beaupr." - -"He doesn't know we are." - -"He knows me. He has seen me more than once and knows me for the son of -my father. Ohrante forgets not those he has seen." - -"I didn't know he knew you. He can't know me. Probably he doesn't even -know that father had another son. I'll go alone in the bateau, Blaise, -down the channel, and see how the lake looks." - -"No, no," Blaise objected. "You must not take such a risk. If you go out -there, I will go too." - -"That would spoil the whole plan. If Ohrante catches sight of you, it -will be all up with both of us. He doesn't know me. If he glimpses me, he -may even be afraid to show himself. He may think me one of a party of -white men, and he is a fugitive from justice." - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. - -"Well, at any rate," Hugh protested, "I shall have a better chance if you -aren't with me. I don't believe I shall see anything of Ohrante or his -men, but I run less risk alone. I will be cautious. I'll not expose -myself more than I can help. Instead of going out along the point by -water, I'll paddle across the channel and then take to the woods. I can -climb to the top of the ridge, under cover all the way, and look out -across the lake. It can't be very far up there. I shall be back in an -hour. You must stay here and guard the furs." - -The expression of the younger lad's face betrayed that he did not like -this new plan much better than the first one, but he voiced no further -objection. - -Hugh pushed off the bateau, waved his hand to the sober-faced Blaise, and -paddled through the narrow waterway and out of sight. After his brother -had gone, Blaise picked his way along the shore of the pond and into the -woods to the cache. He found no signs of disturbance around the old -birch, and, climbing up, he looked down into the hollow. The rotten wood -and dead leaves he and Hugh had strewn over the bark cover seemed -undisturbed. Satisfied that the furs were safe, Blaise climbed down -again. He was reminded though that Hugh still had the packet. He wished -he had asked his elder brother to leave it behind. - -The half-breed boy waited with the patience inherited from his Indian -mother. But when the sun reached its highest point he began to wonder. -Surely it could not take Hugh so long to cross to the point, climb to the -top and return. From experience of untracked woods and rough ridges, -Blaise knew the trip was probably a harder one than Hugh had imagined, -but the latter was not inexperienced in rough going. Unless he had -encountered extraordinary difficulties, had been obliged to go far -around, or had become lost, he should have been back long before. The -possibility that Hugh had become lost, Blaise dismissed from his mind at -once. With the ridge ahead and the water behind him, only the very -stupidest of men could have lost himself in daylight. That he had come to -some crack or chasm he could not cross or some cliff he could not scale, -and had been compelled to go far out of his way, was possible. Blaise had -come to know Hugh's stubborn nature. If he had started to go to the top -of the ridge, there he would go, if it was in the power of possibility. - -There seemed to be nothing Blaise could do but wait. Even if he had -thought it wise to follow his elder brother, he had no boat. Sunset came -and still no Hugh. The lad felt he could delay action no longer. - -The pond was in the interior of a small island. Blaise made up his mind -to cross to the shore bordering on the channel that separated the island -from the long point. Through the woods he took as direct a route as he -could. The growth was thick, but there was still plenty of light. In a -very few minutes he saw the gleam of water among the trees ahead. He -slipped through cautiously, not to expose himself until he had taken -observations. His body concealed by a thick alder bush, he looked across -the strip of water, studying the opposite shore line. - -The shore was in shadow now and the trees grew to the water. Letting his -eyes travel along foot by foot, he caught sight of the thing he sought, a -bit of weather-stained wood, not the trunk or branch of a dead tree, -projecting a little way from the shadow of a cedar. That was the end of -the bateau. Hugh had crossed the channel, had left his boat and gone into -the woods. - -Slipping between the bushes, Blaise glanced along his own side of the -channel, then made his way quickly to the spot where a birch tree had -toppled from its insecure hold into the water. With his sharp hatchet, -the boy quickly severed the roots that were mooring the fallen tree to -the shore. Then, with some difficulty, he succeeded in shoving the birch -farther out into the channel and climbing on the trunk. His weight, as he -sat astride the tree trunk between the branches, pulled it down a little, -but the upper part of his body was well above water. The channel was -deep, with some current, which caught the tree and floated it away from -shore. Like most woods Indians and white voyageurs, Blaise was not -skilled in swimming, but the water was calm and, as long as he clung to -his strange craft, he was in no danger of drowning. Leaning forward, he -cut off a branch to use as a paddle and with it was able to make slow -headway across. He could not guide himself very well, and the current -bore him down. He succeeded with his branch paddle in keeping the tree -from turning around, however. It went ashore, the boughs catching in a -bush that grew on the water's edge, some distance below the spot where -the bateau was drawn up in the shelter of the leaning cedar. - - - - - XXI - THE GRINNING INDIAN - - -When Hugh passed out of the narrow channel into the wider one, he ran his -eyes searchingly along the opposite shore, alert for any signs of human -beings. Then he looked to the right and left, up and down the channel and -the shores of the small islands. He saw nothing to cause him -apprehension. Putting more strength into his paddle strokes, he crossed -as quickly as he could, and ran the bateau in beside a leaning cedar tree -with branches that swept the water. The bow touched the shore, and Hugh -climbed out and made the boat fast. He felt sure it would be concealed -from down channel by the thick foliage of the cedar. From up channel the -bateau was not so well hidden, but this place seemed to be the only spot -that offered any concealment whatever, so he was forced to be content. He -would not be gone long anyway, and he was well satisfied that Ohrante and -his band would not return soon to the Bay of Manitos. - -This was by no means the first time Hugh had been through untracked woods -and over rough ground, yet he found the trip to the ridge top longer and -more difficult than he had expected. The growth, principally of -evergreens, was dense and often troublesome to push through. The bedrock, -a few feet from shore, was covered deeply with soft leaf mould and -decayed wood and litter, forming a treacherous footing. Sometimes he -found it firm beneath his feet, again he would sink half-way to his -knees. Wherever a tree had fallen, lightening the dense shade, tangles of -ground yew had sprung up. The rise on this side of the point was gradual -compared with the abrupt cliffs of the northwest side, but the slope -proved to be, not an unbroken grade, but an irregular succession of low -ridges with shallow gullies between. By the general upward trend, -occasional glimpses of the water behind him, and the angle at which the -sunlight came through the trees, Hugh kept his main direction, going in -as straight a line as he could. Under ordinary circumstances he would -have used his hatchet to blaze his way, so that he might be sure of -returning by the same route, but he hesitated to leave so plain a trail. -It was not likely that Ohrante would come across the track, but Hugh was -taking no chances. If the giant Iroquois should come down the channel and -find the bateau, a blazed trail into the woods would make pursuit -altogether too easy. Though he was in too great a hurry to take any -particular care to avoid leaving footprints, Hugh did not mark his trail -intentionally and even refrained from cutting his way through the thick -places. The whole distance from the shore to the summit of the highest -ridge probably did not exceed a mile, and did not actually take as long -as it seemed in the climbing. - -He hoped that he might come out in a bare spot where he could see across -the water, but he was disappointed. The ridge was almost flat topped and -trees cut off his view in every direction. Going on across the summit, -however, he pushed his way among the growth, to find himself standing on -the very rim of an almost vertical descent. He looked directly down upon -the tops of the sturdy trees and shrubs that clung to the rock by -thrusting their roots far into holes and crannies. Beyond stretched the -lake, rich blue under a clear sky. A little to his left, a projecting -block of rock a few feet below offered a chance for a better view. He let -himself down on the rock and took an observation. The lake was not too -rough to venture out upon, when the need of crossing was so great. He -noted with satisfaction that the breeze was only moderate. The direction, -a little east of north, was not unfavorable for reaching the mainland, -though steering a straight course for the Kaministikwia would be -impossible. - -Hugh turned to climb back the way he had come down. He gave a gasp, -almost lost his footing, and seized a sturdy juniper root to keep himself -from falling. Directly above him, on the verge of the ridge, stood a -strange man, from his features, dark skin and long black hair evidently -an Indian,--but not Ohrante. It flashed through Hugh's mind that on level -ground he might be a match for this fellow. They were not on level ground -though. The Indian had the advantage of position. Moreover Hugh's only -arms were the hatchet and knife in his belt. The Indian carried a musket -ready in his hand. That he realized to the full his advantage was proved -by the malicious grin on his bronze face. There was no friendliness in -that grin, only malevolence and vindictiveness. - -Hugh knew himself to be in a bad position. Probably the Indian was one of -Ohrante's followers, and they were a wild crew, outlaws and renegades, -their hand against every man and every man's hand against them. The -picture of the prisoner being tortured in the firelight crossed the boy's -mind in a vivid flash, and a shudder crept up his back. Then the grin on -the Indian's face sent a wave of anger over Hugh that steadied him. He -must be cool at all costs and not show fear. - -Moving a step, to a more secure footing, he looked the fellow straight in -the eyes. "Bo jou," Hugh said, using the corruption of the French "Bon -jour" common among traders and Indians. - -"Bo jou, white man," the other replied in French. - -Both were silent for a moment. Hugh did not know what to say next and the -Indian seemed content to say nothing. Suddenly Hugh made up his mind, -resolving on a bold course. - -"What is this place?" he asked. "Is it island or mainland?" - -"Ne compr'ney," was the only answer. - -Hugh took the phrase to be an attempt to say that the other did not -understand. He repeated his questions in French, then tried English, but -the Indian merely stared at him, the sardonic grin still distorting his -lips, and replied in the same manner. Either he really did not -understand, the two French phrases being all the white man's speech he -knew, or he did not wish to talk. Yet Hugh made another attempt at -conversation. - -"I was driven here in the storm last night," he volunteered, "and my -canoe wrecked and my companion drowned. We were on our way down shore -from the New Fort with our winter supplies, but they are all lost. What -is this place? I never saw it before and I do not like it. This morning I -heard strange sounds, unlike any I ever heard made by man or animal. The -devil was at large I think," and he crossed himself in the French manner. - -During the speech Hugh had kept his eyes closely fixed on the Indian's -face. He thought when he mentioned the strange sounds that he detected a -quiver of interest, but it was gone in an instant. The fellow merely -repeated his singsong "Ne compr'ney." There was no use saying more. -Determined not to show that he expected or feared any violence, Hugh -started to climb up the projecting rock. Somewhat to the boy's surprise, -the Indian made no move to stop him. However, he kept his gun ready for -instant use. - -After gaining the top Hugh was in a quandary how to proceed. He did not -believe the man's intentions were friendly. Would it be wise to strike -first? At the thought, his hand, almost unconsciously, sought his knife. -Before he could grasp the handle, the Indian made a swift movement, and -the end of the musket barrel rested against Hugh's chest. The flint-lock -musket was primed and cocked, ready to fire. Resistance was useless. Hugh -stood motionless, looked the fellow in the eye and feigned anger. - -"What do you mean?" he cried, trying to make his meaning plain by his -voice and manner even though his captor could not understand the words. -"What do you mean by threatening me, a white man, with your musket?" - -The gun was moved back a trifle, but the bronze face continued to grin -maliciously. To show that he was not afraid, Hugh took a step forward, -and opened his mouth to speak again, but the words were not uttered. As -his weight shifted to his forward foot, he was seized from behind, and -thrown sidewise, his head crashing against the trunk of a tree. - - - - - XXII - BLAISE FOLLOWS HUGH'S TRAIL - - -Blaise had no difficulty finding the place where Hugh had gone into the -woods. The white boy thought he had been careful about leaving a trail, -but to the half-breed lad the indications were plain enough. Most of the -tracks were such as might have been made by any large animal, but Blaise -knew Hugh had landed at this spot intending to go directly to the ridge -top. The younger boy was confident that trampled undergrowth, prints in -the leaf mould, freshly broken branches, were all signs of his brother's -passage. - -At first he followed the trail easily, but the long northern twilight was -waning. As the darkness gathered in the woods, tracking grew increasingly -difficult. Blaise had no wish to attract attention by lighting a torch. -As he penetrated the thick growth, he was not only unable to find Hugh's -trail, but was obliged sometimes to feel his own way and was in grave -doubt whether he was going aright. Coming out into a more open spot, -where several trees had fallen, he examined, as well as he could in the -dim light, the moss-covered trunks for some sign that Hugh had climbed -over them. A fresh break where the decayed wood had crumbled away under -foot, a patch of bruised moss, the delicate fruiting stalks broken and -crushed, were enough to convince him that he was still on the right -track. - -Alternately losing the trail and finding it again, he came to the summit -of the ridge. Crossing the top, he found himself on the rim of the cliff, -but not in the same spot where his brother had come out. He had missed -Hugh's trail on the last upward slope, and was now a hundred feet or more -to the left of the projecting block of rock. For a few minutes Blaise -stood looking about him. He glanced out over the water, noting that the -sky was partly cloud covered. He could make out the low point, and he -realized that the rock shore with the fissures must lie almost directly -below him. The twin coves, where he and Hugh had camped, could not be far -to the left. Blaise was not concerned just now with either place, he was -merely obeying the Indian instinct to note his whereabouts and to take -his bearings. - -The lad was at a loss how to proceed. That Hugh had reached the rim of -the ridge somewhere along here seemed more than probable. Where had he -gone then? Blaise could scarcely believe that his elder brother had -attempted to climb down that abrupt descent. If he had gone down there -and through the woods and over the rocks to the water, he could have got -no better view of the open lake,--and Hugh had been in haste. No, he had -certainly not gone down there of his own accord. If he had started back -the way he had come, what had happened to him? Blaise shook his head in -perplexity. Of only one thing was he sure. Some disaster had overtaken -Hugh. Had he made a misstep and plunged down the cliff, or had Ohrante -something to do with his disappearance? - -The first thing to do, Blaise decided, was to search along the ridge top -for some further sign of Hugh or of what had befallen him. He turned to -the right and made his way along as close to the edge as he could, -stooping down every few paces to seek for some clue. The night was -lighter now, for the moon had come out from behind the clouds. When he -reached the spot just above the projecting rocks, Blaise stopped still. -There was no need to search for signs here, they were quite plain. The -moon shone down on the little open space where Hugh and the strange -Indian had confronted one another. It was clear to the half-breed boy -that there had been a struggle. The gray caribou moss was crushed and -trampled and torn up by the roots. A branch of a little jackpine on the -edge of the opening showed a fresh break and hanging from that branch was -a torn scrap of deerskin. But that was not all. Lying on the moss, in -plain sight in the moonlight, was a small, dark object, a bit of steel -such as was commonly used with a piece of flint for fire making. Blaise -picked up the steel. It was the one Hugh carried, beyond doubt. - -What did those marks of struggle mean? They were too far back to indicate -that Hugh had lost his footing and slipped over the edge, seizing the -tree to keep himself from falling. No, that was quite impossible, for the -jackpine grew at least ten feet from the rim of the cliff. Had Hugh -fought with some animal? Blaise knew of no animal likely, at that season -of the year, to make an unprovoked attack upon a man. He felt sure that -Hugh had too much sense to strike first with knife or hatchet at a bear -or moose. Moreover if an animal had slain him it would scarcely have -carried him away. Every indication pointed to an encounter, not with a -beast, but with a man. Hugh must have come across Ohrante or some of his -followers. Had they killed him or taken him prisoner? If they had killed -him they would not have troubled to take away his body. They would have -taken his scalp and gone on their way,--unless of course they had thrown -him over the cliff. Blaise looked down the abrupt descent, now bathed in -moonlight. Should he seek down there for Hugh or in some other direction? -He decided to look around a little more before attempting to climb down. - -Almost immediately he found further traces. Beyond the jackpine more -crushed moss and broken bushes and trampled undergrowth showed plainly -that someone, more than one man probably, had gone that way not many -hours before, had gone boldly and confidently, careless of leaving a -trail. Blaise dropped on his knees to make a closer examination. The -moonlight helped him, and he soon came to the conclusion, from the shape -of a footprint impressed clearly in a bit of loose earth, that one man at -least had gone in that direction, whether he had come that way or not. -The print was too large for Hugh's foot, but, a little farther on, Blaise -found another smaller track that he thought might be Hugh's. It pointed -the same way as the larger print. - -The beginning of the trail was now plain, but could he follow it in the -darkness of the woods? He must try anyway. He would go as far as he -could, taking care not to lose the tracks. - -Blaise did not succeed in following far. No longer was he aided by any -knowledge of the general direction those he was pursuing would be likely -to take. Under the trees the moonlight was of little assistance. He soon -lost the tracks and was compelled to go back to the starting point. He -tried again and lost the trail a second time. A white boy, in his anxiety -and impatience, would probably have persisted in the hopeless attempt, -and would have lost the trail and himself. But Blaise was part Indian. -Anxious though he was over Hugh's fate, he knew when to wait as well as -when to go forward. By daylight he could doubtless find the trail easily, -and could cover in a few minutes ground that in darkness might take him -hours, if he could find his way over it at all. He seated himself on a -cushion of dry caribou moss near the rim of the ridge to wait, -sleeplessly and watchfully. - -Dawn came at last. When the light was strong enough to make it possible -to find his way through the woods, Blaise again took up the trail. The -tracks he had started to follow and had lost in the first bit of dense -growth, led him, not through, but around the thick place, into a sort of -open rock lane bordered with trees and running along the ridge top. To -his great surprise, when he reached the end of the open stretch, he came -upon a clearly defined trail. It was not merely a track made by one or -two men coming and going once. It gave evidence of having been travelled -a number of times. The soft moccasins of the Indian do not wear a path as -quickly as the boots of the white man, but this trail was well enough -trodden to be followed easily. No blazes marked the trees and no clearing -had been done other than the breaking or hacking off of an occasional -troublesome branch. The men who made that trail had gone around the -obstacles, instead of cutting through or removing them, but any white man -who knew anything of woods' running could have followed it. - -The half-breed boy hastened along without hesitation, scarcely thinking -of the trail itself, but with eyes and ears open for signs of other human -beings. That travelled way must lead, he felt sure, to some more or less -permanent camp. Had Hugh fallen into Ohrante's hands or into those of -some tribe of permanent inhabitants of Minong? Blaise hoped heartily that -it might be the latter. Even if they were inclined to be hostile, he -feared such an unknown people less than he did the too well known -Iroquois. - -Going noiselessly, with every sense alert, the boy caught sight of -something moving among the trees ahead. Instantly he dropped to the -ground and slipped like a snake among trees and bushes and through -undergrowth to the left of the trail. Behind a dense clump of balsams -that had sprung up about a parent tree, he lay motionless. When he -thought he had waited long enough, he crept cautiously back towards the -trail. Moving bushes a little distance away in the direction from which -he had come, a glimpse of a black head told the boy he had just missed an -encounter. - -A short distance farther on, the trail turned to the right and plunged -down an abrupt descent. Then the way wound up and down over low ridges, -the outer slopes of which were steep to abruptness, and through boggy -ravines with thick growth and treacherous moss and mud. Following a -general downward trend, the trail led at last to almost level ground. Now -Blaise went forward with the utmost caution, for he felt that the end -must be near at hand. On this lower ground, near the water, the village -or camp must be situated. Presently the lad stopped, stood still and -sniffed the air. He smelled smoke. - - - - - XXIII - A CAPTIVE - - -Hugh's fall stunned him for a moment, and that moment was his undoing. -When he came to himself, he was propped against the tree, his knife and -hatchet gone. Two Indians were binding his wrists with a rawhide rope. -Dizzy, his head spinning, he fought to free himself, but to no avail. The -knots were tied, and he struggled to his feet to confront the malicious -grin of the young Indian whom he had first encountered, and the ugly, -lowering face of another, older savage of short, squat figure. It must -have been this fellow's long, strong arms that had seized and thrown the -boy. Recovering himself a little, Hugh looked desperately about for a way -of escape. His captors understood that glance. The squat man seized his -arm in a grip that almost made the boy cry out, while the young fellow, -who had picked up his long gun, raised it threateningly. - -In spite of his aching head, the sickness at his stomach and a general -feeling of misery and despair, physical and mental, the boy made an -heroic effort to stand erect and, with calm and impassive face, look his -enemies in the eye. He knew that to show weakness or fear would only make -matters worse. He must assume an indifference and unconcern he was far -from feeling, at the same time keeping alert for any chance of gaining an -advantage. - -He was not left long in doubt of his captors' immediate intentions. With -a guttural grunt, the man who held his arm turned him about and led him -around the jackpine, the other following, musket ready. They went through -the woods, and came out into an open rock lane bordered with trees and -bushes. There they turned to the right. It was of no use to struggle. -Hugh had no chance to get away. Even if he had been able to break loose -from the iron grip of the squat man, or, by thrusting out a foot, trip -him and twist himself from the Indian's grasp, he could not hope to -escape the fellow with the gun. The latter would most certainly have shot -him or clubbed him into unconsciousness. - -Hugh went in silence, until they entered a trail leading from the open -lane. Then he attempted a question. "Where do you take me, to whom?" he -asked. - -Receiving no answer but the young fellow's singsong "Ne compr'ney" and a -sullen grunt from the older savage, the boy made another attempt. Loudly -and vigorously, to make his anger clear by his voice and manner, he -uttered an indignant protest. What did they mean by such treatment of a -white man of peaceable and friendly intentions, who had never done wrong -to them or to any other Ojibwa? He voiced his indignation in both English -and French, apparently without effect, except to cause the squat Indian -to tighten his grip and the grinning one to prod the captive in the back -with his musket. - -Curiously enough, that prod, instead of frightening the lad, made him -blaze with anger. The blood surged to his face. With difficulty he -restrained himself from turning to give battle. But one cool spot in his -brain told him that such an act would be suicide. He must keep his wrath -under control and use guile instead of force, if he was ever to see -Blaise again and escape with their joint inheritance. So he controlled -himself and went quietly where his captors led him. Questions and -protests were worse than useless. - -It was not a path they were following, merely a trail trodden down more -or less by use. As Indians and woodsmen always go single file, the way -was narrow. The squat Indian went ahead, the end of the rawhide that -bound Hugh's wrists wrapped about his hand. He went rapidly, and Hugh, -his arms extended in front of him, had to step quickly to keep from being -dragged. Behind him the other man gave him an occasional reminder by -touching him between the shoulders with the gun barrel. Every time he -felt that touch, wrath surged up in Hugh. The boy would have been less -than human if he had not been afraid of the fate in store for him, but he -was proving himself the true son of his father. Every threat or insult -produced in him a hot anger that, for the moment, completely blotted out -fear. Yet he strove to hold himself in check, to keep calm and silent and -to appear unconscious of the fellow behind him. - -Had Hugh not been active and light-footed, he could not have kept pace -with his guards on the rough and winding trail. The squat Indian showed -not the slightest consideration for his captive. Hugh knew that if he -lagged, tripped or fell, he would be dragged along regardless of his -comfort. In addition he would probably be kicked or prodded by the man -behind. So he exerted himself to keep up the swift pace with truly Indian -agility. - -The trail turned to the right and led to the edge of an abrupt decline. -The older Indian let go his hold of the boy, to climb down, but the other -man kept the muzzle of his gun between Hugh's shoulders. The lad wondered -if the two expected him to go down that almost vertical descent with -bound arms. He was still wondering when the Indian in front reached the -bottom. The man in the rear, without warning, suddenly seized the boy -about the waist, swung him off his feet, and literally dropped him over -the edge. - -Hugh went sliding down, trying to save himself from too rapid a descent -by gripping the rock with his moccasined feet. In a flash he saw that he -would land right in the arms of the man at the bottom. If he could only -strike the Indian in the stomach with enough force to knock him down, and -then dodge aside swiftly before the other fellow could pick up his gun -again---- Far more quickly than it can be told the plan was born in the -boy's mind. The squat Indian's long arms were stretched out and up. His -powerful hands gripped Hugh. The lad tried to throw himself forward, but -the sturdy figure stood firm. The Indian swung Hugh around, and in an -instant had him flat on his back in a tangle of prickly juniper. The -captive's one attempt to escape had failed. - -Bruised and battered by his slide down the rocks, Hugh was jerked to his -feet. The younger savage was beside him now, ready to take up his -position in the rear. The two wasted no time. The older man gripped the -rawhide again and the march was resumed. Speed was not slackened even in -the steep places, and Hugh was put to it to keep up and not lose his -footing. The general course was downward, until they reached almost level -ground, thickly wooded with evergreens, where the trail led over many -fallen tree trunks, decayed and moss covered. Then they went up a few -feet of rise, like a low and ruinous rock wall. To his left among the -trees, Hugh could see the gleam of water. - -The squat Indian sprang down from the natural wall, and Hugh leaped with -him, to avoid being dragged down. He found himself almost on a level with -the water, among scattering broad-leaved trees and bushes. A few steps -farther and, rounding a clump of mountain ash, he came in sight of a -small birch bark lodge, of the conical wigwam form sometimes used by the -Ojibwas for temporary dwellings to be occupied a few days or a week or -two. The more permanent lodges were commonly of a different shape with -rounded roofs. In a moment another, slightly larger wigwam came in view. -A thin curl of smoke rose from the remains of a fire, and a canoe lay on -the sand beach. No human beings were to be seen. - -The two Indians marched their captive to the cleared spot where the fire -smouldered. Then, before the boy realized his intention, the squat man -turned quickly, put his arm about Hugh's waist, tripping him cleverly at -the same time, threw him backwards to the ground and sat upon him. -Without a word spoken, the grinning savage dropped his musket, seized a -strip of rawhide and set to work to tie the prisoner's ankles together. -Hugh attempted to kick, but the squat man prodded him unmercifully in the -stomach. The boy realized that he could not help matters by struggling. -The younger Indian completed his work, rose to his feet and grinned down -at him derisively. The older man tested the cord on Hugh's wrists, pulled -it a little tighter and got to his feet, to the great relief of the sore -and suffering captive. The squat Indian was heavily built, and Hugh felt -that a few moments more of that weight on his middle would crush him -flat. He strove to control his features, however, and not to let his -misery, indignation and despair show in his face. - -Evidently the pair considered their work completed, or perhaps they had -tired of tormenting the prisoner. At any rate they left him to himself. -For a time Hugh lay perfectly still, too miserable for effort of body or -mind. His head still pained him from the fall against the tree, he had -several sore bruises on his body, his arms and shoulders ached from being -held so long in one position, the thongs cut into his wrists and ankles, -and he was sick at the stomach from the treatment he had just received. -As he lay on his back, his captors were no longer within his range of -vision, but he did not flatter himself that he was unwatched. That the -two were not far away he knew from the sound of their voices that came to -him at intervals from somewhere down by the water. There was no need for -them to watch him closely, he thought bitterly. Bound as he was and -unable to even raise himself to his feet, he had not the slightest chance -of escape. - -After a while he began to feel better, and his hopes rose a little. -Turning his head from side to side, he looked about for some way to help -himself. He could no longer hear the voices of the Indians nor could he -catch any glimpse of them. Everything about him was quiet, except for the -ripple of the water on the sand and gravel of the beach, and the -occasional cries of a small flock of gulls. - -There was something familiar about this spot, this stretch of sandy -ground, with its sparse growth of trees and bushes, and its curving -beach. Beyond and above, the tree-covered ridges towered. Hugh managed to -roll over on his side, and looked across a narrow blue channel to another -thickly wooded shore, where the trees ran down to the water. He knew the -place now. On that stretch of sand and pebbles, Captain Bennett had -beached the _Otter_. Hugh himself had helped to clear the very spot where -the wigwams now stood. The place looked somewhat different, to be sure, -with all the ice and snow gone and the trees and bushes in full summer -green. - -Hugh's thoughts turned from the memory of that other camp to the present -situation. He pulled at the thongs that bound him and tried to loosen -them by wriggling his hands and feet, but it was of no use. The cords, -instead of loosening, only cut into his wrists and ankles more painfully. -He was just about to attempt to sit up, when the gruff voice of the older -of his captors sounded close by, just beyond his head. Hugh composed -himself to lie still. The Indian came near and looked down frowningly on -the lad, then seated himself at a little distance and went to work on a -piece of deerskin he was fashioning into moccasins. Hugh was familiar -enough with Indian ways to grasp the significance of the fact that the -man was making his own moccasins. That was women's work, if there were -women about. It was evident that in this camp there were no squaws, or -the braves would not be doing squaws' work. - -Growing tired of watching his guard at his task, Hugh closed his eyes. -The sun was warm and in this sheltered place there was little breeze. He -felt very tired and all things around him conspired to make him drowsy. -In a few minutes the captive had fallen fast asleep. - - - - - XXIV - IN THE HANDS OF THE GIANT - - -The sound of voices waked Hugh. He opened his eyes to find, looking down -on him, the young Indian and a repulsive fellow with a strip of dirty red -cloth bound about his black hair. The latter had evidently just come from -visiting his snares, for he was carrying two rabbits. When he saw that -Hugh was awake, he turned away, the young fellow, after favoring the boy -with another of his malicious grins, following him. From the position of -the sun Hugh knew that he had not slept long, but his head felt better -and the sick feeling had passed. - -Long and tedious hours of waiting followed. At least one of the Indians -was in sight and hearing every moment. Hugh was hungry, but he was -offered no food, thirsty, but he disdained to ask for a drink. He strove -to lie quiet and to keep his feelings of discomfort, anxiety and -apprehension from his face. The ground was hard, the sun beat down upon -his head and face, and he could not move to a more comfortable spot. Only -with difficulty could he roll over on his side. His mental suffering, -however, was far worse than his physical discomfort and pain. - -Why was he treated in this way? Into whose hands had he fallen? What were -they going to do to him and for what or whom were they waiting? The one -possible explanation of his treatment was that he had fallen into the -hands of Ohrante's little band of outlaws. Why should even they want to -take him prisoner? Was Ohrante looking for the hidden cache? A cold chill -ran up Hugh's spine, as he remembered the packet in the breast of his -shirt. If he had only had sense enough to leave that packet with Blaise! -It must surely come to light should his captors strip him to torment or -torture him. Torture! He recalled the fiendish scene in the firelight. -Was that what it meant to fall into the hands of the giant Iroquois? The -boy dared not think of that. He tried to assure himself that the outlaw -had nothing against him. At any rate he must not give way to fear. If he -could keep cool and alert, he might yet find some way out of the perils -that threatened him. He _must_ find a way. - -With such thoughts running through his head, the time dragged painfully. -Late in the afternoon, the younger Indian renewed the fire and hung over -it an iron pot of water. Into the pot he put several handfuls of wild -rice and rabbit meat cut into small pieces. The odor was tempting to -Hugh's nostrils, but he strove to keep his hunger from showing in his -face. - -Sunset came. The stew was ready, but the pot was not unslung. The three -Indians sat about the fire, the younger one whiling away the time by -playing on a crude native flute with three holes. The sounds produced -were mournful and monotonous and did not inspire cheerfulness. The other -two savages sat idle, eying the seething mixture in the kettle, but none -made a move to dip into it. They were certainly waiting for the return of -the rest of the band. Unusually well disciplined savages, Hugh thought -them, to postpone their own supper until their chief arrived. - -The squat man turned his head, gave a little grunt, rose and walked away -towards the beach. The young fellow ceased his flute playing and -followed, the other remaining to watch the stew. Hugh heard a canoe grate -lightly on the gravel, a few words exchanged. He rolled over on his side, -and saw, striding towards him--Ohrante. There could be no mistaking that -huge form, looking more gigantic than ever as it towered over the -prostrate lad. - -For an instant Hugh forgot all else in wonder at the Indian's size. -Ohrante was not less than seven feet in height, with proportionate -breadth of shoulder and depth of chest. Then, as he gazed into the face -looking down on him, a veritable panic of fear shook the lad. It was not -an ugly face. In its outlines and proportions, its strongly cut, regular -features, it was unusually handsome for an Indian. But there was an -inhuman hardness about it, a fiercely piercing quality in the eyes, cruel -lines about nostrils and lips, a general expression of bitter and -vindictive malevolence that appalled the boy. A shudder passed through -him, yet, fascinated, he could not take his eyes from the dark, piercing -ones. - -Ohrante spoke, and Hugh gave a start of surprise. It was not the words -that amazed him. All the Indian said was, "Who are you, white man? How -come you here?" A simple question in curiously accented English. It was -the voice that surprised Hugh. Weak, high pitched, almost squeaking, such -a voice as the boy had never heard in an Indian before, it was -ludicrously incongruous with the size and appearance of the evil giant. -Instantly the spell in which Ohrante had held him was broken. So great -was the revulsion of feeling that Hugh actually wanted to laugh. Luckily -he realized that to take any notice of the giant's weak point would -surely arouse his bitterest hatred. Self-possession regained, Hugh -controlled his features and answered steadily. He had had plenty of time -that long afternoon to plan the story he was to tell. - -"I am Hugh McNair. I came here by accident. High winds drove me out of my -course and against the great rocks yonder." He jerked his head in the -direction of the mouth of the bay. "My canoe was wrecked, all my winter -supplies lost, my comrade drowned." He paused, rather surprised at the -readiness with which he told his false tale. Ordinarily Hugh was -truthful, inclined to regard a lie as a coward's refuge, but he had no -intention of divulging his true name and purpose to his father's -bitterest enemy. - -Ohrante seemed to consider the reply. Then he spoke again. "Minong far -from mainland," he said in his bad English. He was suspicious of the -tale, but the boy was prepared for doubt. - -"We were going from the New Fort at the Kaministikwia," Hugh went on to -explain. "We had sold our furs and had all our supplies for the winter. -Also we were very sleepy. We had drunk deep and we did not take care -where we went. Then came the wind." - -Hugh was watching Ohrante's face closely, but he could not tell whether -the Iroquois believed the story or not, or indeed how much of it he -understood. He made no reply except a queer little sound in his throat. -Because of his high-pitched voice, that sound could not be called a -grunt, and Hugh was at a loss to know whether it meant assent, disbelief -or contempt. Before he could add anything more to his story, the giant -turned abruptly away, walked over to the fire and seated himself on a -log. - -Immediately one of his followers removed the pot, and, with a -long-handled, crudely carved wooden spoon, ladled out a generous portion -of the stew into a birch bark dish. The chief received the dish in -silence and commenced to eat, picking out the bits of meat on the point -of his knife, and taking up the rice on the flat of the blade. After he -had finished the more solid part of the food, he drank the soup and -passed the dish back to be refilled. - -The other Indians, eight in number, stood or sat about in silence. Not -until the chief had finished his second portion and had signified, by -turning the empty dish upside down on the ground, that he had had enough, -did they venture to approach the kettle, each with his own bark or wooden -bowl. Ohrante said something to the squat man who had been one of Hugh's -captors, pointing to the boy as he spoke. At once the man, carrying his -own dish of stew, went over to the captive, seated himself cross-legged -beside him, took up a piece of meat on the point of his knife and held it -to Hugh's lips. In this way he fed the lad about half the contents of the -dish, reserving the rest for himself for fear the kettle might be empty. -Neither the wooden dish nor the knife blade was very clean, but Hugh was -too hungry to be particular. He could have eaten more, but he was -thankful to get anything. Whatever the fate in store for him, he was -apparently not to be starved to death. He risked asking for a drink, -making signs to explain his meaning, and the Indian brought him some -water from the lake in a bark cup. - -Ohrante did not speak to Hugh again that night, or show any further -interest in him. He was left lying bound and was not even given a -blanket. Early in the evening, Ohrante retired alone to the smaller of -the two wigwams, and a little later the others, all except the young -fellow with the malicious grin, crowded into the larger dwelling. The -young Indian, rolled in a dirty blanket, lay down on the opposite side of -the fire from the prisoner. - -Hugh's arms and legs had grown so numb that he no longer felt the galling -of the cords, but he was very sore and uncomfortable from lying on the -hard ground. He had no wish to sleep, he was too eager to find some means -of escape. If he could bring his bonds in contact with a coal from the -fire, he might burn them enough so that he could pull them apart. He -hitched nearer the flickering blaze and turned on his side towards it. -The light was full on the face of the Indian beyond. Hugh could see that -the man's eyes were open and fixed upon him. His lips were grinning in -the evil fashion the boy knew all too well. - -Hugh settled himself as comfortably as he could and closed his eyes. -After what seemed a long time, the deep breathing of the guard seemed to -prove that he slept. The captive opened his eyes and, cautiously and with -painful effort, rolled nearer to the fire. There was a low grunt from the -Indian. He rose, came over to Hugh, seized him by the shoulder and -roughly dragged him back from the fire. Then he passed a skin rope about -the boy's body under the arms and tied it to a strong young birch. The -rope was long and did not prevent Hugh from lying down and turning from -side to side, but it effectually anchored him too far from the fire to -put his plan into operation. His guard had probably divined his -intention. So ended the captive's attempt to escape. There was nothing -left for him but to sleep, if he could, and gather strength and courage -for whatever the morrow might bring. It was long before he slept, -however, and the discomfort of his position waked him frequently. At last -the chill of early dawn refused to let him sleep longer. - -He had not long to wait before the camp was stirring. The man with the -scarlet head band set about preparing a breakfast of boiled fish. Hugh's -guard of the night took his gun and went away somewhere. Breakfast was -eaten at sunrise, and this time Hugh's hands were unbound that he might -feed himself, but he was left tied to the tree. It was some time before -the numbness wore off so that he could use his hands freely. His first -attempts to manage his food amused the Indians, and the boy felt the -blood rise to his cheeks at their grins and unintelligible gibes. - -Breakfast was over when the young fellow with the grin returned. He -talked with Ohrante, and afterwards the chief came over to Hugh and began -to ask questions. Again the boy was almost moved to mirth at the contrast -between the giant's appearance and his voice. As Ohrante went on with his -questioning, however, Hugh almost forgot the ludicrous voice. His replies -kept his wits busy. The Iroquois wanted to know whether Hugh trapped for -himself or traded with others for furs, whether he sold to the Old -Company or to the New, where he intended to winter and other particulars. -Hugh had believed that he had his story well planned, but several of the -questions were unforeseen, and he was obliged to think quickly and invent -as he replied. Telling a false tale was not such a simple matter this -morning, and he was not at all sure that he made his convincing. After -Ohrante turned away, Hugh was left wondering if his answers had allayed -the giant's suspicions or aroused them. - - - - - XXV - THE CHIEF OF MINONG - - -Hugh had expected to learn his fate that morning and had braced himself -for the ordeal, but Ohrante paid no further attention to him. With six of -his band the Iroquois left the camp. From where he sat propped against -the birch trunk, Hugh could see the two canoes start up the bay. His -wrists had been bound again and he was tied to the tree. The squat man -and the ugly fellow with the scarlet head band, who had remained to guard -the captive, evidently considered him so secure that he did not need -close watching. Shortly after the canoe had disappeared, both men went -off somewhere out of sight and hearing. - -Now was his chance, thought Hugh, if he could only find some way to loose -his bonds. He pulled and wriggled and twisted, but to no avail. His -captors had done their work too well. His struggles only drew the knots -tighter. He sank back inert and disheartened. - -"Take heart." - -The whisper was so low Hugh doubted his ears. He turned his head. Prone -on the ground in the shadow of a willow lay a slim figure, the black head -raised ever so little. - -"Blaise!" - -The head shook in warning. Wriggling like a snake, Blaise drew close. - -"Untie me," Hugh breathed. - -"No, not till night. The guards are too near. When all sleep, I will come -again." - -"That may be too late," Hugh protested. - -"They will do nothing to-day. Ohrante wishes to take you to the mainland, -and to-day the lake is rough. Keep a strong heart, my brother." - -Blaise wriggled back to the shelter of the willows, and was gone without -a sound. He was out of the way none too soon. The guttural voice of the -squat man came to Hugh's ears. In a few moments both guards were back, -carrying a birch basket of fish. - -That day was even longer to Hugh than the preceding one. The sun climbed -and descended so slowly it seemed almost to stand still. Though his -guards left him alone several times, he neither saw nor heard anything -more of Blaise. That did not worry Hugh. He knew that somewhere, not far -away, his younger brother was hiding, awaiting the coming of darkness. -The knowledge put new heart and spirit into the prisoner. If only the -Indians did not capture Blaise, there was a good chance of getting away -safely. Hugh felt sure that he did not need to fear violence from his -captors just yet. Blaise had said that Ohrante meant to carry the -prisoner to the mainland. The lad must have had some good reason for -thinking that. Probably he had overheard the Indians' conversation. In -this manner the captive, propped against the birch, in the thin shade of -its foliage, speculated on the movements and plans of his captors and his -rescuer. To speculate and plan was all he could do. - -About the middle of the afternoon one of the canoes returned with Ohrante -and two of his followers. The men who had remained behind prepared a meal -of the fish they had brought in that morning, boiled in the big kettle. -Hugh was given a portion and his hands were again untied that he might -eat. His pleasure in the fresh lake trout was rather spoiled by its -having been sweetened with maple sugar. He had grown well used to eating -his meat and fish without salt, but he had not learned to enjoy the -Indian custom of using sugar instead. - -After the meal, Ohrante again approached the boy. For a few moments the -big man stood looking down at him fixedly and in silence, and Hugh strove -to meet the piercing gaze boldly. Presently the giant began to speak. His -English was bad and interspersed with Indian words, at the meaning of -which Hugh could only guess. His speech, as well as the boy could make it -out, was something like this: - -"White man, whether the tale you tell is true or false I know not. When I -look at you I think of a white man I knew and hated and took revenge -upon. Yet you are not like him. Your hair, your eyes are pale. It matters -not. I hate all white men. White men are my enemies. When a white man -falls into my hands I treat him as a great chief should treat his -enemies." He paused to let the words sink in, his dark face hard as -stone. - -The impressiveness and dignity of the chief's deliberate address were -rather spoiled in effect by his ridiculously weak and broken voice, like -the changing tones of a boy, but Hugh could not fail to perceive the -threat conveyed. - -"You are mistaken, great chief," he replied quietly, using as a bit of -flattery the title Ohrante had given himself. "The white men are not the -enemies of the Indians. They wish the Indians no evil, only good. The -white men know no reason why the peace between themselves and the Ojibwas -should not last forever." - -"Ojibwa!" Ohrante made a gesture of contempt. "The Ojibwa may be a slave -of the white men if he wishes. I, Ohrante,"--he drew himself up a little -straighter, keeping his fierce eyes on the boy's face to observe what -effect the name had--"I, Ohrante, am no Ojibwa. I was born a Mohawk of -the great six nations. Now I and my braves have taken another name, a -name not for the white man's ears or lips, the name of the ancient race -of warriors and giants who once lived on Minong, the blood of whose -chiefs flows in my body. We will draw others to us, build up a strong -nation, and drive the white men from all the lands about the great -waters." He made a sweeping gesture with one long, big-muscled arm. - -Hugh could scarcely believe his ears. The giant Indian must be insane to -be the victim of such an illusion of greatness. Hugh knew nothing of any -ancient race upon Minong, although Baptiste had told him that the -Indians, in days gone by, were supposed to have come to the island from -time to time for copper. For all he knew, Ohrante might be a direct -descendant of those old miners, but his speech was none the less absurd. -Its vanity and pomposity were in such violent contrast to the weak, nasal -voice in which it was uttered that the boy forgot his own peril in his -desire to laugh. He controlled himself and for a few moments made no -answer. Ohrante also remained silent. As the two gazed into one another's -eyes, a daring idea entered the lad's head. Ohrante's talk of the ancient -race of warriors and giants recalled the tales told by Baptiste and -Blaise and the trick he and his brother had already played upon the big -Mohawk. - -"You speak," Hugh said, "of the ancient race who once lived on this -island. I have heard that the inhabitants of Minong were not human at -all, but were, and indeed still are, spirits and fiends and frightful -creatures unlike man or beast. Once I laughed at those tales, but now -that I am on Minong, I laugh no more. I myself have seen and heard -strange things on this island. If I were not a good Christian, I should -be sore afraid of this enchanted land. Have you seen or heard aught of -those strange beings, great chief?" - -Hugh's eyes were fastened on Ohrante. When he mentioned the spirits and -fiends he noticed a slight change in the huge man's face. As the boy went -on, Ohrante's composure was so far shaken that he drew a quick breath and -one of his big hands clenched with a convulsive movement. Hugh was -pleased with his strategy. He had found the giant's weak spot. Brave he -might be in contact with his fellow men, but of unearthly beings he was -superstitiously afraid. Hugh feigned not to notice, and in a moment -Ohrante had covered his agitation with a show of indifference. - -"No, white man," he lied proudly, "I have heard nothing and I fear -nothing." Then he changed the subject. "When the waves go down in the -lake out there, we leave Minong. We go to the place of vengeance, where -Ohrante puts all his prisoners to death. On the Island of Torture both -white men and Ojibwas may find the signs and learn how the Chief of -Minong takes vengeance on his enemies. Prepare for the torture, white -man, for not even your white God can save you." And turning, the big -chief strode away. - -"Yet I think He will save me," Hugh said to himself, "through my brother -Blaise." - -It was after sundown when the other canoe returned, with the four -remaining members of the band. They brought with them a quantity of moose -meat, the best parts of a young animal. Immediately the kettle was swung -over the fire. The odor of the cooking meat was tempting to Hugh's -nostrils, but he was not offered any. His captors evidently considered -that he had had sufficient food for that day. The whole band feasted on -moose, and the camp did not become quiet until much later than on the -previous night. - -Hugh was left tied to the tree, his wrists and ankles bound. No one took -enough pity on him to throw a blanket over him. This time it was the -squat man who lay down by the fire. He must have been very sure the -prisoner could not get away. Moreover the enormous amount of meat he had -eaten made the man especially drowsy. His loud breathing soon proved that -he was sleeping soundly. - -Under the birch tree, beyond the light of the flickering fire, Hugh lay, -tense and anxious. He heard the snores of his guard, and other sounds of -heavy slumbering from the larger wigwam. Why did not Blaise come? Except -the breathing of the sleeping Indians and the low ripple of the water on -the beach, not a sound broke the silence of the night. Every sense on the -alert, Hugh waited through the long minutes. It seemed to him hours must -have passed since the guard lay down by the fire. - -What was that rustle in the willows? It was the slightest of sounds, but -his ear caught it. Was it only a rabbit? He felt a touch on the rope that -bound him to the tree, then a sharp jerk. The rope sagged down. Fingers -grasped his shoulder and sent a shiver of excitement through his body. A -hand slipped swiftly down his left arm, something cold touched his -wrists, slipped between them. There was another little jerk, and his arms -were free. His numb hands dropped to the ground, began to tingle. He did -not dare to try to raise himself to a sitting position for fear of making -a noise. Then his ankles fell apart, and he knew that bond had been cut -also. Yet, motionless, he waited for orders. - -The hand touched his shoulder again. Lips brushed his ear, as a voice -whispered in the softest of hisses, "Roll over and follow." - -Hugh obeyed unquestioningly. As he rolled over, he realized that the cord -was still attached to his left wrist. There came a gentle pull, and he -understood. Blaise had hold of the cord. This was his method of guiding -his brother. Hugh attempted to crawl forward, but his legs and feet were -so numb he found progress difficult. They dragged like logs. He could not -move them lightly and noiselessly, yet he must go noiselessly to escape. - -The cord on his wrist slackened. Blaise had sensed the difficulty. His -shoulder brushed Hugh as he crawled back to the latter's side. In a -moment he was silently but vigorously rubbing and kneading Hugh's calves, -ankles and feet. Hot prickles of feeling began to course through the numb -legs. After a few moments of stinging pain, the blood was running -normally again, and the numbness was gone. Still the wigwams remained -silent and the squat Indian by the fire snored on. An Indian in his wild -state is commonly supposed to sleep lightly and wake at the slightest -sound, and so he does if he is where there may be danger, and has not -eaten or drunk too much. The Indian is human, however. A full and hearty -meal, accompanied by a sense of security, can cause him to sleep as -soundly as any well fed white man. - - - - - XXVI - ESCAPE - - -Taking the lead again, Blaise crawled cautiously and silently away from -the vicinity of the fire and the wigwams. Hugh, his legs and feet once -more under control, followed close behind, Blaise still guiding him by -the cord attached to his wrist. The half-breed boy seemed able to glide -like a snake without a sound, but Hugh was less experienced in stealth. -In spite of all his care, the bushes he brushed rustled now and then. The -noises were very slight, but each rustle or creak brought the lad's heart -into his mouth. Yet the Indian by the fire lay still, and no sound came -from the wigwams. - -At last the fugitives were far enough from the camp, and well screened by -trees and bushes, so they dared go upright. Blaise had kept his sense of -direction in the darkness and knew where he wanted to go. Turning to the -right, he led Hugh across level ground and through open growth of birches -and poplars. Then he turned again. A little farther on he paused among -some alders, handed Hugh the cord, uttered a low whisper of caution, and -slipped between the bushes. - -Hugh carefully pushed his way through, and stopped still. Before him lay -the lake, the ripples lit by the stars and moon. Glancing along the -narrow strip of sand that separated him from the water, he could make out -a dark shape lying above the reach of the waves. It was an overturned -canoe. Blaise had circled about in the woods and had come back to the -shore. A little way beyond the canoe, back from the beach and hidden from -where Hugh stood by trees and bushes, was the Indian camp. This was a -dangerous manoeuvre of his younger brother's and at first Hugh could see -no reason for it. Why had not Blaise led straight back through the woods -and up the ridge? The bateau, to which they must trust to get clear away, -was on the other side of those ridges. _Was_ the bateau still there or -had the Indians found it? - -Blaise was moving swiftly along the beach, and, after hesitating a -moment, Hugh followed. He was relieved to find that the alder bushes -still screened them from the camp. They could launch the canoe without -being visible from the wigwams or from the spot where the fire burned. -The canoe was not one of those he had seen Ohrante's band using, but a -small craft, barely large enough to hold two men. Silently the boys -turned it over, carried it down the beach and placed it in the lake. -Blaise, standing in the water to his knees, held the boat while Hugh -stepped into the stern. The younger boy took his place in the bow, the -paddles dipped. - -Hugh had expected to steer around the inner beach and on up the long bay. -He was astonished when Blaise signalled him to go the other way. This was -indeed a risk. The older boy would have protested, had he dared speak -loud enough to make his brother hear. But they were too near the camp to -chance conversation, whatever foolhardy venture Blaise might be planning. -Moreover Hugh knew that the half-breed lad was far from foolhardy and -must have good reason for what he was doing. The elder brother obeyed the -signal and said nothing. - -Crouched as far down in the canoe as they could kneel and still wield -their paddles, the two dipped the blades noiselessly. A few strokes and -they were out of the shelter of the fringe of bushes. They were passing -the camp, where the ground was open from lodges to beach. Fearfully Hugh -glanced in that direction. He could make out the dark bulk of one of the -wigwams and near it the dull glow of the dying fire. His guard lay beside -that fire. If the man should wake and raise his head, he could scarcely -fail to see the passing canoe, a dark, moving shape on the moonlit water. -A vigorous but careful stroke, and both lads held their paddles -motionless while the canoe slipped by of its own momentum. It made no -sound audible above the rippling of the water on the pebbles. The squat -Indian slept on. - -A clump of mountain ash, leafy almost to the ground, came between the -canoe and the fire. The paddles dipped again. In a few moments the slight -projection, scarce long enough to be called a point, had been rounded. -The wigwams and the fire were hidden by trees and bushes. - -Hugh drew a long breath and put more speed into his strokes. The brothers -were moving down the bay, and he realized now the reason for their -manoeuvre. Had they struck through the woods to the ridge, they would -inevitably, in spite of the greatest care and caution, have left a trail. -The canoe left no tracks. When they passed out from the narrowest part of -the channel, they were obliged to put strength and vigor into their -paddling, for they were going almost directly against the fresh wind. -They kept as close to the right hand shore as they dared, and so had some -protection. Vigorous and careful handling were necessary, however, to -make headway in the roughening water. - -As they went by one of the shallow curves that could scarcely be called -coves, Blaise uttered a little exclamation and pointed with his paddle to -a black object moving on the water. As Hugh looked, the thing turned a -little, and he could make out, in silhouette, great branching antlers. A -moose was swimming from one shore of the little indentation to the other. - -"There is meat to last us a long time," he muttered regretfully, "if only -we dared risk a shot." - -Blaise laughed softly. "We could not shoot if we wished. Neither has a -gun." - -"True. When you set out to find me, Blaise, why didn't you bring yours?" - -The lad in the bow shrugged slightly. "I could not use it without a -noise, and I wished not to be burdened with it. Let us not talk now. -Voices carry far in the night." - -Hugh heeded the warning. As the bay widened, the force of wind and waves -increased. The lads were paddling northeast, almost in the teeth of the -wind. Hugh began to doubt whether they would be able to round the long -point, or even keep on along it much farther. Blaise had no intention of -rounding the point, however. He had another plan. As they passed the twin -coves, where they had camped while they sought for the cache of furs, he -turned his head ever so slightly and spoke. - -"Steer into the crack where we carried out the furs." - -Hugh replied with a word of assent and steered close under the riven rock -wall. The water was slightly sheltered, and the waves were running past -the fissures, not into them. The canoe slipped by the stern of the -wrecked bateau, projecting from the crack into which it had been driven. -The narrow rift was passed. At the wider black gap, Hugh made the turn. -In response to his brother's quick "Take care," he held his paddle -steady. - -The canoe glided into the gap, slowed down. Before the bottom could grate -on the pebbles, Blaise had warned Hugh to step over the side. The latter -found himself in the water above his knees. - -"We must take the canoe well up the crack and hide it," he said. - -"And risk its discovery, which would put Ohrante on our trail? No, lay -your paddle in the bottom. Turn around, but do not let go." - -Hugh did not at first grasp the half-breed lad's intention, but he -obeyed. When Hugh had turned, Blaise spoke again. - -"Push out with all your strength. Now." - -Together they gave the light craft a strong shove and let go. It slid -over the water, out from the mouth of the rift. The wind caught it and it -was borne away in the moonlight. - -"The wind will take it up the bay," the younger boy explained. "It may -stay right side up, it may not. It may be shattered on the rocks or -washed on some beach. Wherever Ohrante finds it, it will be a long way -from here." - -"It will not help him to pick up our trail certainly," Hugh exclaimed. -"That was a clever thought, Blaise." - -Blaise turned to lead the way up the crack. It was black dark in the -fissure. Patches of moonlit sky could be seen overhead, between the -branches and spreading sprays of the cedars, but no light penetrated to -the bottom. Guiding themselves by their outstretched hands, and feeling -for each step, as they had done on that other night when they had entered -this cleft, the two made their way up. As he thought of that other night, -Hugh put his hand to his breast to feel if the precious packet was still -there, attached to a piece of fish line around his neck. It was luck that -the Indians had merely taken his weapons and had not searched him. - -Feeling along the left wall of the gap, Blaise found the slit that led -into the pit where the furs had been concealed, but he did not squeeze -through. He led on up the wider rift. Where the walls were less sheer and -trees grew on the gully bottom, pushing through in the darkness became -increasingly difficult. When the brothers had come that way in daylight, -they had found it troublesome enough. Now exposed roots and undergrowth -snared Hugh's toes, rocks and tree trunks bruised his shoulders, prickly -evergreen branches scratched his face and caught his clothes. These were -small troubles, however, not to be heeded by a fugitive flying from such -a cruel fate as Ohrante had in mind for him. The boy's only desire was to -put as great a distance as possible between himself and the giant Mohawk. -Indeed he had to hold himself in restraint to keep from panic flight. - -After a few hundred feet of stumbling, groping progress, the two came to -the broken birch, ghostly in the moonlight which shone down into the open -space where the guide tree stood. They paused for a moment. On either -hand and ahead the growth was thick. - -"Which way now?" Hugh whispered the words as if he still feared an enemy -lurking near. - -"Straight ahead to the top of the high ridge. It will be difficult. I -know not if we can do it in the darkness." - -"We must do it," said Hugh emphatically. - -Blaise nodded. "We will try," he agreed. - -The ground was low here, protected from the lake by the rock ridge with -its rifts and cracks. A few steps beyond the little birch, the lads found -themselves in a veritable tangle of growth, through which but little -light penetrated from the sky. They struggled forward among close -standing, moss-draped, half dead evergreens and old rotten birches, their -feet sinking deep into the soft leaf mould and decayed wood that formed -the soil. Where fallen trees had made an opening that let in a little -light, thickets of bushes and tangles of ground yew had grown up, more -difficult to penetrate than the black woods. Compelled to make their way, -for the most part, by feeling instead of sight, they could go but slowly. -Hugh soon lost all sense of direction, and he wondered whether Blaise -knew where he was going. - -Rising ground and a thinning of the woods reassured the white boy. They -must be going up the ridges, not back towards the Indian camp. He -marvelled that Blaise had managed to find the way. Blaise was far from -infallible though, and there soon came a time when he did not think it -wise to go farther. They had climbed a steeper slope, treading firmer -soil and outcroppings of rock, but still in thick woods, and had reached -a small rock opening overgrown with moss and low plants. The sweet -perfume of the carpet of twin flowers he could not see came to Hugh's -nostrils. Blaise stopped and peered about him. Clouds must have covered -the moon, for the open space was very dark. - -"We had best wait here," he said after a few moments. "If the moon shines -again, or after dawn comes, I will climb a tree and see where we are." - -"Don't you know where you are?" Hugh asked. - -"I am not certain. How can I be certain in the darkness, when I have -never come this way before? I think our way lies over there." He pointed -across the opening. "We are on the top of a low ridge, but if we go down -where the trees stand thick, we may lose our way and much time also. We -are well hidden here. When Ohrante wakes, he will not know which way to -seek. It will be long before he finds our trail." - -"I hate to stop as long as we can go on." - -"I too, my brother, but I think we shall gain time, not lose it if we -wait for light." - - - - - XXVII - WHAT BLAISE OVERHEARD - - -Far from the Indian camp and well hidden, the brothers could risk -conversation. Instinctively they kept their voices low. Hugh was curious -to learn how Blaise had crossed from the pond in the small island to the -long point, and Blaise equally eager to hear how Hugh had fallen into -Ohrante's hands. Seated on moss patches in the rock opening, they -satisfied each other's curiosity on those points. Then Blaise went on to -tell how he had tracked his elder brother. When he had smelled smoke he -had known he must be near a camp. - -"I heard the rippling of water," the boy said in his soft singsong. "Then -I caught the sound of men's voices. I left the trail and crept towards -the water. I peeped through the alders and saw the lake and the beach. -Canoes lay on the pebbles, but no man was in sight. I wished to find out -if you were in the camp. So I went back into the woods and crawled -towards the voices. I crept from tree to tree and bush to bush, and found -myself behind a wigwam. I lay flat and tried to peep around it, but a -clump of willows was in the way, and I could see nothing. I crawled like -a snake for the willows. I looked through them and saw you, my brother, -bound to the birch. My heart gave a leap when I saw you unharmed and knew -there was yet time to steal you away. I saw Ohrante too. He sat by the -fire and ate. He turned his head, and I feared his sharp eyes might find -me through the willows, so I crept away. I went back into the woods and -hid not far from the trail. The Iroquois I had seen on the trail -returned. Crawling nearer the camp again, I heard him talk to Ohrante, -but I could not understand, for he spoke the Iroquois language. I saw no -way to get you away before nightfall, and I feared they might carry you -off somewhere in a canoe where I could not follow. - -"Back to the beach I went and hid myself in the alders near the big -canoes. I saw Ohrante and six others go away. By their moccasins I knew -that two were Iroquois, the others Ojibwas and Crees. A small canoe was -left on the beach. When Ohrante had been gone a while, I heard voices, -and two more men came along the shore from the camp. One carried a net of -cedar cord. He had an ugly face and a red band around his head. The -other, a short, strong man, I knew at once. He is Monga, an Ojibwa, one -of the two who helped Ohrante to escape. The two sat down on the sand -just below where I was hidden, and I crawled nearer to listen to what -they said as they mended their net. They spoke Ojibwa. Red Band has not -been with Ohrante long. He asked what the chief would do with the white -captive. Monga,--his name means the _loon_,--answered that Ohrante would -take the white man to the mainland, to the Isle of Torture, but they -could not start to-day because the wind was too strong and the lake too -rough. Red Band was not pleased. He said he wished the chief would let -the white men alone until his people were stronger. Monga said that -Ohrante hated all white men. When the trader Beaupr escaped his -vengeance----" - -"What?" interrupted Hugh. "He said 'the trader Beaupr'?" - -"Yes. When the trader Beaupr escaped Ohrante's vengeance, the chief -swore to kill every white man who fell into his hands." - -"But what did he mean by father's escaping Ohrante's vengeance?" - -"It was as we thought," Blaise replied, his voice low and tense. "It was -Ohrante who brought our father to his death. Red Band said it was true -that Beaupr escaped, but in his escape he received his death wound." - -"That explains what we found at the Devil Track River." - -"Yes. From what they said it seems that our father and Black Thunder both -fell into Ohrante's hands. In some way they escaped, but they were -overtaken at the River of Devil Tracks. They fought and our father got -away again, but sorely wounded. That is the way I put together the things -I heard the two men say." - -"How comes it then that the bateau and furs are here on Isle Royale? Did -Ohrante bring them here?" - -"I think Ohrante knows nothing of the furs. When we first saw him here I -thought he had come to Minong to seek the furs, but no, this is not the -first time he has been here. His braves call him 'Chief of Minong.' I -think he fled here, he and Monga and the other man who helped him, when -he escaped from our father and the Ojibwas. I know not when the rest of -the band joined him, but I believe Ohrante and those two were living -somewhere on this island when white men and red sought them and could not -find them. This I know, here on Minong Ohrante captured our father and -Black Thunder. Monga said it was strange that two white men had been -found here, where no man was believed to come. Both Jean Beaupr and the -new white captive pretended to be only traders, he said, and told tales -of how they were driven here by storm and wrecked on the rocks. The chief -believed Beaupr's story, but now that this other white man came with the -same tale, Ohrante began to doubt. He thought perhaps they came to spy on -him." - -"I feared Ohrante did not believe me," Hugh confessed, "but it made -little difference what story I told. He says he hates all white men and -intends to destroy them and drive them out of this country. He thinks he -is destined to be some sort of king over this part of the world. Did -those two say more of father?" - -"No, their net was finished and they went out in the little canoe. At -once I sought you, my brother, but I dared not cut your bonds. The two -were only a little way out in the bay. Later I listened to them talk -again. I could not get the meaning of all they said, but I think Ohrante -intends to hold a council on that island where he tortures his prisoners. -I am sure that others are to meet him there to join his band." - -"And he was reserving me to be put to death by torture as a sort of -entertainment for his new adherents, I suppose," Hugh muttered grimly. -"That is not the part in the performance I should choose to play. Perhaps -I can find some other part more to my liking." A daring suggestion had -come into his mind as Blaise told of the council on the "Island of -Torture." "Did you learn when the meeting was to be?" Hugh asked -abruptly. - -"It is to be soon, I think. They wait only for safe weather to make the -crossing." - -Hugh was silent in frowning thought. When he spoke, it was not of the -council. "It is plain to see what happened," he said musingly. "The storm -bore father and his comrade here to this island. Their boat was driven -into that crack in the rocks and wrecked. Ohrante came upon them, took -them captive and carried them to the mainland. Father must have had some -warning, though, for he hid the pelts and the packet. I wonder, Blaise, -if, when he was first wrecked, he put the furs up on that rock shelf to -keep them dry and safe. Then, afterwards, when he learned Ohrante was -near, he moved the bales to a more secret spot farther from the wreck." - -Blaise nodded. "It may be," was all he said. - -"We were right all the time," Hugh added, "in believing that Ohrante had -something to do with father's death." - -"I felt in my heart that Ohrante was the guilty one," the younger lad -replied simply. - -"Yet of course it may not have been Ohrante himself who gave father his -death blow," Hugh mused. - -Blaise waved away his brother's reasoning with a gesture. "It matters not -whether Ohrante himself or one of his men struck the blow. It is not the -knife that we punish when a murder is committed, but the man who wields -the knife. Ohrante is that man. It was he who captured our father, who -would have put him to the torture, who caused his death." - -"And Ohrante shall pay for it," Hugh broke in passionately. "He shall pay -soon if we can but reach the mainland in time. The sky is lighter, -Blaise," he added, looking up above the surrounding tree tops. "We must -be moving." - - - - - XXVIII - CONFUSING THE TRAIL - - -Looking around for a tall tree, Blaise found a tapering spruce, growing -in a pocket of deeper soil and towering above its fellows. The stubs of -the lower branches, that, deprived of light by adjacent trees, had died -and fallen off, formed a ladder, up which he climbed, Hugh not far -behind. Reaching the live limbs, they pushed their way among the thick -masses of dark green needles. The smaller lad went on until the slender -spire bent threateningly under his weight. - -The moon had come out from behind the clouds, and the paling sky foretold -the dawn. From his perch above the surrounding trees, Blaise could see -the water, and, across it, the narrow black line of the low point. On the -other side, directly below him, he could make out from the growth that -the ground dipped down. Beyond the slight dip, the rising ranks of trees -betrayed the steepness of the ascent. A little to his right and far up, -his keen eyes detected a bare stretch of rock between the masses of -foliage above and below. He took a long look in every direction, then -started to climb down. - -Hugh, learning from the movement of the branches above him that Blaise -was descending, also moved farther down. There, resting on a stout limb, -he waited for his brother. - -"What did you make out?" he asked eagerly. "I could see that we are part -way up the ridges. Have we kept a straight course?" - -"Yes, we have come straighter than I feared, but we are scarce more than -half-way up, and we must go farther to the left. You remember that bare -cliff?" - -"The wall, like a fortification, that we saw from across the bay?" - -"The same. We cannot climb that place. We must go to the left to avoid -it. Come, we must make haste." - -Darkness still lay deep in the woods, as the two plunged down the short -slope into a narrow and shallow gully. Through the thicker growth at the -bottom, they threaded their way to the left a hundred yards or more, then -began to ascend again. The rapidly rising ground, interrupted by shallow -depressions only, served as a guide. Where the slope was regular and not -too steep and there was soil enough to anchor them, trees grew thick, but -abrupt bare places, masses of tumbled rocks and almost vertical walls -made up much of the way. The northwestern side of the long point was far -more abrupt than the southeastern, but the increasing light made it -possible for the boys to choose their path. They were no longer compelled -to proceed by sense of feeling only. Sound of wind, active of limb, and -goaded on by the signs of breaking day, they climbed swiftly and without -pause. - -Crossing a narrow shelf of broken rock dbris, that had crumbled into -soil deep enough to bear trees, they came to the last rise. By going -farther to the left, they had thought to avoid the bare, pillared, rock -ramparts, and had indeed escaped the steepest and highest stretch. -Nevertheless the cliff before them was almost vertical, and clothed with -only an occasional sturdy, dwarfed mass of cedar or trailing juniper, a -little seedling tree, stunted bush or tiny plant, growing in crevice or -hollow, and the ever present, tight clinging moss and lichens. Had the -ancient rock not been ribbed and blocked and weathered, it would have -been unclimbable. The splitting off of blocks and scaling away of flakes, -which had crumbled into dbris at the foot of the cliff, had left shelves -and crannies affording some foothold and finger-hold to the active -climber. - -It was a bad place to go up but not an impossible one. The fugitives -paused only long enough to select what appeared to be a possible route up -a sort of flue, caused by the falling out of one of the pillars. Blaise -went first, and Hugh would have followed close behind, had not the -half-breed boy bade him, somewhat sharply, wait below. If Blaise lost his -hold and slipped back, it would not advantage him any to take his elder -brother down with him. The lad was nearing the top when he let his weight -rest too heavily on an insecure ledge. The rock flaked off, and he was -left hanging, one hand thrust into a crack, the other clinging to a cedar -stem. Down below, Hugh held his breath in suspense. For the interval of -an instant, while the agile climber drew up his left foot and thrust his -toes into a cranny, the cedar held. Then its roots pulled loose. But -Blaise managed to keep his balance, and quickly hooked his strong fingers -around the rim of the hole where the cedar clump had been growing. In a -few moments he was over the top, and it was Hugh's turn to make the -ascent. - -The scaling away of the piece of rock that had formed the narrow ledge -made it necessary for Hugh to take a slightly different route up the -flue. He was heavier than Blaise and for him the climb was even more -perilous. Profiting by his younger brother's experience, Hugh trusted to -crannies and cracks into which he could thrust his fingers and toes, -rather than to the more treacherous projections. Climbing cautiously, he -reached the summit without accident. - -The growth on the ridge top prevented the boys from seeing to the east, -but the sky was now so light they knew sunrise could not be far away. -Hurrying across the summit, they came out upon the southeastern slope. -From there they could see the rose pink flush of day. - -The southeastern side of the high ridge was far less abrupt than the -northwestern. Except for occasional open rock stretches, it was, however, -thickly forested. In spite of the rough going, the fugitives made good -speed on the down grade. Nimbly the light-footed Blaise threaded his way -among trees and undergrowth, and sprang down the open slopes. Hugh, to -whose feet the very thought of the cruel Iroquois seemed to give wings, -kept close behind. In a shorter time than they would have believed -possible, they were at the edge of the water. - -Blaise glanced towards the woods across the channel. "That is not the -island where the little lake is," he said. "We are too far down. The -bateau is over that way." Without waiting for Hugh to reply, the lad -turned to the right and began to make his way along shore. - -A moment later, Hugh, following closely, said anxiously, "We are leaving -a plain trail here. The ground is damp and there is much undergrowth." - -"We cannot help that. If we must leave a trail, we will use it to lead -our enemies astray, Step as lightly as you can, and in a little while I -will show you a trick." Hugh had been possessed with the fear that some -of Ohrante's men might have discovered the boat and taken it away. He was -greatly relieved to find it tied to the overhanging tree where he had -left it. - -"Take the bateau," the younger boy ordered, "and paddle down to the place -where we came out of the woods. I will join you there." - -"What are you going to do?" - -"Lead our enemies astray. If they find my tracks near their camp and -follow them, they may also find the trail down to this place. They must -not think that we crossed the water from here. I shall make tracks, plain -tracks, from here down towards the mouth of the bay, beyond the place -where you and I came out of the woods a little while ago." - -"But in our old trail from here to the ridge top the footprints point up, -not down." - -"Yes, and we have not time to go back and make new. I hope they will -think we travelled both ways on that trail. I will go back a little way -and make a few prints leading down." - -While Hugh was untying and pushing off the bateau, Blaise, going -carefully and lightly, followed for a little way the route he had taken -when he went in search of his white brother. Then, turning, he came back, -leaving here and there clear impressions to show direction. Twenty or -thirty feet from the shore, he branched off to the left, making tracks -leading to the alongshore trail, but avoiding the spot where the bateau -lay. He then went on towards the mouth of the bay, carefully obliterating -all toe marks that pointed up the channel, and making sure to leave some -pointing down. - -In the meantime Hugh had pushed off the bateau. He noticed that the boat -had left no clear traces, except where the rope had rubbed the bark from -the limb around which it had been tied. That scar might easily have been -made by the claws of some animal climbing out over the water. To make -such an origin seem more likely, he scratched the scar lengthwise several -times with his thumb nail. As he paddled along close to shore, he came -upon the tree Blaise had crossed on, and pushed it out into mid channel. - -About a hundred feet below the place where they had come out of the -woods, Hugh joined Blaise. Here they took pains to leave distinct signs -that a boat had been pulled up on shore. They wished their pursuers to -see that they had taken to the water at this spot. Their intention was to -lead Ohrante, should he find their trail, away from the island where the -furs were hidden. - -"Wouldn't it be possible, Blaise," Hugh questioned, "to load the furs and -start across the lake at once? If the wind is right, I am willing to risk -Ohrante's seeing us and giving chase. With a good breeze we can -outdistance his canoes." - -Blaise shook his head. "We could not run away from him in this wind. Last -night it was nearly northeast, but now it is northwest. Surely you -noticed that when we were on the ridge top. We cannot make speed with -this heavy bateau against the wind. Yet it is not too strong for canoes -to go against it, if the men at the paddles have skill. No, we must wait -till the wind changes or till darkness comes again. Now we will carry our -false trail farther." - -Blaise steered the boat straight across the channel to the outer end of -the opposite island. Between steep, high, bare masses of detached rock -and the small island itself, a reef extended, the inner end rising out of -the water to form a beach of boulders and pebbles. The boys ran the -bateau on the pebbles and jumped out. They could see off across the open -water to the east, where the sun was already above the horizon. - -"Here," said Blaise, "we will leave the ashes of a fire, as if we had -stopped to cook a meal. Make haste and get wood." - -Hugh did not need to be warned to make haste. A small fire was soon -kindled on the pebbles where it could not spread, then partly stamped out -and left smouldering. As the boys embarked again, Hugh glanced back to -satisfy himself that the wind was not carrying any sparks towards the -woods. Heretofore he had always drenched his cooking fire before leaving -camp, but to have poured water on this one would have defeated his -younger brother's purpose. Blaise wanted the recent kindling of the fire -to be in plain evidence. - -"Where we have gone from here our enemies cannot tell," he explained. -"They will find no tracks or signs on this little island except around -the fire. Then they will be sure we have gone by boat, but which way they -will not know." - -"Which way shall we go?" Hugh questioned. - -"Back to our camp in the little inland lake, but not down the channel -next the point. We will steer around these big rocks and up the other -side of this island." - -The two paddled the bateau around the rocks and up along the southeastern -side of the small island. High in the center and heavily wooded, it hid -them completely. Their route led them into the open end of the narrow -strait that cut into the other island where the furs were hidden. They -passed the gap with its two tiny islets, where heretofore they had gone -in and out, and were soon back in the little pond. - -"I don't know whether we are wise to stay here," Hugh said thoughtfully, -as they drew the boat up on the narrow beach. "We have tried to confuse -our trail, yet if Ohrante tracks us across the high ridge and down to the -water, he will surely search all these islands. This is almost too -perfect a hiding place. If those Indians are familiar with this 'Bay of -Spirits' they will think of this place at once. Then we shall be caught -like rats in a trap." - -"You are right to call this the 'Bay of Spirits,'" Blaise replied. "By -that name Monga and Red Band spoke of it. But I think they have never -been here but that one time. From what they said I think they have always -made their camps on the part of Minong that lies the other side of the -high ridge. And now both Monga and Red Band have great fear of this bay." - -Hugh chuckled. "So has the mighty chief Ohrante. I saw his fear in his -face when I spoke of hearing strange noises. I am wondering, though, if -he should track us here, if he will not suspect a trick." - -"Something more than the voices has frightened them," Blaise went on. -"The second time I listened to those two, Monga told Red Band of huge -giants at the end of the point." - -"Giants? Did he mean those pillars of rock?" - -"No, the giants were alive and moved." - -"Some old superstition, Blaise." - -"Monga said he saw the giants, Hugh, he and others of the band." - -"We spent nearly a day on that point and we saw no giants. If Monga saw -anything there it must have been you and me. I don't understand how those -fellows in that canoe could have missed seeing us. Blaise,"--a sudden -light of understanding dawned in Hugh's face,--"Blaise, do you remember -how hot and still it was, and how the haze shimmered on the water? And do -you recall the day we crossed to the Isle Royale, the very same sort of -day? We saw the mirage, high mountains towering up where later we found -there were no real mountains. Do you remember too when we left the Bay of -the Beaver, how we saw coming towards us through the morning mist, what -we thought was a ship, so tall it looked, but when it drew nearer it -shrank to a mere sailboat?" - -"I remember those things." Blaise was staring at Hugh's excited face. - -"Don't you understand then? Don't you see how it was that Monga and those -others in that canoe saw giants on the end of the point? On that hot, -still day, as they came across the water and looked through the shimmer -of the heat haze, they saw us there on the open rocks. We ourselves saw -that island far out greater than it really was and distorted. Do you -remember how it shrank afterwards? To those men in that canoe we too were -distorted and loomed up huge and tall like giants. That was what -frightened them. That explains their hasty flight. We were the giants on -the end of the point!" - -Blaise was still staring, but his look of puzzlement had given way to one -almost of awe. "It may be as you say," he replied slowly. "Monga thought -it was Kepoochikan and Nanibozho. I cannot understand it at all, that -enchantment you call mirage that makes men see mountains that are not -there and turns bateaus into ships and men into giants." - -"I don't understand it either," Hugh admitted, "and neither did the -captain of the _Athabasca_. He said it was just one of the secrets of -nature that we don't understand yet. Surely the mirage is nothing to -fear. It has stood us in good stead by frightening away Ohrante's men and -causing them to stand in terror of this bay. No wonder we scared them -away with the echoes. They must have been frightened when they came in -here. If only their fear is strong enough to keep them away now, we are -safe. But we dare not trust too much to that. We must hide ourselves as -well as we can. The entrance to this little lake is narrow and I think I -see a way to block it so it will look as if no boat could have gone -through. First, though, let us eat something if there is anything left." - -"There is a little corn, if no animal has stolen it," Blaise replied. "I -too am sore hungry, for I have eaten nothing but a few green bearberries -since I set out in search of you." - - - - - XXIX - THE CEDAR BARRIER - - -The corn, in its bark wrapping, was found untouched, hanging from the -birch where Blaise had left it. Not daring to kindle a fire for fear the -smoke might betray them, Hugh put the dry, hulled kernels in the kettle -with cold water to soften them. Then he spoke again of his plan to block -the entrance to the pond. - -"That cedar that leans far down over the water," he explained, "looks as -if it was almost ready to fall of its own weight. If we could pull or -push it down, it would go clear across that narrow channel." - -"But then we could not take our bateau through." - -"Oh, we can easily chop out a section when we are ready to go." - -"If anyone is near he will hear the sound of the axe." - -"It is better to risk that, Blaise, than to leave the entrance open. We -will go look at the tree and see what we can do." - -The leaning, top-heavy cedar had tipped so far that several of its roots -had pulled loose from their anchorage, bringing with them a section of -the shallow soil and exposing the rock below. On one side the roots still -held, supplying enough nourishment to the limbs to keep part of them -alive. Some of the thick sprays of foliage were brown and dead, but many -were still green and flourishing. The tree certainly looked as if the -slightest additional strain would tip it the rest of the way. Before -testing it, the boys noted where it would fall. It stood a few feet above -the water and slanted out at an angle across the passageway. - -"It will not catch in any tree when it goes down," Hugh observed. "Fresh -breaks in other trees or bushes would betray how recently it had fallen. -Of course the fact that it is partly green will prove it hasn't been down -very long." - -"An uprooted tree lying in the water will stay green for many days," -Blaise replied. - -"I think we had better try to push it over," Hugh decided. "To make a way -out to-night we shall not need to chop through the trunk. This end will -be high enough from the water so, by cutting off a few of the lower -limbs, we can take the boat underneath." - -"If the water is deep enough at this side," added Blaise. - -First attempts to bring down the slanting tree failed, however. It was -not so insecure as it appeared. The tough roots that still held were -stronger anchors than the boys had suspected. Pushing and pulling with -all their might had little effect. - -"We must cut away some of the roots that are holding," Hugh said at last. -"Lend me your hatchet, Blaise. Ohrante has mine." - -The roots were tough, but the little axe was sharp and Hugh's blows -vigorous. He cut every root he could reach, and the tree trembled, swayed -and tipped, pulling up more rootlets and chunks of soil. - -"It will come now. It needs just a little more weight. Here, Blaise." - -Hugh returned the hatchet, jumped upon the leaning trunk and made his way -along it. The tree swayed with the added weight. As he went farther up -and out, the strain on the few roots was too great. With a rending sound -they tore up the shallow soil, and the cedar crashed down across the -channel. - -Hugh had expected the tree to go suddenly, and he kept a firm hold, but -he was jarred and drenched in the splash. The trunk, where he was -clinging, did not go under water, and he scrambled quickly back to shore. -All the roots were in the air now, and the tree slanted down from the -butt, instead of up. The crown rested in the shallow water and against -the opposite shore. The entrance to the little pond was both well closed -and effectually concealed. - -Hugh uttered a little exclamation of satisfaction. "It must look from out -there," he said, nodding towards the water beyond, "like a perfectly -natural accident. This old cedar is the best of screens. I don't believe -anyone coming around that little island and seeing this fallen tree would -guess there was a lake or bay in here. Of course if he came so close he -could peep through the branches, he might be able to see water beyond, -but he would never guess that a boat could go in. If anyone came up here, -though, he would see the freshly upturned earth and the cut ends of the -tree roots. But the bushes hide this spot from the water and there is -nothing to bring anyone ashore here. We shall be better hidden than we -could have hoped." - -"Yes, it was a good thought, my brother. We will go back now and bring -the bateau around to this side of the little lake. Then if anyone looks -through the branches and sees the water beyond, he cannot see the bateau -or us. If he tries to cut a way through, we shall hear him and be warned. -The sun climbs high. We must make haste." - -Without pausing to reply, Hugh led off at once, back to the beach and -around to the spot where the boat lay. Quickly and carefully, the -brothers erased all signs of their camp that might be seen from across -the pond. Hugh gathered up the remains of the fire and was about to throw -them into the water, when Blaise stopped him. The charred sticks might -float across, and betray that someone had camped there. So Hugh carried -the blackened bits back into the woods, and then washed every trace of -ashes from the pebbles and sand. The mast and sail, which had been left -on shore, were laid in the boat, and the lads paddled around to a spot -less than a hundred feet from the end of the blockaded passageway. With -the poplar rollers they had used before, they drew the bateau up on -shore, where it could not be seen by anyone peeping through the barrier. - -The sun would soon be directly overhead. Ohrante had had several hours to -find Hugh's trail. The boy did not believe that the Iroquois would let -him escape without some effort to trace and recapture him. Even now the -Chief of Minong or some of his followers might be near at hand. It would -be wise to lie low and keep very quiet, restricting conversation to -necessary whispers. After chewing, as well as he could, some of the -partly softened corn, Hugh stretched himself out on the narrow beach to -let the sun dry his clothes. - -Waiting quietly for Ohrante to come and find him proved nerve wracking. -After what seemed a long period of inaction, he raised himself on his -elbow and hitched nearer his younger brother. The latter was sitting -close to the bateau, his eyes closed, apparently asleep. - -"Blaise, I'm going up through the woods to find some spot where I can see -out. Then if anyone comes near our barrier I shall know it." - -The half-breed boy had opened his eyes at the first word. "We must take -great care," he replied in the softest of whispers. "The cracking of a -twig, the moving of a bush may betray us. Yet I am ready to take the risk -if you are." - -"We'll both go then, and we'll not take more risk than we can help." - -Blaise nodded and rose. Slipping into the woods just beyond where the -boat lay, he threaded his way among trees and bushes. Hugh followed quite -as cautiously. It was but a short distance, and after a few steps Blaise -dropped to his hands and knees. Hugh followed his example, and remained -motionless while the other crept ahead and disappeared behind a clump of -balsams. - -The older boy waited several minutes, then ventured forward. Beyond the -balsams he paused, but could catch no glimpse of Blaise among the dense -growth. The sunlight between the trees ahead showed him that he must be -close to the margin of the woods. Lying almost flat, he wriggled along -until he could see a patch of water. For a moment he lay still, looking -and listening. Then he crept forward again and took his station behind a -thick mass of cedar needles. In its youth this cedar had been bent almost -double by some weight, a fallen tree probably, and had grown in that -misshapen form, branching and leafing out in dense sprays clear to the -ground. Peeping around the green screen, Hugh found he was but a few feet -from the edge of the water. The sheltered bay was without a ripple, the -sun hot, the woods still, the silence unbroken by even the twitter of a -bird or the hum of an insect. - -The boy was about to raise himself for a better view, when, from the -water, a sound came to his ears. The very slightest of sounds it was, but -he lowered his head instantly. He wriggled a little farther back behind -the cedar masses and lay motionless. The sound came again, the slightest -suggestion of rippling water. But the bay was smooth and still. What he -heard was the dipping of a paddle blade, the ripple of water against the -side of a boat. - -For a few moments Hugh dared not try to look. Then curiosity got the -better of fear. Raising his head ever so little, he found a peep-hole -between the cedar sprays and put his eye to it. He could see a bit of the -round, wooded islet, a section of the shore opposite and, on the water -between, a birch canoe. It held three men. The bow-man was the tall young -Iroquois who had first taken Hugh prisoner. The man in the middle wore a -red band about his long black hair. As the canoe came nearer, Hugh could -see that the steersman was the squat Ojibwa from whose custody he had -escaped. Ohrante had not killed the guard then, but no doubt some heavy -punishment hung over Monga's head if he did not find Hugh and bring him -back. He was desperate enough to dare return to the dreaded Bay of -Manitos. - -The canoe came slowly, the man in the bow watching the water. It was -shallow between the round islet and the blocked entrance to the little -pond. Would the fallen cedar deceive the Indians or not? Hugh held his -breath. - -The bow-man straightened a little, glanced towards the cedar, then looked -back at the water again. Red Band's eyes were on his paddle. Monga's head -turned from side to side, as he scanned the shore and the woods for any -sign that the fugitive had been there. His glance swept the barrier. He -twisted his paddle. The canoe swerved nearer to the blocked passage. - -The man in the bow uttered a sharp hiss of warning. For an instant Hugh -feared that the fellow had caught sight of him through the leafy screen. -But the warning was of shallows ahead. The steersman dipped his paddle -and swerved the canoe again, this time away from the fallen cedar. He did -not cast another glance in that direction, as the canoe came on past the -barrier. The "tide," as Hugh had called it, was out. The water was at its -lowest point of fluctuation. No one could suspect a navigable channel -where the uprooted tree lay. - -It was plain that the Indians intended to round the little islet. To do -so they must pass close to the shore where Hugh was. He lowered his head -cautiously and lay prone and motionless. He could hear the gentle ripple -of the water as the canoe slipped through it. Then a harsh voice spoke. -So close it seemed that the lad almost jumped, and a shudder of fear -passed through him. In an instant he realized that the voice was Monga's -and that it came from the water, not from the land. The tall fellow -answered briefly, and Monga grunted an abrupt rejoinder. What they said -Hugh could not guess, for they spoke in Ojibwa. - -The slight sounds of dipping paddles and rippling water grew fainter and -fainter, then ceased. Hugh drew a long breath, raised his head a little -and looked through the peep-hole. The canoe was no longer in sight. It -could not be far away, though, so he lay still. He was just wondering -whether it would be safe now to try for another and wider view of the bay -and strait, and had raised his head to reconnoiter, when he caught sight -of a crouching figure slipping swiftly between the trees towards him. For -an instant his heart seemed to stop beating, then he saw that it was -Blaise approaching. - -The younger brother dropped down beside the elder. "They are gone," he -whispered. "Let us go back." - - - - - XXX - THE FLIGHT FROM MINONG - - -The canoe had gone by, but the boys did not abate their caution and -watchfulness one whit, as they made their way back to the shore of the -pond. - -"That danger seems to be over," Hugh remarked, his voice still lowered to -a whisper, as he came out of the woods near the boat. "Blaise, could you -understand what those two said? Were you near enough to hear?" - -"I was but a little way beyond you, my brother. I heard every word. There -is bad blood between Monga and the young Iroquois. It was the Iroquois -who wished to come up this way. They found the ashes of our fire at the -end of that island out there. Monga thinks we went on across the mouth of -this long bay. He wished to seek us in that direction, but when the -Iroquois found the passage between these islands, he forced Monga to come -up here first. He is sure now that we are not in here. So they go the way -Monga wishes." - -"Then we are safe from those three for some hours at least, but I wish we -knew where Ohrante and the others are." - -"Ohrante must hold Monga, and perhaps the Iroquois, to blame for your -escape. If they take you not back, it will go hard with them. It may be -that Ohrante has sent them to seek you and himself waits at the camp, or -he may search in the other direction. Perhaps he will not come into this -Bay of Manitos at all." - -"Very likely he is glad of an excuse to stay out," returned Hugh with a -grin. "Ohrante may be brave as a lion with other men, but I think he is -not quite so bold with spirits." - -"No man is," Blaise replied simply. "I am not sure that Ohrante is very -brave. He is cruel and treacherous, but brave in the way our father was? -No, I think he is not brave like that." The lad gave one of his -characteristic French shrugs. - -Hugh made no answer. He discounted his brother's opinion of Ohrante -somewhat. Blaise was half Ojibwa, of the Algonquin stock, and the ancient -hatred between Algonquin and Iroquois had not died out and probably never -would die. The boy was naturally unwilling to admit any good qualities in -the self-styled "Chief of Minong," half Mohawk by blood and wholly so by -training. But Ohrante, thought Hugh, must have some unusual qualities, -since, in spite of the ancient hate, he had attracted to his band Ojibwas -as well as Iroquois. - -"Yet, we know not," Blaise went on after a moment, "how near the others -may be, or how soon Monga may return this way. We dare not venture out -until darkness comes." - -Sunset came at last and twilight. The last morsels of the maple sugar and -the soaked corn made up the evening meal. Blaise slipped through the -woods once more, and reported the outer bay and strait empty of all life -except a pair of fish ducks. Then he and Hugh pushed off the bateau and -crossed the pond. No more peaceful spot could be imagined. The still -water reflected the motionless trees and the soft colors of the sky. From -the woods came the clear, plaintive notes of a thrush. - -Landing, the lads went directly to the old birch, and were relieved to -find no signs that anyone had been near it. Blaise climbed the tree and -let himself down into the hole. Hugh then followed him up, received the -bales the younger boy handed him and lowered them to the ground. -Squirrels or wood-mice had nibbled the outer wrappings, but had not -penetrated to the pelts. When all the packages were out of the tree, the -two carried them to the shore and stowed them in the boat. Once more they -paddled across the lake and took the sail aboard. They did not set up the -mast, as they wished to push the boat under the fallen cedar. Beaching -the bateau close to the end of the barrier, they set to work to cut a way -through. - -They had only the one little axe, and Hugh wielded that, climbing out on -the tree to reach the limbs he wished to cut. Blaise, standing in the -shallow water, trimmed off smaller branches with his stout knife. Working -with skill and speed, they soon had the lower limbs cleared away from the -under side of the trunk. There appeared to be room enough to push the -bateau through, but the water at that spot was very shallow. The boat -grounded on the rock bottom. The lads unloaded most of the furs, and -succeeded in dragging the lightened bateau over the shallows. Then they -had to carry the bales through the woods, and reload. All this work they -were forced to do as quietly as possible. The blows of the axe could not -be muffled, but the two made no noise they could avoid. They did not dare -light a torch, but the sky was clear and the northern twilight long. -Darkness had settled down, however, by the time they were ready to leave -their island of refuge. - -In that sheltered place, they were unable to tell whether there was -breeze enough to aid or hinder them, but they had made up their minds to -leave the Bay of Spirits. If possible they would start for the mainland, -by sail if they could, by paddle if they must. If the wind was so strong -against them that they could not cross, they would go on in the other -direction, and find some temporary hiding place farther from the camp of -the Chief of Minong. - -Straight out through the quiet water of the narrower channel, shadowed by -the black, wooded masses of the islands to right and left, they paddled. -Darkness and still water made the shallows treacherous, but they had -noted the channel on their way in that morning, and made their way out -again without accident. - -Suddenly Blaise in the bow gave a quick, low hiss. Hugh knew that the -alarmed warning meant, not mere shallow water ahead, but some graver -danger. He obeyed the signal and steered into the deep shadow of the -island close by. The boat scraped the rocks and came to a stop. Looking -out from the protecting gloom, across the moonlit lake, Hugh caught sight -of the cause of his brother's alarm. A canoe, paddled swiftly, was -crossing the open water beyond the islands, going north. Would it turn up -the bay? Hugh sat motionless, his paddle handle gripped tightly. Then he -drew a breath of relief. The canoe had not turned. It went straight on -and disappeared from sight. - -Hugh moved forward to speak to Blaise. "The fellows who were after us," -he whispered, "going back to camp. They have given up the chase." - -"I could make out but two men," Blaise replied. - -"You couldn't be certain there weren't three," Hugh argued, "unless you -can see much better at night than I can." - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "The canoe was headed for the long -point. They must be some of Ohrante's men." - -"None of them was big enough to be Ohrante himself. We could see them -well enough to make sure of that." - -The brothers waited in the shadow for several minutes, then ventured on. -As they came out from the shelter of the islands, a light southeast -breeze, that barely rippled the water, struck them. - -"A favorable enough wind, if we want to go direct to the Kaministikwia," -remarked Hugh, "but do we?" - -"It is at the Kaministikwia where we must sell the furs." - -"But how about our revenge on Ohrante? Are we to let him meet those -reinforcements at his Torture Island, and then go on capturing innocent -people and putting them to death for his own pleasure? Ohrante is a -menace to both white men and Ojibwas, Blaise." - -"Yes, I know that," the younger lad replied slowly, "but what can you and -I alone do against him and his band and the new braves who come to join -him? I am as eager as you to see Ohrante destroyed. I long to avenge my -father by doing the deed with my own hands, but we must plan cautiously. -If we are over rash, we shall fail." - -"What would you do then, Blaise?" - -"I would go quickly to the Kaministikwia, leave the furs there, and find -other men to go with us to the Isle of Torture." - -"That will take a long time," Hugh objected. "We may be too late." - -"Then we will cross to Minong again. We know where his camp is. Oh, we -can find men eager to seek out Ohrante and his wolf pack wherever they -may be, and destroy them like the wolves they are. The X Y agent will -help us to raise a party. Ohrante was brought into this country by the -Old Company. He is a skillful hunter and took to them many pelts." - -"True. The New Company will be glad to help capture the fellow no doubt," -Hugh agreed. - -"But you and I, as our father's sons, will claim the right to deal with -him." There was a hard, fierce note in the lad's voice. Jean Beaupr had -not been a mild man, yet it was not so much the hot-tempered French -father that spoke now in the son, as the fierce, implacable savage. -Bitterly as Hugh hated the giant Mohawk, he sensed something different -and alien in his half-brother's passion. Through the weeks of constant -association with Blaise, Hugh had ceased ordinarily to think of him as -Indian, but now, for the moment, he was not Blaise Beaupr, but -Attekonse, Ojibwa. Yet it was the white boy who was the most impatient at -the thought of delay in dealing with Ohrante. - -The wind, however, had apparently settled the question. The breeze would -carry the boat northwest to Thunder Bay, but would be more hindrance than -help in going southwest to Grand Portage. In the lee of an island, the -brothers raised their mast and ran up their sail. As they paddled out -from shelter, the breeze caught the canvas and they were off across the -lake. - -Clouds had covered the moon, and it was too dark to sight Thunder Cape. -The boys could do nothing but run before the wind and trust to it to -carry them somewhere near their destination. At any rate they were -leaving Minong and putting the miles between themselves and the cruel, -self-appointed chief of the island. That wonderful and beautiful island, -which the white men had appropriately called Royale, deserved a better -king, and the first step in the right direction was to depose the present -usurper, thought Hugh with grim humor. - - - - - XXXI - WITH WIND AND WAVES - - -In the light breeze the bateau sailed but slowly, and the boys, in their -impatience, strove to increase speed by helping with the paddles. As they -went farther out, however, the wind increased, and before long they laid -aside the blades, satisfied that they were making fairly good progress. - -Overhead the stars shone dimly. To the south and east, the sky was banked -with masses of cloud. Hugh, glancing that way, felt uneasy. A rain-storm -coming down upon the heavily loaded, open bateau would be unpleasant if -not disastrous. From the behavior of the sail, he knew that the wind was -less steady. During the past two months he had learned something of the -moods of Lake Superior, and he understood that he must be ready for a -sudden shift. He had been handling both sheet and tiller, but now he -turned the steering over to his brother. - -The change of wind came suddenly and with force. For a few moments Hugh -had his hands full. Blaise obeyed orders on the instant, sail and boat -were swung about, and were soon running freely before the wind again. - -"We may not reach the Kaministikwia so soon as we hoped," Hugh commented, -when the momentary danger was past. "The wind seems to be taking us where -it chooses. As near as I can tell we must be running almost directly west -now instead of northwest." - -Blaise looked up at the only patch of clear sky visible. "Yes, I think we -go west. If the wind holds steady we shall reach the shore somewhere -between the Kaministikwia and the Grand Portage. If it shifts again----" -He broke off with a shrug. - -"If it shifts again," Hugh took up the words, "we shall reach somewhere -sometime, unless we go to the bottom. Even that would be a better fate -than falling into Ohrante's hands." - -The breeze was increasing in force, the waves running ever higher. Hugh -and Blaise were kept busy and alert. Before the wind, the bateau was -sailing swiftly enough so that there was little danger of following seas -actually swamping it, but, heavily laden, it rode low, with little -buoyancy. Every time it pitched down into the trough of the waves it -shipped water. Those were the dangerous moments. With the utmost care in -handling sail and rudder, the brothers could do little to insure against -disaster. To keep straight before the wind, not to lose control of sail -or rudder, and to take the chances with coolness and composure was about -all there was to do. As they drove on in the darkness, now riding high on -the summit of a wave, now pitching down between walls of water, they lost -all count of time. - -The waves seemed to be flattening out a little. Surely they were less -high and long, yet they were even more troublesome, for they had grown -choppy and uneven. When Blaise steered straight with them, Hugh found the -sail swinging around. When he sailed directly before the wind, the boat -pitched at an angle with the waves. - -"The wind has shifted again," he said anxiously. - -"It comes from the northeast now," Blaise returned. - -Both were too busy and anxious to talk. Hugh confined his speech to -sharply given orders and Blaise to answering grunts. The spray of -breaking waves soaked them both, time and again. The boat was shipping a -good deal of water, but bailing was impossible. The elder brother had his -hands full with the sail, the younger was compelled to give all his -attention to steering. - -Gradually conditions improved. The wind steadied and the waves obeyed it. -Once more the bateau could ride them straight, while running directly -before the breeze. The clouds were broken now, moving swiftly across the -sky, covering and uncovering the moon and stars. Whenever the boys dared -to take their eyes from sail and water, they glanced upward. When enough -sky had been blown clean to show them the position of the moon and -principal stars, both lads were surprised to learn that dawn was not -nearer. It seemed to them that they had been pitching about in the waves -for a very long time, yet the day was still hours away. - -The wind continued strong, the waves were higher than ever, but the -brothers had gained more confidence in the sailing qualities of the boat -and in their own ability to handle it. Less water was being shipped, and -by bailing when they had a chance, they managed to keep it from rising -too high. Now that the sky was clearing and there was more light on the -lake, they could see farther across it. As the boat rose to the top of a -wave, Blaise said suddenly, "L'isle du Pat." - -Hugh looked quickly and, before the bateau pitched down between the -waves, he caught a glimpse of a compact, abrupt, black mass towering from -the water not many miles to his right. There seemed to be no chance of -reaching the mouth of the Kaministikwia though. To turn and run in past -the south side of Pie Island was out of the question. The square sail -would be worse than useless, and the laden bateau would inevitably be -swamped in the trough of the waves. - -The stars were waning in the paling sky. The short summer night was -drawing to a close and dawn was approaching. South and west of Pie Island -and nearer at hand, lower lines of shore appeared, the chain of islands -from one of which the adventurers had set out for the Isle Royale. Those -islands, across several miles of heaving water, were still too far away -to be reached. Wind and waves were carrying the bateau by. The sun, -coming up in an almost clear sky, found the boat still running southwest -on a course almost parallel with the unattainable chain of islands. - -As the hours passed, the boys were encouraged to discover that they were -drawing gradually nearer and nearer to the islands on the right. What was -still better, they were bearing straight towards land ahead, continuous, -high land they knew must be the main shore. It seemed that they must -reach the mainland not many miles to the southwest of the place where the -chain of islands diverged from it. Hugh had long since ceased to be -particular where he landed, if it was only in some spot where food might -be obtained. Rations the day before had been very scanty, and he was -exceedingly hungry. - -The wind was strong but steady, the waves long and high. The bateau, as -it plunged down into the trough, continued to ship a little water, but -the boys kept it down by bailing when a hand and arm could be spared. -They were borne nearer and nearer to the land. As they ran past a group -of small islets not more than a half mile distant, with a larger and -higher island showing beyond them, Hugh glanced that way and considered -trying to turn. - -Blaise guessed his brother's thought. "The mainland is not far now," he -said, "and we go straight towards it. Let us go on until we can land -without danger to the furs. There will be more chance to find food on the -mainland also." - -Both of the younger boy's arguments had weight with Hugh. He gave up the -idea of attempting to turn, and they went on with wind and waves. At the -end of another hour they were bearing down upon an irregular, rocky -point. - -"Is that island or mainland, do you think?" Hugh inquired. - -"Mainland," was the unhesitating reply. "I remember the place. Have I not -passed it three times in the last two moons?" - -Hugh made no answer. He himself must have passed that spot twice within -two months, but there were so many rocky points along the shore. Hugh was -observing enough in the white man's way, but he did not see how Blaise -could remember all those places and tell them apart. - -The bateau ran close to the point. When a bay came into view, Hugh -expected Blaise to steer in, but the latter made no move to do so. - -"It is steep and rocky there," he explained, with a nod towards the -abrupt-shored cove. "Beyond yet a little way is a better place, shallow -and well protected." - -Past another point and along a steep rock shore they sailed. Here they -were in much calmer water, for the points broke the force of wind and -waves. As they approached a group of small islands, Blaise remarked, "It -is best to take down the sail. We can paddle in." - -Accordingly Hugh lowered the sail and took up his paddle, while Blaise -steered the bateau in among the islets. In a few moments the haven lay -revealed, an almost round bay, its entrance nearly closed by islets. The -islands and the points on either side were rocky, but the shores of the -bay were low and densely wooded with tamarack, cedar and black spruce. -The water was almost calm, and the boys made a landing on a bit of beach -on the inner side and under the high land of the right hand point. - -Hugh had not realized that he was particularly tired. The strain of the -dangerous voyage had kept him alert, but he had had no sleep for two -nights. Now, suddenly, an overpowering weariness and weakness came over -him. His legs almost collapsed under him. He dropped down on the beach, -too utterly exhausted to move. He was on solid land again, but he could -scarcely realize it. His head was dizzy, and the moment his eyes closed -he seemed to be heaving up and down again. - - - - - XXXII - THE FIRE AT THE END OF THE TRAIL - - -When Hugh woke, the dizziness and sense of swaying up and down were gone. -He sat up, feeling strangely weak and hollow, and looked about him. The -bateau was drawn up on the beach, but Blaise was nowhere in sight. From -the shadows Hugh could tell that the sun was on its downward journey. He -had slept several hours. He was just gathering up his courage to get up, -when he heard a stone rattling down the rock hill behind him. Turning his -head, he saw Blaise descending. The boy was carrying several fish strung -on a withe. Hugh eyed those fish with hungry eyes. He could almost eat -them raw, he thought. He got to his feet and looked around for fuel. Not -until he had a fire kindled, and,--too impatient to let it burn down to -coals or to wait for water to heat,--was holding a piece of fish on a -crotched stick before the blaze, did he ask his younger brother where he -had been. - -"I slept for a while," Blaise admitted, "but not for long. My hunger was -too great. I took my gun and my line and climbed to the top of the point. -I went along the steep cliff, but I found no game and no tracks. Then I -came to that rocky bay. The shores are steep there and the water clear. I -climbed out upon a rock and caught these fish. They are not big, but they -are better than no food." - -"They certainly are," Hugh agreed whole-heartedly. - -The elder brother's pride in his own strength and endurance was humbled. -He had slept, exhausted, for hours, while the half-breed boy, nearly -three years younger than himself, had walked two or three miles in search -of food. - -When no eatable morsel of the fish remained, the brothers' thoughts -turned to their next move. - -"We are far nearer the Grand Portage than the Kaministikwia," Hugh said -thoughtfully. "We had better follow my first plan and go down the shore -instead of up. We can surely find others at the Portage willing to go -with us against Ohrante." - -"It is all we can do," Blaise assented, "unless we wait here for the wind -to change. It is almost from the north now. We must go against it if we -go up the Bay of Thunder. The other way, the shore will shelter us. But -we cannot start yet. We must wait a little for the waves to go down." - -"And in the meantime we will seek more food," Hugh added. "Why not try -fishing among those little islands?" - -The channels among the islets proved good fishing ground. By sunset the -lads had plenty of trout to insure against any danger of starvation for -another day at least. The waves had gone down enough to permit travel in -the shelter of the shore. Sailing was out of the question, and paddling -the laden bateau would be slow work, but Hugh was too impatient to delay -longer, and Blaise more than willing to go on. - -After half an hour of slow progress, the younger brother made a -suggestion. "We are not far from the Rivire aux Tourtres now." He used -the French name for the Pigeon River, a name which seems to mean "river -of turtles." The word _tourtres_ doubtless referred to turtle doves or -pigeons. "To paddle this bateau," Blaise went on, "is very slow, and to -reach Wauswaugoning by water we must go far out into the waves around -that long point below the river mouth. But along the south bank of the -river is an Ojibwa trail. At a bend the trail leaves the river and goes -on across the point to Wauswaugoning. We shall save time if we go that -way, by land." - -"What about the boat and the furs?" - -"We will leave them behind. There is a little cove near the river mouth -where the bateau will be safe. The furs we can hide among the rocks. We -shall not be gone many days if all goes well. No white man I think and -few Ojibwas go that way. An Ojibwa will not disturb a cache," Blaise -added confidently. - -"Yet I don't like the idea of leaving the furs," Hugh protested. - -"They will be safer there than at the Grand Portage, where the men of the -Old Company might find them." - -"Why not turn them over to the X Y clerk at the Portage?" Hugh -questioned. - -"No, no. If our father had wanted them taken there he would have said so. -Again and again he said to take them to the New Company at the -Kaministikwia. He had a debt there, a small one, and he did not like the -man in charge at the Grand Portage. There was some trouble between them, -I know not what." - -Blaise was usually willing to yield to his elder brother's judgment, but -this time he proved obstinate. Jean Beaupr's commands must be carried -out to the letter. His younger son would not consent to the slightest -modification. - -Darkness had come when the two reached the mouth of the Pigeon River, but -the moon was bright and Blaise had no difficulty steering into the little -cove. Alders growing down to the water concealed the boat when it was -pulled up among them. Blaise assured Hugh that, even in daylight, it -could not be seen from the narrow entrance to the cove. The mast was -taken down and the sail spread over the bottom of a hollow in the rocks. -On the canvas the bales of furs were piled, and a blanket was thrown over -the heap. The boys cut several poles, laid them across the hole, the ends -resting on the rock rim, and covered them with sheets of birch bark, -stripped from an old, half-dead tree. The crude roof, weighted down with -stones, would serve to keep out small animals as well as to shed rain. -All this work was done rapidly by the light of the moon. - -The cache completed, Blaise led Hugh to the opening of the trail at the -river mouth. The trail, the boy said, had been used by the Ojibwas for -many years. A narrow, rough, but distinct path had been trodden by the -many moccasined feet that had travelled over it. The moonlight filtered -through the trees, and Blaise, who had been that way before, followed the -track readily. With them the brothers carried the remaining blanket, the -gun, ammunition, kettle and the rest of their fish. As Blaise had said, -the trail ran along the south bank until a bend was reached, then, -leaving the river, went on in the same westerly direction across the -point of land between the mouth of the Pigeon River and Wauswaugoning -Bay. The whole distance was not more than three miles, and the boys made -good time. - -Hugh thought they must be nearing the end of the path, when Blaise -stopped suddenly with a low exclamation. The elder brother looked over -the younger's shoulder. Among the trees ahead glowed the yellow light of -a small fire. - -"Wait here a moment," Blaise whispered. And he slipped forward among the -trees. - -In a few minutes he was back again. "There are three men," he said, -"sleeping by a fire, a white man and two Ojibwas. One of the Ojibwas I -know and he knew our father. We need not fear, but because of the white -man, we will say nothing of the furs." - -The two went forward almost noiselessly, but, in spite of their quiet -approach, when they came out of the woods by the fire, one of the Indians -woke and sat up. - -"Bo-jou," remarked Blaise. - -The second Indian was awake now. "Bo-jou, bo-jou," both replied, gazing -at the newcomers. - -The white man rolled over, but before he could speak, Hugh sprang towards -him with a cry of pleasure. "Baptiste, it is good to see you! How come -you here?" - -"Eh l, Hugh Beaupr, and I might ask that of you yourself," returned the -astonished Frenchman. "I inquired for you at the Grand Portage, but the -men at the fort knew nothing of you. When I said you were with your -brother Attekonse, one man remembered seeing him with a white man. That -was all I could learn. I was sore afraid some evil had befallen you. You -are long in returning to the Sault." - -"Yes," Hugh replied with some hesitation. "I have stayed longer than I -intended. Is the _Otter_ at the Grand Portage, Baptiste?" - -"No, she has returned to the New Fort. I came on her to the Grand -Portage. We brought supplies for the post and for the northmen going -inland to winter. There was a man at the Portage, a Canadian like myself, -who wanted sorely to go to the Kaministikwia. He has wife and child -there, and the mate of the sloop brought him word that the child was very -sick. So as I have neither wife nor child and am in no haste, I let him -have my place. Now I am returning by canoe, with Manihik and Keneu here." - -At the mention of their names, the two Indians nodded gravely towards -Hugh and repeated their "Bo-jou, bo-jou." - -"We camp here until the wind goes down," Baptiste concluded. - -During the Frenchman's explanation, Hugh had been doing some rapid -thinking and had come to a decision. He knew Baptiste for a simple, -honest, true-hearted fellow. In one of his Indian companions Blaise had -already expressed confidence. - -"Baptiste," Hugh asked abruptly, "have you ever heard of Ohrante, the -Iroquois hunter?" - -There was a fierce grunt from one of the Indians. The black eyes of both -were fixed on Hugh. - -"Truly I have," Baptiste replied promptly. "As great a villain as ever -went unhanged." - -"Would you like to help get him hanged?" - -Keneu sprang to his feet. It was evident he had understood something of -what Hugh had said. "I go," he cried fiercely in bad French. "Where is -the Iroquois wolf?" - -"There is an island down the shore," Hugh went on, "the Island of -Torture, Ohrante calls it, where he and his band take their prisoners and -torture them to death. Sometime soon he is to hold a sort of council -there." - -"How know you that?" Baptiste interrupted. - -"I shall have to tell you the whole story." Hugh turned to his -half-brother. "Blaise, shall we tell them all? Baptiste I can trust, I -know." - -"As you think best, my brother." - -Sitting on a log by the fire at the edge of the woods, while the -moonlight flooded the bay beyond, Hugh related his strange tale to the -amazed and excited Canadian and the intent, fierce-eyed Keneu, the "War -Eagle." The other Indian also watched and listened, but it was evident -from his face that he understood little or nothing of what was said. Hugh -made few concealments. Frankly he told the story of the search for the -hidden furs, the encounters with Ohrante and his band, the capture and -escape, and what Blaise had learned from overhearing the conversations -between Monga and the Indian with the red head band. Hugh did not -mention, however, the packet he carried under his shirt, nor did he say -definitely where he and Blaise had left the bateau and the furs. Those -details were not essential to the story, and might as well be omitted. - -"We know now it was through Ohrante father was killed," the boy -concluded, "and we, Blaise and I, intend that the Iroquois shall pay the -penalty for his crime. He has other evil deeds to pay for as well, and -that isn't all. As long as he is at liberty, he is a menace to white man -and peaceable Indian alike. He calls himself Chief of Minong, and he has -an ambition to be a sort of savage king. He is swollen with vanity and -belief in his own greatness, and he seems to be a natural leader of men, -with a sort of uncanny influence over those he draws about him. One -moment you think him ridiculous, but the next you are not sure he is not -a great man. If he succeeds in gathering a really strong band he can do -serious harm." - -Keneu gave a grunt of assent, and Baptiste nodded emphatically. "He must -be taken," the latter said. - -"Taken or destroyed, like the wolf he is," Hugh replied grimly. "We have -a plan, Blaise and I." - -For nearly an hour longer, the five sat by the fire discussing, in -English, French and Ojibwa, Hugh's plan. Then, a decision reached, each -rolled himself in his blanket for a few hours' sleep. - - - - - XXXIII - THE CAPTURE OF MONGA - - -Baptiste's canoe was large enough to accommodate Hugh and Blaise, and the -party were up and away early. The lake was no longer rough, so they made -good time through Wauswaugoning Bay and around the point to the Grand -Portage. Though Baptiste had been employed, in one capacity or another, -by the Old Northwest Company, he was under no contract. An independent -spirited fellow, who came and went much as he pleased, he did not feel -under any obligation to the Old Company and was not an ardent partisan of -that organization, so he made no objection when Hugh proposed that they -try the X Y post for help in their undertaking. The men of either company -would be glad no doubt to lay hands on the rascally Iroquois but the X Y -men's grievance was the stronger, since Ohrante had been in the employ of -the Old Company when he committed his first crime. The white man he had -slain was an independent trapper, affiliated with neither company, but -Jean Beaupr had been under contract, for the one season at least, to the -New Company. To learn that he too had come to his death through the Giant -Mohawk would add fuel to the flame of the X Y men's anger. - -Shunning the Old Company's dock, the party crossed the bay to the X Y -landing. At the post Hugh and Blaise told as much of their story as was -essential to prove that they had really encountered Ohrante, had learned -his plans and knew where to lay hands on him. The time for the annual -meeting of the New Northwest Company, still held at the Grand Portage -post, was approaching. None of the partners or leading men had yet -arrived, but most of the northmen, as the men who wintered inland west of -the lake, were called, had come with their furs, and a considerable -number of Indians were gathered at the post. The agent in charge could -not leave, but in a very few minutes the boys had recruited a dozen men, -half-breeds and Indians, with one white man, a Scotchman, to lead them. - -It would not do to approach the Island of Torture in too great force. -Hugh and Blaise, with Baptiste and the two Indians, were to go first, -find out whether Ohrante's recruits had assembled and watch for the -coming of the chief himself. The men from the Grand Portage, in two -canoes, would start later. Hugh had a very simple plan, which promised to -be effective, to prevent Ohrante from leaving his council island before -the Grand Portage party arrived. - -The plan of campaign arranged, the scouts got under way at once. As they -rounded the high point to the south and west of the Grand Portage Bay, -they noticed, coming from the open lake, a large canoe with only two men. -It was headed straight for the land, but suddenly swung about and turned -down shore. Blaise, who was second from the bow, raised his paddle for a -moment, while he gazed intently at the other canoe. - -Turning his head, he called back to Hugh and Baptiste, "Red Band! We must -catch them. It is Red Band and I think Monga." - -"_Vite!_ Make speed!" ordered Baptiste. "We will separate those two from -the rest of Ohrante's rascals." - -He scarcely needed to give the command. Keneu, in the bow, had already -quickened his powerful stroke. The others followed his lead and the five -blades dipped and rose with vigorous, rapid rhythm. The Indians ahead did -their best, bending to their paddles with desperate energy, but their -canoe was fully as large as Baptiste's and they were two paddles to five. -The pursuers gained steadily. They must certainly overtake the fugitives. - -Suddenly the fleeing canoe swerved towards the land. Keneu saw in an -instant what the two men were trying to do. They intended to beach their -boat and take to the woods, trusting to lose their pursuers in the thick -growth. The Indian bow-man gave a sharp order. Baptiste's canoe swung in -towards shore. It must cut off the fugitives, get between them and the -land. The shore was steep and rocky, and there was no good place to beach -a boat. Yet so great was the panic of Monga and Red Band that they kept -straight on. Despairing of escape by water, they were ready to smash -their canoe on the rocks and take a chance of reaching land. - -They did not even get near to the shore. In their panic haste, they -failed to notice a warning ripple and eddy ahead. Their canoe struck full -on the jagged edge of a rock just below the surface. The pursuers were -close enough to hear the ripping sound, as the sharp rock tore a great -gash in the thin bark. The water rushed in. Red Band sprang from the bow, -but Monga remained where he was in the stern, the canoe settling under -him. - -The pursuers bent to their paddles and shot towards the wrecked boat. -They reached the spot just as Monga was going down, but they did not -intend to let him escape them by drowning. Keneu reached out a sinewy arm -and seized the sinking man by the neck of his deerskin shirt, while the -others threw their bodies the other way and backed water to hold the -canoe steady and keep it off the sharp rock. - -The sensation of going down in that cold water must have instilled in -Monga a dread greater than his fear of capture, for he made no struggle -to free himself. As if the fellow had been a fish too large to be landed, -his captors passed him back from hand to hand until he came into the -keeping of the other Indian in the stern. The captive could not be pulled -aboard, so Manihik ordered him to hold to the rim. Kneeling face towards -the stern, he held Monga by the shoulders, and towed him behind the canoe -till Keneu found a landing place. - -Red Band had disappeared. Blaise, who had watched, felt sure Monga's -companion had not reached shore. He had gone down and had not come up. -Either he was unable to swim or had struck his head on a rock. Whatever -had happened, there was no sign of him. - -When shallow water was reached, Manihik took good care that his dripping -prisoner should not escape. Monga was towed ashore and his wrists and -ankles bound with rawhide rope. He said not a word, his broad face sullen -and set. - -Not until Blaise had asked him several questions in Ojibwa, did the -captive deign to speak. Even then he answered with reluctance, a word or -two at a time in sullen grunts. Then a question suddenly loosed his -tongue, and he poured out a torrent of guttural speech. The other two -Indians and Baptiste, who understood a little Ojibwa, listened intently, -but Hugh could make out no word, except the names Ohrante and Minong. - -When Monga paused, Blaise, his hazel eyes shining, turned to his brother. -"We have not so many enemies to oppose us as we thought. Ohrante has only -five of his old men left. The young Iroquois who captured you is dead." - -"That fellow dead?" Hugh exclaimed. "Are you sure Monga isn't lying?" - -"He speaks the truth, I am certain," Blaise replied confidently. "When -Ohrante found you had escaped, he was in a great rage. He held the young -Iroquois, Monga and Red Band to blame, and threatened all three with -death, unless they found you and brought you back. Because the small -canoe was gone, they believed you had escaped by water. We hoped the -empty canoe might drift up the bay, but they found it not. The Iroquois -thought you might have gone into the Bay of Manitos. Monga had no wish to -go there. He was afraid of the giant manitos, he says, but he was -desperate and at last agreed. They found our fire on the stones at the -end of that island. Monga believed you had crossed the mouth of the bay -and had gone on the other side of Minong, but the Iroquois wished to go -up the narrow channel. They went up the channel, as we know, to what they -believed to be the end. The shallow water and the fallen cedar deceived -them. So they turned back and went on across the mouth of the Bay of -Manitos." - -"What were Ohrante and the others doing all that time?" - -"They searched the western side of Minong. Monga says Ohrante would not -go into the Bay of Manitos himself." - -"Then he evidently didn't suspect our trick." - -"No, but I think perhaps the young Iroquois suspected, and that was why -he wished to search the bay." Blaise went on with his tale. "Monga and -Red Band were in despair when they could not find you. They proposed that -the three of them should run away to the mainland, but the Iroquois was -too proud to be a coward. He wished to go on with the search or go back -to take the punishment. So Monga pretended he could see the end of a -canoe among the trees on an island. They landed, and Monga and Red Band -murdered the Iroquois and left him there. Then they started for the -mainland." - -"They were the ones we saw when we were going out of the bay." - -"Yes, they went around the long point, past that bay, and along the -northwest side of Minong, but the wind came up and they could not cross. -This morning they have crossed over." - -"We should have nothing further to fear from Monga then, even if we had -not captured him." - -Blaise shrugged contemptuously. "Monga is a coward and a fool. He says he -was angry because the traders sold him a bad musket. It exploded when he -tried to fire it and blew off his little finger. So he joined the Mohawk -wolf who boasted that he would drive the white men away. Monga thought -Ohrante was a great chief and a powerful medicine man, but when he -proposed to go to Minong, Monga was afraid. Then Ohrante told him that -Minong was a wonderful place where they would grow rich and mighty and -have everything they wished. He said he was such a great medicine man -that the spirits of the island would do his bidding." - -"And they didn't," put in Hugh with a grin. - -The swift, flashing smile like his father's crossed the younger boy's -face. "Monga was disappointed to find Minong little different from the -mainland. When he heard the spirits threatening Ohrante and saw the chief -frightened, he began to lose faith in him. You escaped, and Ohrante's -medicine was not strong enough to find you and bring you back. He would -not even go to the Bay of Manitos to seek you. So Monga knew the Chief of -Minong was just a man like other men. He has run away and wants no more -of Ohrante." - -"Just the same I think we had better keep an eye on him," Hugh decided. -"We'll take him with us." - -Blaise nodded. "There is still much Monga has not told us," he replied. - -It was finally settled that Baptiste and the two Indians should take the -prisoner with them, while Hugh and Blaise went on ahead in the captured -canoe. It was their plan to approach the Island of Torture under cover of -darkness. Conditions being good, the two boys paddled steadily. Late in -the afternoon they paused for a meal. They had not many more miles to go, -and would wait until nightfall. Before they had finished their supper, -Baptiste's canoe came in sight. Monga had expressed willingness to wield -a paddle, but Baptiste did not trust him. The "Loon" rode as a compulsory -passenger, wrists and ankles still bound. At Hugh's signal, Baptiste ran -in to shore to wait with the others for darkness. - - - - - XXXIV - MONGA'S STORY - - -During the enforced wait for nightfall, Blaise put more questions to the -Indian prisoner. Monga, anxious to ingratiate himself with his captors, -talked freely. - -Ohrante, the captive said, after his first crime, capture and escape, had -fled with Monga and the other Ojibwa who had helped him to get away. At -the lake shore they had come across two Iroquois hunters, the tall fellow -with the malicious grin and another. When Ohrante proposed to take refuge -on Minong, the Ojibwas held back. The Mohawk, however, told them a long -story about how his mother, a captive among the Iroquois, had been a -direct descendant of the ancient tribe or clan who had once lived on -Minong and had mined copper there. Her ancestors had been chieftains of -that powerful people, Ohrante asserted, and he himself was hereditary -Chief of Minong. From his mother's people and also from his father, who -was a Mohawk medicine man, the giant claimed to have inherited marvellous -magic powers. He had further increased those powers by going through -various mysterious experiences and ordeals. The manitos of Minong, he -said, awaited his coming. He had had a dream, several moons before, in -which the spirits, in the forms of birds and beasts, had appeared to him -and begged him to come and rule over them. They would do his bidding and -aid him to destroy his enemies and to become chief of all the tribes -about the Upper Lakes. He would unite those tribes into a powerful nation -and drive the white men from the country. - -Persuaded by Ohrante's arguments, the four Indians accompanied him to -Minong. Their first camp was made on the southwestern end of the island. -There Ohrante and the two Ojibwas, secure from pursuit, remained while -the others crossed again to the mainland and brought back more recruits, -an Ojibwa, a Cree and another Iroquois hunter. The band of eight roamed -about the western side of the island by land and water. Most of the -winter they spent in a long, narrow bay, where, according to Monga, they -found many pieces of copper. In the spring, in search of the wonders -their chief had promised them, they reached the northeastern end of the -island. Then came a hard storm of wind, rain and snow, accompanied by -fog. Three days after the storm, when the waves had gone down, the band -entered, for the first time, the bay west of the long point. There they -found and captured Jean Beaupr and Black Thunder. It was evident from -Monga's tale that he knew nothing of the hidden furs. Ohrante had -accepted the story Jean Beaupr had told of having lost everything in the -storm, when his bateau, driven out of its course, had been dashed into a -rift in the rocks of the long point. Undoubtedly Beaupr must have had -some warning of the approach of the Indians, for he had had time, as the -boys knew, to secrete the furs. The fact that Black Thunder had suffered -an injury to one leg, when the boat was wrecked, might account for the -failure of the two to dodge the giant and his band. - -When Monga finished this part of his story, Blaise turned from him to -translate to Hugh. - -"Ask him," the elder brother suggested, "if father knew he was on the -Isle Royale." - -Blaise put the question and translated the reply. "Monga says our father -knew not where he was. The weather was thick and cloudy, there was no sun -and it was not possible to see far. Our father thought he was somewhere -on the mainland. Ohrante did not tell him where he was. The chief wished -no man to know the hiding place. The prisoners were kept bound. They were -given something cooked from leaves that made them sleep sound. Then they -were put in the canoes and taken to the other end of the island. By night -they were brought across to the Isle of Torture." - -"That explains father's not telling you where he was wrecked. He had no -idea he had been driven to Minong. But why did Ohrante bring his captives -away over here? What was his motive? Can you find out?" - -Again Blaise asked a question, listening gravely to the answer. "Monga -says that he and Ohrante and the other Ojibwa camped on that little -island they now call the Isle of Torture, when they first escaped from -our father, and Ohrante dreamed that night that he had many white -captives and put them to the torture one after another. Monga thinks it -was because of that dream that the chief brought his captives over to -that island." - -"How did father escape?" Hugh questioned eagerly. - -Again Blaise turned to Monga, and soon had the rest of the story. At the -Torture Island, Ohrante had met with several recruits, who brought with -them a supply of liquor stolen from some trading post. The torture of the -two captives, Ohrante's part of the entertainment, was postponed until -night. During the day the party feasted and drank. They consumed all of -the liquor, which was full strength, not diluted with water as it usually -was before being sold to the Indians. By night the whole band were lying -about the island in a heavy stupor. Even the lookout, who had been -stationed in a tree to give warning of the approach of danger, had come -down to get his share. - -When the band came to their senses next morning, they found the prisoners -gone. The thongs with which they had been tied lay on the ground, one -piece of rawhide having been worn through by being pulled across a -sharp-edged bit of rock. A canoe was gone and another had a great hole in -it, but a third boat, on the other side of the island, the prisoners had -not found. Monga's Ojibwa comrade, the one who had helped Ohrante to -escape justice, had been set to guard the captives. In a rage, Ohrante -threatened the fellow with torture in their stead. The guard begged to be -allowed to track the escaped prisoners, and the chief consented. A high -wind had blown all night and the lake was rough, too rough for the -fugitives to have travelled far by water. The channel between shore and -island was protected from the wind, however, and some of the band crossed -and found the canoe the escaped prisoners had used. Black Thunder's lame -leg prevented rapid travelling, and at the Devil Track River, the -negligent guard and one of the Iroquois overtook the fugitives. Stealing -quietly upon them, the Ojibwa attacked Jean Beaupr, the Iroquois, Black -Thunder. Black Thunder struggled desperately, and the Iroquois was -obliged to fight for his life. He slew Black Thunder, only to find his -Ojibwa companion lying dead a little farther on. Jean Beaupr was gone. - -The Iroquois tried to follow Beaupr, but, being himself wounded, fell -fainting from loss of blood. Monga and another of the band, sent after -the two by Ohrante, found the Iroquois unable to travel without help. It -was Monga who had kindled the cooking fire, the remains of which Hugh had -found. Blaise spoke of finding the blood-stained tunic and Monga said -that the Iroquois had stripped it from Black Thunder, but Monga and the -other Indian would not let him carry the shirt away for fear of the -vengeance of the thunder bird pictured upon it. The three returned to the -Island of Torture without attempting to follow Beaupr farther. When the -lake calmed, two of the band took the winter catch of furs to the Grand -Portage and exchanged them for supplies. Then the whole party returned to -Minong, living for some time at the southern end. In a later raid they -captured the unfortunate Indian, Ohrante's personal enemy, whom the boys -had seen being tortured. One of the chief's men was killed in the -encounter, another deserted and several were left on the mainland to -obtain recruits. - -The rest went back to Minong and travelled to the northern end again. In -the bay west of the long, high point, they found the spot the crew of the -_Otter_ had cleared, and built their wigwams there. The discovery that -someone else had visited the place made Ohrante a bit uneasy, and he kept -a lookout stationed on the high ridge. When the Beaupr brothers reached -the point, all of the band except two happened to be away on a hunting -trip. The two guards, neglectful of lookout duty, had failed to see the -lads approach. It must have been one of them who had fired the shot that -aroused the boys at dawn. Ohrante and one canoe of the hunting party -returned that very day. The call that had so startled Hugh, when he was -about to open the packet, was a signal from one of the camp guards to the -returning chief. Luckily for the brothers they were well hidden in the -pit, and Ohrante and his men were back at their camp long before the two -lads reached theirs. The other canoe of hunters did not return until the -following day. Luck had been poor, and Monga proposed to his companions -that they round the long, high point and look for game on the other side. -They were headed towards the rocky tip, when, suddenly, before their -astonished eyes, a giant form appeared on the open rocks. The giant -turned, looked straight at the canoe, then seemed to sink into the -ground. Just as he vanished, however, a second giant, even taller than -the first, loomed up. Monga and his comrades turned and fled. Monga -looked back once, just in time to see one of the giants spring up out of -the rocks, he said. The frightened Indians took refuge beyond the low -point on the other side of the bay, and stayed there until the fog came -in, before daring to venture to camp. They told Ohrante of seeing -Nanibozho and Kepoochikan on the end of the long point, but he, to -strengthen his followers' belief in his magical powers, insisted next day -on rounding the point. In the Bay of Manitos, the Chief of Minong had the -scare of his life. - -Darkness had come by the time Blaise had learned all this from the -prisoner and had translated it to Hugh and Baptiste. It was time to make -a start. Monga was left behind, and to prevent his crying out or -attracting attention in any way, he was gagged and tied to a tree. Then -the others embarked in Baptiste's canoe. The weather favored them. The -night was dark, not a ray of moonlight penetrating the thick clouds. Only -a light breeze rippled the water and the air was unusually warm. - -Noiselessly, through the deepest shadows, the canoe approached the Island -of Torture. From the upper end, the black mass appeared to be quite -deserted. No gleam of fire shone through the trees. As the canoe slipped -along close to the mainland, however, the flickering light of a small -fire appeared ahead. That fire was not on the island, but on the mainland -opposite. Swerving in to shore, the canoe was brought to a stop, its prow -just touching a bit of beach. Without speaking a word, and making -scarcely a sound, the five stepped out, deposited the boat upon the -pebbles and gathered around it in a knot. - -Keneu, his mouth close to the half-breed boy's ear, whispered a word or -two. Blaise nodded, and in an instant the Indian was gone into the -darkness. Blaise turned to Hugh and explained in the softest of whispers: -"Keneu goes to learn who they are." - -Silent, almost motionless, the rest of the party remained standing on the -bit of beach in the thick darkness of the sheltering bushes. Hugh's eyes -were fastened on the black, silent island across the narrow channel. Had -Ohrante changed his plans? He felt his younger brother's hand on his arm, -and turned about. He could just distinguish a low, hissing sound, which -he realized was the Indian making his report to Blaise. - -The sound ceased and the boy's lips were at Hugh's ear. "There are four -men camping there. One is an Iroquois. They wait for Ohrante to come. -Then they go to the island." - -"He hasn't come yet, then?" Hugh whispered back. - -"No, these are new men except the Iroquois. They come to join Ohrante. -They have liquor, but the Iroquois will not let them drink until the -chief comes." - -"Then the only thing we can do is wait." - -"That is all. We can watch the island from here. When Ohrante comes we -shall know it." - - - - - XXXV - THE FALL OF THE GIANT - - -As the wait might be long, the party decided to snatch a few minutes' -sleep, one of them remaining on the lookout for the arrival of the Chief -of Minong. It was some time after midnight, when Keneu, who was doing -guard duty, discerned something moving on the lake, coming down shore. He -laid his hand on the half-breed boy's forehead, and Blaise woke at once. - -"A canoe," the Indian whispered. - -Blaise raised his head to look. "The men from the Grand Portage. What -idiots! Why not keep closer in?" - -The Indian's hand pressed the lad's shoulder warningly. "Wait," he -breathed. "Let them go by." - -Secure in the black shelter of the alders that overhung the bit of beach, -Blaise watched the approaching canoe. It came on rapidly, confidently. As -it drew close in the darkness of the channel between mainland and island, -the boy's eyes could make out no details. But his ears caught something -that made him heartily glad he had not signalled that canoe as had been -his first thought. What he heard was an order spoken in Ojibwa, in the -unmistakable, high-pitched, nasal voice of Ohrante. In obedience to the -command, the canoe swung away from the mainland towards the Island of -Torture, and disappeared in the blackness of its margin. - -Blaise drew a long breath and whispered in Keneu's ear, "Go watch the -camp and see what they do." - -Keneu made no reply, but Blaise knew he was gone, though he heard no -sound as the Indian slipped through the bushes. In the same quiet way -that Keneu had waked him, by laying his hand on the forehead of each, -Blaise aroused his companions. In a few minutes all were sitting up, wide -awake, staring at the dark water and the impenetrable blackness of the -island. There were no stars or moon. The air was unusually warm and -sultry. A pale flash lit up the dark sky for an instant. Some moments -later a low rumbling came to their ears. A storm now might spoil all -their plans, thought Hugh anxiously. - -A gleam of light shone through the trees at the farther end of the -island. A fire had been kindled as a signal that the Chief of Minong had -arrived. Again the sky was lit by a white flash. Again the thunder rolled -and rumbled. From down the channel came a sound of splashing water. No -canoe, paddled by Indians, ever made such a splashing as that. "Have they -all jumped in? Are they swimming across?" thought Hugh. - -Rolling over, he crawled down the beach. His head almost in the water, he -gazed down the channel. Another flash of lightning swept the sky. Hugh -crouched low, but in the instant of the illumination, he saw, crossing -from mainland to island, a canoe with several men, and in its wake -something black rising above the water. Hugh could not believe that the -swimming thing was really what, in the instant's flash of light, it -appeared to be. - -He turned to slip up the beach again, and found Blaise at his side. In -silence the two went back to their place beside the canoe. A few minutes -later, Blaise felt a hand on his shoulder, and Keneu's voice spoke in his -ear, in a low, hissing whisper. - -"They have left their camp. They have crossed to the island, where a fire -now burns." - -"How many canoes?" - -"Only one." - -"Are other men coming?" - -"I think not. I think they are the only ones." - -Hugh was growing impatient. It had been his intention to wait to put his -plan into operation until the party on the island had feasted and drunk -and were sleeping. The coming storm, however, threatened to thwart his -strategy. Bad weather might drive Ohrante and his band to the mainland in -search of better shelter. Even if they remained on the island, a violent -storm would delay action. In daylight he could not carry out his scheme, -and dawn was not far off. There was grave risk in acting now, but to -delay might mean to lose all chance of success. Again the lightning -flashed more brightly, the thunder rolled louder and at a shorter -interval. He must act now if at all. He put his mouth to his younger -brother's ear. - -"We must get those canoes. A storm may spoil our chance. We dare not -wait." - -"Yes," agreed Blaise. He understood the situation quite as well as Hugh. -There was no need for more than the one word. - -"You and I and Keneu will go," Hugh went on. "When we get across, Keneu -must remain with our canoe. The others must stay here to stop the men -from the Grand Portage when they come." - -"Yes," Blaise replied again, and rose to his feet. "Come," he said -briefly to the Indian. - -In a few whispered words, Hugh explained to Baptiste that he and Manihik -must remain where they were. The Frenchman was inclined to grumble. He -did not like the idea of the boys' going into action without his support. -Hugh was firm, however, and as the whole plan was his, he was by right -the leader, so Baptiste was forced to submit. By the time Hugh had -finished his explanation, Blaise and Keneu had the canoe in the water. - -Just as Hugh, as leader, took his place in the bow, a flash of lightning -lit up the sky. The moment the flash was over, the canoe was off, Blaise -in the center and Keneu in the stern. The paddling was left to the -Indian, Hugh dipping his blade only now and then on one side or the -other, as a signal to the steersman. - -The natural clearing, where the fire now blazed bright, was at the other -end of the little island. If the Indians were all gathered around the -fire, they could not see the canoe crossing from the mainland. Someone -might be down at the shore, but the attacking party had to take a chance -of that. Luckily the short passage was accomplished before the next -flash. - -On the inner side of the little island, the trees and bushes grew down to -the water. In absolute silence, the canoe slipped along, close in. -Another bright flash of lightning, quickly followed by a peal of thunder, -caused Keneu to hold his blade motionless. The boat was well screened by -the trees, however, and there was no sign that it had been observed. - -That flash of lightning had revealed something to Hugh. Just ahead was a -little curve in the margin of the island, and beyond it, a short, blunt -projection, a bit of beach with alders growing well down upon it. On the -beach were two canoes. To reach the spot, however, it would be necessary -to pass an open gap, a sort of lane leading up from the shore to the -place where the fire burned. Through the gap the firelight shone out upon -the water. It would never do to try to pass in the canoe. - -Hugh dipped his paddle and gave it a twist. The Indian understood. He too -saw the firelight on the water. The canoe swerved towards shore and -slowed down. Before it could touch and make a noise, Hugh was overside, -stepping quickly but carefully, to avoid the slightest splash. Blaise -followed. Keneu remained in the boat. He allowed his end to swing in far -enough so he could grasp an overhanging branch and hold the craft steady. - -Now came the most difficult part of the undertaking, to creep in the -darkness through the dense growth, which came clear to the water line, -around to the beach where the canoe lay. Hugh, as leader, intended to go -first, but he did not get the chance. Before he realized what the younger -boy was about, Blaise had slipped past him and taken the lead. It was -well he did so for Blaise, slender and agile, was an adept at wriggling -his way snake-like, and he seemed to have a sixth sense in the darkness -that Hugh did not possess. So Hugh was constrained to let his younger -brother pick the route. He had all he could do to follow without rustling -or crackling the thick growth. Progress was necessarily very slow, only a -few feet or even inches at a time. Whenever there came a lightning flash, -both lay flat. The flashes were less revealing in the dense growth, and -luckily the trees stood thick between the two lads and the fire. - -Blaise had reached the edge of the gap through which the yellow-red -firelight shone. He could see the fire itself, a big, roaring pile, and -the figures moving around it. The sound of voices speaking Ojibwa and -Iroquois came to his ears. Reaching back with one foot, he gave Hugh a -little warning kick, then looked for some way to cross the open space. - -The Island of Torture, like most of the islands off the northwest shore -of the lake, consisted of a low, flat-topped, rock ridge descending -gradually to the water on one side and more abruptly on the other. The -lane was a natural opening down a steep slope from the ridge top to the -water. Just at the base of the open rock lane, at the very edge of the -water, grew a row of low shrubs, so low that they did not shut off the -light of the fire, but cast only a narrow line of shadow. The one way to -cross that gap without being seen was to crawl along in the shadow of -those bushes. The water might be shallow there or it might be deep. Lying -flat, Blaise put one hand into the shadowed water. His fingers touched -bottom. He felt around a little, then crawled forward. The water proved -to be only a few inches deep. Prostrate, he wriggled along the rock -bottom in the narrow band of shadow. When Blaise had reached the shelter -of the woods beyond, Hugh followed, taking extreme care to slip along -like an eel, without a splash. - -The brothers were now but a short distance from the canoes. The thick -growing alders fringing the pebbles shut off the firelight. The chief -peril was that someone might be guarding the boats. Eyes and ears -strained for the slightest sign of danger, the two crawled forward on -hands and knees. They reached the first canoe without alarm and went on -to the second. Still hidden from the Indians around the fire, the boys -lifted the canoe and turned it bottom side up. Blaise drew his knife from -the sheath and carefully, without a sound of ripping, cut a great hole in -the bark, removing a section between the ribs. Then the two carried the -boat out a few feet and deposited it upon the water. It began to fill -immediately, the water entering the big hole with only a slight gurgling -noise. Even that sound alarmed the lads. They beat a hasty retreat and -lay close under the alders. The Indians around the fire, however, were -too engrossed in their own affairs to heed the sound, if indeed it -carried that far. - -A man with a full, deep voice was speaking at length, his tones reaching -the boys where they lay hidden. Every now and then his listeners broke in -with little grunts and ejaculations of approval or assent. A crash of -thunder, following close upon a bright flash, drowned his voice. When the -rumbling ceased, he was no longer speaking. Something else was happening -now. Little cries and grunts, accompanied by the beating together of wood -and metal and the click of rattles in rude rhythm, came to the boys' -ears. - -"They are dancing," thought Hugh. "What fools to make such an exhibition -here where a boat may pass at any moment! Ohrante is certainly insane or -very sure he is invincible. It is time we finished our work." - -He missed Blaise from his side, and crept down to the remaining canoe, -supposing his younger brother had gone that way. Blaise was not there. -Hugh waited several minutes, listening to the grunts and cries, which, -low voiced at first, were growing louder and faster as the dancers warmed -to their work. Suddenly one of them uttered a yell, which was followed by -quite a different sound, an animal's bellow of rage or pain. Hugh was -both alarmed and curious. What was going on up there, and what had become -of Blaise? - -The elder brother crept back across the pebbles, pushed his way -cautiously among the alders, and crawled up a short, steep slope topped -by more bushes and trees, through which the firelight flickered. The -noises of the dance, broken by louder cries and angry bellows, continued. -Crouching low in the shadow, Hugh peeped through at the strangest scene -he had ever looked upon. - -In the open space a big fire blazed, casting its reddish-yellow glare -over the picture. Between the fire and the boy, the dancing figures of -the Indians passed back and forth, crouching, stamping, gesticulating, to -the rhythm of their hoarse cries and the clicking of their weapons and -rattles. All were naked to the waist and some entirely so. Their faces -and bodies were streaked and daubed with black and white, yellow and red. -Near by, in dignified immobility, stood the self-styled Chief of Minong, -his tall feather upright in his head band, his face and breast -fantastically painted in black and vermilion. His bronze body was -stripped to the waist, displaying to advantage the breadth of his -shoulders and the great muscles of his long arms. A little shudder passed -down Hugh's spine as his eyes rested upon that huge, towering form and -the set, cruel face. Yet it was neither the war dance nor Ohrante that -held his surprised gaze longest. - -A little to one side of the fire, the tall birch rose straight and high -above its fellows. To its white stem was tied, not a human victim this -time, but the dark form of an animal, a moose. As the beast tossed its -head about in frenzy, Hugh could see that its antlers, still covered with -the fuzzy velvet, had no broad palms and bore but two points on either -side. It was a crotch horn or two year old. Every few moments one or -another of the dancers would utter a yell or war whoop, dart towards the -captive animal, strike it a swift blow with knife, spear or firebrand, -then leap nimbly out of the way of its tossing antlers and flying -forefeet. A favorite sport seemed to be to strike the beast upon the -sensitive end of the nose with a burning pole. The moose was wild with -rage and pain, plunging madly about, swaying the birch almost to -breaking. The bonds were strong and the tree failed to snap, yet the boy -wondered how long it would be before something gave and freed the -frenzied beast. He thought the young moose did not realize his own -strength, but when he should find it out, Hugh did not want to be in the -way. - -The watcher was just about to retreat to the beach, when the dancing -suddenly stopped. Drops of rain were beginning to fall, but the shower -was not the reason for the cessation of the dancing. Ohrante had raised -his arm in an impressive gesture. The dancers lowered their weapons and -rattles and drew back to the other side of the fire. Majestically Ohrante -stalked forward and confronted the plunging moose. Lightning flashed, -thunder pealed, there came a sharp dash of rain, the fire hissing and -spitting like a live thing as the drops struck it. But Ohrante did not -intend to be deprived of his cruel sport by a mere thunder shower. He -held in his right hand a long pole with a knife lashed to the end. -Standing just out of reach of the enraged beast's antlers and forefeet, -he lunged directly at its throat. - -There came a dazzling flash, a flare of light, a stunning crash that -seemed to shatter Hugh's ear-drums. Even as the flash blinded his eyes, -they received a momentary impression of a great black object hurtling at -and over the giant Indian, as he toppled backward into the fire. The next -instant a huge bulk crashed through the bushes almost on top of the boy. -A tremendous splash followed. - - - - - XXXVI - HOW BLAISE MISSED HIS REVENGE - - -The rain came down in torrents. Thunder pealed and crashed, and Hugh, a -roaring in his head, his whole body shaking convulsively, lay on his face -among the bushes. A hand seized his shoulder and instantly he came to -himself. He started up and reached for the knife he had borrowed from -Baptiste, then knew it was his half-brother who was speaking. - -"Quick," Blaise whispered. "Follow me close." - -The rain was lessening, the thunder peals were not so deafening. From the -beach below came the sound of voices. With bitterness, Hugh realized that -he and Blaise had delayed too long. The Indians had reached the one canoe -and had discovered that the other was missing. - -"They are going to get away. We must do something to stop Ohrante at -least." - -"Ohrante is stopped, I think," Blaise replied quietly. "I go to see." And -he wriggled through the dripping bushes. - -Hugh followed close on his younger brother's heels. Out from the shelter -of the trees into the open space the two crawled. Where the fire had -blazed there was now only smoke. A flash of lightning illuminated the -spot. It seemed utterly deserted except for one motionless form. Without -hesitation the brothers crept across the open, no longer single file, but -side by side. The thing they had caught sight of when the lightning -flashed, lay outstretched and partly hidden by the cloud of smoke from -the quenched fire. As they drew near, there was another bright flash. -There lay the giant figure of Ohrante the Mohawk, his head among the -blackened embers, his broad chest battered to a shapeless mass by the -sharp fore hooves of the frenzied moose. Hugh was glad that the flash of -light lasted but an instant. The merciful darkness blotted out the -horrible sight. He turned away sickened. - -The report of a musket, another and another, shouts and yells and -splashings, came from the channel between island and mainland. - -"The men from the Grand Portage," cried Hugh. "They have come just in -time. Not all of Ohrante's rascals will escape." - -He ran down the open lane, Blaise after him. The flashes and reports, the -shouts and cries, proved that a battle was on. The black shapes of canoes -filled with men were distinguishable on the water. A pale flash of the -now distant lightning revealed to the lads one craft close in shore. It -contained but one man. - -"Keneu," Hugh called. - -The Indian had seen the boys. He swerved the canoe towards the line of -low bushes at the foot of the gap, and Hugh and Blaise ran out into the -water to step aboard. The yells and musket shots had ceased. The fight -seemed to be over. But another canoe was coming in towards the island -beach. Did that boat hold friends or enemies? - -"Hol, Hugh Beaupr," a familiar voice called. "Where are you?" - -"Here, Baptiste, all right, both of us," Hugh shouted in reply. - -"Thank the good God," Baptiste ejaculated fervently. - -The canoe came on and made a landing on the beach. Hugh, Blaise and Keneu -beached their craft near by. - -"Did you catch those fellows?" Hugh asked eagerly. - -"We sunk their canoe and some are drowned. Others may have reached shore. -The rest of our men have gone over there to search. But where is Ohrante? -We have seen nothing of him. Is he still on this isle?" - -"Yes, he is here," Hugh replied, a little shudder convulsing his body. -"But Ohrante is no longer to be feared." - -"He is dead? Who killed him? One of you?" Baptiste glanced quickly from -one lad to the other. - -"No, the victim he was torturing killed him." - -"Another victim? What became of him? Did he escape?" - -"He escaped. By now he is probably in safety." - -"Good! Then we have----" - -A shout from the top of the island interrupted Baptiste. The other men -from the canoe, who had scattered to search for any of Ohrante's band who -might be in hiding, had discovered the body. The boys and Baptiste went -up to join them, and Hugh described what he had seen and how the Chief of -Minong had come to his death. - -"A frightful fate truly, but he brought it upon himself by torturing the -beast," the Frenchman exclaimed. "But how was it they had a captive -moose? Surely they did not bring it across from the Isle Royale?" - -"No." It was Blaise who spoke. "Keneu says the men from the mainland -brought the moose. Keneu saw the beast tied to a tree at their camp. It -was a two year old and seemed tame. He thought it had been raised in -captivity. They brought it to kill for a feast. Hugh and I saw it swim -across behind their canoe." - -"Ohrante had no human captive to torture." Hugh shuddered again, -realizing that he himself had been the intended victim. "He had no man to -practice his cruelty upon, so he used the animal. What a fiend the fellow -was!" - -Not one of Ohrante's band was found on the island. The sudden fall of -their chief had so appalled them that they had fled, every man of them, -to the beach and had crowded into the one remaining canoe. The -explanation of Ohrante's fate was clear. The lightning had struck the top -of the tall birch. The young moose, already wild with pain and fright, -was driven to utter frenzy by the crash and shock. It had burst its bonds -and plunged straight at its nearest tormentor, knocking him into the -fire, stamping upon his body with its sharp hooves, and then dashing for -the lake and freedom. A terrible revenge the crotch horn had taken. - -Hugh's plan had been to sink one canoe and steal the other, leaving the -Chief of Minong and his followers marooned on the little island. He had -hoped that the loss of the boats would not be discovered before morning. -Then the besieging party could demand the surrender of Ohrante, promising -his followers, if necessary, that they should go free if they would -deliver up their chief. Even if they refused, there seemed no chance for -Ohrante to get away. Before he could build canoes, the attacking party -could easily raise a force sufficient to rush the island. If members of -the band should attempt to swim the channel or cross it on a raft, they -would be at the mercy of the besiegers. Sooner or later the giant and his -men would be compelled to yield. - -In accordance with this plan, the boys had set out to make away with -Ohrante's canoes. When ample time to carry out the manoeuvre had passed, -and they did not return, Baptiste had grown anxious. The sounds of the -war dance and the bellows of the captive moose, carrying across the -water, had increased his alarm. The men from the Grand Portage arriving -just before the storm broke, Baptiste signalled them and they held -themselves in readiness to go to the rescue of the lads. The watchers saw -the lightning strike the island. They heard the tumult as the frightened -Indians, believing some supernatural power had intervened to destroy -their chief, fled to the beach. At once Baptiste's men, regardless of the -storm, started for the island. A flash of lightning showed them a canoe -crossing to the mainland. Attack followed and the canoe was sunk or -overturned. One boat of the attacking party put into shore to cut off the -flight of any of the band who might succeed in reaching land. The other -turned to the island. - -When the whole force came together at dawn, they had taken two prisoners -and had found the dead bodies of two other Indians besides Ohrante. The -Mohawk had brought but three men with him and four others had joined him -at the island. Three were therefore unaccounted for. They might have been -drowned or they might have escaped. The important thing was that Ohrante -was dead and his band broken up. - -The headlong flight of the great chief's followers was explained by one -of the prisoners. The Indians had believed the giant Iroquois invincible. -He had the reputation, as Monga had said, of being a medicine man or -magician of great powers. He claimed to have had, in early youth, a dream -in which it was revealed to him that no human hand would ever strike him -down. The dream explained the boldness and rashness of his behavior. It -also threw light on his fear of powers not human. Suddenly he was felled, -not by human hand indeed, but by the dreadful thunder bird and the hooves -of a beast which surely must be a spirit in disguise. The invincible was -vanquished and his followers were panic stricken. The three men Ohrante -had brought from Minong led the flight. They had seen and heard the -threatening manifestations of Nanibozho, Kepoochikan and their attendant -manitos on that island. Two of the band, the captive said, had been left -on Minong to guard the camp. Of them neither Hugh nor Blaise ever heard -again. Whether the Indians remained on the island or whether after a time -they returned to the mainland and learned of Ohrante's death, the lads -never knew. - -With the fate of the giant Mohawk all the attacking party were well -satisfied except Blaise. He was so glum and silent that Hugh could not -understand what had come over the lad. After their return to the Grand -Portage, Blaise opened his heart. - -"I wished to kill our father's enemy with my own hands," he confessed to -Hugh. "It was the duty of you or me to avenge him, and I wished for the -honor. You saw not in the darkness that I took my musket with me. When we -crept in the water below that open place, I carried the musket on my back -not to wet it. And then when I knelt among the trees and he stood there -with his arms folded, I had him in good range. But, my brother, I could -not shoot. It was not that I feared for myself or you. No, I felt no -fear. I could not shoot him unarmed and with no chance to fight for his -life. I am a fool, a coward, a disgrace to the Ojibwa nation." - -"No, no, you are nothing of the kind," Hugh cried indignantly. "There is -no braver lad anywhere. You are no coward, you are a white man, Blaise, -and an honorable one. That is why you couldn't shoot Ohrante in the back -from ambush. I know there are white men who do such things and feel no -shame. But would father have done it, do you think? Would he?" - -A little anxiously, Hugh waited for the answer. He had known his father -so little, and Jean Beaupr had lived long among savages. The reply came -at last, slowly and thoughtfully. - -"No," said the younger son, "no, our father would never have shot a man -in the back." - - - - - XXXVII - THE PACKET IS OPENED - - -With eager curiosity Hugh Beaupr sat watching Monsieur Dubois unwrap the -mysterious packet. The adventurous journey was over. The ex-members of -Ohrante's band, including Monga, had been turned over to the fur -companies to be dealt with. The pelts had been safely delivered to the -New Northwest Company at the Kaministikwia, Jean Beaupr's small debt -cancelled, and the rest of the price paid divided between the two boys. -The furs had proved of fine quality, and Hugh was well satisfied with his -share. He had been given a draft on the company's bankers in Montreal, -who had paid him in gold. Blaise had chosen to take his half in winter -supplies, and, with Hugh and Baptiste to back him, had won the respect of -the company's clerk as a shrewd bargainer. At the Kaministikwia, the -younger boy had found his mother with a party of her people, and Hugh, -less reluctant than at the beginning of his journey, had made her -acquaintance. Regretfully parting with Blaise, the elder brother had -joined the great canoe fleet returning with the furs. He was able to -qualify as a canoeman, and he had remained with the fleet during the -whole trip to Montreal. Of that interesting but strenuous journey there -is no space to tell here. - -One of the lad's first acts after reaching the city had been to seek out -Monsieur Dubois. Dubois proved to be a prominent man among the French -people of Montreal, and Hugh had found him without difficulty. After -explaining how he had come by the packet, the lad had placed it in the -Frenchman's hands. He had learned from this thin, grave, white-haired man -that he, Ren Dubois, had lived in the Indian country for many years. -During the first months of Jean Beaupr's life in the wild Superior -region, Dubois, though considerably older, had been the friend and -companion of Hugh's father. When an inheritance had come to him, the -elder man had been called back to Montreal, where he had since lived. -Beaupr, on his infrequent returns to civilization, had made brief calls -on his old comrade, but they had no common business interests and had -never corresponded. Monsieur Dubois was, therefore, at a loss to -understand why Hugh's father had been so anxious that this packet should -reach him. - -He undid the outer wrapping, glanced at his own name on the bark label, -cut the cord, broke the seals and removed the doeskin. Several thin white -sheets of birch bark covered with fine writing in the faint, muddy, -home-made ink, and a small, flat object wrapped in another thin cover of -doeskin, were all the packet contained. When his fingers closed on the -object within the skin cover, the man's face paled, then flushed. His -hands trembled as he removed the wrapping. For several moments he sat -staring at the little disk of yellow metal, turning it over and over in -his fingers. Why it should affect Monsieur Dubois so strongly Hugh could -not imagine. It was obvious that the white-haired man was trying to -control some strong emotion. Without a word to the boy, he laid the disk -down, and Hugh could see that it was a gold coin. Taking the bark sheets -from the table where he had laid them, Dubois scanned them rapidly, then -turned again to the beginning and read them slowly and intently. When he -raised his eyes, Hugh was surprised to see that they were glistening with -tears. His voice trembled as he spoke. - -"You cannot know, Hugh Beaupr, what a great service you have done me. It -is impossible that I can ever repay you. You do not understand, you -cannot, until I explain. But first I would ask you a question or two, if -you will pardon me." - -"Of course," replied Hugh wonderingly. "I shall be glad to answer -anything that I can, Monsieur Dubois." - -"Well then, about that half-brother of yours, what sort of a lad is he?" - -"As fine a lad as you will find anywhere, Monsieur," Hugh answered -promptly. "When I first received his letter, I was prejudiced against -him, I admit." He flushed and hesitated. - -Dubois nodded understandingly. "But now?" he questioned. - -"Now I love him as if he were my _whole_ brother," Hugh said warmly. "We -went through much together, he saved me from a horrible fate, and I -learned to know him well. A finer, truer-hearted fellow than Blaise never -existed." - -Again Dubois nodded, apparently well satisfied. "And his mother?" - -"I was surprised at his mother," Hugh replied with equal frankness. "She -is Indian, of course, but without doubt a superior sort of Indian. For -one thing she was clean and neatly dressed. She is very good-looking too, -her voice is sweet, her manner quiet, and she certainly treated me -kindly. She loves Blaise dearly, and,--I think--she really loved my -father." - -Once more Monsieur Dubois nodded, a light of pleasure in his dark eyes. -"I asked," he said abruptly, "because, you see, she is my daughter." - -"Your daughter? But she is an Indian!" - -"Only half Indian, but no wonder you are surprised. I will explain." - -Monsieur Dubois then told the wondering boy how, about thirty-eight years -before, when he was still a young man, he had taken to the woods. It was -in the period between the conquest of Canada by the English and the -outbreak of the American Revolution, long before the formation of the -Northwest Fur Company, when the fur traders in the Upper Lakes region -were practically all French Canadians and free lances, each doing -business for himself. In due time, Ren Dubois, like most of the others, -had married an Indian girl. A daughter was born to them, a pretty baby -who had found a very warm spot in the heart of her adventurous father. -Before she was two years old, however, he lost her. He had left his wife -and child at an Indian village near the south shore of Lake Superior, -while he went on one of his trading trips. On his return he found the -place deserted, the signs plain that it had been raided by some -unfriendly band. There was no law in the Indian country, and in that -period, shortly after the so-called French and Indian War, when the -Algonquin Indians had sided with the French and the Iroquoian with the -English, conditions were more than usually unstable. For years Dubois -tried to trace his wife and daughter or learn their fate, but never -succeeded. - -"And now," he concluded, his voice again trembling with feeling, "you -bring me proof that my daughter still lives, that she was the wife of my -friend, and that in his son and hers I have a grandson and an heir." -Monsieur Dubois took up the gold coin and handed it to Hugh. One face had -been filed smooth and on it, cut with some crude tool, were the outlines -of a coat-of-arms. "I did that myself," Dubois explained. "It is the arms -of my family. When the child was born, I made that and hung it about her -neck on a sinew cord." - -"And Blaise's mother still had it?" exclaimed Hugh. - -"No, she had lost it, but your father recovered it. Read the letter -yourself." He handed Hugh the bark sheets. - -It was an amazing letter. Jean Beaupr merely mentioned how he had found -the Indian girl a captive among the Sioux, had bought her, taken her away -and married her. No doubt he had told all this to Dubois before. Beaupr -had not had the slightest suspicion that his wife was other than she -believed herself to be, a full-blooded Ojibwa. She had been brought up by -an Ojibwa couple, but in a Sioux raid her supposed father and mother had -been killed and she had been captured. Nearly two years before the -writing of the letter, Beaupr had happened to receive a gold coin for -some service rendered an official of the Northwest Company. His wife had -examined the coin with interest, and had said that she herself had once -had one nearly like it, the same on one side, she said, but different on -the other. She had always worn it on a cord around her neck, but when she -was captured, a Sioux squaw had taken it from her. At first Beaupr -thought that the thing she had possessed had been one of the little -medals sometimes given by a priest to a baptized child, but she had -insisted that one side of her medal had been like the coin. Then he -remembered that his old comrade Dubois had told of the coin, bearing his -coat-of-arms, worn by his baby daughter. Jean Beaupr said nothing of his -suspicions to his wife, but he resolved to find out, if he could, whether -she was really the daughter of Ren Dubois. On this quest, he twice -visited the Sioux country west of the Mississippi. The autumn before the -opening of this story, he learned of the whereabouts of the very band -that had held his wife a captive. After sending, by an Indian messenger, -a letter to Hugh at the Sault, asking the boy to wait there until his -father joined him in the spring, Beaupr left at once for the interior. -He was fortunate enough to find the Sioux band and the chief from whom he -had bought the captive more than fifteen years before. The chief, -judiciously bribed and threatened, had sought for the medal and had found -it in the possession of a young girl who said her mother had given it to -her. When Beaupr questioned the old squaw, she admitted that she had -taken the coin from the neck of an Ojibwa captive years before. How the -Ojibwa couple who had brought the girl up had come by her, Beaupr was -unable to find out, but he had no doubt that she was really the daughter -of Ren Dubois. He resolved to send the proof of his wife's parentage to -Montreal by his elder son, if Hugh had really come to the Sault and had -waited there. If Hugh was not there, the elder Beaupr would go to the -city himself. It was plain that he had not received either of the letters -Hugh had sent after him, nor had Hugh ever got the one his father had -written him. Fearing that if any accident should happen to him, the coin -and the story might never reach his old comrade, Beaupr had written down -the tale and prepared the packet. Even in his dying condition he -remembered it and told Blaise to go get it. Evidently, when he discovered -he was in danger of falling into Ohrante's hands, he had feared to keep -the packet with him, so had hidden it with the furs. If he escaped the -giant, he could return for both furs and packet, but if the coin came -into Ohrante's possession it would be lost forever. The letter, however, -said nothing of all that. It had undoubtedly been written before Beaupr -set out on his home journey. - -With deep emotion Hugh deciphered the fine, faint writing on the bark -sheets. He was glad from the bottom of his heart that he and Blaise had -been able to recover the packet and deliver it to the man to whom it -meant so much. If Hugh had had any dreams of some strange fortune coming -to himself through the packet, he forgot them when Monsieur Dubois began -to speak again. - -"I shall go to the Kaministikwia at once, if I can find means of reaching -there this autumn. At least I shall go as far as I can and finish the -journey in the spring. Wherever my daughter and my grandson are, I will -seek them out. I have no other heirs and Blaise, my grandson, shall take -the place of a son. I will bring them back to Montreal, or, if that does -not seem best, I will remain in the upper country with them. Whether my -grandson chooses to live his life in civilization or in the wilderness, I -can provide him with the means to make that life both successful and -useful." - -The elder brother's heart was glowing with happiness. He knew that his -own mother's people would help him to a start in life, and now his -younger brother, his half-breed,--no, quarter-breed--brother Blaise would -have a chance too. Hugh had no doubt that Blaise Beaupr would make the -most of his opportunities. - -It only remains to say that when Ren Dubois saw the mother of Blaise, -her resemblance to himself and to her own mother thoroughly convinced him -that there had been no mistake. He more than fulfilled to both his -daughter and his grandson the promises Hugh had heard him make. - - - THE END - - - MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE BOOKS FOR BOYS - - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored jackets._ - _Price 50 cents per volume._ - _Postage 10 cents additional._ - -SOUTH FROM HUDSON BAY, by E. C. Brill - - A thrilling tale of the coming of settlers from France and - Switzerland to the wilderness of the Prairie country of the Red - River district, and the adventures of three boys who find - themselves entangled in the fate of the little colony. - -THE SECRET CACHE, by E. C. Brill - - The father of two boys, a fur hunter, has been seriously injured - by an Indian. Before he dies he succeeds in telling the younger - son about a secret cache of valuable furs. The directions are - incomplete but the boys start off to find the Cache, and with the - help of men from a nearby settlement capture the Indian and bring - him to justice. - -THE ISLAND OF YELLOW SANDS, by E. C. Brill - - An exciting story of Adventure in Colonial Days in the primitive - country around Lake Superior, when the forest and waters were the - hunting ground of Indians, hunters and trappers. - -LOST CITY OF THE AZTECS, by J. A. Lath - - Four chums find a secret code stuck inside the binding of an old - book written many years ago by a famous geologist. The boys - finally solve the code and learn of the existence of the remnant - of a civilized Aztec tribe inside an extinct crater in the - southern part of Arizona. How they find these Aztecs, and their - many stirring adventures makes a story of tremendous present-day - scientific interest that every boy will enjoy. - - - CHAMPION SPORTS STORIES - - By NOEL SAINSBURY, JR. - -_Every boy enjoys sport stories. Here we present three crackerjack -stories of baseball, football, and basketball, written in the vernacular -of the boy of to-day, full of action, suspense and thrills, in language -every boy will understand, and which we know will be enthusiastically -endorsed by all boys._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. CRACKER STANTON _Or The Making of a Batsman_ - - Ralph Stanton, big, rawboned and serious, is a product of the - backwoods and a crack rifle shot. Quick thinking and pluck bring - him a scholarship to Clarkville School where he is branded - "grind" and "dub" by classmates. How his batting brings them - first place in the League and how he secures his appointment to - West Point make CRACKER STANTON an up-to-the-minute baseball - story no lover of the game will want to put down until the last - word is read. - -2. GRIDIRON GRIT _Or The Making of a Fullback_ - - A corking story of football packed full of exciting action and - good, clean competitive rivalry. Shorty Fiske is six-foot-four - and the product of too much money and indulgence at home. How - Clarkville School and football develop Shorty's real character - and how he eventually stars on the gridiron brings this thrilling - tale of school life and football to a grandstand finish. - -3. THE FIGHTING FIVE _Or the Kidnapping of Clarkville's Basketball Team_ - - Clarkville School's basketball team is kidnapped during the game - for the State Scholastic Championship. The team's subsequent - adventures under the leadership of Captain Charlie Minor as he - brings them back to the State College Gymnasium where the two - last quarters of the Championship game are played next evening, - climaxes twenty-four pulsating hours of adventure and basketball - in the FIGHTING FIVE... - - - SORAK JUNGLE SERIES - - By HARVEY D. RICHARDS - -_The name Sorak means War Cry in the Malay country. He grows up among the -most primitive of the Malay aborigines, and learns to combat all the -terrors of the jungle with safety. The constant battle with nature's -forces develop Sorak's abilities to such an extent that he is -acknowledged the chief warrior in all his section of the jungle._ - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in - color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. SORAK OF THE MALAY JUNGLE _or How Two Young Americans Face Death and - Win a Friend_ - - Two boys, Dick and Jack Preston are shipwrecked off the Malay - Peninsula and are rescued by Sorak. Their adventures in trying to - get back to civilization make an absorbing story. - -2. SORAK AND THE CLOUDED TIGER _or How the Terrible Ruler of the North Is - Hunted and Destroyed_ - - A huge clouded tiger, almost human, leads a pack of red dholes - into Sorak's country, and it takes all of Sorak's ingenuity, and - the aid of his friends to exterminate the pack. - -3. SORAK AND THE SULTAN'S ANKUS _or How a Perilous Journey Leads to a - Kingdom of Giants_ - - Sorak and his friends are trapped by a herd of elephants, and - finally run away with by the leader to an unknown valley where a - remnant of Cro-Magnan race still exists. Their exciting - adventures will hold the reader enthralled until the last word. - -4. SORAK AND THE TREE-MEN _or the Rescue of the Prisoner Queen_ - - Captured by a band of Malay slavers, Sorak and his friends are - wrecked on an island off the coast of Burma in the Mergui - Archipelago. Their escape from the island with the Prisoner Queen - after a successful revolution brings the fourth book of this - series to an exciting and unusual conclusion. - - - TOP NOTCH DETECTIVE STORIES - - By WILLIAM HALL - - _Each story complete in itself_ - -_A new group of detective stories carefully written, with corking plots; -modern, exciting, full of adventure, good police and detective work._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. SLOW VENGEANCE _or the Mystery of Pete Shine_ - - A young newspaper man, whose brother is on the police force, - becomes strangely involved in the mysterious killing of an - Italian bootblack. Suspicion points to a well-known politician - but he proves that it was impossible for him to have done the - deed. Then the reporter, who for a time turns detective, gets a - clue revolving about a startling, ancient method of combat. He - follows this up, watches a masked duelist and, with the help of a - girl, catches the murderer who justifies his deed on the plea of - Slow Vengeance. You will be interested in reading how the - reporter got out of a tight corner. - -2. GREEN FIRE _or Mystery of the Indian Diamond_ - - A golf caddy who has a leaning toward amateur detective work, - together with his younger cousin, are accidentally mixed up in - the strange loss, or theft, of a valuable diamond, known as Green - Fire. It was once the eye of an East Indian idol. To clear his - young cousin of suspicion, the older boy undertakes to solve the - mystery which deepens when one man disappears and another is - found murdered on the golf course. But, by a series of clever - moves on the part of the young sleuth, the crime is solved and - the diamond found in a most unusual hiding place. A rapidly - moving, exciting tale. You will like it. - -3. HIDDEN DANGER _or The Secret of the Bank Vault_ - - A young detective, who, in his private capacity, has solved - several mysteries, decides to open an office in another city. He - meets a young bank clerk and they become partners just when the - clerk's bank is mysteriously bombed and the cashier is reported - missing. It is not until next day that it is discovered that the - bank vault has been entered in some secret manner and a large sum - stolen. The regular detectives declared "spirits" must have - robbed the bank but the two young detectives prove that a clever - gang did it and also kidnapped the aged cashier. Not a dull page - from first to last. A clever story. - - - NORTHWEST STORIES - - By LeROY W. SNELL - -_A new group of stories laid in the Canadian Northwest by Mr. Snell, a -master writer of the glories and the thrilling adventures of the Canadian -Northwest Mounted Police. Each book is an individual story, well written, -beautifully bound, and contains a story that all boys will enjoy._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. THE LEAD DISK - - Tom Baley, leaving college goes north into Canada, hoping to join - the Northwest Mounted Police. His application is turned down by - his own uncle, an officer on the force, but after many thrilling - adventures and encounters with the Disk Gang he is able to win - the coveted uniform. - -2. SHADOW PATROL - - Luke Myers is sent into the Caribou Mountains to solve the - mystery of The Shadow, about whom many conflicting stories are - told. There are struggles with the outlaws, and finally a great - running battle down the fog-obscured mountain trails ... at the - end of which the outlaws are captured and the mystery of The - Shadow is solved. - -3. THE WOLF CRY - - Donald Pierce is sent to solve the mystery of his father's - disappearance, into the unmapped barrens where King Stively - weaves his web of wickedness, and rules a territory the size of a - small empire with a ruthlessness and cunning that baffles the - best of the Mounted Police. Behind all is the dread Wolf Cry - which causes brave men to shudder.... - -4. THE SPELL OF THE NORTH - - Sergeant David Stanlaw, stationed at Spirit River, is puzzled by - a local killing, the disappearance of the body, the finding of a - code message, and by the mystery of the "Listening Forest," which - casts a shadow of dread over the little town of Wiggin's Creek. - With the help of Jerry Bartlett they capture the leaders of the - gang and solve the mystery of the "Listening Forest." - -5. THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON - - Robert Wade whose patrol runs from Skagway on Chattam Strait - north into the Yukon country follows in the wake of a stampede to - a new gold strike. With the aid of his friend, Jim MacPhail, Wade - frustrates the outlaws, who try to trap the whole town behind the - "Pass of the Closing Door," and then races them to and across the - breaking ice floes of the Yukon. A strong adventure story all - boys will enjoy. - - - THE BOMBA BOOKS - - By ROY ROCKWOOD - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. With Colored jacket. - Price 50 cents per volume. Postage 10 cents additional._ - -_Bomba lived far back in the jungles of the Amazon with a half-demented -naturalist who told the lad nothing of his past. The jungle boy was a -lover of birds, and hunted animals with a bow and arrow and his trusty -machete. He had only a primitive education, and his daring adventures -will be followed with breathless interest by thousands._ - - 1. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY - 2. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AT THE MOVING MOUNTAIN - 3. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AT THE GIANT CATARACT - 4. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON JAGUAR ISLAND - 5. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN THE ABANDONED CITY - 6. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON TERROR TRAIL - 7. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN THE SWAMP OF DEATH - 8. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AMONG THE SLAVES - 9. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON THE UNDERGROUND RIVER - 10. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE LOST EXPLORERS - 11. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN A STRANGE LAND - 12. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AMONG THE PYGMIES - 13. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE CANNIBALS - 14. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE PAINTED HUNTERS - 15. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE RIVER DEMONS - 16. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE HOSTILE CHIEFTAIN - - - THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES - - By LESTER CHADWICK - - _12mo. Illustrated. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS _or The Rivals of Riverside_ - -2. BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE _or Pitching for the Blue Banner_ - -3. BASEBALL JOE AT YALE _or Pitching for the College Championship_ - -4. BASEBALL JOE IN THE CENTRAL LEAGUE _or Making Good as a Professional - Pitcher_ - -5. BASEBALL JOE IN THE BIG LEAGUE _or A Young Pitcher's Hardest - Struggles_ - -6. BASEBALL JOE ON THE GIANTS _or Making Good as a Twirler in the - Metropolis_ - -7. BASEBALL JOE IN THE WORLD SERIES _or Pitching for the Championship_ - -8. BASEBALL JOE AROUND THE WORLD _or Pitching on a Grand Tour_ - -9. BASEBALL JOE: HOME RUN KING _or The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on - Record_ - -10. BASEBALL JOE SAVING THE LEAGUE _or Breaking Up a Great Conspiracy_ - -11. BASEBALL JOE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM _or Bitter Struggles on the Diamond_ - -12. BASEBALL JOE CHAMPION OF THE LEAGUE _or The Record that was Worth - While_ - -13. BASEBALL JOE CLUB OWNER _or Putting the Home Town on the Map_ - -14. BASEBALL JOE PITCHING WIZARD _or Triumphs Off and On the Diamond_ - - - ADVENTURE STORIES FOR BOYS - - By JOHN GABRIEL ROWE - - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket. - Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -_Every boy who knows the lure of exploring and who loves to rig up huts -and caves and tree-houses to fortify himself against imaginary enemies -will enjoy these books, for they give a vivid chronicle of the doings and -inventions of a group of boys who are shipwrecked and have to make -themselves snug and safe in tropical islands where the dangers are too -real for play._ - -1. CRUSOE ISLAND - - Dick, Alf and Fred find themselves stranded on an unknown island - with the old seaman Josh, their ship destroyed by fire, their - friends lost. - -2. THE ISLAND TREASURE - - With much ingenuity these boys fit themselves into the wild life - of the island they are cast upon after a storm. - -3. THE MYSTERY OF THE DERELICT - - Their ship and companions perished in tempest at sea, the boys - are adrift in a small open boat when they spy a ship. Such a - strange vessel!--no hand guiding it, no soul on board,--a - derelict - -4. THE LIGHTSHIP PIRATES - - Modern Pirates, with the ferocity of beasts, attack a lightship - crew;--recounting the adventures that befall the survivors of - that crew--and--"RETRIBUTION." - -5. THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN IDOL - - Telling of a mutiny, and how two youngsters were unwillingly - involved in one of the weirdest of treasure hunts,--and--"THE - GOLDEN FETISH." - -6. SERGEANT DICK - - The Canadian Northwest police has the reputation of always - getting their man, and Sergeant Dick upholds the tradition in a - story of great adventure. - -7. THE CARCAJOU (krcju) - - A sequel to Sergeant Dick, with the Carcajou proving his worth in - a series of adventures that will hold the interest of any boy. - - - These books may be purchased wherever books are sold - _Send for Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original printed text--this e-text - is public domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - -***** This file should be named 43293-8.txt or 43293-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/2/9/43293/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/43293-8.zip b/43293-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1f276fd..0000000 --- a/43293-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/43293-h.zip b/43293-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fb76255..0000000 --- a/43293-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/43293-h/43293-h.htm b/43293-h/43293-h.htm index 5c7c0a7..fcf84ff 100644 --- a/43293-h/43293-h.htm +++ b/43293-h/43293-h.htm @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> <!-- terminate if block for class html --> <title>The Secret Cache, by Ethel C. Brill</title> @@ -149,46 +149,7 @@ p.t15,div.t15,.t15 { margin-left:19em;text-indent:-3em; margin-top:0; margin-b </style> </head> <body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Secret Cache - An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys - -Author: E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -Illustrator: W. H. Wolf - -Release Date: July 24, 2013 [EBook #43293] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43293 ***</div> <div id="cover" class="img"> <img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="The Secret Cache" width="500" height="732" /> @@ -9485,380 +9446,6 @@ in a series of adventures that will hold the interest of any boy.</dd> <ul><li>Copyright notice provided as in the original printed text—this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li> <li>Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.</li></ul> - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - -***** This file should be named 43293-h.htm or 43293-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/2/9/43293/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43293 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/43293.txt b/43293.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 706ab43..0000000 --- a/43293.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8806 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Secret Cache - An Adventure and Mystery Story for Boys - -Author: E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -Illustrator: W. H. Wolf - -Release Date: July 24, 2013 [EBook #43293] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -"MONGA LOOKED BACK ONCE JUST IN TIME TO SEE ONE OF THE GIANTS SPRING UP - OUT OF THE ROCKS." - "The Secret Cache." (See Page 277) - - - - - THE - SECRET - CACHE - - - AN ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY - STORY FOR BOYS - - BY - E. C. BRILL - - _ILLUSTRATED_ - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY - STORIES FOR BOYS - - - _By_ E. C. BRILL - - - Large 12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated. - - - THE SECRET CACHE - SOUTH FROM HUDSON BAY - THE ISLAND OF YELLOW SANDS - - - Copyright, 1932, by - Cupples & Leon Company - PRINTED IN U. S. A. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I. The Birch Bark Letter 7 - II. The Sloop "Otter" 14 - III. Driven Before the Gale 22 - IV. The Isle Royale 29 - V. The Half-Breed Brother 37 - VI. Down the Northwest Shore 46 - VII. At Wauswaugoning 55 - VIII. The Blood-Stained Tunic 62 - IX. The Giant Iroquois 70 - X. The Looming Sailboat 77 - XI. The Fire-Lit Orgy 85 - XII. The Hungry Porcupine 92 - XIII. The Painted Thwart 100 - XIV. Sailing Towards the Sunrise 110 - XV. The Rift in the Rock 117 - XVI. The Cache 127 - XVII. The Sealed Packet 137 - XVIII. The Fleeing Canoe 147 - XIX. The Bay of Manitos 156 - XX. Hugh Climbs the Ridge 164 - XXI. The Grinning Indian 172 - XXII. Blaise Follows Hugh's Trail 178 - XXIII. A Captive 185 - XXIV. In the Hands of the Giant 193 - XXV. The Chief of Minong 201 - XXVI. Escape 209 - XXVII. What Blaise Overheard 217 - XXVIII. Confusing the Trail 223 - XXIX. The Cedar Barrier 234 - XXX. The Flight From Minong 242 - XXXI. With Wind and Waves 249 - XXXII. The Fire at the End of the Trail 256 - XXXIII. The Capture of Monga 264 - XXXIV. Monga's Story 272 - XXXV. The Fall of the Giant 280 - XXXVI. How Blaise Missed His Revenge 290 - XXXVII. The Packet is Opened 297 - - - - - THE SECRET CACHE - - - - - I - THE BIRCH BARK LETTER - - -On the river bank a boy sat watching the slender birch canoes bobbing -about in the swift current. The fresh wind reddened his cheeks and the -roaring of the rapids filled his ears. Eagerly his eyes followed the -movements of the canoes daringly poised in the stream just below the -tossing, foaming, white water. It was the first day of the spring -fishing, and more exciting sport than this Indian white-fishing Hugh -Beaupre had never seen. Three canoes were engaged in the fascinating -game, two Indians in each. One knelt in the stern with his paddle. The -other stood erect in the bow, a slender pole fully ten feet long in his -hands, balancing with extraordinary skill as the frail craft pitched -about in the racing current. - -The standing Indian in the nearest canoe was a fine figure of a young -man, in close-fitting buckskin leggings, his slender, muscular, bronze -body stripped to the waist. Above his black head, bent a little as he -gazed intently down into the clear water, gulls wheeled and screamed in -anger at the invasion of their fishing ground. Suddenly the fisherman -pointed, with a swift movement of his left hand, to the spot where his -keen eyes had caught the gleam of a fin. Instantly his companion -responded to the signal. With a quick dig and twist of the paddle blade, -he shot the canoe forward at an angle. Down went the scoop net on the end -of the long pole and up in one movement. A dexterous flirt of the net, -and the fish, its wet, silvery sides gleaming in the sun, landed in the -bottom of the boat. - -The lad on the bank had been holding his breath. Now his tense -watchfulness relaxed, and he glanced farther up-stream at the white water -boiling over and around the black rocks. A gleam of bright red among the -bushes along the shore caught his eye. The tip of a scarlet cap, then a -head, appeared above the budding alders, as a man came, with swift, -swinging strides, along the shore path. - -"Hola, Hugh Beaupre," he cried, when he was close enough to be heard -above the tumult of the rapids. "M'sieu Cadotte, he want you." - -The lad scrambled to his feet. "Monsieur Cadotte sent you for me?" he -asked in surprise. "What does he want with me, Baptiste?" - -"A messenger from the New Fort has come, but a few moments ago," Baptiste -replied, this time in French. - -Hugh, half French himself, understood that language well, though he spoke -it less fluently than English. - -"From the Kaministikwia? He has brought news of my father?" - -"That M'sieu did not tell me, but yes, I think it may be so, since M'sieu -sends for you." - -Hugh had scarcely waited for an answer. Before Baptiste had finished his -speech, the boy was running along the river path. The French Canadian -strode after, the tassel of his cap bobbing, the ends of his scarlet sash -streaming in the brisk breeze. - -Hastening past the small cabins that faced the St. Mary's River, Hugh -turned towards a larger building, like the others of rough, unbarked -logs. Here he knew he should find Monsieur Cadotte, fur trader and agent -for the Northwest Fur Company. Finding the door open, the lad entered -without ceremony. - -Monsieur Cadotte was alone, going through for a second time the reports -and letters the half-breed messenger had brought from the Company's -headquarters on the River Kaministikwia at the farther end of Lake -Superior. The trader looked up as the boy entered. - -"A letter for you, Hugh." He lifted a packet from the rude table. - -"From my father?" came the eager question. - -"That I do not know, but no doubt it will give you news of him." - -A strange looking letter Cadotte handed the lad, a thin packet of birch -bark tied about with rough cedar cord. On the outer wrapping the name -"Hugh Beaupre" was written in a brownish fluid. Hugh cut the cord and -removed the wrapper. His first glance at the thin squares of white, -papery bark showed him that the writing was not his father's. The letter -was in French, in the same muddy brown ink as the address. The -handwriting was good, better than the elder Beaupre's, and the spelling -not so bad as Hugh's own when he attempted to write French. He had little -difficulty in making out the meaning. - - "My brother," the letter began, "our father, before he died, bade me - write to you at the Sault de Ste. Marie. In March he left the Lake of - Red Cedars with one comrade and two dog sleds laden with furs. At the - Fond du Lac he put sail to a bateau, and with the furs he started for - the Grand Portage. But wind and rain came and the white fog. He knew - not where he was and the waves bore him on the rocks. He escaped - drowning and came at last to the Grand Portage and Wauswaugoning. But - he was sore hurt in the head and the side, and before the setting of - the sun his spirit had left his body. While he could yet speak he told - me of you, my half-brother, and bade me write to you. He bade me tell - you of the furs and of a packet of value hid in a safe place near the - wreck of the bateau. He told me that the furs are for you and me. He - said you and I must get them and take them to the New Northwest Company - at the Kaministikwia. The packet you must bear to a man in Montreal. - Our father bade us keep silence and go quickly. He had enemies, as well - I know. So, my brother, I bid you come as swiftly as you can to the - Kaministikwia, where I will await you. - - Thy half-brother, - Blaise Beaupre or Attekonse, Little Caribou." - -Hugh read the strange letter to the end, then turned back to the first -bark sheet to read again. He had reached the last page a second time when -Cadotte's voice aroused him from his absorption. - -"It is bad news?" the trader asked. - -"Yes," Hugh answered, raising his eyes from the letter. "My father is -dead." - -"Bad news in truth." Cadotte's voice was vibrant with sympathy. "It was -not, I hope, _la petite verole_?" His despatches had informed him that -the dreaded smallpox had broken out among the Indian villages west of -Superior. - -"No, he was wrecked." Hugh hesitated, then continued, "On his spring trip -down his boat went on the rocks, and he was so sorely hurt that he lived -but a short time." - -"A sad accident truly. Believe me, I feel for you, my boy. If there is -anything I can do----" Cadotte broke off, then added, "You will wish to -return to your relatives. We must arrange to send you to Michilimackinac -on the schooner. From there you can readily find a way of return to -Montreal." - -Hugh was at a loss for a reply. He had not the slightest intention of -returning to Montreal so soon. He must obey his half-brother's summons -and go to recover the furs and the packet that made up the lads' joint -inheritance. Kind though Cadotte had been, Hugh dared not tell him all. -"He bade us keep silence," Little Caribou had written, and one word in -the letter disclosed to Hugh a good reason for silence. - -Jean Beaupre had been a free trader and trapper, doing business with the -Indians on his own account, not in the direct service of any company. -Hugh knew, however, that his father had been in the habit of buying his -supplies from and selling his pelts to the Old Northwest Company. Very -likely he had been under some contract to do so. Yet in these last -instructions to his sons, he bade them take the furs to the _New_ -Northwest Company, a secession from and rival to the old organization. He -must have had some disagreement, an actual quarrel perhaps, with the Old -Company. The rivalry between the fur companies was hot and bitter. Hugh -was very sure that if Monsieur Cadotte learned of the hidden pelts, he -would inform his superiors. Then, in all probability, the Old Northwest -Company's men would reach the cache first. Certainly, if he even -suspected that the pelts were destined for the New Company, Cadotte would -do nothing to further and everything to hinder Hugh's project. The boy -was in a difficult position. He had to make up his mind quickly. Cadotte -was eying him sharply and curiously. - -"I cannot return to Montreal just yet, Monsieur Cadotte," Hugh said at -last. "This letter is from my half-brother." He paused in embarrassment. - -Cadotte nodded and waited for the boy to go on. The trader knew that Jean -Beaupre had an Indian wife, and supposed that Hugh had known it also. -Part Indian himself, Cadotte could never have understood the lad's -amazement and consternation at learning now, for the first time, of his -half-brother. - -"My father," Hugh went on, "bade Blaise, my half-brother, tell me -to--come to the Kaministikwia and meet Blaise there. He wished me to--to -make my brother's acquaintance and--and receive from him--something my -father left me," he concluded lamely. - -Cadotte was regarding Hugh keenly. The boy's embarrassed manner was -enough to make him suspect that Hugh was not telling the truth. Cadotte -shrugged his shoulders. "It may be difficult to send you in that -direction. If you were an experienced canoeman, but you are not and----" - -"But I _must_ go," Hugh broke in. "My father bade me, and you wouldn't -have me disobey his last command. Can't I go in the _Otter_? I still have -some of the money my aunt gave me. If I am not sailor enough to work my -way, I can pay for my passage." - -"Eh bien, we will see what can be done," Cadotte replied more kindly. -Perhaps the lad's earnestness and distress had convinced him that Hugh -had some more urgent reason than a mere boyish desire for adventure, for -making the trip. "I will see if matters can be arranged." - - - - - II - THE SLOOP "OTTER" - - -His mind awhirl with conflicting thoughts and feelings, Hugh Beaupre left -Cadotte. The preceding autumn Hugh had come from Montreal to the Sault de -Ste. Marie. Very reluctantly his aunt had let him go to be with his -father in the western wilderness for a year or two of that rough, -adventurous life. Hugh's Scotch mother had died when he was less than a -year old, nearly sixteen years before the opening of this story. His -French father, a restless man of venturesome spirit, had left the child -with the mother's sister, and had taken to the woods, the then untamed -wilderness of the upper Great Lakes and the country beyond. In fifteen -years he had been to Montreal to see his son but three times. During each -brief stay, his stories of the west had been eagerly listened to by the -growing boy. On his father's last visit to civilization, Hugh had begged -to be allowed to go back to Lake Superior with him. The elder Beaupre, -thinking the lad too young, had put him off. He had consented, however, -to his son's joining him at the Sault de Ste. Marie a year from the -following autumn, when Hugh would be sixteen. - -Delayed by bad weather, the boy had arrived at the meeting place late, -only to find that his father had not been seen at the Sault since his -brief stop on his return from Montreal the year before. The disappointed -lad tried to wait patiently, but the elder Beaupre did not come or send -any message. At last, word arrived that he had left the Grand Portage, at -the other end of Lake Superior, some weeks before, not to come to the -Sault but to go in the opposite direction to his winter trading ground -west of the lake. There was no chance for Hugh to follow, even had he -known just where his father intended to winter. By another trader going -west and by a Northwest Company messenger, the boy sent letters, hoping -that in some manner they might reach Jean Beaupre. All winter Hugh had -remained at the Sault waiting for some reply, but none of any sort had -come until the arrival of the strange packet he was now carrying in his -hand. This message from his younger brother seemed to prove that his -father must have received at least one of Hugh's letters. Otherwise he -would not have known that his elder son was at the Sault. But there was -no explanation of Jean Beaupre's failure to meet the boy there. - -Hugh was grieved to learn of his parent's death, but he could not feel -the deep sorrow that would have overwhelmed him at the loss of an -intimately known and well loved father. Jean Beaupre was almost a -stranger to his older son. Hugh remembered seeing him but the three times -and receiving but one letter from him. Indeed he was little more than a -casual acquaintance whose tales of adventure had kindled a boy's -imagination. It was scarcely possible that Hugh's grief could be deep, -and, for the time being, it was overshadowed by other feelings. He had -been suddenly plunged, it seemed, into a strange and unexpected -adventure, which filled his mind to the exclusion of all else. - -He must find some way to reach the Kaministikwia River, there to join his -newly discovered Indian brother in a search for the wrecked bateau and -its cargo of pelts. Of that half-brother Hugh had never heard before. He -could not but feel a sense of resentment that there should be such a -person. The boy had been brought up to believe that his father had loved -his bonny Scotch wife devotedly, and that it was his inconsolable grief -at her death that had driven him to the wilderness. It seemed, however, -that he must have consoled himself rather quickly with an Indian squaw. -Surely the lad who had written the letter must be well grown, not many -years younger than Hugh himself. - -As he walked slowly along the river bank, Hugh turned the bark packet -over and over in his hand, and wondered about the half-breed boy who was -to be his comrade in adventure. Attekonse had not spent his whole life in -the woods, that was evident. Somewhere he had received an education, had -learned to write French readily and in a good hand. Perhaps his father -had taught him, thought Hugh, but quickly dismissed that suggestion. He -doubted if the restless Jean Beaupre would have had the patience, even if -he had had the knowledge and ability to teach his young son to write -French so well. - -Uncertain what he ought to do next, the puzzled boy wandered along, -glancing now and then at the canoes engaged in the white-fishing below -the rapids. That daring sport had lost its interest for him. At the -outskirts of an Indian village, where he was obliged to beat off with a -stick a pack of snarling, wolf-like dogs, he turned and went back the way -he had come, still pondering over the birch bark letter. - -Presently he caught sight once more of Baptiste's scarlet cap. No message -from Cadotte had brought the simple fellow this time, merely his own -curiosity. Hugh was quite willing to answer Baptiste's questions so far -as he could without betraying too much. Seated in a sheltered, sunny spot -on an outcrop of rock at the river's edge, he told of his father's death. -Then, suddenly, he resolved to ask the good-natured Canadian's help. - -"Baptiste, I am in a difficulty. My half-brother who wrote this,"--Hugh -touched the bark packet--"bids me join him at the Kaministikwia. It was -my father's last command that I should go there and meet this Blaise or -Little Caribou, as he calls himself. We are to divide the things father -left for us." - -"There is an inheritance then?" questioned Baptiste, interested at once. - -"Nothing that amounts to much, I fancy," the lad replied with an -assumption of carelessness; "some personal belongings, a few pelts -perhaps. For some reason he wished Blaise and me to meet and divide them. -It is a long journey for such a matter." - -"Ah, but a dying father's command!" cried Baptiste. "You must not disobey -that. To disregard the wishes of the dead is a grievous sin, and would -surely bring you misfortune." - -"True, but what can I do, Baptiste? Monsieur Cadotte doesn't feel greatly -inclined to help me. He wishes me to return to Montreal. How then am I to -find an opportunity to go to the Kaministikwia?" - -Baptiste took a long, thoughtful pull at his pipe, then removed it from -his mouth. "There is the sloop _Otter_," he suggested. - -"Would Captain Bennett take me, do you think?" - -"I myself go as one of the crew. To-morrow early I go to Point aux Pins. -Come with me and we shall see." - -"Gladly," exclaimed Hugh. "When does she sail?" - -"Soon, I think. There were repairs to the hull, where she ran on the -rocks, but they are finished. Then there is new rigging and the painting. -It will not be long until she is ready." - -That night Hugh debated in his own mind whether he should tell Cadotte of -his proposed visit with Baptiste to Point aux Pins. He decided against -mentioning it at present. He did not know what news might have come in -Cadotte's despatches, whether the trader was aware of the elder Beaupre's -change of allegiance. At any rate, thought the lad, it would be better to -have his passage in the _Otter_ arranged for, if he could persuade her -captain, before saying anything more to anyone. - -Early the next morning Baptiste and Hugh embarked above the rapids in -Baptiste's small birch canoe. The distance to Point aux Pins was short, -but paddling, even in the more sluggish channels, against the current of -the St. Mary's River in spring flood was strenuous work, as Hugh, -wielding the bow blade, soon discovered. Signs of spring were everywhere. -The snow was gone, and flocks of small, migrating birds were flitting and -twittering among the trees and now and then bursting into snatches of -song. The leaves of birches, willows and alders were beginning to unfold, -the shores showing a faint mist of pale green, though here and there in -the quiet backwaters among rocks and on the north sides of islands, ice -still remained. - -At Point aux Pins, or Pine Point, was the Northwest Company's shipyard. -In a safe and well sheltered harbor, formed by the long point that ran -out into the river, the sailing vessels belonging to the company were -built and repaired. The sloop _Otter_, which had spent the winter there, -was now anchored a little way out from shore. The repairs had been -completed and a fresh coat of white paint was being applied to her hull. -Tents and rude cabins on the sandy ground among scrubby jack pines and -willows housed the workers, and near by, waiting for the fish cleanings -and other refuse to be thrown out, a flock of gulls, gray-winged, with -gleaming white heads and necks, rode the water like a fleet of little -boats. As the canoe approached, the birds, with a splashing and beating -of wings, rose, whirled about in the air, and alighted again farther out, -each, as it struck the water, poising for a moment with black-tipped -wings raised and half spread. - -On a stretch of sand beyond the shipyard, Baptiste and Hugh landed, -stepping out, one on each side, the moment the canoe touched, lifting it -from the water and carrying it ashore. Then they sought the master of the -sloop. - -Captain Bennett was personally superintending the work on his ship. To -him Baptiste, who had been previously engaged as one of the small crew, -made known Hugh's wish to sail to the Kaministikwia. The shipmaster -turned sharply on the lad, demanding to know his purpose in crossing the -lake. Hugh explained as well as he could, without betraying more than he -had already told Cadotte and Baptiste. - -"Do you know anything of working a ship?" Captain Bennett asked. - -"I have sailed a skiff on the St. Lawrence," was the boy's reply. "I can -learn and I can obey orders." - -"Um," grunted the Captain. "At least you are a white man. I can use one -more man, and I don't want an Indian. I can put you to work now. If you -prove good for anything, I will engage you for the trip over. Here, -Duncan," to a strapping, red-haired Scot, "give these fellows something -to do." - -So it came about that Hugh Beaupre, instead of going back at once to the -Sault, remained at the Point aux Pins shipyard. He returned in the -_Otter_, when, three days later, she sailed down the St. Mary's to the -dock above the rapids where she was to receive her lading. In the -meantime, by an Indian boy, Hugh had sent a message to Cadotte informing -him that he, Hugh Beaupre, had been accepted as one of the crew of the -_Otter_ for her trip to the Kaministikwia. Cadotte had returned no reply, -so Hugh judged that the trader did not intend to put any obstacles in the -way of his adventure. - -The goods the sloop was to transport had been received the preceding -autumn by ship from Michilimackinac too late to be forwarded across -Superior. They were to be sent on now by the _Otter_. A second Northwest -Company ship, the _Invincible_, which had wintered in Thunder Bay, was -expected at the Sault in a few weeks. When the great canoe fleet from -Montreal should arrive in June, part of the goods brought would be -transferred to the _Invincible_, while the remainder would be taken on in -the canoes. Hugh was heartily glad that he was not obliged to wait for -the fleet. In all probability there would be no vacant places, and if -there were any, he doubted if, with his limited experience as a canoeman, -he would be accepted. He felt himself lucky to obtain a passage on the -_Otter_. - -The sloop was of only seventy-five tons burden, but the time of loading -was a busy one. The cargo was varied: provisions, consisting largely of -corn, salt pork and kegs of tried out grease, with some wheat flour, -butter, sugar, tea and other luxuries for the clerks at the -Kaministikwia; powder and shot; and articles for the Indian trade, -blankets, guns, traps, hatchets, knives, kettles, cloth of various kinds, -vermilion and other paints, beads, tobacco and liquor, for the fur -traders had not yet abandoned the disastrous custom of selling strong -drink to the Indians. - -During the loading Hugh had an opportunity to say good-bye to Cadotte. -The latter's kindness and interest in the boy's welfare made him ashamed -of his doubts of the trader's intentions. - - - - - III - DRIVEN BEFORE THE GALE - - -On a clear, sunny morning of the first week in May, the Northwest -Company's sloop _Otter_, with a favoring wind, made her way up-stream -towards the gateway of Lake Superior. At the Indian village on the curve -of the shore opposite Point aux Pins, men, women, children and -sharp-nosed dogs turned out to see the white-sailed ship go by. Through -the wide entrance to the St. Mary's River, where the waters of Lake -Superior find their outlet, the sloop sailed under the most favorable -conditions. Between Point Iroquois on the south and high Gros Cap, the -Great Cape, on the north, its summit indigo against the bright blue of -the sky, she passed into the broad expanse of the great lake. The little -fur-trading vessels of the first years of the nineteenth century did not -follow the course taken by the big passenger steamers and long freighters -of today, northwest through the middle of the lake. Instead, the Captain -of the _Otter_ took her almost directly north. - -The southerly breeze, light at first, freshened within a few hours, and -the sloop sailed before it like a gull on the wing. Past Goulais Point -and Coppermine Point and Cape Gargantua, clear to Michipicoton Bay, the -first stop, the wind continued favorable, the weather fine. It was -remarkably fine for early May, and Hugh Beaupre had hopes of a swift and -pleasant voyage. So far his work as a member of the crew of six was not -heavy. Quick-witted and eager to do his best, he learned his duties -rapidly, striving to obey on the instant the sharply spoken commands of -master and mate. - -At the mouth of the Michipicoton River was a Northwest Company trading -post, and there the _Otter_ ran in to discharge part of her cargo of -supplies and goods. She remained at Michipicoton over night, and, after -the unloading, Hugh was permitted to go ashore. The station, a far more -important one, in actual trade in furs, than the post at the Sault, he -found an interesting place. Already some of the Indians were arriving -from the interior, coming overland with their bales of pelts on dog -sleds. When the Michipicoton River and the smaller streams should be free -of ice, more trappers would follow in their birch canoes. - -As if on purpose to speed the ship, the wind had shifted to the southeast -by the following morning. The weather was not so pleasant, however, for -the sky was overcast. In the air was a bitter chill that penetrated the -thickest clothes. Captain Bennett, instead of appearing pleased with the -direction of the breeze, shook his head doubtfully as he gazed at the -gloomy sky and the choppy, gray water. A sailing vessel must take -advantage of the wind, so, in spite of the Captain's apprehensive -glances, the _Otter_ went on her way. - -All day the wind held favorable, shifting to a more easterly quarter and -gradually rising to a brisk blow. The sky remained cloudy, the distance -thick, the water green-gray. - -As darkness settled down, rain began to fall, fine, cold and driven from -the east before a wind strong enough to be called a gale. In the wet and -chill, the darkness and rough sea, Hugh's work was far harder and more -unpleasant. But he made no complaint, even to himself, striving to make -up by eager willingness for his ignorance of a sailor's foul weather -duties. There was no good harbor near at hand, and, the gale being still -from the right quarter, Captain Bennett drove on before it. After -midnight the rain turned to sleet and snow. The wind began to veer and -shift from east to northeast, to north and back again. - -Before morning all sense of location had been lost. Under close-reefed -sails, the sturdily built little _Otter_ battled wind, waves, sleet and -snow. She pitched and tossed and wallowed. All hands remained on deck. -Hugh, sick and dizzy with the motion, chilled and shivering in the bitter -cold, wished from the bottom of his heart he had never set foot upon the -sloop. Struggling to keep his footing on the heaving, ice-coated deck, -and to hold fast to slippery, frozen ropes, he was of little enough use, -though he did his best. - -The dawn brought no relief. In the driving snow, neither shore nor sky -was to be seen, only a short stretch of heaving, lead-gray water. -Foam-capped waves broke over the deck. Floating ice cakes careened -against the sides of the ship. On the way to Michipicoton no ice had been -encountered, but now the tossing masses added to the peril. - -Midday might as well have been midnight. The falling snow, fine, icy, -stinging, shut off all view more completely than blackest darkness. The -weary crew were fighting ceaselessly to keep the _Otter_ afloat. The -Captain himself clung with the steersman to the wheel. Then, quite -without warning, out of the northeast came a sudden violent squall. A -shriek of rending canvas, and the close-reefed sail, crackling with ice, -was torn away. Down crashed the shattered mast. As if bound for the -bottom of the lake, the sloop wallowed deep in the waves. - -Hugh sprang forward with the others. On the slanting, ice-sheathed deck, -he slipped and went down. He was following the mast overboard, when -Baptiste seized him by the leg. The dangerous task of cutting loose the -wreckage was accomplished. The plucky _Otter_ righted herself and drove -on through the storm. - -With the setting of the sun, invisible through the snow and mist, the -wind lessened. But that night, if less violent than the preceding one, -was no less miserable. Armored in ice and frozen snow, the sloop rode -heavy and low, battered by floating cakes, great waves washing her decks. -She had left the Sault on a spring day. Now she seemed to be back in -midwinter. Yet, skillfully handled by her master, she managed to live -through the night. - -Before morning, the wind had fallen to a mere breeze. The waves no longer -swept the deck freely, but the lake was still so rough that the -ice-weighted ship made heavy going. Her battle with the storm had sprung -her seams. Two men were kept constantly at the pumps. No canvas was left -but the jib, now attached to the stump of the mast. With this makeshift -sail, and carried along by the waves, she somehow kept afloat. - -From the lookout there came a hoarse bellow of warning. Through the -muffling veil of falling snow, his ears had caught the sound of surf. The -steersman swung the wheel over. The ship sheered off just as the foaming -crests of breaking waves and the dark mass of bare rocks appeared close -at hand. - -Along the abrupt shore the _Otter_ beat her way, her captain striving to -keep in sight of land, yet far enough out to avoid sunken or detached -rocks. Anxiously his tired, bloodshot eyes sought for signs of a harbor. -It had been so long since he had seen sun or stars that he had little -notion of his position or of what that near-by land might be. Shadowy as -the shore appeared in the falling snow, its forbidding character was -plain enough, cliffs, forest crowned, rising abruptly from the water, and -broken now and then by shallow bays lined with tumbled boulders. Those -shallow depressions promised no shelter from wind and waves, even for so -small a ship as the _Otter_. - -No less anxiously than Captain Bennett did Hugh Beaupre watch that -inhospitable shore. So worn was he from lack of sleep, exhausting and -long continued labor and seasickness, so chilled and numbed and weak and -miserable, that he could hardly stand. But the sight of solid land, -forbidding though it was, had revived his hope. - -A shout from the starboard side of the sloop told him that land had -appeared in that direction also. In a few minutes the _Otter_, running -before the wind, was passing between forest-covered shores. As the shores -drew closer together, the water became calmer. On either hand and ahead -was land. The snow had almost ceased to fall now. The thick woods of -snow-laden evergreens and bare-limbed trees were plainly visible. - -Staunch little craft though the _Otter_ was, her strained seams were -leaking freely, and her Captain had decided to beach her in the first -favorable spot. A bit of low point, a shallow curve in the shore with a -stretch of beach, served his purpose. There he ran his ship aground, and -made a landing with the small boat. - -His ship safe for the time being, Captain Bennett's next care was for his -crew. That they had come through the storm without the loss of a man was -a matter for thankfulness. Everyone, however, from the Captain himself to -Hugh, was worn out, soaked, chilled to the bone and more or less battered -and bruised. One man had suffered a broken arm when the mast went over -side, and the setting of the bone had been hasty and rough. The mate had -strained his back painfully. - -All but the mate and the man with the broken arm, the Captain set to -gathering wood and to clearing a space for a camp on the sandy point. The -point was almost level and sparsely wooded with birch, mountain ash and -bushes. Every tree and shrub, its summer foliage still in the bud, was -wet, snow covered or ice coated. Birch bark and the dry, crumbly center -of a dead tree trunk made good tinder, however. Baptiste, skilled in the -art of starting a blaze under the most adverse conditions, soon had a -roaring fire. By that time the snow had entirely ceased, and the clouds -were breaking. - -Around the big fire the men gathered to dry their clothes and warm their -bodies, while a thick porridge of hulled corn and salt pork boiled in an -iron kettle over a smaller blaze. The hot meal put new life into the -tired men. The broken arm was reset, the minor injuries cared for, and a -pole and bark shelter, with one side open to the fire, was set up. Before -the lean-to was completed the sun was shining. In spite of the sharp -north wind, the snow and ice were beginning to melt. A flock of -black-capped chickadees were flitting about the bare-branched birches, -sounding their brave, deep-throated calls, and a black and white -woodpecker was hammering busily at a dead limb. - -No attempt was made to repair the ship that day. Only the most necessary -work was done, and the worn-out crew permitted to rest. A lonely place -seemed this unknown bay or river mouth, without white man's cabin, -Indian's bark lodge or even a wisp of smoke from any other fire. But the -sheltered harbor was a welcome haven to the sorely battered ship and the -exhausted sailors. Wolves howled not far from the camp that night, and -next morning their tracks were found in the snow on the beach close to -where the sloop lay. It would have required far fiercer enemies than the -slinking, cowardly, brush wolves to disturb the rest of the tired crew of -the _Otter_. Hugh did not even hear the beasts. - - - - - IV - THE ISLE ROYALE - - -Shortly after dawn work on the _Otter_ was begun. The water was pumped -out, most of the cargo piled on the beach, and the sloop hauled farther -up by means of a rudely constructed windlass. Then the strained seams -were calked and a few new boards put in. A tall, straight spruce was -felled and trimmed to replace the broken mast, and a small mainsail -devised from extra canvas. The repairs took two long days of steady -labor. During that time the weather was bright, and, except in the deeply -shaded places, the snow and ice disappeared rapidly. - -From the very slight current in the water, Captain Bennett concluded that -the place where he had taken refuge was a real bay, not a river mouth. He -had not yet discovered whether he was on the mainland or an island. The -repairs to his ship were of the first importance, and he postponed -determining his whereabouts until the _Otter_ was made seaworthy once -more. Not a trace of human beings had been found. The boldness of the -wolves and lynxes, that came close to the camp every night, indicated -that no one, red or white, was in the habit of visiting this lonely spot. - -On the third day the sloop was launched, anchored a little way from shore -and rigged. While the reloading was going on, under the eyes of the mate, -the Captain, with Baptiste and Hugh at the oars, set out in the small -boat for the harbor mouth. - -The shore along which they rowed was, at first, wooded to the water line. -As they went farther out and the bay widened, the land they were skirting -rose more steeply, edged with sheer rocks, cliffs and great boulders. -From time to time Captain Bennett glanced up at the abrupt rocks and -forested ridges on his right, or across to the lower land on the other -side of the bay. Directly ahead, some miles across the open lake, he -could see a distant, detached bit of land, an island undoubtedly. Most of -the time, however, his eyes were on the water. He was endeavoring to -locate the treacherous reefs and shallows he must avoid when he took his -ship out of her safe harbor. - -An exclamation from Baptiste, who had turned his head to look to the west -and north, recalled the Captain from his study of the unfamiliar waters. -Beyond the tip of the opposite or northwestern shore of the bay, far -across the blue lake to the north, two dim, misty shapes had come into -view. - -"Islands!" Captain Bennett exclaimed. "High, towering islands." - -Baptiste and Hugh pulled on with vigorous strokes. Presently the Captain -spoke again. "Islands or headlands. Go farther out." - -The two bent to their oars. As they passed beyond the end of the low -northwestern shore, more high land came into view across the water. - -"What is it, Baptiste? Where are we?" asked Hugh, forgetting in his -eagerness that it was not his place to speak. - -"It is Thunder Cape," the Captain replied, overlooking the breach of -discipline, "the eastern boundary of Thunder Bay, where the Kaministikwia -empties and the New Fort is situated." - -"Truly it must be the Cap au Tonnerre, the Giant that Sleeps," Baptiste -agreed, resting on his oars to study the long shape, like a gigantic -figure stretched out at rest upon the water. "The others to the north are -the Cape at the Nipigon and the Island of St. Ignace." - -"We are not as far off our course as I feared," remarked the Captain with -satisfaction. - -Hugh ventured another question. "What then, sir, is this land where we -are?" - -Captain Bennett scanned the horizon as far as he could see. "Thunder Cape -lies a little to the north of west," he said thoughtfully. "We are on an -island of course, a large one. There is only one island it can be, the -Isle Royale. I have seen one end or the other of Royale many times from a -distance, when crossing to the Kaministikwia or to the Grand Portage, but -I never set foot on the island before." Again he glanced up at the steep -rocks and thick woods on his right, then his eyes sought the heaving blue -of the open lake. "This northwest breeze would be almost dead against us, -and it is increasing. We'll not set sail till morning. By that time I -think we shall have a change of wind." - -Their purpose accomplished, the oarsmen turned the boat and started back -towards camp. Hugh, handling the bow oars, watched the shore close at -hand. They were skirting a rock cliff, sheer from the lake, its -brown-gray surface stained almost black at the water line, blotched -farther up with lichens, black, orange and green-gray, and worn and -seamed and rent with vertical cracks from top to bottom. The cracks ran -in diagonally, opening up the bay. As Hugh came into clear view of one of -the widest of the fissures, he noticed something projecting from it. - -"See, Baptiste," he cried, pointing to the thing, "someone has been here -before us." - -The French Canadian rested on his oars and spoke to Captain Bennett. -"There is the end of a boat in that hole, M'sieu, no birch canoe either. -How came it here in this wilderness?" - -"Row nearer," ordered the shipmaster, "and we'll have a look at it." - -The two pulled close to the mouth of the fissure. At the Captain's order, -Baptiste stepped over side to a boulder that rose just above the water. -From the boulder he sprang like a squirrel. His moccasined feet gripped -the rim of the old boat, and he balanced for an instant before jumping -down. Hugh, in his heavier boots, followed more clumsily. Captain Bennett -remained in the rowboat. - -The wrecked craft in which the two found themselves was tightly wedged in -the crack. The bow was smashed and splintered and held fast by the ice -that had not yet melted in the dark, cold cleft. Indeed the boat was half -full of ice. It was a crude looking craft, and its sides, which had never -known paint, were weathered and water stained to almost the same color as -the blackened base of the rocks. The wreck was quite empty, not an oar or -a fragment of mast or canvas remaining. - -The old boat had one marked peculiarity which could be seen even in the -dim light of the crack. The thwart that bore the hole where the mast had -stood was painted bright red, the paint being evidently a mixture of -vermilion and grease. It was but little faded by water and weather, and -on the red background had been drawn, in some black pigment, figures such -as the Indians used in their picture writing. Hugh had seen birch canoes -fancifully decorated about prow and stern, and he asked Baptiste if such -paintings were customary on the heavier wooden boats as well. - -"On the outside sometimes they have figures in color, yes," was the -reply, "but never have I seen one painted in this way." - -"I wonder what became of the men who were in her when she was driven on -these rocks." - -Baptiste shook his head. "It may be that no one was in her. What would he -do so far from the mainland? No, I do not think anyone was wrecked here. -This bateau was carried away in a storm from some beach or anchorage on -the north or west shore. There is nothing in her, though she was right -side up when she was driven in here by the waves. And here, in this -lonely place, there has been no one to plunder her." - -"Do no Indians live on this big island?" queried Hugh. - -"I have never heard of anyone living here. It is far to come from the -mainland, and I have been told that the Indians have a fear of the place. -They think it is inhabited by spirits, especially one bay they call the -Bay of Manitos. It is said that in the old days the Ojibwa came here -sometimes for copper. They picked up bits of the metal on the beaches and -in the hills. Nowadays they have a tale that spirits guard the copper -stones." - -"If there is copper on the island perhaps this boat belonged to some -white prospector," suggested Hugh. - -Baptiste shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps, but then the Indian manitos -must have destroyed him." - -"Well, at any rate the old manitos haven't troubled us," Hugh commented. - -Again Baptiste shrugged. "We have not disturbed their copper, and--we are -not away from the place yet." - -The inspection of the wreck did not take many minutes. When Baptiste made -his report, the Captain agreed with him that the boat had probably -drifted away from some camp or trading post on the mainland, and had been -driven into the cleft in a storm. As nothing of interest had been found -in the wreck, he ordered Baptiste and Hugh to make speed back to camp. - -By night the reloading was finished and everything made ready for an -early start. After sunset, the mate, adventuring up the bay, shot a -yearling moose. The crew of the _Otter_ feasted and, to celebrate the -completion of the work on the sloop, danced to Baptiste's fiddle. From -the ridges beyond and above the camp, the brush wolves yelped in response -to the music. - -Baptiste's half superstitious, half humorous forebodings of what the -island spirits might do to the crew of the _Otter_ came to nothing, but -Captain Bennett's prophecy of a change of wind proved correct. The next -day dawned fair with a light south breeze that made it possible for the -sloop to sail out of harbor. She passed safely through the narrower part -of the bay. Then, to avoid running close to the towering rocks which had -first appeared to her Captain through the falling snow, he steered across -towards the less formidable appearing northwest shore. That shore proved -to be a low, narrow, wooded, rock ridge running out into the lake. When -he reached the tip of the point, he found it necessary to go on some -distance to the northeast to round a long reef. The dangerous reef -passed, he set his course northwest towards the dim and distant Sleeping -Giant, the eastern headland of Thunder Bay. - -To the relief of Hugh Beaupre, the last part of the voyage was made in -good time and without disaster. The boy looked with interest and some awe -at the towering, forest-clad form of Thunder Cape, a mountain top rising -from the water. On the other hand, as the _Otter_ entered the great bay, -were the scarcely less impressive heights of the Isle du Pate, called -to-day, in translation of the French name, Pie Island. Hugh asked -Baptiste how the island got its name and learned that it was due to some -fancied resemblance of the round, steep-sided western peak to a French -pate or pastry. - -By the time the sloop was well into Thunder Bay, the wind, as if to speed -her on her way, had shifted to southeast. Clouds were gathering and rain -threatened as she crossed to the western shore, to the mouth of the -Kaministikwia. The river, flowing from the west, discharges through three -channels, forming a low, triangular delta. The north channel is the -principal mouth, and there the sloop entered, making her way about a mile -up-stream to the New Fort of the Northwest Company. - -From the organization of the Northwest Fur Company down to a short time -before the opening of this story, the trading post at the Grand Portage, -south of the Pigeon River, and about forty miles by water to the -southwest of the Kaministikwia, had been the chief station and -headquarters of the company. The ground where the Grand Portage post -stood became a part of the United States when the treaty of peace after -the Revolution established the Pigeon River as the boundary line between -the United States and the British possessions. Though the Northwest -Company was a Canadian organization, it retained its headquarters south -of the Pigeon River through the last decade of the eighteenth century. In -the early years of the nineteenth, however, when the United States -government proposed to levy a tax on all English furs passing through -United States territory, the company headquarters was removed to Canadian -soil. Near the mouth of the Kaministikwia River on Thunder Bay was built -the New Fort, later to be known as Fort William after William -McGillivray, head of the company. - - - - - V - THE HALF-BREED BROTHER - - -The Northwest Fur Company's chief post was bustling with activity. The -New Fort itself, a stockaded enclosure, had been completed the year -before, but work on the log buildings within the walls was still going -on. Quarters for the agents, clerks and various employees, storehouses, -and other buildings were under construction or receiving finishing -touches. When the sloop _Otter_ came in sight, however, work ceased -suddenly. Log cabin builders threw down their axes, saws and hammers, -masons dropped their trowels, brick makers left the kilns that were -turning out bricks for chimneys and ovens, the clerks broke off their -bartering with Indians and half-breed trappers, and all ran down to the -riverside. There they mingled with the wild looking men, squaws and -children who swarmed from the camps of the voyageurs and Indians. When -the _Otter_ drew up against the north bank of the channel, the whole -population, permanent and temporary, was on hand to greet the first ship -of the season. - -From the deck of the sloop, Hugh Beaupre looked on with eager eyes. It -was not so much of the picturesqueness and novelty of the scene, however, -as of his own private affairs that he was thinking. Anxiously he scanned -the crowd of white men, half-breeds and Indians, wondering which one of -the black-haired, deerskin-clad, half-grown lads, who slipped so nimbly -between their elders into the front ranks, was his half-brother. Many of -the crowd, old and young, white and red, came aboard, but none sought out -Hugh. He concluded that Blaise was either not there or was waiting for -him to go ashore. - -Hugh soon had an opportunity to leave the ship. He had feared that he -might be more closely questioned by Captain Bennett or by some of the -crew about what he intended to do at the Kaministikwia, and was relieved -to reach shore without having to dodge the curiosity of his companions. -Only Baptiste asked him where he expected to meet his brother. Hugh -replied truthfully that he did not know. - -Unobtrusively, calling as little attention to himself as possible, the -boy made his way through the crowd, but not towards the New Fort. No -doubt the Fort, with all its busy activity in its wilderness -surroundings, was worth seeing, but he did not choose to visit the place -for fear someone might ask his business there. He was keenly aware that -his business was likely to be, not with the Old Northwest Company, but -with its rival, the New Northwest Company, sometimes called in derision -the X Y Company. In a quandary where to look for his unknown brother, he -wandered about aimlessly for a time, avoiding rather than seeking -companionship. - -The ground about the New Fort was low and swampy, with thick woods of -evergreens, birch and poplar wherever the land had not been cleared for -building or burned over through carelessness. Away from the river bank -and the Fort, the place was not cheerful or encouraging to a lonely boy -on that chill spring day. The sky was gray and lowering, the wind cold, -the distance shrouded in fog, the air heavy with the earthy smell of -damp, spongy soil and sodden, last year's leaves. Hugh had looked forward -with eager anticipation to his arrival at the Kaministikwia, but now all -things seemed to combine to make him low spirited and lonely. - -That the X Y Company had a trading post somewhere near the New Fort Hugh -knew, but he had no idea which way to go, and he did not wish to inquire. -At last he turned by chance into a narrow path that led through the woods -up-river. He was walking slowly, so wrapped in his own not very pleasant -thoughts as to be scarcely conscious of his surroundings, when a voice -sounded close at his shoulder. It was a low, soft voice, pronouncing his -own name, "Hugh Beaupre," with an intonation that was not English. - -Startled, Hugh whirled about, his hand on the sheathed knife that was his -only weapon. Facing him in the narrow trail stood a slender lad of less -than his own height, clad in a voyageur's blanket coat over the deerskin -tunic and leggings of the woods and with a scarlet handkerchief bound -about his head instead of a cap. His dark features were unmistakably -Indian in form, but from under the straight, black brows shone hazel eyes -that struck Hugh with a sense of familiarity. They were the eyes of his -father, Jean Beaupre, the bright, unforgettable eyes that had been the -most notable feature of the elder Beaupre's face. - -"Hugh Beaupre?" the dark lad repeated with a questioning inflection. "My -brother?" - -"You are my half-brother Blaise?" Hugh asked, somewhat stiffly, in -return. - -"_Oui_," the other replied, and added apologetically in excellent French, -"My English is bad, but you perhaps know French." - -"Let it be French then, though I doubt if I speak it as well as you." - -A swift smile crossed the hitherto grave face. "I was at school with the -Jesuit fathers in Quebec four winters," Blaise answered. - -Hugh was surprised. This new brother looked like an Indian, but he was no -mere wild savage. The schooling in Quebec accounted for the well written -letter. Before Hugh could find words in which to voice his thoughts, -Blaise spoke again. - -"I was on the shore when the _Otter_ arrived. I thought when I saw you, -you must be my brother, though you have little the look of our father, -neither the hair nor the eyes." - -"I have been told that I resemble my mother's people." Hugh's manner was -still cool and stiff. - -Without comment upon the reply, Blaise went on in his low, musical voice -with its slightly singsong drawl. "I wished not to speak to you there -among the others. I waited until I saw you take this trail. Then, after a -little while, I followed." - -"Do you mean you have been following me around ever since I came ashore?" -Hugh exclaimed in English. - -"Not following." The swift smile so like, yet unlike, that of Jean -Beaupre, crossed the boy's face again. "Not following, but,"--he dropped -into French-"I watched. It was not difficult, since you thought not that -anyone watched. We will go on now a little farther. Then we will talk -together, my brother." - -Passing Hugh, Blaise took the lead, going along the forest trail with a -lithe swiftness that spurred the older lad to his fastest walking pace. -After perhaps half a mile, they came to the top of a low knoll where an -opening had been made by the fall of a big spruce. Blaise seated himself -on the prostrate trunk, and Hugh dropped down beside him, more eager than -he cared to betray to hear his Indian brother's story. - -A strange tale the younger lad had to tell. Jean Beaupre had spent the -previous winter trading and trapping in the country south of the Lake of -the Woods, now included in the state of Minnesota. Blaise and his mother -had remained at Wauswaugoning Bay, north of the Grand Portage. Just at -dusk of a night late in March, Beaupre staggered into their camp, his -face ghastly, his clothes blood stained, mind and body in the last stages -of exhaustion. At the lodge entrance he fell fainting. It was some time -before his squaw and his son succeeded in bringing him back to -consciousness. In spite of his weakness he was determined to tell his -story. Mustering all his failing strength, he commenced. - -Before the snow had begun to melt under the spring sun, he had started, -he told them, with one Indian companion and two dog sleds loaded with -pelts, for Lake Superior. Travelling along the frozen streams and lakes, -he reached the trading post at the Fond du Lac on the St. Louis River. -While he was there, a spell of unusually warm early spring weather -cleared the river mouth. The winter had been mild, with little ice in -that part of the lake. At Fond du Lac Beaupre obtained a bateau, as the -Canadians called their wooden boats, and rigged it with mast and sail. He -and his companion put their furs aboard, and started up the northwest -shore of Lake Superior. - -Thus far he succeeded in telling his story clearly enough, then, worn out -with the effort, he lapsed into unconsciousness. Twice he rallied and -tried to go on, but his speech was vague and disconnected. As well as he -could, Blaise pieced together the fragments of the story. Somewhere -between the Fond du Lac and the Grand Portage the bateau had been wrecked -in a storm. When he reached this part of his tale, Jean Beaupre became -much agitated. He gasped out again and again that he had hidden the furs -and the "packet" in a safe cache, and that Blaise and his other son Hugh -must go get them. He called the furs his sons' inheritance, for he was -clearly aware that he could not live. The pelts were a very good season's -catch, and the boys must take them to the New Northwest Company's post at -the Kaministikwia. But it was the packet about which he seemed most -anxious. Hugh must carry the packet to Montreal to Monsieur Dubois. -Blaise asked where his brother was to be found, and received instructions -to go or send to the Sault. Before the lad learned definitely where to -look for the furs and the packet, Jean Beaupre lapsed once more into -unconsciousness. He rallied only long enough for the ministrations of a -priest, who happened to be at the Grand Portage on a missionary journey. - -Though Hugh had scarcely known his father, he was much moved at the story -of his death. He felt a curious mixture of sympathy for and jealousy of -his Indian half-brother, when he saw, in spite of the latter's controlled -and quiet manner, how strongly he felt his loss. Hugh respected the depth -of the boy's sorrow, yet he could not but feel as if he, the elder son, -had been unrightfully defrauded. The half-breed lad had known their -common father so much better than he, the wholly white son. For some -minutes after Blaise ceased speaking, Hugh sat silent, oppressed by -conflicting thoughts and feelings. Then his mind turned to the present, -practical aspect of the situation. - -"It will not be an easy search," he remarked. "Have you no clue to the -spot where the furs are hidden?" - -"None, except that it is a short way only from the place where the -wrecked boat lies." - -"Where the boat lay when father left it," commented Hugh thoughtfully. -"It may have drifted far from there by now." - -"That is possible. I could not learn from him where the wreck happened, -though I asked several times. The boat was driven on the rocks. That is -all I know." - -"And his companion? Was he drowned?" - -Blaise shook his head. "I know not. Our father said nothing of Black -Thunder, but I think he must be dead, or our father would not have come -alone." - -"How shall we set about the search?" - -"We will go down along the shore," Blaise replied, taking the lead as if -by right, although he was the younger by two or three years. "We will -look first for the wrecked bateau. When we have found that, we will make -search for the cache of furs." - -Hugh's thoughts turned to another part of his half-brother's tale. "Tell -me, Blaise," he said suddenly, "what was it caused my father's death, -starvation, exhaustion, hardship? Or was he hurt when the boat was -wrecked? You spoke of his blood-stained clothes." - -"It was not starvation and not cold," the half-breed boy replied gravely. -"He was hurt, sore hurt." The lad cast a swift glance about him, at the -still and silent woods shadowy with approaching night. Then he leaned -towards Hugh and spoke so low the latter could scarcely catch the words. -"Our father was sore hurt, but not in the wreck. How he ever lived to -reach us I know not. The wound was in his side." - -"But how came he by a wound?" Hugh whispered, unconsciously imitating the -other's cautious manner. - -Blaise shook his black head solemnly. "I know not how, but not in the -storm or the wreck. The wound was a knife wound." - -"What?" cried Hugh, forgetting caution in his surprise. "Had he enemies -who attacked him? Did someone murder him?" - -Again Blaise shook his head. "It might have been in fair fight. Our -father was ever quick with word and deed. The bull moose himself is not -braver. Yet I think the blow was not a fair one. I think it was struck -from behind. The knife entered here." Blaise placed his hand on a spot a -little to the left of the back-bone. - -"A blow from behind it must have been. Could it have been his companion -who struck him?" - -"Black Thunder? No, for then Black Thunder would have carried away the -furs. Our father would not have told us to go get them." - -"True," Hugh replied, but after a moment of thought he added, "Yet the -fellow may have attacked him, and father, though mortally wounded, may -have slain him." - -A quick, fierce gleam shone in the younger boy's bright eyes. "If he who -struck was not killed by our father's hand," he said in a low, tense -voice, "you and I are left to avenge our father." It was plain that -Christian schooling in Quebec had not rooted out from Little Caribou's -nature the savage's craving for revenge. To tell the truth, at the -thought of that cowardly blow, Hugh's own feelings were nearly as fierce -as those of his half-Indian brother. - - - - - VI - DOWN THE NORTHWEST SHORE - - -Hugh slept on board the _Otter_ that night and helped with the unloading -next day. His duties over, he was free to go where he would. To -Baptiste's queries, he replied that he had seen his half-brother and had -arranged to accompany him to the Grand Portage. Later he would come again -to the Kaministikwia or return to the Sault by the southerly route. -Having satisfied the simple fellow's curiosity, Hugh went with him to -visit the New Fort. - -Baptiste had a great admiration for the Fort. Proudly he called Hugh's -attention to the strong wooden walls, flanked with bastions. He obtained -permission to take his friend through the principal building and display -to him the big dining hall. There, later in the year, at the time of the -annual meeting, partners, agents and clerks would banquet together and -discuss matters of the highest import to the fur trade. He also showed -Hugh the living quarters of the permanent employees of the post, the -powder house, the jail, the kilns and forges. When the Fort should be -completed, with all its storehouses and workshops, it would be almost a -village within walls. Outside the stockade was a shipyard and a tract of -land cleared for a garden. Hugh, who had lived in the city of Montreal, -was less impressed with the log structures, many of them still -unfinished, than was the voyageur who had spent most of his days in the -wilds. Nevertheless the lad wondered at the size and ambitiousness of -this undertaking and accomplishment in the wilderness. Far removed from -the civilization of eastern Canada, the trading post was forced to be a -little city in itself, dependent upon the real cities for nothing it -could possibly make or obtain from the surrounding country. - -To tell the truth, however, Hugh found more of real interest and novelty -without the walls than within. There, Baptiste took him through the camps -of Indians, voyageurs and woodsmen or coureurs de bois, where bark lodges -and tents and upturned canoes served as dwellings. In one of the wigwams -Blaise was living, awaiting the time when he and his elder brother should -start on their adventurous journey. - -Already Blaise had provided himself with a good birch canoe, ribbed with -cedar, and a few supplies, hulled corn, strips of smoked venison as hard -and dry as wood, a lump of bear fat and a birch basket of maple sugar. He -also had a blanket, a gun and ammunition, an iron kettle and a small axe. -Hugh had been able to bring nothing with him but a blanket, his hunting -knife and an extra shirt, but, as he had worked his passage, he still -possessed a small sum of money. Now that he was no longer a member of the -crew of the _Otter_, he had no place to sleep and wondered what he should -do. Blaise solved the problem by taking him about a mile up-river to the -post of the New Northwest or X Y Company, a much smaller and less -pretentious place than the New Fort, and introducing him to the clerk in -charge. Blaise had already explained that he and Hugh were going to get -the elder Beaupre's furs and would bring them back to the New Company's -post. So the clerk treated Hugh in a most friendly manner, invited him to -share his own house, and even offered to give him credit for the gun, -canoe paddle and other things he needed. Hugh, not knowing whether the -search for the furs would be successful, preferred to pay cash. - -From the X Y clerk the lad learned that his father, always proud and -fiery of temper, had, the summer before, taken offence at one of the Old -Company's clerks. The outcome of the quarrel had been that Beaupre had -entered into a secret agreement with the New Company, promising to bring -his pelts to them. The clerk warned both boys not to let any of the Old -Company's men get wind of their undertaking. The rivalry between the two -organizations was fierce and ruthless. Both went on the principle that -"all is fair in love or war," and the relations between them were very -nearly those of war. If the Old Company learned of the hidden furs, they -would either send men to seek the cache or would try to force the boys to -bring the pelts to the New Fort. The X Y clerk even hinted that Jean -Beaupre had probably been the victim of some of the Old Company's men who -had discovered that he was carrying his furs to the rival post. Hugh, -during his winter at the Sault, had heard many tales of the wild deeds of -the fur traders and had listened to the most bitter talk against the X Y -or New Northwest company. Accordingly he was inclined to believe there -might be some foundation for the agent's suspicions. Blaise, however, -took no heed of the man's hints. When Hugh mentioned his belief that his -father had been murdered because of his change of allegiance, the younger -boy shrugged his shoulders, a habit caught from his French parent. - -"That may be," he replied, "but it is not in that direction _I_ shall -look for the murderer." And that was the only comment he would make. - -To avoid curiosity and to keep their departure secret if possible, the -boys decided not to go down the north branch of the Kaministikwia past -the New Fort, but upstream to the dividing point, then descend the lower -or southern channel. Early the third morning after Hugh's arrival, they -set out from the New Northwest post. Up the river against the current -they paddled between wooded shores veiled by the white, frosty mist. -Without meeting another craft or seeing a lodge or tent or even the smoke -of a fire, they passed the spot where the middle channel branched off, -went on to the southern one, down that, aided by the current now, and out -upon the fog-shrouded waters of the great bay. Hugh could not have found -his way among islands and around points and reefs, but his half-brother -had come this route less than two weeks before. With the retentive memory -and excellent sense of direction of the Indian, he steered unhesitatingly -around and among the dim shapes. When the sun, breaking through the fog, -showed him the shore line clearly, he gave a little grunt of -satisfaction. He had kept his course and was just where he had believed -himself to be. - -This feat of finding his way in the fog gave the elder brother some -respect for the younger. Before the day was over, that respect had -considerably increased. As the older boy was also the heavier, he had -taken his place in the stern, kneeling on his folded blanket. Wielding a -paddle was not a new exercise to Hugh. He thought that Blaise set too -easy a pace, and, anxious to prove that he was no green hand, he -quickened his own stroke. Blaise took the hint and timed his paddling to -his brother's. Hugh was sturdy, well knit and proud of his muscular -strength. For a couple of hours he kept up the pace he had set. Then his -stroke grew slower and he put less force into it. After a time Blaise -suggested a few minutes' rest. With the stern blade idle and the bow one -dipped only now and then to keep the course, they floated for ten or -fifteen minutes. - -Refreshed by this brief respite and ashamed of tiring so soon, Hugh -resumed work with a more vigorous stroke, but it was Blaise who set the -pace now. In a clear, boyish voice, which gave evidence in only an -occasional note of beginning to break and roughen, he started an old -French song, learned from his father, and kept time with his paddle. - - "Je n'ai pas trouve personne - Que le rossignol chantant la belle rose, - La belle rose du rosier blanc!" - -Roughly translated: - - "Never yet have I found anyone - But the nightingale, to sing of the lovely rose, - The lovely rose of the white rose tree!" - -At first Hugh, though his voice broke and quavered, attempted to join in, -but singing took breath and strength. He soon fell silent, content to dip -and raise his blade in time to the younger lad's tune. An easy enough -pace it seemed, but the half-breed boy kept it up hour after hour, with -only brief periods of rest. - -Hugh began to feel the strain sorely. His arms and back ached, his breath -came wearily, and the lower part of his body was cramped and numb from -his kneeling position. He had eaten breakfast at dawn and, as the sun -climbed the sky and started down again, he began to wonder when and where -his Indian brother intended to stop for the noon meal. Did Blaise purpose -to travel all day without food, Hugh wondered. He opened his lips to ask, -then, through pride, closed them again. Blaise, just fourteen, was nearly -three years younger than Hugh. What Blaise could endure, the elder lad -felt he must endure also. He did not intend to admit hunger or weariness, -so long as his companion appeared untouched by either. With empty stomach -and aching muscles, the white boy plied his paddle steadily and doggedly -in time to the voyageur songs and the droning, monotonous Indian chants, -the constantly repeated syllables of which had no meaning for him. - -It was the weather that came to Hugh's rescue at last. After the lifting -of the chill, frosty, morning fog, the day was bright. The waters of -Thunder Bay were smooth at first, then rippled by a light north breeze. -As the day wore on, the breeze came up to a brisk blow. Partly protected -by the islands and points of the irregular shore, the two lads kept on -their way. The wind increased. It roughened every stretch of open water -to waves that broke foaming on the beaches or dashed in spray against the -gray-brown rocks. Paddling became more and more difficult. Blaise ceased -his songs. As they rounded a low point edged with gravel and sand, and -saw before them a stretch of green-blue water swept by the full force of -the wind into white-tipped waves, the half-breed boy told Hugh to steer -for the beach. A few moments later he gave his elder brother a quick -order to cease paddling. - -Realizing that Blaise wished to take the canoe in alone, Hugh, breathing -a sigh of relief, laid down his paddle. The muscles of his back and -shoulders were strained, it seemed to him, almost to the breaking point, -and he felt that, in spite of his pride, he must soon have asked for -rest. Without disturbing the balance of the wobbly craft, he tried to rub -his cramped leg muscles. He feared that in trying to rise and step out, -he might overturn the boat, to the mirth and disgust of his Indian -brother. - -With a few strong and skillful strokes, Blaise shot the canoe into the -shallow water off the point. When the bow struck the sand, with a sharp -command to Hugh, he rose and stepped out. As quickly as he could, Hugh -got to his feet, and managed to step over the opposite side without -stumbling or upsetting the canoe. Raising the light bark craft, the two -carried it up the shelving shore, to the bushes that edged the woods, -well beyond the reach of the waves. - -The canoe carefully deposited in a safe spot, Hugh turned to Blaise. -"Shall we be delayed long, do you think?" he asked. - -Blaise gave his French shrug. "It may be that the wind will go down with -the sun." - -"Then, if we are to stay here so long, a little food wouldn't come -amiss." - -The younger boy nodded and began to unlash the packages which, to -distribute the weight evenly, were securely tied to two poles lying along -the bottom of the canoe. Hugh sought dry wood, kindled it with sparks -from his flint and steel, and soon had a small fire on the pebbles. From -a tripod of sticks the iron kettle was swung over the blaze, and when the -water boiled, Blaise put in corn, a little of the dried venison, which he -had pounded to a powder on a flat stone, and a portion of fat. He had -made no mention of hunger, but when the stew was ready, Hugh noticed that -he ate heartily. Meanwhile the elder boy, tired and sore muscled, watched -for some sign of weariness in his companion. If Blaise was weary he had -too much Indian pride to admit the fact to his new-found white brother. - -The open lake was now rich blue, flecked with foamy whitecaps, the air so -clear that the deep color of the water formed a sharp cut line against -the paler tint of the sky at the horizon. The May wind was bitterly cold, -so the lads rigged a shelter with the poles of the canoe and a blanket. -The ground was so hard the poles could not be driven in. Three or four -inches down, it was either frozen or composed of solid rock. The boys -were obliged to brace each pole with stones and boulders. The blanket, -stretched between the supports, kept off the worst of the wind, and -between the screen and the fire, the two rested in comfort. Hugh soon -fell asleep, and when he woke he was pleased to find that Blaise had -dropped off also. Perhaps the latter was wearier than he had chosen to -admit. - -The wind did not go down with the sun, and the adventurers made camp for -the night. Both blankets would be needed for bedding, so the screen was -taken down and the canoe propped up on one side. Then a supply of wood -was gathered and balsam branches cut for a bed. After a supper of corn -porridge and maple sugar, the two turned in. Blaise went to sleep as soon -as he was rolled in his blanket, but Hugh was wakeful. He lay there on -his fragrant balsam bed in the shelter of the canoe, watching the -flickering light of the camp fire and the stars coming out in the dark -sky. Listening to the rushing of the wind in the trees and the waves -breaking on the pebbles and thundering on a bit of rock shore near at -hand, surrounded on every side by the strange wilderness of woods and -waters, the boy could not sleep for a time. He kept thinking of his -roving, half-wild father, and of the strange legacy he had left his sons. -Twice Hugh rose to replenish the fire, when it began to die down, before -he grew drowsy and drifted away into the land of dreams. - - - - - VII - AT WAUSWAUGONING - - -Hugh woke chilled and stiff, to find Blaise rekindling the fire. The -morning was clear and the sun coming up across the water. Winds and waves -had subsided enough to permit going on with the journey. - -Cutting wood limbered Hugh's sore muscles somewhat, and a hot breakfast -cheered him, but the first few minutes of paddling were difficult and -painful. With set teeth he persisted, and gradually the worst of the -lameness wore off. - -Skirting the shore of Lake Superior in a bark canoe requires no small -amount of patience. Delays from unfavorable weather must be frequent and -unavoidable. On the whole, Hugh and Blaise were lucky during the first -part of their trip, and they reached the Pigeon River in good time. -Rounding the long point to the south of the river mouth, they paddled to -the north end of Wauswaugoning Bay. - -Hugh was gaining experience and his paddling muscles were hardening. He -would soon be able, he felt, to hold his own easily at any pace his -half-brother set. So far Blaise had proved a good travelling companion, -somewhat silent and grave to be sure, but dependable, patient and for the -most part even tempered. His lack of talkativeness Hugh laid to his -Indian blood, his gravity to his sorrow at the loss of the father he had -known so much better than Hugh had known him. Blaise, the older boy -decided, was, in spite of his Quebec training and many civilized ways, -more Indian than French. Only now and then, in certain gestures and quick -little ways, in an unexpected gleam of humor or sudden flash of anger, -did the lad show his kinship with Jean Beaupre. - -Satisfactory comrade though the half-breed boy seemed, Hugh was in no -haste to admit Blaise to his friendship. Since first receiving his -letter, Hugh had felt doubtful of this Indian brother, inclined to resent -his very existence. Their relations from their first meeting had been -entirely peaceful but somewhat cool and stiff. As yet, Hugh was obliged -to admit to himself, he had no cause for complaint of his half-brother's -behavior, but he felt that the real test of their companionship was to -come. - -The search for the cache of pelts had not yet begun, but was to begin -soon. It was into his wife's lodge at Wauswaugoning Bay that Jean Beaupre -had stumbled dying. Somewhere between Grand Portage Bay, which lies just -to the west and south of Wauswaugoning, and the Fond du Lac at the mouth -of the St. Louis River, the bateau must have been wrecked and the furs -hidden. - -The two boys landed on a bit of beach at the north end of the bay, hid -the canoe among the alders, and set out on foot. Blaise fully expected to -find his mother awaiting him, but the cleared spot among the trees was -deserted. Of the camp nothing remained but the standing poles of a lodge, -from which the bark covering had been stripped, and refuse and cast-off -articles strewn upon the stony ground in the untidy manner in which the -Indians and most of the white voyageurs left their camping places. With a -little grunt, which might have meant either disappointment or disgust, -Blaise looked about him. He noticed two willow wands lying crossed on the -ground and pegged down with a crotched stick. - -"She has gone that way," said the boy, indicating the longest section of -willow, pointing towards the northeast. - -"If she travelled by canoe, it is strange we did not meet her," Hugh -remarked. - -Blaise shrugged. "Who knows how long ago she went? The ashes are wet with -rain. I cannot tell whether the fire burned two days ago or has been out -many days. There is another message here." He squatted down to study the -shorter stick. At one end the bark had been peeled off and a cross mark -cut into the wood. The marked end pointed towards a thick clump of -spruces. - -The boy rose and walked towards the group of trees, Hugh following -curiously. Blaise pushed his way between the spruces, and, before Hugh -could join him, came out again carrying a mooseskin bag. In the open -space by the ashes of the fire, he untied the thong and dumped the -contents. There was a smaller skin bag, partly full, a birch bark package -and a bundle of clothing. Tossing aside the bundle, Blaise opened the -small bag, thrust in his hand, then, with the one word "manomin," passed -the bag to Hugh. It was about half full of wild rice grains, very hard -and dry. The bark package Blaise did not open. He merely sniffed at it -and laid it down. Hugh, picking it up and smelling of it, recognized the -unmistakable odor of smoked fish. The bundle, which the younger boy -untied next, contained two deerskin shirts or tunics, two pairs of -leggings of the same material and half a dozen pairs of moccasins. All -were new and well made, the moccasins decorated with dyed porcupine -quills, the breasts of the tunics with colored bead embroidery. - -The lad's face lighted with a look of pleasure, and he glanced at Hugh -proudly. "They are my mother's work," he said, "made of the best skins, -well made. Now we have strong new clothes for our journey." - -"We?" replied Hugh questioningly. - -"Truly. There are two suits and six pairs of moccasins. Look." He held up -one of the shirts. "This she made larger than the other. She knows you -are the elder and must be the larger." He handed the shirt to Hugh, -following it with a pair of the leggings. Looking over the moccasins, he -selected the larger ones and gave them also to his white brother. "They -are better to wear in a canoe than boots," he said. - -For a moment Hugh was silent with embarrassment. He was touched by the -generosity of the Indian woman, who had put as much time and care on -these clothes for her unknown stepson as upon those for her own boy. He -flushed, however, at the thought of accepting anything from the squaw who -had taken his mother's place in his father's life. Yet to decline the -gift would be to offer a deadly insult not only to the Indian woman but -to her son as well. - -"I am obliged to your mother," Hugh stammered. "It was--kind of her." - -Blaise made no other reply than a nod. He appeared pleased with the -appearance and quality of the clothes, but took it as a matter of course -that his mother should make them for Hugh as well as for himself. - -"I wish she had left more food," he said after a moment, "but at this -time of the year food is scarce. That manomin is all that remained of the -harvest of the autumn. We have eaten much of our food. We must fish when -we can." - -"Can't we buy corn and pork from the traders at the Grand Portage?" Hugh -inquired. - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "We will try," he said. - -He put the food back in the mooseskin bag and hung it on a tree. Then he -turned to Hugh and said softly and questioningly, "You wish to see where -we laid him?" - -Hugh nodded, a lump rising in his throat, and followed his brother. -Beyond the clump of spruces, in a tiny clearing, was Jean Beaupre's -grave. Hugh was surprised and horrified to see that it was, in -appearance, an Indian grave. Poles had been stuck in the ground on either -side, bent over and covered with birch bark. The boy's face flushed with -indignation. - -"Why," he demanded, "did you do that?" He pointed to the miniature lodge. - -Blaise looked puzzled. "It is the Ojibwa custom." - -"Father was not an Ojibwa. He was a white man and should have been buried -like a white man and a Christian," Hugh burst out. - -Blaise drew himself up with a dignity strange in so young a lad. "He -_was_ buried like a Christian," he replied quietly. "Look." He pointed to -the rude cross set up in front of the opening to the shelter, instead of -the pole, with offerings and trophies hung upon it, usually placed beside -Ojibwa graves. "The good father absolved him and read the burial service -over him," the lad went on, "and I placed the cross there. Then the -friends of my mother covered the spot according to the Ojibwa custom. Our -father was an Ojibwa by adoption and it was right they should do that. -Now no Ojibwa will ever disturb that spot." - -Hugh's anger had been cooling. After all, his father had thrown in his -lot with the Indians and they had meant to honor him. At least he had -received Christian burial, and it was something to know that his grave -would not be disturbed. In silence Hugh turned away. He could not quite -bring himself to apologize for his hasty words. - -The relations between the half-brothers were more than ordinarily cool -the rest of that day. Blaise, travelling overland by a trail he knew, -went to the Grand Portage Bay in quest of supplies. Even before the -formation of the Northwest Company, the bay had been a favorite stopping -place, first for the French, and then for the English traders who -followed the Pigeon River route to the country west of the lake. An old -Indian trail led from the bay to a spot on the river above the falls and -rapids that make its lower course unnavigable. Gitchi Onegam -Kaministigoya the Indians had called the trail and the bay, "the great -carrying place of the river that is hard to navigate." Early in the -history of the fur trade, the white traders began to use that trail, -portaging their goods some nine miles from the bay to the river and -bringing the bales of furs back over the same route. - -Since the Old Northwest Company had removed its headquarters to Thunder -Bay and had practically abandoned the Pigeon River route for the -Kaministikwia, Grand Portage was not so busy a place, but the Old Company -still maintained a post at the partly deserted fort on the north shore of -the bay. On the west side the chief post and headquarters of the New -Company also remained open for business. Blaise visited both posts, only -to find that, as the winter's supplies were almost exhausted and no one -knew when fresh stores would arrive, nothing could be spared. - -Anxious to avoid questions, Hugh had not accompanied Blaise. He occupied -himself with fishing from the canoe, and caught one lake trout of about -three pounds weight. Making a grill of willow twigs resting on stones -over the coals, he had the trout ready to broil when Blaise returned. The -common way of cooking fish among both the Indians and white men of the -woods was to boil them, but Hugh, recently from the civilized world, -preferred his broiled, baked or fried. - -Blaise, after one mouthful, deigned to approve his elder brother's -cooking. "It is good," he said. "I have not eaten fish so cooked since I -ate it on Fridays in school at Quebec." - -Neither lad had anything more to say during the meal or for some time -afterwards. Finally Blaise put his hand in the leather pouch he wore at -his belt, drew out something and handed it to Hugh. The latter unwrapped -the bit of soft doeskin and found his father's gold seal ring. He glanced -quickly up at Blaise. - -"It is yours," the younger brother said. "I gave it not to you before, -because I liked not to part with it." - -Moved by a generous impulse, Hugh stretched out his hand to return the -ring, but Blaise would not take it. - -"No," he said firmly. "You are the elder son. It is yours." - -The adventurers intended to continue their trip next day, but fate was -against them. Before dawn rain was beating on the canoe that sheltered -them, and the thundering of the waves on the rocks in the more exposed -part of the bay sounded in Hugh's ears as he woke. That storm was the -beginning of a period of bad weather, rain, fog, and wind that cleared -the air, but rose to a gale, lashing the waters of the bay to -white-capped waves that did not diminish until hours after the wind had -blown itself out. Eight days the two camped in a hastily built wigwam on -Wauswaugoning Bay, fishing when they could, and snaring one lean hare and -a few squirrels. They hunted for larger game and found some deer tracks, -but did not catch sight of the animals. As for birds, they saw none but -gulls, a loon or two and an owl, and did not care to try anything so -tough and strong for food. So they were obliged to consume a good part of -their corn. - - - - - VIII - THE BLOOD-STAINED TUNIC - - -But a few days of May remained when Hugh and Blaise left Wauswaugoning. -Their progress was necessarily slow, not only on account of delays due to -wind and weather, but because they were obliged to skirt the shore -closely, entering each bay and cove, rounding every point, and keeping -keen watch for any sign of the wrecked boat. They had no clue to the spot -where it lay. It might have been thrown up on the open shore, or driven -into some rock-infested bay or stream mouth. At each stream they made a -close examination, ascending a short distance, by canoe where that was -possible, or up over the rocky banks on foot. They had searched the -mouths of more than a dozen streams and creeks when they came to one, -where Blaise, in entering, cautioned Hugh to steer far to one side. -Almost across the river mouth extended a long bar of sand and gravel, -covered by an inch or two of water, for the river was still high from the -spring flood. Bars or rock reefs were, Hugh was learning, common -characteristics of the streams emptying into Superior. To enter them -without accident required care and caution. - -The bar was passed, but further progress up-stream proved impossible. The -current was strong, and just ahead were foaming rapids where the water -descended among rocks and over boulders. Steering into a bit of quiet -backwater behind the bar, the boys found a landing place and carried the -canoe ashore. Then they scrambled up the bank a short distance, searching -the stream mouth for signs of the wreck. Caught in a blossoming -serviceberry bush growing on a rock at the very edge of the river, Blaise -found an old moccasin. He examined the ragged, dirty, skin shoe in -silence for a moment. Then, hazel eyes gleaming, he held the thing out to -Hugh. - -"It is my mother's work," he said in tense tones. Hugh snatched the worn -moccasin. "Do you mean this was my father's?" - -Blaise nodded. "It is my mother's work," he repeated. "I would know it -anywhere, the pattern of quills, the shaping, even the skin. It is from -the elk hide our father brought from the region of the great river." He -made a gesture towards the southwest, and Hugh knew he referred to the -Mississippi. "See, it is just like ours," Blaise concluded, holding up -one foot. - -Hugh glanced from the almost new moccasin to the ragged one, and drew a -long breath. "Then it may be about here somewhere father was wrecked." - -"We must make search," was the brief reply. - -Thoroughly they searched, first the banks of the stream, then the lake -beach, parallel ridges of flat flakes of rock pushed up by the waves. -They even examined the ground beyond the beach, a rough slope composed of -the same sort of dark rock flakes, partly decomposed into crumbly soil. -The two pushed through the bushes and small trees that sparsely clothed -the stony ground, but nowhere did they find any sign of wrecked boat or -hidden cache. Yet they did find something, something that hinted of -violence and crime. - -Well up from the shore and not far from the stream bank, Hugh came upon -an open space, where a ring of blackened stones and ashes showed that a -cooking fire had burned. He took one look, turned and plunged into the -bushes to find Blaise. But he stopped suddenly. His foot had come in -contact with something that was not a rock, a stump or a stick. Stooping, -he pulled from under a scraggly wild raspberry, where it had been dropped -or thrust, a bundle. Unrolling it, he found it to be a ragged deerskin -tunic, damp, dirty and bearing dark stains. The boy stood transfixed -staring at the thing in his hands. After a moment he raised his head and -shouted for Blaise. - -Blaise answered from near by, but to Hugh it seemed a long time before -the younger boy came through the bushes. In silence the elder handed the -other the stained shirt. Blaise took it, examined it quickly and uttered -an Indian grunt. - -"Blood?" asked Hugh pointing to the stains. - -Blaise grunted assent. - -"Father's blood?" Hugh's voice broke. - -Blaise looked up quickly. "No, no. Black Thunder's." - -"How do you know?" - -"By this." The lad pointed to a crude figure, partly painted, partly -embroidered in black wool, on the breast of the tunic. "This is Black -Thunder's mark, the thunder bird. Without doubt this shirt was his." - -"But how did it come here? There's no sign of the wrecked boat." - -Blaise shook his head in puzzlement. "I do not understand," he said -slowly. - -The half-breed lad was keen witted in many ways, but the white boy's mind -worked more quickly on such a problem. "It may be," Hugh speculated, -"that they were wrecked farther along the shore. Coming on by land, they -camped here and some accident happened to Black Thunder, or perhaps he -had been bleeding from a hurt received in the wreck, and he changed his -shirt and threw away the bloody one." - -"Where was it?" asked Blaise. - -"Under this raspberry bush, rolled up." - -"And why think you they camped here?" - -"I'll show you." - -Hugh led the way to the little clearing. Carefully and absorbedly Blaise -examined the spot. - -"Someone has camped here," he concluded, "but only a short time, not more -than one night. He made no lodge, for there are no poles. He cut no -boughs for beds, and he left scarce any litter. It may be he cooked but -one meal and went on. If he lay here for the night, the marks of his body -no longer remain. If anyone was slain here," he added after a moment, -"the rains washed out the stains. It was a long time ago that he was -here, I think." - -"If Black Thunder was killed here," Hugh questioned, "what was done with -his body?" - -Blaise shrugged. "There is the lake, and a body weighted with stones -stays down." - -"Then why was his blood-stained shirt not sunk with him?" - -"That I know not," and the puzzled look returned to the lad's face. - -"Might it not be that father was wearing Black Thunder's shirt and that -the stains are from his wound?" - -"He wore his own when he came to the lodge, and the stains are in the -wrong place. They are on the breast. No, he never wore this shirt. The -blood must be Black Thunder's." - -The sun was going down when the two boys finally gave up the search for -the wrecked boat or some further trace of Jean Beaupre and his companion. -Neither lad had any wish to camp in the vicinity. Blaise especially -showed strong aversion to the spot. - -"There are evil stories of this river," he explained to his brother. "If -our father camped here, it was because he was very weary indeed. He was a -brave man though, far braver than most men, white or red." - -"Why should he have hesitated to camp here?" Hugh inquired curiously. -"It's true we have seen pleasanter spots along this shore, yet this is -not such a bad one." - -"There are evil stories of the place," Blaise repeated in a low voice. -"The lake from which this river flows is the abode of a devil." The boy -made the sign of the cross on his breast and went on in his musical -singsong. "On the shores of that lake have been found the devil's tracks, -great footprints, like those of a man, but many times larger and very far -apart. So the lake is called the 'Lake of Devil Tracks' and the river -bears the same name. It is said that when that devil wishes to come down -to the shore of the great lake to fish for trout, it is this way he -comes, striding along the bed of the river, even at spring flood." - -Hugh Beaupre, half Scotch, half French, and living in a time when the -superstitious beliefs of an earlier day persisted far more actively than -they do now, was not without his share of such superstitions. But this -story of a devil living on a lake and walking along a river, struck him -as absurd and he said so with perfect frankness. - -"Surely you don't believe such a tale, Blaise, and neither did my -father." - -"I know not if the tale is true," the younger boy answered somewhat -sullenly. "Men say they have seen the footprints and everyone knows there -are devils, both red and white. Why should not one live on that lake -then? How know we it was not that devil who killed Black Thunder and left -the bloody tunic under the raspberry bush as a warning to others not to -camp on his hunting ground? I am no coward, as I will speedily show you -if you want proof, but I will not camp here. If you stay, you stay -alone." - -"I don't want to stay," Hugh replied quickly. "Devil or not, I don't like -the place. We'll go on till we find a better camping ground." - -In the light of the afterglow, which was tinting sky and water with pale -gold, soft rose and lavender, and tender blue, they launched their canoe -again and paddled on. The peace and beauty around him made the sinister -thing he had found under the raspberry bush, and the evil deed that thing -suggested, seem unreal to Hugh, almost as unreal as the devil who lived -at the lake and walked down the river to his fishing. Nevertheless he -turned his eyes from the soft colors of sky and water to scan the shore -the canoe was skirting. Not a trace of the wrecked bateau appeared, -though both boys watched closely. - -Several miles beyond the Devil Track River, they made camp on a sloping -rock shore wooded with spruce and balsam, where nothing worse than a -plague of greedy mosquitoes disturbed their rest. Hugh thought of -suggesting that the horde of voracious insects might have been sent by -the evil spirit of Devil Track Lake to torment the trespassers. Fearing -however that a humorous treatment of his story might offend the halfbreed -lad's sensitive pride, he kept the fancy to himself. - -Going on with their journey the next morning, the two came to the spot -known to the French fur traders and to the English who followed them as -the Grand Marais, the great marsh or meadow. There a long sand and gravel -point connects with a low, marshy shore, a higher, rocky stretch, once a -reef or island, running at right angles to the gravel spit. The T-shaped -projection forms a good harbor for small boats. Closely scanning every -foot of beach and rock shore, Hugh and Blaise paddled around the T. On -the inner side of the spit, they caught sight of what appeared to be part -of a boat half buried in the sand and gravel. They landed to investigate. -The thing was indeed the shattered remnants of a wreck, old and weathered -and deep in sand and pebbles. It was not Jean Beaupre's boat, but a birch -canoe. - -Leaving the T, the lads skirted the low, curving shore. When they rounded -the little point beyond, they discovered that the waves, which had been -increasing for some hours, had reached a height dangerous to a small -boat. The time was past noon, and Blaise thought that the sea would not -be likely to go down before sunset. So he gave the word to turn back and -seek a camping ground. In the angle of the T just where the sand spit -joined the rocky reef, they found shelter. - -Realizing that they must conserve their scanty food supply, the two, -instead of eating at once, went fishing in the sheltered water. Hugh, in -the stern of the canoe, held the hand line, while Blaise paddled. Luck -was with them and when they went ashore an hour later they had four fine -trout, the smallest about three and the largest at least eight pounds. In -one thing at least, cooking fish, Hugh excelled his younger brother. He -set about broiling part of his catch as soon as he had cleaned them. -Without touching their other supplies, the lads made a hearty meal of -trout. - -The wind did not fall till after sunset. Knowing it would be some hours -before the lake would be calm enough for canoe travel, the boys prepared -to stay where they were till morning. The night was unusually mild for -the time of year, so they stretched themselves under their canoe and let -the fire burn itself out. - - - - - IX - THE GIANT IROQUOIS - - -At dawn Hugh woke and found his half-brother stirring. - -"I go to see how the lake appears," Blaise explained. - -"I'll go with you," was Hugh's reply, and Blaise nodded assent. - -They crawled out from under the canoe, and, leaving the beach, climbed up -the rocky cross bar of the T-shaped point. The younger boy in the lead, -they crossed the rough, rock summit, pushing their way among stunted -evergreens and bushes now leafed out into summer foliage. Suddenly Blaise -paused, turned his head and laid his finger on his lips. Hugh strained -his ears to listen, but could catch no sound but the whining cry of a -sea-gull and the rippling of the water on the outer rocks. Blaise had -surely heard something, for he dropped on hands and knees and crept -forward. Hugh followed in the same manner, trying to move as noiselessly -as the Indian lad. With all his caution, he could not avoid a slight -rustling of undergrowth and bushes. Blaise turned his head again to -repeat his gesture of silence. - -After a few yards of this cautious progress, Blaise came to a stop. -Crawling up beside his brother, Hugh found himself on the edge of a steep -rock declivity. Lying flat, screened by an alder and a small balsam fir, -he looked out across the water. He saw what Blaise had heard. Only a few -hundred feet away were two canoes, three men in each. Even at that short -distance Hugh could barely detect the sound of the dipping paddles and -the water rippling about the prows. His respect for his half-brother's -powers of hearing increased. - -The sun had not yet risen, but the morning was clear of fog or haze. As -the first canoe passed, the figures of the men stood out clear against -lake and sky. Hugh's attention was attracted to the man in the stern. -Indeed that man was too notable and unusual a figure to escape attention. -A gigantic fellow, he towered, even in his kneeling position, a good foot -above his companions. A long eagle feather upright from the band about -his head made him appear still taller, while his huge shoulders and -big-muscled arms were conspicuous as he wielded his paddle on the left -side of the canoe. - -Hugh heard Blaise at his side draw a quick breath. "Ohrante!" he -whispered in his elder brother's ear. "Do not stir!" - -Obeying that whispered command, Hugh lay motionless, bearing with Spartan -fortitude the stinging of the multitude of mosquitoes that surrounded -him. When both canoes had rounded a point farther up the shore and -vanished from sight, Blaise rose to his feet. Hugh followed his example, -and they made their way back across the rocks in silence. By the time -camp was reached, the elder brother was almost bursting with curiosity. -Who was the huge Indian, and why had Blaise been so startled, even -frightened, at the sight of him? - -"Who is Ohrante?" Hugh asked, as he helped to lift the canoe from the -poles that propped it. - -"He is more to be feared than the devil of the lake himself," was the -grim reply. Then briefly Blaise told how the big Indian, the summer -before, had treacherously robbed and slain a white trader and had -severely wounded his Ojibwa companion, scalped him and left him to die. -The wounded man had not died, though he would always be a cripple. He had -told the tale of the attack, and a party of Ojibwas, led by Hugh's -father, had pursued Ohrante and captured him. They were taking him back -to stand trial by Indian law or to be turned over to white -justice,--there was some disagreement between Jean Beaupre and his -companions as to which course should be followed,--when the giant made -his escape through the help of two of the party who secretly sympathized -with him and had fled with him. From that day until this morning, when he -had recognized the big Indian in the passing canoe, Blaise had heard -nothing of Ohrante. - -"But two men went with him when he fled," the boy concluded. "Now he has -five. He is bold to return so soon. I am glad he goes up the shore, not -down. I should not wish to follow him or have him follow us. He hated our -father and nothing would please him more than to get us in his hands. I -hope my mother is with others, a strong party. I think Ohrante will not -risk an encounter with the Ojibwas again so soon, unless it be with two -or three only." - -"Isn't he an Ojibwa himself?" Hugh asked. - -"No, he is a Mohawk, one of the Iroquois wolves the Englishmen have -brought into the Ojibwa country to hunt and trap for the Old Company. It -is said his mother was an Ojibwa captive, but Ohrante is an evil Iroquois -all through." - -"Monsieur Cadotte says the bringing in of Iroquois hunters is unwise -policy," Hugh remarked. - -"The company never did a worse thing," Blaise replied passionately. "The -Iroquois hunters trap and shoot at all seasons of the year. They are -greedy for pelts good and bad, and care not how quickly they strip the -country of beasts of all kinds. If the company brings in many more of -these thieving Iroquois, the Ojibwa, to whom the land belongs, will soon -be left without furs or food." - -"That is short-sighted policy for the company itself, it seems to me," -commented Hugh. - -"So our father said. He too hated the Iroquois intruders. He told the men -of the company they did ill to bring strange hunters into lands where -they had no right. Let the Iroquois keep to their own hunting grounds. -Here they do nothing but harm, and Ohrante is the worst of them all." - -Hugh had scarcely heard the last part of the lad's speech. His mind was -occupied with a thought which had just come to him. "Do you think," he -asked suddenly, "that it was Ohrante who killed father?" - -"I had not thought it till I saw him passing by," Blaise replied gravely. -"I believed it might be another enemy. Now I know not what to think. I -cannot believe the traders have brought Ohrante back to hunt and trap for -them. And my heart is troubled for my mother. Once when she was a girl -she was a captive among the Sioux. To be captured by Ohrante would be -even worse, and now there is no Jean Beaupre to take her away." - -"Do you mean that father rescued her from the Sioux?" Hugh asked in -surprise. - -"He found her among the Sioux far south of here on the great river. She -was sad because she had been taken from her own people. So he bought her -from the chief who wished to make her his squaw. Then our father brought -her to the Grand Portage. There the priest married them. She was very -young then, young and beautiful. She is not old even now, and she is -still beautiful," Blaise added proudly. - -Hugh had listened to this story with amazement. Had he misjudged his own -father? Was it to be wondered at that the warm-hearted young Frenchman -should have taken the only possible way to save the sad Ojibwa girl from -captivity among the cruel Sioux? The elder son felt ashamed of his bitter -thoughts. Blaise loved his mother and was anxious about her. Hugh tried -to comfort his younger brother as well as he could. - -"The willow wand showed that your mother had gone up the shore," he -hastened to say. "Ohrante is not coming from that way, but from the -opposite direction, and there are no women in his canoes. Surely your -mother is among friends by this time, and Ohrante, the outlaw, will never -dare attack them." - -"That is true," Blaise replied. "She cannot have fallen into his hands, -and he, with so few followers, will not dare make open war." He was -silent for a moment. Then he said earnestly, "There is but one thing for -us to do. We must first find the wreck and the cache, as our father bade -us. Then we must track down his murderer." - -Hugh nodded in perfect agreement. "Let us get our breakfast and be away -then." - -Blaise was untying the package of maple sugar. He took out a piece and -handed it to Hugh. "We make no fire here," he said abruptly. "The -Iroquois is not yet far away. He might see the smoke. We will go now. -When the wind rises again we can eat." - -Hugh was hungry, but he had no wish to attract the attention of the huge -Mohawk and his band. So he made no objection, but nibbled his lump of -sugar as he helped to load the canoe and launch it. Before the sun peeped -over the far-away line where lake and sky met, the two lads were well on -their way again. - - - - - X - THE LOOMING SAILBOAT - - -Though favored by the weather most of the time for several days in -succession, the brothers went ahead but slowly. The discovery of the worn -moccasin and the stained tunic had raised their hopes of finding the -wrecked bateau soon. At any moment they might come upon it. Accordingly -they were even more vigilant than before, anxiously scanning every foot -of open shore, bay, cove, stream mouth and island. - -One evening before sunset, they reached a beautiful bay with small -islands and wooded shores, where they caught sight of a group of bark -lodges. Blaise proposed that they land and bargain for provisions. There -proved to be about a dozen Indians in the encampment, men, squaws and -children. Luckily two deer and a yearling moose had been killed the day -before, and Blaise, after some discussion in Ojibwa, succeeded in -obtaining a piece of fresh venison and another of moose meat. The Indians -refused Hugh's offer of payment in money, preferring to exchange the meat -for ammunition for their old, flint-lock muskets. They were from the deep -woods of the interior, unused to frequenting trading posts, and with no -idea of money, but they understood the value of powder and shot. - -To one of the men Blaise spoke of having seen the outlaw Ohrante. The -Ojibwa replied that he had heard Ohrante had come from his hiding place -seeking vengeance on those who had captured him. He had never seen the -giant Iroquois, the man said, but he had heard that it was through his -great powers as a medicine man that he had escaped from his captors. -Without divulging that he was the son of the man who had led the -expedition against Ohrante, Blaise asked the Indian if he knew when and -where the outlaw had first been seen since his exile. - -"I was told he was here at this Bay of the Beaver late in the Moon of the -Snow Crust," the Ojibwa replied, and the boy's hazel eyes gleamed. - -Not until they had made camp did Blaise tell Hugh of the information he -had received. - -"In the Moon of the Snow Crust!" the latter cried. "That is February or -March, isn't it? And it was late in March that father died!" - -The younger boy nodded. "Ohrante killed him, that I believe. Some day, -some day----" Blaise left the sentence unfinished, but his elder brother -had no doubt of the meaning. Hugh's heart, like the younger lad's, was -hot against his father's murderer, but he remembered the powerful figure -of the Iroquois standing out dark against the dawn. How and when would -the day come? - -After thoroughly exploring the Bay of the Beaver that night, the boys -were off shortly after dawn the next morning. Just as the sun was coming -up, reddening the white mist that lay upon the gently rippling water, -they paddled out of the bay. As they rounded the southern point, Blaise -uttered a startled exclamation. - -Hugh, in the stern, looked up from his paddle. "A ship!" he cried. - -Coming directly towards them, the light breeze scarce filling her sail, -was a ship. So high she loomed through the morning mist Hugh thought she -must be at least as large as the _Otter_, though she seemed to have but -one square sail. What was a ship doing here, so far south of the -Kaministikwia and even of the Grand Portage? Did she belong to some of -the Yankee traders who were now invading the Superior region? Hugh knew -he had been in United States waters ever since passing the mouth of the -Pigeon River. - -And then, as the canoe and the ship approached one another, a curious -thing happened. The ship shrank. She was no longer as large as the -_Otter_. She was much smaller. She was not a ship at all, only a wooden -boat with a sail. There was something about the light and the atmospheric -conditions, the rising sun shining through the morning mist, that had -deceived the eye and caused the approaching craft to appear far taller -than it really was. - -The sailboat was coming slowly in the light wind. As the boys paddled -past, they saw it was a small, flat-sided, wooden boat pointed at both -ends. It was well loaded and carried three men. Hugh shouted a greeting -and an inquiry. A tall fellow in blanket coat and scarlet cap, who was -steering, replied in a big, roaring voice and bad French, that they were -from the Fond du Lac bound for the Kaministikwia. - -Blaise had been even more amazed than Hugh at the deceptive appearance of -the sailboat. When they landed later to inspect a stream mouth, the -half-breed said seriously that some spirit of the lake must have been -playing tricks with them. He wondered if one of the men aboard that -bateau was using magic. - -"I doubt that," Hugh answered promptly. "I think the queer light, the -sunrise through the mist, deceived our eyes and made the boat look -taller. Once on the way from Michilimackinac to the Sault, we saw -something like that. A small, bare rock ahead of us stretched up like a -high island. The Captain said he had seen the same thing before in that -very same spot. He called it 'looming,' but he did not think there was -anything magical about it." - -Blaise made no reply, but Hugh doubted if the lad had been convinced. - -Several times during the rest of the trip down shore, the boys met canoes -loaded with trappers and traders or with families of Indians journeying -to the Grand Portage or to the New Fort. The two avoided conversation -with the strangers, as they did not care to answer questions about -themselves or their destination. - -The journey was becoming wearisome indeed. The minuteness of the search -and the delays from bad weather prolonged the time. Moreover the store of -food was scant. The lads fished and hunted whenever possible without too -greatly delaying progress, but their luck was poor. Seldom were they able -to satisfy their hearty appetites. They lay down hungry under the stars -and took up their paddles at chilly dawn with no breakfast but a bit of -maple sugar. Hugh grew lean and brown and hard muscled. Except for the -redder hue of his tan, the light color of his hair and his gray eyes, he -might almost have been whole brother to Blaise. The older boy had become -expert with the paddle and could hold his own for any length of time and -at any pace the half-breed set. As a camper he was nearly the Indian -lad's equal and he prided himself on being a better cook. It would take -several years of experience and wilderness living, however, before he -could hope to compete with his younger brother in woodcraft, weather -wisdom or the handling of a canoe in rough water. - -As mile after mile of carefully searched shore line passed, without sign -of the wrecked bateau or trace of Jean Beaupre's having come that way, -the boys grew more and more puzzled and anxious. Nevertheless they -persisted in their quest until they came at last to the Fond du Lac. - -Fond du Lac means literally the "bottom of the lake," but the name was -used by the early French explorers to designate the end or head of Lake -Superior, where the River St. Louis discharges and where the city of -Duluth now stands. To-day the name is no longer applied to the head of -the lake itself, but is restricted to the railway junction and town of -Fond du Lac several miles up the river. There was no town of Fond du Lac -or of Duluth in the days of this story. Wild, untamed, uninhabited, rose -the steep rock hills and terraces where part of the city now stands. - -As they skirted the shore, the boys could see ahead of them a narrow line -stretching across the water to the southeast. That line was the long, low -point now known as Minnesota Point, a sand-bar that almost closes the -river mouth and served then, as it does now, to form a sheltered harbor. -Drawing nearer, they discovered that the long, sand point was by no means -bare, much of it being covered more or less thickly with bushes, -evergreens, aspens and willows. The two lads were weary, discouraged and -very hungry. Since their scanty breakfast of wild rice boiled with a -little fat, they had eaten nothing but a lump of sugar each, the last -remnant of their provisions. Nevertheless they paddled patiently along -the bar to the place where the river cut diagonally through it to reach -the lake. Entering the narrow channel, they passed through to absolutely -still water. - -The sun was setting. Unless they went several miles farther to a trading -post or caught some fish, they must go to sleep hungry. They decided to -try the fishing. Luck with the lines had been poor throughout most of the -trip, but that night fortune favored the lads a little. In the shallower -water within the bar, they caught, in less than half an hour, two small, -pink-fleshed lake trout, which Hugh estimated at somewhat less than three -pounds each. - -On the inner side of the point, the brothers ran their canoe upon the -sand beach. Then they kindled a fire and cooked their long delayed -supper. When the meal was over, nothing remained of the fish but heads, -fins, skin and bones. - -Usually both fell asleep as soon as they were rolled in their blankets. -That night, on the low sand-bar, the mosquitoes came in clouds to the -attack, but it was not the annoying insects that kept the boys awake. -They wanted to talk over their situation. - -"It seems," Hugh said despondently, "that we have failed. That wrecked -boat must have been battered to pieces and washed out into the lake. Our -only chance of discovering the cache was to find the boat, and that -chance seems to be gone." - -"There is still one other chance, my brother," Blaise replied quietly. -"Have you forgotten what we found at the River of Devil Tracks? We must -go back there and make search again." - -"You are right," was Hugh's quick rejoinder. "We didn't find any sign of -the boat, yet it may once have been there or near by." - -Blaise nodded. "The bateau was perhaps driven on the bar at the river -mouth and afterwards washed out into the lake. We must make speed back -there. But, Hugh, if it was Ohrante who killed our father, he may also -have found the furs." - -"And carried them away." Hugh slapped savagely at a mosquito. "I have -thought of that. I believe in my heart that Ohrante killed father. Yet -the murderer may not have taken the furs. Father told you he was wrecked -in a storm, and, unable to carry the furs with him, he hid them. That -much you say he made clear. When and where he was attacked we do not -know, but I believe it must have been after he cached the furs. When he -told of the wreck and the hiding of the pelts, he said nothing of his -wound?" - -"Nothing then or afterwards of the wound or how he got it. He bade me -seek you out and find the furs and the packet. When I asked him how he -came by the hurt, he was beyond replying." - -Both boys were silent a moment listening to the howling of a lonely wolf -far off in the high hills to the north. - -Then Hugh said emphatically, "We must go back and search every inch of -ground about that river. We will not give up while a chance remains of -finding the cache," he added with stubborn determination. - - - - - XI - THE FIRE-LIT ORGY - - -Before starting back the way they had come, the brothers had to have -provisions. Early the next morning they went up the St. Louis River. -Beyond the bar the river widened to two miles or more. In midstream the -current was strong, but Hugh steered into the more sluggish water just -outside the lily pads, reeds and grass of the low shore. About three -miles above the mouth, a village of bark lodges was passed, where -sharp-nosed dogs ran out to yelp and growl at the canoe. - -A short distance beyond the Indian village stood the log fort and trading -post of the Old Northwest Company's Fond du Lac station, one of several -posts that were still maintained in United States territory. The two boys -landed and attempted to buy provisions. Blaise was not known to the clerk -in charge, and Hugh, when asked, gave his middle name of MacNair. Jean -Beaupre had passed this post on his way down the river, and the lads did -not know what conversation or controversy he might have had with the Old -Company's men. So they thought it wise to say nothing of their -relationship to the elder Beaupre. Brought up to be truthful and -straightforward, Hugh found it difficult to evade the clerk's questions. -The older boy left most of the talking to the younger, who had his share -of the Indian's wiliness and secretiveness. Blaise saw nothing wrong in -deceiving enemies and strangers in any way he found convenient. To Hugh, -brother and comrade, Blaise would have scorned to lie, but he did not -scruple to let the Northwest Company's man think that he and Hugh were on -their way from the south shore to the Kaministikwia in the hope of taking -service with the Old Company. - -The post could spare but little in the way of provisions. Less than a -half bushel of hulled corn, a few pounds of wild rice, left from the -supply brought the preceding autumn from the south shore, and a very -small piece of salt pork were all the clerk could be persuaded to part -with. As they were leaving he gave the boys a friendly warning. - -"Watch out," he said, "for an Iroquois villain and his band. They are -reported to be lingering along the north shore and they are a bad lot. He -used to be a hunter for the company, but he murdered a white man and is -an outcast now, a fugitive from justice. The rascal is called Ohrante. If -you catch sight of a huge giant of an Indian, lie low and get out of his -way as soon and as fast as you can." - -On the way back to the river mouth, the lads stopped at the Indian -village. After much bargaining in Ojibwa, Blaise secured a strip of dried -venison, as hard as a board, and a bark basket of sugar. To these people -the lad spoke of the warning the clerk had given him, but they could tell -him no more of the movements of Ohrante than he already knew. - -The brothers were glad to get away from the Indian encampment and out on -the river again. The village was unkempt, and disgustingly dirty and ill -smelling. It was evident that most of the men and some of the squaws were -just recovering from a debauch on the liquor they had obtained from the -traders. - -"They are ruining the Ojibwa people, those traders," Blaise said angrily, -after the two had paddled a short distance down-stream. "Once an Ojibwa -gets the habit of strong drink, he will give all he has for it. The rival -companies contend for the furs, and each promises more and stronger -liquor than the other. So the evil grows worse and worse. In the end, as -our father said, it will ruin the Ojibwa altogether." - -Hugh did not reply for a moment, then he said hesitatingly, "Did father -buy pelts with drink?" - -"Not the way most of the others do," Blaise replied promptly. "Liquor he -had to give sometimes, as all traders must, now the custom is started, -but our father gave only a little at a time and not strong. Whenever he -could he bought his furs with other things. Always he was a friend to the -Ojibwa. He became one of us when he married into the nation, and he was a -good son, not like some white men who take Ojibwa wives. Many friends he -had, and some enemies, but few dared stand against him. He was a strong -man and a true one." - -Blaise spoke proudly. Once again Hugh, though glad to hear so much good -of his adventurous father, felt a pang of jealousy that the half-breed -boy should have known and loved him so well. - -Departure was delayed by rain and a brisk wind from the lake, that swayed -and bent the trees on the exposed bar, drove the waves high on the outer -shore and blew the sand into food and cooking fire. Not until late -afternoon of the next day did Hugh and Blaise succeed in getting away. -They paddled till midnight and, determined to make the greatest possible -speed up the shore, took but four hours' rest. All the following day they -travelled steadily, then camped at a stream mouth and were away again at -dawn. Bad weather delayed them that day, however, and caused a late start -next morning. Eager to get ahead, they did not land to prepare food until -mid-afternoon. After the meal and a rest of not more than a half hour, -they resumed their paddles. - -Even the going down of the sun did not persuade them to cease their -labor. There would be no moon till towards morning, but the brothers -paddled on through the darkening twilight. The wind was light, merely -rippling the water, and they wanted to get as far on their way as -possible. - -Blaise, in the bow, was still steadily plying his blade, when, through -the blackness of the gathering night, he caught sight of a spark of -light. He uttered an exclamation and pointed to the light with his -paddle. - -"A camp," he said, speaking softly as if he feared being overheard even -at that distance. "It is best to avoid it." - -As they went on, the light grew stronger and brighter. A fire was blazing -in an open spot on an island or point. Tiny black figures became visible -against the flames. The sounds of shouts and yells were borne across the -water. Something out of the ordinary was going on. That was no mere -cooking fire, but a huge pile, the flames lighting up the land and water. -Around the blaze, the black figures were capering and yelling. Was it -some orgy of devils? Had the place where the fire burned been near the -Devil Track River, even Hugh might have thought this a feast of fiends. -But it was some miles away from the Devil Track. Moreover, his ears -assured him that the yells, sounding louder and louder, were from the -throats of men, not of spirits. - -Blaise had been considering his whereabouts. With the Indian's keen sense -of location and accurate memory of ground he has been over, he had -concluded that the place where the fire burned was the rocky end of an -island he remembered passing on the way down. The island lay close in, -only a narrow waterway separating it from the heavily wooded main shore -where trees grew down to the water's edge. - -Paddles dipped and raised noiselessly, the canoe slipped through the -water. Blaise set the pace, and Hugh kept the craft close in the shadow -of the wooded mainland. As they drew nearer the island, Blaise raised his -blade and held it motionless. Hugh immediately did the same. The canoe, -under good headway, slipped by, without a sound that could be -distinguished from the rippling of the water on the rocks of the island. -Hidden in the blackness beyond the circle of wavering firelight, the two -gazed on a fear-inspiring scene. - -Close to the leaping flames, lighted clearly by the glare, rose the white -stem of a tall birch. Tied to the tree was a man, his naked body red -bronze in the firelight and streaked with darker color. Five or six other -figures were leaping and yelling like fiends about the captive, darting -in on him now and again to strike a blow with club, knife or fire brand. -The meaning of the horrid scene was plain enough. An unlucky Indian -captive was being tortured to death. - -It was not the tortured man, however, or the human fiends dancing about -him that held Hugh's fascinated gaze. Motionless, arms folded, another -figure stood a little back from the fire, a towering form, gigantic in -the flickering light. - -Paddles raised, rigid as statues, scarcely daring to breathe, the two -lads remained motionless until the slackening and swerving of their craft -made it necessary for Blaise to dip his blade cautiously. They were -beyond the fire now and still in the deep shadow of the overhanging -trees. But the waterway between shore and island was narrow. Until they -had put a greater distance between themselves and the hideous, fire-lit -picture, they could feel no assurance of security. Keeping close to -shore, they used the utmost caution. At last a bend in the mainland, with -a corresponding curve in the island, hid the fire from sight. Looking -back, they could still see the light of the flames through the trees and -on the water, but the blazing pile itself was hidden from view. - -Even then the two boys relaxed their caution but little. Near exhaustion -though they were, they paddled on and on, with aching muscles and heads -nodding with sleep. Not until they were several miles away from the -island orgy of Ohrante and his band, did the brothers dare to land and -rest. Too weary to cook a meal, each ate a lump of maple sugar, sucked a -bit of the hard, unchewable, dried venison, rolled himself in his blanket -and slept. - - - - - XII - THE HUNGRY PORCUPINE - - -Hugh was alone in a canoe struggling to make headway against the waves. -Bearing down upon him, with the roaring of the storm wind, was an -enormous black craft with a gigantic form towering in the bow and -menacing him with a huge knife. The boy was trying to turn his canoe, but -in spite of all his efforts, it kept heading straight for the terrifying -figure. - -From somewhere far away a voice shouted, "Hugh, Hugh." The shouts grew -louder. Hugh woke suddenly to find his half-brother shaking him by the -shoulder. Storm voices filled the air, wind roared through the trees, -surf thundered on the rocks. A big wave, curling up the beach, wet his -moccasins as he struggled to his feet. - -Wide awake in an instant, Hugh seized his blanket and fled up over the -smooth, rounded pebbles out of reach of the waves. In a moment he -realized that Blaise was not with him. He looked back--and then he -remembered. The supplies, the canoe, where were they? He and his brother -had unloaded the canoe as usual the night before, had propped it up on -the paddles, and had crawled under it. But, overcome with weariness, they -had left the packets of food and ammunition lying where they had been -tossed, on the lower beach. Now, in the dull light of dawn, Hugh could -see the waves rolling in and breaking far above where the packages had -been dropped. The canoe had disappeared. It took him but a moment to -grasp all this. He ran back down the beach to join Blaise, who was -plunging in to his knees in the attempt to rescue what he could. - -"The canoe?" Hugh shouted. - -"Safe," Blaise replied briefly, and made a dash after a retreating wave, -seizing a skin bag of corn just as it was floating away. - -At the same instant Hugh caught sight of a packet of powder, and darted -after it, a bitter cold wave breaking over him just as he bent to snatch -the packet. - -The two worked with frantic haste, heedless of the waves that soaked them -above the knees and sometimes broke clear over their heads as they -stooped to seize bag or package. They saved what they could, but the -dried meat, one sack of corn, Hugh's bundle of extra clothing, the roll -of birch bark and the pine gum for repairing the canoe, had all gone out -into the lake. The maple sugar was partly dissolved. Some of the powder, -though the wrapping was supposed to be water-proof, was soaked, and -Hugh's gun, which he had carelessly left with the other things, was so -wet it would have to be dried and oiled before it could be used. Blaise -had carried his gun to bed with him, and it was safe and dry. - -Even the half-breed boy, who usually woke at the slightest sound, had -been so tired and had slept so heavily that the rising of the wind and -the pounding of the waves had not disturbed him. It was not until a -strong gust lifted the canoe from over his head, and a falling paddle -struck him sharply, that he woke. He had sprung up, seized the overturned -canoe and carried it to the shelter of a large rock. Then he had -returned, flung his gun and the paddles farther up the beach, and had -aroused the still sleeping Hugh. - -When everything they had rescued had been carried beyond the reach of the -waves and placed in the lee of a rock out of the wind, the two boys -skirted the beach in the hope that the meat, corn or clothes might have -been cast up in some other spot. The beach, at the head of a small and -shallow cove, was not long. When Hugh had gone as far over pebbles and -boulders as he could, he scrambled up the rock point that bounded the -cove on the north and followed it to the end, without seeing anything of -the lost articles. As he reached the bare rock tip, the sun was just -coming up among red and angry clouds across the water, flushing with -crimson and orange the wildly heaving waves. The wind was a little east -of north. No rain had fallen where the boys were camped, but Hugh felt -sure from the clouds that a storm must have passed not many miles away. -The little cove being open and unprotected to the northeast, the full -force of the wind entered it and piled the waves upon the beach. - -When Hugh returned to the camping place, he found that Blaise, who had -gone in the other direction, had had no better luck. The strong under -pull of the retreating waves had carried the lost articles out to deep -water. - -Going on with the journey in such a blow was out of the question. The -boys made themselves as comfortable as possible behind a heap of boulders -out of the wind. - -"I wish we knew in which direction Ohrante is bound," Hugh said, as he -scraped the last morsel of his scanty portion of corn porridge from his -bark dish, with the crude wooden spoon he had carved for himself. - -"He went up the shore as we came down," Blaise replied. "He is probably -going down now. Somewhere he has met his enemies and has taken one -prisoner at least." - -"I wish we might have travelled farther before camping," Hugh returned. - -Blaise shrugged in his French fashion. "He cannot go on in this weather, -and we cannot either. Passing him last night was a great risk. I knew -that all their eyes would be blinded by the fire glare, so they could not -see into the shadows, else I should not have dared. All went well, yet we -must still be cautious and make but small fires and little smoke." - -"No column of smoke can ascend high enough in this gale to be seen," Hugh -argued. - -"But the smell will travel far, and the wind blows from us to them. -Caution is never wasted, my brother." - -Forced to discontinue the journey for most of the day, the lads spent the -time seeking food. They were far enough from Ohrante's camp to have -little fear that any of his party would hear their shots, yet they chose -to hunt to the north rather than to the south. With some of the dry -powder and the shot that had been saved, Blaise started out first, while -Hugh spread the wet powder to dry on a flat rock exposed to the sun but -sheltered from the wind. Then he cleaned and dried his gun and greased it -with pork fat before leaving camp. - -Hugh wandered the woods in search of game for several hours. He did not -go far back from shore. Traversing the thick woods, where there was much -undergrowth, was difficult and he did not greatly trust his own -woodcraft. He had no wish to humiliate himself in his half-brother's eyes -by losing his way. Moreover, as long as he kept where the wind reached -him, he was not much annoyed by the mosquitoes, at their worst in June. -Whenever he reached a spot where the wind did not penetrate, the -irritating insects came about him in clouds, settling on his hands, face, -wrists and neck and even getting inside his rather low necked, deerskin -shirt. - -Whether he did not go far enough into the woods or for some other reason, -his luck was not good. He shot a squirrel and a long-eared, northern hare -or snowshoe rabbit and missed another, but did not catch a glimpse of -deer, moose, or bear. Neither squirrel nor rabbit meat was at its best in -June, but it was at least better than no meat at all. Carrying his meager -bag, he returned late in the afternoon. He found Blaise squatting over a -small cooking fire. The iron kettle gave out a most appetizing odor. The -younger boy had secured three plump ruffed grouse. In the Lake Superior -wilderness of that day no laws prohibited the shooting of game birds out -of season. The stew which appealed so strongly to Hugh's nostrils was -made up of grouse and squirrel meat, with a very little salt pork to give -it savor. - -The wind had fallen and since noon the waves had been going down. By -sunset, though the lake was by no means smooth, travel had become -possible for skilled canoeists. Had Hugh and Blaise not been in such a -hurry to put distance between themselves and Ohrante, they would have -waited until morning. They were so anxious to go on that they launched -the canoe while the afterglow was still reflected in pink and lavender on -the eastern sky. A few miles would bring them to the Devil Track River, -but, not choosing to camp in that evil spot, Blaise insisted on landing -about a mile below the stream mouth. - -Leaving their camp early next morning, the two started overland to the -Devil Track. All day long they sought for some trace of the hidden cache. -Not until after sunset did they cease their efforts. Weary and -disheartened they returned to their camping place, Hugh in the lead. They -had left the canoe turned bottom up over their supplies and well -concealed by a thicket of red-stemmed osier dogwoods. The elder brother's -sharp exclamation when he reached the spot made the younger one hasten to -his side. - -"Look!" cried Hugh, pointing to the birch craft. - -Blaise did not need to be told to look. The ragged, gaping hole in the -bark was too conspicuous. "A porcupine," he exclaimed. - -"It was the devil in the form of a porcupine, I think," Hugh muttered. -"What possessed the beast?" - -"He smelled the pork and gnawed his way through to it. The porcupine -loves all things salt. We will see." - -Blaise was right. When the canoe was lifted, the boys discovered that the -small chunk of salt pork was gone, taken out through the hole the beast -had gnawed. Nothing else was missing. - -"Either he didn't like the other things or the pork was all he could -carry away at one trip," said Hugh. "If we had stayed away a little -longer, he might have made off with the corn and the sugar as well." - -"The loss of the pork is bad," Blaise commented gravely. "The hole in the -canoe is bad also, and we must delay to mend it." - -The loss of the pork was indeed serious. The rabbit and the squirrel Hugh -had shot the day before had been eaten, and nothing else remained but a -few handfuls of corn and a little sugar. So once more, after setting some -snares, the lads went to sleep supperless. They slept with the corn and -sugar between them for protection. - -Blaise might have suspected that the fiend of the river had put a spell -on his snares, for in the morning he found them all empty. The dry, stony -ground showed no tracks. If any long-legged hare had come that way, he -had been wary enough to avoid the nooses. - -After the scantiest of breakfasts the boys set about repairing the canoe. -Luckily the ball of wattap, the fine, tough roots of the spruce prepared -for use as thread, had not been lost when the waves covered the beach at -their former camp. From a near-by birch Blaise cut a strong, smooth piece -of bark without knotholes. With his knife he trimmed the ragged edges of -the hole. Having softened and straightened his wattap by soaking it, he -sewed the patch on neatly, using a large steel needle he had bought at -the trading post at the Kaministikwia. - -In the meantime Hugh sought a pine grove up the river, where he obtained -some chunks of resin. The resin he softened with heat to a sticky gum and -applied it to the seams and stitches. Blaise went over them again with a -live coal held in a split stick, and spread the softened resin skillfully -with thumb and knife blade. Then the canoe was left bottom side up for -the gum to dry and harden. - -In spite of the fact that the boys, on their way down the shore, had -searched the land to the east of the Devil Track with considerable -thoroughness, they were determined to go over it again. By means of a -fallen tree and the boulders that rose above the foaming rapids, they -crossed the river where it narrowed between rock walls. Late in the -afternoon, Blaise, scrambling up a steep and stony slope well back from -the stream, heard two shots in quick succession and then a third at a -longer interval, the signal agreed upon to indicate that one or the other -had come across something significant. The sounds came from the direction -of the lake, and Blaise hastened down to the shore. - - - - - XIII - THE PAINTED THWART - - -Blaise found Hugh stooping over a heap of shattered, water-stained -boards, crude planks, axe hewn from the tree. - -"Can this be the boat, do you think?" Hugh asked. - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "It was not here on the beach when we -came this way before." - -"Yet it may be part of the wreck washed from some outer rock and cast -here by that last hard blow," reasoned the older boy. - -"That is possible. If we could find more of it, the part that bears the -sign----" - -"What sign? You told me of no sign. I have often wondered how, if we -found a wrecked boat, we should know whether it was the right one." - -"Surely I told you of the sign. The board that bears the hole for the -mast is painted with vermilion, and on it in black is our father's sign, -the figure that means his Ojibwa name, 'man with the bright eyes, the -eyes that make sparks.' Twice the sign is there, once on each side of the -mast." - -Hugh was staring at his younger brother. Black figures on a vermilion -ground! Where had he seen such a thing, seen it recently, since he left -the Sault? Then he remembered. "Show me, Blaise," he cried, "what that -figure looks like, that means father's Indian name." - -Blaise picked up a smooth gray flake and with a bit of softer, dark red -stone scratched the figure. - -"That is it," Hugh exclaimed. "I have seen that wrecked boat, a bateau -with the thwart painted red and that very same figure drawn in black." - -"You have seen it?" The younger brother looked at the elder wonderingly. -"In your dreams?" - -"No, I was wide awake, but it was a long way from here and before ever I -saw you, Blaise." Rapidly Hugh related how he and Baptiste had examined -the old bateau in the cleft of the rocks of the Isle Royale. - -Blaise listened in silence, only his eyes betraying his interest. "Truly -we know not where to search," he said when Hugh had finished. "The bateau -drifted far. How can we find where it went upon the rocks?" - -"I don't believe it drifted far. If it was so badly damaged father had to -abandon it, could it have floated far? Surely it would have gone to the -bottom. When that boat was carried across to Isle Royale, I believe -father and Black Thunder were still in it with all their furs. The storm -drove them out into the lake, they lost their bearings, just as we in the -_Otter_ did. They were borne away and dashed by the waves into that crack -in the rocks. Near there somewhere we shall find the cache, if we find it -at all." - -Hugh spoke confidently, very sure of his own reasoning, but the younger -lad was not so easily convinced. - -"How," Blaise questioned, "did he come away from that island Minong if he -was wrecked there? He could not come by land and the bateau is still -there." - -"He made himself a dugout or birch canoe to cross in when the weather -cleared." - -"But then why came he not to Wauswaugoning by canoe?" - -"Because," persisted Hugh, "when he reached the mainland he fell in with -some enemy here at the Devil Track River. We know his wound was not -received in the wreck. You yourself say it was a knife wound. Black -Thunder wasn't killed in the wreck either. They escaped unharmed but the -bateau was beyond repair. So they built a canoe and crossed to this -shore. Here they were set upon and Black Thunder was killed and father -sorely wounded." - -Again the sceptical Blaise shook his head. "Why were they away down here -so far below the Grand Portage? And why, if they had a canoe, brought -they not the furs and the packet with them?" - -Hugh was aware of the weak links in his theory, yet he clung to it. -"Maybe they did bring them," he said, "but couldn't carry them overland, -so they hid them." - -"No, no. Our father told me that the furs were not far from the wreck. He -said that three or four times. I cannot be mistaken." - -"Perhaps their canoe wasn't big enough to hold all of the pelts," Hugh -speculated. "What they did bring may have fallen into Ohrante's hands. So -father spoke only of the rest, hidden in a secret place near the wreck. -To me that seems reasonable enough. But," he admitted honestly, "I don't -quite understand how they came to be so far down the shore here, and, if -the packet is valuable, why didn't father bring that with him if he -brought anything? And why didn't he tell you that the storm drove him on -Isle Royale?" - -"You forget," Blaise said slowly, "that our father's body was very weak -and his spirit just about to leave it. I asked him where to find the -bateau. He told me of the way it was marked, but he could say no more. I -think he could not hear my questions." - -Both lads were silent for several minutes, then Hugh said decisively, -"Well, Blaise, there are just two things we can do, unless we give up the -quest entirely. We can go back down the shore, searching the land for -some sign of the cache, or we can cross to Isle Royale, find the cleft in -the rocks where the bateau lies, and seek there for the furs and the -packet. I am for the latter plan. To search the whole shore from here to -the Fond du Lac for a hidden cache to which we have no clue seems to me a -hopeless task." - -"But to cross that long stretch of open water in a small canoe," Blaise -returned doubtfully. - -"We must choose good weather of course, and paddle our swiftest to reach -the island before a change comes. Perhaps we can rig some kind of sail -and make better time than with our paddles." - -It was plain that Hugh had made up his mind to return to Isle Royale. -Hitherto he had been content to let Blaise take the lead, but now he was -asserting his elder brother's right to leadership. Better than his white -brother, Blaise understood the hazards of such an undertaking, but the -half-breed lad was proud. He was not going to admit himself less -courageous than his elder brother. If Hugh dared take the risk, he, -Little Caribou, as his mother's people called him, dared take it also. - -The brothers must provision themselves for the trip. Even if they reached -the island safely and in good time, they could not guess how long their -search might take, or how many days or weeks they might be delayed before -they could return. Fresh supplies might have reached the Grand Portage by -now and corn at least could be bought. From the Indians always to be -found near the posts, other food supplies and new moccasins might be -obtained. - -Considering food supplies reminded the lads of their hunger. They decided -to devote the remaining hours of daylight to fishing for their supper. -They would start for the Grand Portage in the morning. Blaise paddled -slowly along a submerged reef some distance out from shore, while Hugh -fished. - -In a very few minutes he felt a pull at his line. Hand over hand he -hauled it in, Blaise helping by managing the canoe so that the line did -not slacken even for an instant. Nearer and nearer Hugh drew his prize, -until he could see the gleaming silver of the big fish flashing through -the clear water. Then came the critical moment. He had no landing net, -and reaching over the side with net or gaff would have been a risk at -best. Without shifting his weight enough to destroy the balance, while -Blaise endeavored to hold the canoe steady with his paddle, Hugh must -land his fish squarely in the bottom. With a sudden swing, the long, -silvery, dark-flecked body, tail wildly flapping, was raised from the -water and flung into the canoe. Almost before it touched the bottom, Hugh -had seized his knife and dealt a swift blow. A few ineffectual flaps and -the big fish lay still. - -"Fifteen pounds at least," Hugh exulted. "I have seen larger trout, but -most of them were taken in nets." - -"They grow very big sometimes, two, three times as big, but it is not -good to catch such a big one with a line. Unless you have great luck, it -overturns your canoe." - -The sight of the big trout sharpened the boys' hunger pangs and took away -all zest from further fishing. They paddled full speed for shore and -supper. - -Favored by good weather they made a quick trip to the Grand Portage. In -the bay a small ship lay at anchor, and they knew supplies must have -arrived. - -"That is not the _Otter_," Hugh remarked as they paddled by. - -"No, it is not one of the Old Company's ships. I think it belongs to the -New Company." - -"I'm glad it isn't the _Otter_," Hugh replied. "I shouldn't know how to -answer Baptiste's questions." - -The ship proved, as Blaise had guessed, to belong to the New Company. She -sailed the day after the boys arrived, but had left ample supplies. They -had no difficulty in buying the needed stores, though Hugh's money was -exhausted by the purchases. He left explanations to Blaise, confident -that his younger brother could not be persuaded to divulge the -destination or purpose of their trip. - -Again bad weather held the lads at the Grand Portage and Wauswaugoning. -The last day of their stay, when they were returning from the New -Company's post, they came upon the camp of the trappers whose bateau had -loomed like a ship through the morning mist when the boys were leaving -the Bay of the Beaver. Hugh recognized at once the tall fellow in the -scarlet cap who had replied to his shout of greeting. The trappers had -disposed of their furs at the Old Company's post and were about to leave. -They were going to portage their supplies to Fort Charlotte above the -falls of the Pigeon River and go up the river in a canoe. Hugh inquired -what they intended to do with their small bateau which was drawn up on -the shore. - -"You want it?" the leader questioned in his big voice. - -"Will you sell it?" the boy asked eagerly. - -The man nodded. "What you give?" - -Hugh flushed with chagrin, remembering that all his money was gone. -Blaise came to the rescue by offering to trade some ammunition for the -boat. The man shook his head. Blaise added to his offer a small quantity -of food supplies, but still the fellow refused. "Too little," he -grumbled, then added something in his curious mixture of Scotch-English -and Ojibwa. He was a Scotch half-breed and Hugh found his dialect -difficult to understand. - -Blaise shrugged, walked over to the boat and examined it. He turned -towards the man and spoke in rapid Ojibwa. The fellow answered in the -same tongue, pointing to the lad's gun. - -"What does he say?" asked Hugh. - -"I told him his bateau needs mending," Blaise answered in French, "but he -will not trade for anything but my gun, which is better than his. I will -not give him the gun. Our father gave it to me." - -Hugh understood his half-brother's feeling, but he was eager to secure -the boat. "He may have my gun," he whispered. He knew that the tall -fellow understood some French. "Tell him if he will include the sail--he -had one, you know--I'll give him my gun and some ammunition. Mine doesn't -shoot as accurately as yours, but it looks newer." - -Blaise made the offer in Ojibwa, Hugh repeated it in English, and after -an unsuccessful attempt to get more, the man agreed. He put into the boat -the mast and canvas, which he had been using as a shelter, and Hugh -handed over the gun and ammunition. - -The rest of the day was spent in making a few necessary repairs to the -bateau, and the following morning, before a light southwest breeze, the -lads set sail. Blaise knew nothing of this sort of water travel, but Hugh -had handled a sailboat before, though never one quite so clumsy as this -crude, heavy bateau. The boat was pointed at both ends, flat bottomed and -built of thick, hand-hewn boards. It carried a small, square sail on a -stubby mast. With axe and knife Hugh had made a crude rudder and had -lashed it to the stern in the place of the paddle the trappers had been -content to steer with. Blaise quickly learned to handle the rudder, -leaving Hugh free to manage the sail. It was a satisfaction to the older -boy to find something in which he excelled his younger brother and could -take the lead. It restored his self-respect as the elder. Blaise, on the -other hand, obeyed orders instantly and proved himself as reliable a -subordinate as he had been leader. The breeze holding steady, the bateau -made fairly good speed. They might possibly have made better time in a -canoe, but the new mode of travel was a pleasant change from the constant -labor of plying the blades. - -Had the lads but known it, their wisest course would have been to cross -directly from the Grand Portage to the southwestern end of Isle Royale -and then skirt the island to its northeast tip. But they had no map to -tell them this. Indeed in those days the position of Isle Royale was but -imperfectly understood. It had been visited by scarcely any white men and -was avoided by the Indians. During the boys' detention at the Grand -Portage, rain and fog had rendered the island, some eighteen or twenty -miles away, invisible. The day they set sail the sky was blue overhead, -but there was still haze enough on the water to obscure the distance. It -was not strange that they believed Isle Royale farther off than it really -was. From its northeastern end the _Otter_ had sailed to the -Kaministikwia, and Hugh took for granted that the shortest way to reach -the island must be from some point on Thunder Bay. He was aware of the -deep curve made by the shore to form the great bay, and realized that to -follow clear around that curve would be a loss of time. Instead of -turning north to follow the shore, he held on to the northeast, along the -inner side of a long line of narrow, rocky islands and reefs, rising from -the water like the summits of a mountain chain and forming a breakwater -for the protection of the bay. - -It was from one of those islands, now called McKellar Island, south about -two miles from the towering heights of the Isle du Pate and at least -fifteen miles by water from the southern mouth of the Kaministikwia, that -the adventurers finally set out for Isle Royale. Before they dared -attempt the perilous sail across the long stretch of the open lake, they -remained in camp a day to let the southwest wind, which had risen to half -a gale, blow itself out. Wind they needed for their venture, but not too -much wind. - - - - - XIV - SAILING TOWARDS THE SUNRISE - - -"Truly the spirit of the winds favors us." Blaise forgot for the moment -his Christian training and spoke in the manner of his Indian forefathers. -He had waked at dawn and, finding the lake merely rippled by a steady -west breeze, had aroused Hugh. - -So anxious were the two to take advantage of the perfect weather that -they did not wait for breakfast, but hastily flung their blankets and -cooking utensils into the boat. With the two strong paddles included in -the purchase, they ran the bateau out of the little cove where it had -lain sheltered. Then, hoisting the sail, they steered towards the dawn. - -Hugh Beaupre never forgot that sail into the sunrise. Ahead of him the -sky, all rose and gold and faint green blending into soft blue, met the -water without the faintest, thinnest line of land between. Before and -around the boat, the lake shimmered with the reflected tints that -glorified even the patched and dirty sail. Was he bound for the other -side of the world, for some glorious, unearthly realm beyond that -gleaming water? A sense of mingled dread and exultation swept over the -boy, his face flushed, his gray eyes sparkled, his pulse quickened. He -knew the feeling of the explorer setting out for new lands, realms of he -knows not what perils and delights. - -The moment of thrill passed, and Hugh turned to glance at Blaise. The -younger boy, his hand on the tiller rope, sat like a statue, his dark -face tense, his shining hazel eyes betraying a kindred feeling to that -which had held Hugh in its thrall. Never before in all their days of -journeying together had the white lad and the half-breed felt such -perfect comradeship. Speech was unnecessary between them. - -As the sun rose higher and the day advanced, Blaise was not so sure that -fortune was favoring the venture. The wind sank until the water was -broken by the merest ripple only. There was scarcely enough pressure -against the sail to keep the boat moving. - -"At this rate we shall be a week in reaching the island," said Hugh, -anxiously eying the canvas. "We can go faster with the paddles. Lash the -rudder and we'll try the blades." - -For the first time since they had changed from canoe to sailboat Blaise -voiced an objection. "To paddle this heavy bateau is hard work," he said. -"We cannot keep at it all day and all night, as we could in a bark canoe. -As long as the wind blows at all and we move onward, even slowly, we had -best save our strength. Soon we shall need it. Before the sun is -overhead, there will be no wind at all, and then we must paddle." - -Hugh nodded agreement, but, less patient than his half-brother, he found -it trying to sit idle waiting for the gentle breeze to die. Blaise had -prophesied truly. Before noon the sail was hanging loose and idle, the -water, blue under a cloudless sky, was without a wrinkle. It is not often -really hot on the open waters of Lake Superior, but that day the sun -glared down upon the little boat, and the distance shimmered with heat -haze. The bateau had no oars or oarlocks, only two stout paddles, and -paddling the heavy, clumsy boat was slow, hot work. - -Pausing for a moment's rest after an hour's steady plying of his blade, -Hugh uttered an exclamation. "Look, Blaise," he cried. "We haven't so far -to go. There is the Isle Royale ahead, and not far away either." - -He pointed with his blade to the hazy blue masses across the still water. -High the land towered, with points and bays and detached islands. -Encouraged by the sight, the two bent to their paddles. - -In a few minutes Hugh cried out again. "How strange the island looks, -Blaise! I don't remember any flat-topped place like that. See, it looks -as if it had been sliced off with a knife." - -The distant shore had taken on a strange appearance. High towering land -it seemed to be, but curiously level and flattened at the top, like no -land Hugh had seen around Lake Superior. - -"There is something wrong," the boy went on, puzzled. "We must be off our -course. That is not Isle Royale, at least not the part I saw. Where are -we, Blaise? Are we going in the wrong direction? Can that be part of the -mainland?" - -"It is not the mainland over that way," Blaise made prompt reply. "It -must be some part of Minong." He used the Indian name for the island. - -"But I saw nothing the----" Hugh began, then broke off to cry out, "Look, -look, the island is changing before our eyes! It towers up there to the -right, and over there, where it was high a moment ago, it shrinks and -fades away!" - -"It is some enchanted land," the younger boy murmured, gazing in wonder -at the dim blue shapes that loomed in one place, shrank in another, -changed size and form before his awestruck eyes. "It is a land of -spirits." He ceased his paddling to cross himself. - -For a moment Hugh too was inclined to believe that he and his brother -were the victims of witchcraft. But, though not free from superstition, -he had less of it than the half-breed. Moreover he remembered the looming -of the very boat he was now in, when he had first seen it in the mists of -dawn, and also the rock that had looked like an island, when he was on -his way from Michilimackinac. The captain of the ship had told him of -some of the queer visions called mirages he had seen when sailing the -lakes. Turning towards Blaise, Hugh attempted to explain the strange -sight ahead. - -"It is the mirage. I have heard of it. The Captain of the _Athabasca_ -told me that the mirage is caused by the light shining through mist or -layers of cloud or air that reflect in some way we do not understand, -making images of land appear where there is no land or changing the -appearance of the real land. Sometimes, he said, images of islands are -seen upside down in the sky, above the real water-line. It is all very -strange and no one quite understands why it comes or how, but there is no -enchantment about it, Blaise." - -The younger boy nodded, his eyes still on the changing, hazy shapes -ahead. Without reply, he resumed his paddling. How much he understood of -his elder brother's explanation, Hugh could not tell. At any rate Blaise -was too proud to show further fear of something Hugh did not seem to be -afraid of. - -In silence the two plied their paddles under the hot sun, but the heavy -wooden boat did not respond like a bark canoe to their efforts. Progress -was very slow. White clouds were gathering in the south, moving slowly up -and across the sky, though the water remained quiet. The clouds veiled -the sun. The distant land shrank to a mere blue line, its natural shape -and size, and seemed to come no nearer for all their efforts. Both boys -were growing anxious. After the heat and stillness of the day, the -clouds, slow moving though they were, threatened storm. The two dug their -blades into the water, straining muscles of arms and shoulders to put all -their strength into the stroke. - -A crinkle, a ripple was spreading over the green-blue water. A breeze was -coming up from the southwest. Hugh laid down his blade to raise the sail. -In the west the rays of the setting sun were breaking through the clouds -and dyeing them crimson, flame and orange. He was glad to see the sun -again, for it brought him assurance that he was keeping the course, not -swinging too far to north or south. - -The breeze, very light at first, strengthened after sunset and became -more westerly, the most favorable direction. The clumsy boat and square -sail could not be made to beat against the wind, but Hugh's course was a -little north of east. He could sail directly with the wind and yet be -assured of not going far out of his way. The farthest tip of land ahead, -now freed from the false distortions of mirage, he took to be the end of -the long, high shore, where, in the fissure, he and Baptiste had found -the old bateau. That land was still very far away, other islands or -points of the main island lying nearer. - -As darkness gathered, the breeze swept away the clouds, and stars and -moon shone out. Sailing over the gently heaving water, where the -moonlight made a shimmering path, was a pleasant change from paddling the -heavy boat in the heat of the day. The boys' evening meal consisted of a -few handfuls of hulled corn and some maple sugar, with the clear, cold -lake water for drink. Both Blaise at the tiller and Hugh handling the -sheet found it difficult to keep awake. The day had been a long one, but -they must remain alert to hold their course and avoid disaster. - -They were approaching land now. In the moonlight, to avoid islands and -projecting rocks was not difficult. Sunken reefs were harder to discern. -Only the breaking of waves upon the rocks that rose near to the surface -betrayed the danger. So the steersman shunned points and the ends of -islands from which hidden reefs might run out. Hugh would have been glad -to camp on the first land reached, but he knew he ought to take advantage -of the favorable wind and get as near as possible to the spot where the -wreck lay. Shaking off his drowsiness, he gave his whole attention to -navigation. - -Several islands and a number of points, that might belong either to the -great island or to smaller bordering ones, were passed before reaching a -low shore, well wooded, which Hugh felt sure he recognized. He remembered -that the _Otter_ had been obliged to go far out around the tip to avoid a -long reef. He warned Blaise to steer well out, but the latter did not go -quite far enough and the boat grazed a rock. No damage was done, however. -The bateau was now headed for a strip of much higher land, showing dark -between sky and water. Hugh thought that must be the towering, -tree-crowned, rock shore he recalled. To land there tonight was out of -the question. The moon had gone down, and to run, in the darkness, up the -bay to the spot where the _Otter_ had taken shelter might also prove -difficult. Hugh decided they had better tie up somewhere on the point -they had just rounded. He lowered the sail and both boys took up their -paddles. For some distance they skirted the steep, slanting rock shore -where the trees grew down as far as they could cling. - -One mountain ash had lost its footing and fallen into the lake. To the -fallen tree Hugh tied the boat, in still water and under the shadow of -the shore. Then he and Blaise rolled themselves in their blankets and lay -down in the bottom. Heedless of the dew-wet planking they were asleep -immediately. The water rippled gently against the rough sides of the -boat, an owl in a spruce sent forth its eerie hoots, from across the -water a loon answered with a wild, mocking cry, but the tired lads slept -on undisturbed. - - - - - XV - THE RIFT IN THE ROCK - - -The brothers were in the habit of waking early, but it had been nearly -dawn when they lay down, and, in the shadow of the trees, they slept -until the sun was well started on his day's journey. When they did wake, -Hugh's first glance was towards the land across the water. - -There was no mistaking that high towering shore, steep rocks at the base, -richly forest clad above. It was the same shore he had seen weeks before, -the first time dimly through fog and snow, again clear cut and distinct, -when he and Baptiste had rowed Captain Bennett out of the bay, and yet a -third time from the deck of the _Otter_ as she sailed away towards -Thunder Cape. - -"We have come aright, Blaise," said Hugh with satisfaction. "That is the -place we seek, and it can't be more than a mile away. Do you see that -spot where the trees come to the water, that tiny break in the rocks? It -is a little cove with a bit of beach, and in that stretch of rocks to the -left is the crack where the old boat lies. I'm sure of the spot, because -from the _Otter_, when we were leaving, I noticed the bare rock pillars -of that highest ridge away up there, like the wall of a fort among the -trees. It doesn't show quite so plainly now the birches are in leaf, but -I'm sure it is the same. There are two little coves almost directly below -that pillared rock wall, and the cliff is a little farther to the left. -Oh, but I am hungry," he added. "We must have a good breakfast before we -start across." - -Over the short stretch of water that separated the low point from the -high shore, the bateau sailed before the brisk wind. The stretch of gray, -pillared rock, like the wall of a fortress, high up among the greenery, -served as a guide. As the boat drew nearer, the twin coves, shallow -depressions in the shore line separated by a projecting mass of rock, -came clear to view. - -"Steer for the cliff just beyond the left hand cove," Hugh ordered. -"We'll run in close and then turn." - -Blaise obediently steered straight for the mass of rock with the vertical -fissures, as if his purpose were to dash the boat against the cliff. As -they drew close, Hugh gave a shout. - -The crack had come into view, a black rift running at an angle into the -cliff. As the boat swung about to avoid going on the rocks, the younger -boy's quick eye caught a glimpse, in that dark fissure, of the end of a -bateau. To give him that glimpse, Hugh had taken a chance of wrecking -their own boat. Now he was obliged to act quickly, lowering the sail and -seizing a paddle. - -In the trough of the waves, they skirted, close in, the steep, rugged -rocks. Almost hidden by a short point was the bit of beach at the end of -the first of the twin coves. With a dexterous twist of the paddles, the -boys turned their boat and ran up on the beach. Landing with so much -force would have ground the bottom out of a birch canoe, but the heavy -planks of the bateau would stand far worse battering. - -The appearance of the cove had changed greatly since that day when Hugh -and Baptiste had rowed past. Then the bushes, birches and mountain ash -trees that ringed the pebbles had been bare limbed. Now, with June more -than two-thirds gone, they were all in full leaf. Big clusters of buds -among the graceful foliage of the mountain ashes were almost ready to -open into handsome flowers. The high-bush cranberries bore white blossoms -here and there, and the ninebark bushes were covered with masses of -pinkish buds. Though Hugh's mind was on the wreck, his eyes took note of -the almost incredible difference a few weeks had made. His nose sniffed -with appreciation the spicy smell of the fresh, growing tips of the -balsams, mingled with the heliotrope-like odor of the tiny twin-flowers -blooming in the woods. He did not let enjoyment of these things delay -him, however. - -"Now," he cried, when he and Blaise had pulled up the boat, "we must get -into that crack. We can't reach it from the water in this wind. Perhaps -we can climb down from the top." - -Up a steep rock slope, dotted with fresh green moss, shiny leaved -bearberry, spreading masses of juniper and a few evergreen trees growing -in the depressions, he hastened with Blaise close behind. Along the top -of the cliff they made their way until they reached the rift. Though the -sides of the crack were almost vertical, trees and bushes grew wherever -they could anchor a root. Through branches and foliage, the boys could -get no view of the old boat at the bottom. - -"We must climb down," said Hugh. - -"It will be difficult," Blaise replied doubtfully. "To do it we must -cling to the roots and branches. Those trees have little soil to grow in. -Our weight may pull them over." - -"We must get down some way," Hugh insisted. "We shall have to take our -chances." - -"The wind and waves will calm. We have but to wait and enter from the -water." - -Hugh had not the Indian patience. "The wind is not going down, it is -coming up," he protested. "It may blow for a week. I didn't come here to -wait for calm weather. I'm going down some way." - -He wriggled between the lower branches of a spruce growing on the very -verge of the crack and let himself down a vertical wall, feeling with his -toes for a support. Carefully he rested his weight on the slanting stem -of a stunted cedar growing in a niche. It held him. Clinging with fingers -and moccasined feet to every projection of rock and each branch, stem or -root that promised to hold him, he worked his way down. He heeded his -younger brother's warning in so far as to test every support before -trusting himself to it. But in spite of his care, a bit of projecting -rock crumbled under his feet. His weight was thrown upon a root he had -laid hold of. The root seemed to be firmly anchored, but it pulled loose, -and Hugh went sliding down right into the old boat. The ice, which had -filled the wreck when he first saw it, had melted. The bateau was more -than half full of water, into which he plumped, splashing it all over -him. He was not hurt, however, only wet and shaken up a bit. - -Blaise had already begun to follow his elder brother into the cleft, when -he heard Hugh crash down. Halfway over the edge, the younger boy paused -for a moment. Then Hugh's shout came up to him. "All right, but be -careful," the elder brother cautioned. - -Light and very agile, the younger lad had better luck, landing nimbly on -his feet on the cross plank of the old boat. It was the vermilion painted -thwart that had held the mast. Eagerly both lads bent over it to make -out, in the dim light, the black figures on the red ground. - -"It is our father's sign," Blaise said quietly, "our father's sign, just -as I have seen it many times. This was his bateau, but whether it was -wrecked here or elsewhere we cannot tell." - -"I believe it was wrecked here," Hugh asserted. "See how the end is -splintered. This boat was driven upon these very rocks where it now lies, -the prow smashed and rents ripped in the bottom and one side. But it is -empty. We must seek some sign to guide us to the furs. We need more -light." - -"I will make a torch. Wait but a moment." - -Blaise straightened up, hooked his fingers over the edge of a narrow, -rock shelf, swung himself up, and ascended the rest of the way as nimbly -as a squirrel. In a few minutes he came scrambling down again, holding in -one hand a roughly made torch, resinous twigs bound together with a bit -of bearberry vine. With sparks from his flint and steel, he lighted the -balsam torch. It did not give a very bright light, but it enabled the -boys to examine the old bateau closely. The only mark they could find -that might have been intended as a guide was a groove across the fore -thwart. At one end of the groove short lines had been cut diagonally to -form an arrow point. - -"The cache, if it is on the island, must be sought that way," said -Blaise. - -"The arrow surely points up the crack. We'll follow it." - -The smashed bow of the boat was firmly lodged among the fragments of rock -upon which it had been driven. Over those fragments, up a steep slope, -the boys picked their way for a few yards, until the walls drew together, -the fissure narrowing to a mere slit. By throwing the light of the torch -into the slit and reaching in arm's length, Hugh satisfied himself that -there were no furs there. Nevertheless the arrow pointed in that -direction. He looked about him. The left hand wall was almost -perpendicular, solid rock apparently, with only an occasional vertical -crack or shallow niche where some hardy bit of greenery clung. But from -the right wall several blocks had fallen out. On one of those blocks Hugh -was standing. He held the torch up at arm's length. - -"There's a hole up there. Such a place would make a good cache." - -"Let me up on your shoulders," Blaise proposed, "and I will look in." - -Sitting on Hugh's shoulders, Blaise threw the light of the torch into the -hole. Then he reached in his arm. "There are no furs here," he said. - -Hugh had been almost certain he had found the cache. He was keenly -disappointed. "Are you sure?" he cried. - -"Yes. It is a small place, just a hole in the rock. Let me down." - -"There are no furs there," Blaise repeated, when he had jumped down from -Hugh's shoulders. "But something I found." He held out a short piece of -rawhide cord. - -Hugh stared at the cord, then at his half-brother. "You were not the -first to visit that hole then. What is the meaning of this?" He took the -bit of rawhide in his fingers. - -"I think it means that the furs have been there, but have been taken -away," was the younger lad's slow reply. "It is a piece from the thong -that bound a bale of furs. That is what I think." - -"Someone has found the cache and taken away the pelts." - -"I fear it," agreed Blaise. Though he spoke quietly, his disappointment -was as strong as Hugh's. - -"That someone is probably one of the Old Company's men. Then the furs are -lost to us indeed. Yet we do not know. How did anyone learn of the cache? -It may have been Black Thunder of course, but then what was the meaning -of the blood-stained shirt? No, we don't know, Blaise. Our furs may be -gone for good, but we can't be sure. Father may have put them in there -out of reach of the storm and later moved them to some other place, or -they may never have been in that hole at all. Some animal may have -carried that bit of rawhide there." - -Blaise shook his head. "What animal could go up there?" - -"A squirrel perhaps, or a bird, a gull. Anyway we can't give up the -search yet, just because we have found a bit of rawhide in a hole in the -rocks. That would be folly. Perhaps the arrow points up the rift to some -spot above. We can't climb up here. We must go back." - -The two returned to the wreck and climbed up the way they had come down. -Hugh again in the lead, they followed along the top of the rift to its -head. There they sought earnestly for some sign that might lead them to -the cache, but found none. When at sunset they gave up the search for -that day, their fear that the furs had been stolen from the hole in the -rock had grown near to a certainty. Well-nigh discouraged, they went back -to the beach in the shallow cove where they had left their boat. - -"Why is it, Blaise," Hugh asked, as they sat by the fire waiting for the -kettle to boil, "that no Indians dwell on this big island? It is a -beautiful place and there must be game and furs for the hunting." - -Blaise gave his characteristic French shrug. "I know not if there is much -game, and Minong is far from the mainland. I have heard that there is -great store of copper in the rocks. The Ojibwas say that the island was -made by the giant Kepoochikan. Once upon a time the fish quarrelled with -Kepoochikan and tried to drown him by making a great flood. But he built -a big floating island and made it rich with copper and there he took his -family and all the kinds of birds and beasts there are. When the water, -which had spread over the whole earth, stopped rising, he told a gull to -dive down to the bottom and bring up some mud. The gull could not dive so -far, but drowned before he reached the bottom. Then Kepoochikan sent a -beaver. The beaver came up almost drowned, but with a ball of mud -clutched tight in his hands. Kepoochikan took the mud and made a new -earth, but he kept the island Minong for his home. After many years there -was another giant, the great Nanibozho, who was chief of all the Indians -on the new land Kepoochikan had made. Nanibozho is a good manito and -Kepoochikan a bad one. They went to war, and Nanibozho threw a great -boulder from the mainland across at Kepoochikan and conquered him. The -boulder is here on Minong yet they say. Since then Nanibozho has guarded -the copper of Minong, though some say his real dwelling place is on -Thunder Cape. Off the shore and in the channels of Minong he has set -sharp rocks to destroy the canoes that approach the island, and he has -many spirits to help him guard the treasure." - -"That is only a tale, of course," said Hugh somewhat disdainfully. "We of -the ship _Otter_ camped here several days and we saw or heard no spirits. -We found nothing to fear." - -"You sought no copper," was the retort. "It is said that sometimes -Kepoochikan and Nanibozho fight together on the rocks and hurl great -boulders about. Strange tales there are too of the thick forest, of the -little lakes and bays. There is one place called the Bay of Manitos, -where, so I have heard, dwell giant Windigos and great serpents and huge -birds and spirits that mock the lonely traveller with shouts and threats -and laughter." - -"Surely you do not believe such tales, Blaise," Hugh protested, "or fear -such spirits." - -"I know that neither Kepoochikan nor Nanibozho made the world," the -younger boy replied seriously. "My father and the priests taught me that -the good God made the world. But whether the tales of giants and spirits -are true, I know not. That I do not fear them I have proved by coming -here with you." - -To that remark Hugh had no answer. To believe or be inclined to believe -such tales and yet to come to the enchanted island, to come with only one -companion, surely proved his half-brother's courage. Indeed the older boy -had no thought of questioning the younger's bravery. He had come to know -Blaise too well. - - - - - XVI - THE CACHE - - -The night being clear, the boys did not trouble to prepare a shelter. -They merely cut some balsam branches and spread them smoothly on the -beach. Strange to say, the more superstitious half-breed lad fell asleep -immediately, while the white boy, who had scorned the notion of giants -and manitos, found sleep long in coming. That night seemed to him the -loneliest he had ever spent. Camp, on the trip down and up the main -shore, had, to be sure, usually been made far from the camps of other -men. But there _were_ men, both red and white, on that shore. When the -lake was not too rough, there was always the chance that the sound of -human voices and the dip of paddles might be heard at any time during the -night, as a canoe passed in the starlight. - -Here, however, the whole length and breadth of the great island,--which -the two lads believed even larger than it really is, some fifty miles in -length and twelve or fourteen broad at its widest part,--there lived, so -far as they knew, not one human being. Never before had Hugh felt so -utterly lonely, such a small, insignificant human creature in an unknown -and unfeeling wilderness of woods, waters and rocks. The island was far -more beautiful and hospitable now than it had appeared when he visited it -before, but then, almost uncannily lonely and remote though the place had -seemed, he had had the companionship of Baptiste and Captain Bennett and -the rest of the ship's crew. - -Yet what was there to fear? It was not likely that Isle Royale contained -any especially fierce beasts. There were wolves and lynxes, but they were -skulking, cowardly creatures, and, in the summer at least, must find -plentiful prey of rabbits and other small animals. Moose too there were -and perhaps bears, but both were harmless unless attacked and cornered. -It was not the thought of any animal enemy that caused Hugh's uneasiness, -as he lay listening to the night sounds. His feeling was rather of -apprehension, of dread of some unknown evil that threatened his comrade -and himself. He tried to shake off the unreasonable dread, but everything -about him seemed to serve to intensify the feeling, the low, continuous -murmur of the waves on the rocks, the swishing rustle of the wind in the -trees, the long-drawn, eerie cries of two loons answering one another -somewhere up the bay, the lonely "hoot-ti-toot" of an owl. Once from the -wooded ridges above him, there came with startling clearness the shrill -screech of a lynx. But all these sounds were natural ones, heard many -times during his adventurous journey. Why, tonight, did they seem to hold -some new and fearful menace? - -Disgusted with himself, he resolved to conquer the unreasonable dread. -Will power alone could not triumph over his unrest, but physical -weariness won at last and he fell asleep. A brief shower, from the edge -of a passing storm-cloud, aroused him once, but the rain did not last -long enough to wet his blanket, and he was off to sleep again in a few -minutes. - -Hugh woke with a start. Dawn had come, but the little cove was shrouded -in white mist. Beside him on the balsam bed, Blaise was sitting upright, -his body rigid, his bronze face tense. He was listening intently. Hugh -freed his arms from his blanket and raised himself on his elbow. Blaise -turned his head. - -"You heard it?" he whispered. - -"Something waked me. What was it?" - -"A gun shot." - -"Impossible!" - -"I heard it clearly. I had just waked." - -"Near by?" - -"Not very far away. Up there somewhere." - -Blaise pointed to the now invisible woods above the sheer cliff that -formed the central shore of the cove between the beaches. "It is hard to -be quite sure of the direction in this fog, and there was only one shot." - -For some minutes the two lads sat still, listening, but the sound was not -repeated. It seemed incredible that any human being should be so near on -the big island where neither white men nor Indians were ever known to -come intentionally. Hugh was inclined to think Blaise mistaken. The -younger boy had certainly heard some sharp sound, but Hugh could scarcely -believe it was the report of a gun. - -However, the mere suspicion that any other man might be near by was -enough to make the boys proceed with the greatest caution. Veiled by the -fog,--which had been caused by the warm shower falling on the lake during -the night,--they could be seen only by someone very near at hand, but -there were other ways in which they might be betrayed. The sound of their -voices or movements, the smell of the smoke from their cooking fire might -reveal their presence. The secret nature of their quest made them anxious -that their visit to the island should not become known. So they lighted -no fire, breakfasting on the cold remains of last night's corn porridge -sprinkled with maple sugar. They talked little and in whispers, and took -care to make the least possible noise. - -Having decided to give at least one more day to the search for the furs, -the lads climbed the steep slope and made their way to the head of the -fissure. Up there the fog was much less thick than down in the cove. The -crack in the rock had narrowed to a mere slit almost choked with tree -roots upon which fallen leaves and litter had lodged. Near the edge, in a -depression where there was a little soil, stood a clump of birch sprouts -growing up about the stump of an old broken tree. In their search for -some blaze or mark that might guide them, the two thought they had -examined every tree in the vicinity. - -That morning, as he was about to pass the clump of birches, Hugh happened -to notice what a rapid growth the sprouts had made that season. The sight -of the new growth suggested something to him. He began to pull apart and -bend back the little trees to get a better view of the old stump. There, -concealed by the young growth, was the mark he sought. A piece of the -ragged, gray, lichen-scarred bark had been sliced away, and on the bare, -crumbly wood had been cut a transverse groove with an arrow point. - -Hugh promptly summoned Blaise. The cut in the old stump seemed to prove -that the furs might not, after all, have been stolen from the hole in the -rocks. The arrow pointed directly along the overgrown crack, which the -lads traced for fifty or sixty feet farther, when it came abruptly to an -end. They had come to a hollow or gully. The crack showed distinctly in -the steep rock wall, but the bottom of the hollow and the opposite -gradual slope were deep with soil and thick with growth. The rift, which -widened at the outer end into a cleft, ran, it was apparent, clear -through the rock ridge that formed the shore cliff. The searchers had now -reached the lower ground behind that ridge. Which way should they turn -next? - -That question was answered promptly. The abrupt face of the rock wall was -well overgrown with green moss and green-gray lichens. In one place the -short, thick growth had been scratched away to expose a strip of the gray -stone about an inch wide and six or seven inches long. The clean-cut -appearance of the scratch seemed to prove that it had been made with a -knife or some other sharp instrument. So slowly do moss and lichens -spread on a rock surface that such a mark would remain clear and distinct -for one season at least, probably for several years. There was no arrow -point here, but the scratch was to the left of the crack. The boys turned -unhesitatingly in that direction. - -The growth in this low place was dense. They had to push their way among -old, ragged birches and close standing balsams draped with gray beards of -lichen which were sapping the trees' life-blood. Everywhere, on the steep -rock wall, on each tree trunk, they sought for another sign. For several -hundred yards they found nothing, until they came to a cross gully -running back towards the lake. In the very entrance stood a small, broken -birch. The slender stem was not completely severed, the top of the tree -resting on the ground. - -"There is our sign," said Blaise as soon as he caught sight of the birch. - -"It is only a broken tree," Hugh protested. "I see nothing to show that -it is a sign." - -"But I see something," Blaise answered promptly. "First, there is the -position, right here where we need guidance. The tree has been broken so -that it points down that ravine. The break is not old, not weathered -enough to have happened before last winter. Yet it happened before the -leaves came out. They were still in the bud. It was in late winter or -early spring that tree was broken." - -"Just about the time father must have been on the island," Hugh -commented. - -Blaise went on with his explanation. "What broke the tree? The wind? -Sound birches are not easily broken by wind. They sway, they bend, -sometimes they are tipped over at the roots. But the stem itself is not -broken unless it is rotten or the storm violent. Here are no signs of -strong wind. There are no other broken trees near this one." - -"That is true," murmured Hugh looking about him. - -"Now we will look at the break," Blaise continued confidently. "See, the -trunk is sound, but it has been cut with an axe, cut deep and bent down. -And here, look here!" His usually calm voice was thrilling with -excitement. He was pointing to some small cuts in the white bark just -below the break. - -"J. B., father's initials!" cried Hugh. - -Blaise laid his finger on his lips to remind his companion that caution -must still be observed. They had heard no further sound and had seen no -sign of a human being, but the half-breed lad had not forgotten the sharp -report that had so startled him in the dawn. It was best to move silently -and speak with lowered voice. - -Blaise led the way down the narrow cross gully, so narrow that where a -tree grew,--and trees seemed to grow everywhere on this wild island where -they could push down a root,--there was scarcely room to get by. After a -few hundred yards of such going, the ravine began to widen. The walls -became higher and so sheer that nothing could cling to them but moss, -lichens and sturdy crevice plants. Under foot there was no longer any -soil, only pebbles and broken rock fragments. Ahead, beyond the deep -shadow of the cleft, lay sunlit water. This was evidently another of the -fissures that ran down through the outer rock ridge to the water, -fissures that were characteristic of that stretch of shore. - -"We are coming back to the lake through another crack much like the one -where the old boat lies," said Hugh. "We must be off the trail somewhere. -There is no place here to hide furs." - -Blaise, who was still ahead, did not answer. He was closely scanning the -rock wall on either side. A moment later, he paused and gave a little -grunt of interest or satisfaction. - -"What is it?" Hugh asked. - -Blaise took another step forward, and pointed to the right hand wall. A -narrow fissure extended from top to bottom. So narrow was the crack that -Hugh rather doubted whether he could squeeze into it. - -"I will go first, I am smaller," Blaise suggested. "If I cannot go -through, we shall know that no man has been in there." - -Slender and lithe, Blaise found that he could wriggle his way through -without much difficulty. The heavier, broader-shouldered Hugh found the -task less easy. He had to go sidewise and for a moment he thought he -should stick fast, but he managed to squeeze past the narrowest spot, to -find himself in an almost round hollow. This hole or pit in the outer -ridge was perhaps twenty feet in diameter with abrupt rock walls and a -floor of boulders and pebbles, among which grew a few hardy shrubs. It -was open to the sky and ringed at the top with shrubby growth. Hugh -glanced about him with a keen sense of disappointment. Surely the furs -were not in this place. - -Blaise, on the other side of a scraggly ninebark bush, seemed to be -examining a pile of boulders and rock fragments. The older boy rounded -the bush, and disappointment gave way to excitement. By what agency had -those stones been heaped in that particular spot? They had not fallen -from the wall beyond. The pit had no opening through which waves could -wash. Had that heap been put together by the hand of man? Was it indeed a -cache? - -Without a word spoken, the two lads set about demolishing the stone pile. -One after another they lifted each stone and threw it aside. As he rolled -away one of the larger boulders, Hugh could not restrain a little cry. A -bit of withered cedar had come to light. With eager energy he flung away -the remaining stones. There lay revealed a heap of something covered with -cedar branches, the flat sprays, withered but still aromatic, woven -together closely to form a tight and waterproof covering. Over and around -them, the stones had been heaped to conceal every sprig. - -With flying fingers, the boys pulled the sprays apart. There were the -bales of furs each in a skin wrapper. The brothers had found the hidden -cache and their inheritance. Both lads were surprised at the number of -the bales. If the pelts were of good quality, no mean sum would be -realized by their sale. They would well repay in gold for all the long -search. Yet, to do the boys justice, neither was thinking just then of -the worth of the pelts. Their feeling was rather of satisfaction that -they were really carrying out their father's last command. The long and -difficult search was over, and they had not failed in it. - -They lifted the packages from a platform of poles resting on stones. The -whole cache had been cleverly constructed. No animal could tear apart the -bales, and, even in the severest storm, no water could reach them. Over -them the branches had formed a roof strong enough to keep the top stones -from pressing too heavily upon the furs. - -"But where is the packet?" cried Hugh. "It must be inside one of the -bales, but which one I wonder." - -"I think it is this one," Blaise replied. - -The package he was examining seemed to be just like the others, except -that into the rawhide thong that bound it had been twisted a bit of -scarlet wool ravelled from a cap or sash. Blaise would have untied the -thong, but the impatient Hugh cut it, and stripped off the wrapping. The -bale contained otter skins of fine quality. Between two of the pelts was -a small, flat packet. It was tied with a bit of cedar cord and sealed -with a blotch of pitch into which had been pressed the seal of the ring -Hugh now wore. - -"Shall we open this here and now, Blaise?" Hugh asked. - -"That is for you to say, my brother. You are the elder." - -"Then I think we had best open it at once." - -Hugh broke the seal and was about to untie the cord, when from somewhere -above the rim of the pit, there rang out a loud, long-drawn call, -"Oh-eye-ee, oh-eye-ee-e." It was not the cry of an animal. It was a human -voice. - - - - - XVII - THE SEALED PACKET - - -Hastily Hugh thrust the unopened packet into the breast of his deerskin -tunic, and looked up apprehensively at the border of green about the rim -of the pit. The man who had shouted could not be far away. There might be -others even nearer. If anyone should push through that protecting fringe -of growth, he would be looking directly down on the two lads. The bales -would be in plain view. - -Hugh thought quickly. "We must conceal the furs again, Blaise," he -whispered, "until we can find some way to get them to the boat." - -Blaise nodded. "We will take them away at night." - -Rapidly and with many an apprehensive glance upward, the two replaced the -bales on the platform of poles, covered the heap with the cedar boughs -and built up the stones around and over the whole. They were in too great -haste to do as careful a piece of work as Jean Beaupre had done. Their -rock pile would scarcely have stood close scrutiny without betraying -something suspicious. From above, however, its appearance was innocent -enough, and no chance comer would be likely to descend into the hole. - -Squeezing through the narrow slit, the brothers examined the cleft that -ran down in a steep incline of rock fragments to the water. The simplest -plan would be to bring the boat in there. With strangers likely to appear -at any moment, it would be best to wait until nightfall. The two decided -to return to the cove where they had camped, and wait for darkness. - -Back through the fissure and over the low ground behind the shore ridge, -they made their way cautiously, silently. They went slowly, taking pains -to efface any noticeable tracks or signs of their passage, and watching -and listening alertly for any sight or sound of human beings. A rustling -in the bushes caused both to stand motionless until they caught sight of -the cause, a little, bright-eyed squirrel or a gray-brown snowshoe rabbit -with long ears and big hind feet. Both boys would have liked that fresh -meat for the dinner pot, but they had no wish to attract attention by a -shot. - -When they reached the top of the cliff, they found that the fog had -entirely disappeared, driven away by a light breeze. As they went down -the steep, open slope to the little beach, they knew themselves to be -exposed to the view of anyone who might happen to be looking out from the -woods bordering the cove. Anxiously they scanned woods, rocks and lake, -but saw no sign of any human being. Not a living creature but a fish duck -peacefully riding the water was to be seen. The boat and supplies were -undisturbed. - -The boys stayed quietly in the cove during the remaining hours of -daylight. The beach was partially hidden from the water by the end of the -shore ridge, and screened on the land side by the dense growth of trees -and bushes bordering the pebbles. Beyond the beach was a vertical rock -cliff sheer to the water from its forested summit. Then came another -short stretch of pebbles bounded by a low rock wall and protected by the -jutting mass of rock, only scantily wooded, that formed the dividing line -between the twin coves. To anyone standing over there or among the trees -at the edge of the high central cliff, the boys and their boat would have -been in plain sight. The shot Blaise had heard in the early dawn had come -from somewhere above that cliff, but it was not likely that the man who -had fired that shot was still there. Doubtless he had been hunting. At -any rate the lads had no better place to wait for darkness to come. They -were at least far enough from the pit so their discovery by wandering -Indians or white hunters need not lead to the finding of the furs. As the -day wore on, the brothers cast many an anxious glance around the shores -of the cove. They were startled whenever a squirrel chattered, a -woodpecker tapped loudly on a branch, or two tree trunks rubbed against -one another, swayed by a stronger gust of wind. - -As their food was ill adapted to being eaten raw, they permitted -themselves a small cooking fire, taking care to use only thoroughly dry -wood and to keep a clear flame with as little smoke as possible. After -the kettle had been swung over the fire, Hugh drew from his breast the -packet and examined the outside carefully. The wrapping was of oiled -fish-skin tied securely. - -"Shall we open it, Blaise?" he asked again. - -The younger boy cast a quick glance about him, at the rock slope they had -descended, the dense bushes beyond the pebbles, the forest rim along the -summit of the high central cliff, the rough, wave-eaten rock mass across -the cove. Then his eyes returned to his companion's face and he nodded -silently. - -Curious though he was, Hugh was deliberate in opening the mysterious -packet. He untied the cord and removed the outer cover carefully not to -tear it. Within the oiled skin wrapper was still another of the finest, -whitest, softest doeskin, tied with the same sort of bark cord. The cord -had been passed through holes in a square of paper-thin birch bark. On -the bark label was written in the same faint, muddy brown ink Blaise had -used: - - "To be delivered to M. Rene Dubois, - At Montreal. - Of great importance." - - -Hugh turned over the packet. It was sealed, like the outer wrapper, with -drops of pitch upon which Jean Beaupre's seal had been pressed. For -several minutes the boy sat considering what he ought to do. Then he -looked up at his half-brother's equally grave face. - -"I don't like to open this," Hugh said. "It is addressed to M. Rene -Dubois of Montreal and it is sealed. I think father intended me to take -it to Monsieur Dubois with the seals unbroken. Doubtless he will open it -in my presence and tell me what it contains." - -Blaise nodded understandingly. He had lived long enough in civilization -to realize the seriousness of breaking the seals of a packet addressed to -someone else. "That Monsieur Dubois, do you know him?" he inquired. - -"No, I didn't know my father had any friends in Montreal. He never lived -there, you know. His old home was in Quebec, where I was born. I don't -remember that I ever heard of Monsieur Rene Dubois, but my relatives in -Montreal may know him. Probably I can find him. If I can't, then I think -it would be right to open this packet, but not until I have tried. Shall -I take charge of this, Blaise?" - -"You are the elder and our father said you must take the packet to -Montreal." - -To the impatient Hugh the wait until the sun descended beyond the woods -of the low point across the water seemed long indeed. He found it hard to -realize that only two nights before he and Blaise had reached the point -and had tied up there. They had surely been lucky to find the cache of -furs so soon. - -Not until the shadows of the shore lay deep upon the water did the lads -push off the bateau. They paddled silently out of the little cove and -close under the abrupt, riven rocks, taking care not to let a blade -splash as it dipped and was withdrawn. The water was rippled by the -lightest of breezes, and the moon was bright. The deep cleft where Jean -Beaupre's wrecked boat lay was in black darkness, though. Hugh could not -even make out the stern. His mind was busy with thoughts of the father he -had known so slightly, with speculations about his coming to the island, -about the way he had left it. Through what treachery had he received his -death blow? - -Another rift in the rock was passed before the boys reached a wider, -shallower cleft they felt sure was the one leading to the cache. -Cautiously they turned into the dark mouth of the fissure and grounded -the boat on the pebbles, water-worn and rounded here where the waves -reached them. Overhead the moonlight filtered down among the thick sprays -of the stunted cedars that grew along the rim and even down into the -crack. But the darkness at the bottom was so deep the brothers could -proceed only by feeling their way with both hands and feet. In this -manner they went up over pebbles and angular rock fragments to the narrow -slit in the wall, and squeezed through in pitch blackness to the circular -hollow. - -There was moonlight in the pit, but the cache, close under the rock wall, -was in the shadow. So difficult did the boys find it to remove the stones -in the darkness, that they decided to risk lighting a torch. During the -afternoon Blaise had made a couple of torches of spruce and balsam. He -lighted one now and stuck it in a cranny of the rock just above the heap -of stones. By the feeble, flickering and smoky light, the cache was -uncovered. Pushing and hauling the bales through the narrow crack was -difficult and troublesome. The larger ones would not go through, and had -to be unwrapped and reduced to smaller parcels. Even by the dim light of -the torch, the boys could see that the furs were of excellent quality. -Before loading, the bateau had to be pushed out a little way, Blaise -standing in the water to hold it while Hugh piled in the bales. Then both -climbed in and paddled quietly out of the crack. - -There was not breeze enough for sailing. Hugh and Blaise were anxious to -get away from the spot where they had found the furs and had heard the -shout, but paddling the heavily laden bateau was slow work. Without a -breeze to fill the sail, they were loth to start across the open lake, so -they kept on along shore to the northeast. When they had put a mile or -more between themselves and the place where they had found the furs, they -would camp and wait for sunrise and a breeze. - -Slowly and laboriously they paddled on, close to the high shore. The -calm, moonlit water stretched away on their left. The dark, -forest-crowned rocks, huge, worn and seamed pillars, towered forbiddingly -on the other side. At last the wider view of the water ahead and the -barrenness of the tumbled rocks to the right indicated that they were -reaching the end of the shore along which they had been travelling. - -"We'll land now," said Hugh, "as soon as we can find a place." - -The abrupt, truncated pillars of rock were not so high here, but were -bordered at the water's edge with broken blocks and great boulders, -affording little chance of a landing place. By paddling close in, -however, slowly and cautiously to avoid disaster, the boys discovered a -niche between two blocks of rock, with water deep enough to permit -running the boat in. There they climbed out on the rock and secured the -bateau by a couple of turns of the rope around a smaller block. In rough -weather such a landing would have been impossible, but on this still -night there was no danger of the bateau bumping upon the rocks. Farther -along Blaise found a spot where the solid rock shelved down gradually. -Rolling themselves in their blankets, the brothers stretched out on the -hard bed. - -The plaintive crying of gulls waked Hugh just as the sun was coming up -from the water, a great red ball in the morning mist. "I don't like this -place," he said as he sat up. "We can be seen plainly from the lake." - -"Yes," Blaise agreed, "but we can see far across the lake. If a boat -comes, we shall see it while it is yet a long way off. I think we need -not fear anything from that direction. No, the only way an enemy can draw -near unseen is from the land, from the woods farther back there." - -"The water is absolutely still," Hugh went on. "There isn't a capful of -wind to fill our sail, and we can't paddle this loaded boat clear across -to the mainland. We must find a better place than this, though, to wait -for a breeze. I am going to look around a bit." - -The lads soon found that they were near the end of a point, a worn, -wave-eaten, rock point, bare except for a few scraggly bushes, clumps of -dwarfed white cedar and such mosses and lichens as could cling to the -surface. Farther back were woods, mostly evergreen. The two felt that -they must find a spot where they could wait for a wind without being -visible from the woods. Yet they wanted to remain where they could watch -the weather and get away at the first opportunity. At the very tip of the -point, the slate-gray rocks were abrupt, slightly overhanging indeed, but -in one spot there lay exposed at the base a few feet of low, shelving, -wave-smoothed shore, which must be under water in rough weather. On this -calm day the lower rock shore was dry. There, in the shelter of the -overhanging masses, the boys would be entirely concealed from the land -side. A little farther along on the end of the point, rose an abrupt, -rounded tower of rock. Between the rock tower and the place they had -selected for themselves was a narrow inlet where the bateau would be -fairly well hidden. They shoved the boat out from between the boulders, -where it had lain safe while they slept, and paddled around to the little -inlet. On the wave-smoothed, low rock shore, they kindled a tiny fire of -dry sticks gathered at the edge of the woods, and hung the kettle from a -pole slanted over the flames from a cranny in the steep rock at the rear. - -The wind did not come up as the sun rose higher, as the lads had hoped it -would. The delay was trying, especially to the impetuous Hugh. They had -found the cache, secured the furs and the packet, and had got safely away -with them, only to be stuck here on the end of this point for hours of -idle waiting. Yet even Hugh did not want to start across the lake under -the present conditions. Paddling the bateau had been laborious enough -when it was empty, but now, laden almost to the water-line, the boat was -far worse to handle. Propelling it was not merely hard work, but progress -would be so slow that the journey across to the mainland would be a long -one, with always the chance that the wind, when it did come, might blow -from the wrong quarter. The bateau would not sail against the wind. To -attempt to paddle it against wind and waves would invite disaster. -Sailing the clumsy craft, heavy laden as it was, across the open water -with a fair wind would be quite perilous enough. There was nothing to do -but wait, and this seemed as good a place in which to wait as any they -were likely to find. - - - - - XVIII - THE FLEEING CANOE - - -As the morning advanced, the sun grew hot, beating down on the water and -radiating heat from the rocks. Scarcely a ripple wrinkled the blue -surface of the lake, and the distance was hazy and shimmering. An island -with steep, straight sides, four or five miles northeast of the point, -was plainly visible, but Thunder Cape to the west was so dim it could -barely be discerned. The day was much like the one on which the lads had -come across from the mainland. - -Hugh grew more and more restless. Several times he climbed the only -climbable place on the overhanging rock and peeped between the branches -of a dwarfed cedar bush. He could see across to the edge of the woods, -but he discovered nothing to either interest or alarm him. By the time -the sun had passed the zenith, he could stand inaction no longer. He was -not merely restless. He had become vaguely uneasy. The boat was hidden -from his view by the rocks between. In such a lonely place he would have -had no fear for the furs, had it not been for the shot and the call he -and Blaise had heard. - -"Someone might slip out of the woods and down to the boat without our -catching a glimpse of him," Hugh remarked at last. "I'm going over there -to see if everything is all right." - -To reach the boat, he was obliged to climb to his peeping place and pull -himself up the rest of the way, or else go around and across the top of -the steep rocks. He chose the latter route. The boat and furs he found -unharmed. The only trespasser was a gull that had alighted on one of the -bales and was trying with its strong, sharp beak to pick a hole in the -wrapping. He frightened the bird away, then stopped to drink from his -cupped palm. - -A low cry from Blaise startled him. He glanced up just in time to see his -brother, who had followed him to the top of the rocks, drop flat. -Curiosity getting the better of caution, Hugh sprang up the slope. One -glance towards the west, and he followed the younger lad's example and -dropped on his face. - -"A canoe! They must have seen us." - -Cautiously Hugh raised his head for another look. The canoe was some -distance away. When he had first glimpsed it, it had been headed towards -the point. Now, to his surprise, it was going in the opposite direction, -going swiftly, paddles flashing in the sun. - -"They have turned about, Blaise. Is it possible they didn't see us?" - -"Truly they saw us. My back was that way. I turned my head and there they -were. My whole body was in clear view. Then you came, and they must have -seen you also. They are running away from us." - -"It would seem so indeed, but what do they fear? There are four men in -that canoe, and we are but two." - -"They know not how many we are. They may have enemies on Minong, though I -never heard that any man lived here." - -"Something has certainly frightened them away. They are making good speed -to the west, towards the mainland." - -The boys remained stretched out upon the rock, only their heads raised as -they watched the departing canoe. - -"They turn to the southwest now," Blaise commented after a time. "They go -not to the mainland, but are bound for some other part of Minong." - -"They were bound for this point when we first saw them," was Hugh's -reply. "We don't know what made them change their minds, but we have -cause to be grateful to it whatever----What was that?" - -He sprang to his feet and turned quickly. - -"Lie down," commanded Blaise. "They will see you." - -Hugh, unheeding, plunged down to the bateau. It was undisturbed. Not a -living creature was in sight. Yet something rattling down and falling -with a splash into the water had startled him. He looked about for an -explanation. A fresh scar at the top of the slope showed where a piece of -rock had chipped off. Undoubtedly that was what he had heard. His own -foot, as he lay outstretched, had dislodged the loose, crumbling flake. - -Reminded of caution, Hugh crawled back up the slope instead of going -upright. The canoe was still in sight going southwest. Both boys remained -lying flat until it had disappeared beyond the low point. Then they -returned to the low shore beneath the overhanging rock. For the present -at least there seemed to be nothing to be feared from that canoe, but -would it return, and where was the man who had fired the shot and later -sent that call ringing through the woods? Did he belong with the canoe -party? Had he gone away with them, or was he, with companions perhaps, -somewhere on the wooded ridges? The boys did not know whether to remain -where they were or go somewhere else. - -The weather finally brought them to a decision. All day they had hoped -for a breeze, but when it came it brought with it threatening gray and -white clouds. Rough, dark green patches on the water, that had been so -calm all day, denoted the passing of squalls. Thunder began to rumble -threateningly, and the gray, streaked sky to the north and west indicated -that rain was falling there. The island to the northeast shrank to about -half its former height and changed its shape. It grew dimmer and grayer, -as the horizon line crept gradually nearer. - -"Fog," remarked Blaise briefly. - -"It is coming in," Hugh agreed, "and this is not a good place to be -caught in a thick fog. Shall we go back into the woods?" - -"I think we had best take the bateau and go along the other side of this -point. We cannot start for the mainland to-night, and we shall need a -sheltered place for our camp." - -The fog did not seem to be coming in very rapidly, but by the time the -bateau had been shoved off, the island across the water had disappeared. -The breeze came in gusts only and was not available for sailing. So the -lads were obliged to take up their paddles again. - -Beyond the tower-like rock there was a short stretch of shelving shore, -followed by abrupt, dark rocks of roughly pillared formation. Then came a -gradual slope, rough, seamed and uneven of surface. It looked indeed as -if composed of pillars, the tops of which had been sliced off with a -downward sweep of the giant Kepoochikan's knife. The shore ahead was of a -yellowish gray color, as if bleached by the sun, slanting to the water, -with trees growing as far down as they could find anchorage and -sustenance. These sloping rocks were in marked contrast to those of the -opposite side of the point, along which the boys had come the night -before, where the cliffs and ridges rose so abruptly from the lake. - -After a few minutes of paddling, the brothers found themselves passing -along a channel thickly wooded to the water-line. The land on the right -was a part of the same long point, but on the left were islands with -short stretches of water between, across which still other islands beyond -could be seen. The fog, though not so dense in this protected channel as -on the open lake, was thickening, and the boys kept a lookout for a -camping place. - -When an opening on the left revealed what appeared to be a sheltered bay, -they turned in. Between two points lay two tiny islets, one so small it -could hold but five or six little trees. Paddling between the nearer -point and islet, the boys found themselves in another much narrower -channel, open to the northeast, but apparently closed in the other -direction. Going on between the thickly forested shores,--a dense mass of -spruce, balsam, white cedar, birch and mountain ash,--they saw that what -they had taken for the end of the bay was in reality an almost round -islet so thickly wooded that the shaggy-barked trunks of its big white -cedars leaned far out over the water. The explorers rounded the islet to -find that the shores beyond did not quite come together, leaving a very -narrow opening. Paddling slowly and taking care to avoid the rocks that -rose nearly to the surface and left a channel barely wide enough for the -bateau to pass through, they entered a little landlocked bay, as secluded -and peaceful as an inland pond. - -"We couldn't find a better place," said Hugh, looking around the wooded -shores with satisfaction, "to wait for the weather to clear. We are well -hidden from any canoe that might chance to come along that outer -channel." - -The little pond was shallow. The boat had to be paddled cautiously to -avoid grounding. Below the thick fringe of trees and alders, the prow was -run up on the pebbles. - -"We might as well leave the furs in the boat," Hugh remarked. - -"No." Blaise shook his head emphatically. "We cannot be sure no one will -come in here. The furs we can hide. We ourselves can take to the woods, -but this heavy bateau we cannot hide." - -"I'm not afraid anyone will find us here." - -"We thought there was no one on Minong at all. Yet we have heard a shot -and a call and have seen a canoe." - -"You're right. We can't be too cautious." - -While Hugh unloaded the bales, Blaise went in search of a hiding place. -Returning in a few minutes, he was surprised to find the boat, the prow -of which had just touched the beach, now high and dry on the pebbles for -half its length. Hugh had not pulled the boat up. The water had receded. - -"There is a big old birch tree there in the woods and it is hollow," -Blaise reported. "It has been struck by lightning and is broken. We can -hide the furs there." - -"Won't squirrels or wood-mice get at them?" - -"We will put bark beneath and over them, and we shall not leave them -there long." - -"I hope not surely." - -Blaise lifted a bale and started into the woods. Hugh, with another bale, -was about to follow, when Blaise halted him. - -"Walk not too close to me. Go farther over there. If we go the same way, -we shall make a beaten trail that no one could overlook. We must keep -apart and go and come different ways." - -Hugh grasped the wisdom of this plan at once. He kept considerably to the -left of Blaise until he neared the old birch, and on his return followed -still another route. He was surprised to find that the water had come up -again. The pebbles that had been exposed so short a time before were now -under water once more. The bow of the bateau was afloat and he had to -pull it farther up. - -"There is a sort of tide in here," he remarked as Blaise came out of the -woods. "It isn't a real tide, for it comes and goes too frequently. Do -you know what causes it?" - -"No, though I have seen the water come and go that way in some of the -bays of the mainland." - -"It isn't a true tide, of course," Hugh repeated, "but a sort of -current." - -Going lightly in their soft moccasins, the two made the trips necessary -to transport the furs. They left scarcely any traces of their passage -that might not have been made by some wild animal. Hugh climbed the big, -hollow tree which still stood firm enough to bear his weight. Down into -the great hole in the trunk he lowered a sheet of birch bark that Blaise -had stripped from a fallen tree some distance away. Then Hugh dropped -down the bales, and put another piece of bark on top. The furs were well -hidden. From the ground no one could see anything unusual about the old -tree. - -Returning to the shore, the two pushed off the boat and paddled to -another spot several hundred yards away. There Hugh felled a small poplar -and cut the slender trunk into rollers which he used to pull the heavy -bateau well up on shore where it would be almost hidden by the alders. - -Night was approaching and the wooded shores of the little lake were still -veiled in fog. The water was calm and the damp air spicy with the scent -of balsam and sweet with the odor of the dainty pink twin-flowers. On the -whole of the big island the boys could scarcely have found a more -peaceful spot. The woods were so thick there seemed to be no open spaces -convenient for camping, so the brothers kindled their supper fire on the -pebbles above the water-line, and lay down to sleep in the boat. - - - - - XIX - THE BAY OF MANITOS - - -The night passed quietly, unbroken by any sound of beast, bird or man, -until the crying of the gulls woke the sleepers in the fog-gray dawn. -Chilled and stiff, they threw off their damp blankets and climbed out of -the bateau. By dint of much patience and a quantity of finely shredded -birch bark, a slow fire of damp wood was kindled, the flame growing -brighter as the wood dried out. - -After he had swallowed his last spoonful of corn, Hugh remarked, "If we -are held here to-day, we must try for food of some kind. We haven't -hunted or fished since we left the mainland, and our supplies are going -fast." - -Blaise nodded. "We need fire no shots to fish." - -Fishing in the little pond did not appear promising. When the boys -attempted to paddle through the passageway, they ran aground, and were -forced to wait for the water to rise and float the boat. The same -fluctuation they had noticed the day before was still going on. Luck did -not prove good in the narrow channel, and they went on into the wider one -between the long point and the row of islands. The fog was almost gone, -though the sky was still gray. Would the weather permit a start for the -mainland? - -Turning to the northeast, they went the way they had come the preceding -afternoon. As they approached the end of the last island, they realized -that this was no time to attempt a crossing. Wind there was now, too much -wind. It came from the northwest, and the lake, a deep green under the -gray sky, was heaving with big waves, their tips touched with foam. The -bateau would not sail against that wind. To try to paddle the -heavily-laden boat across those waves would be the worst sort of folly. - -Turning again, they went slowly back through the protected channel, Hugh -wielding the blade while Blaise fished. Luck was still against them. -Either there were no fish in the channel or they were not hungry. On -beyond the entrance to the hiding place, the two paddled. Passing the -abrupt end of an island, they came to a wider expanse of water. They were -still sheltered by the high, wooded ridges to their right, where dark -evergreens and bright-leaved birches rose in tiers. In the other -direction, they could see, between scattered islands, the open lake to -the horizon line. Misty blue hills in the distance ahead, beyond islands -and forested shores, indicated another bay, longer and wider than the one -the _Otter_ had entered. - -Blaise, who was paddling now, raised his blade and looked questioningly -at Hugh. The latter answered the unspoken query. "I am for going on. We -have seen no signs of human beings since that canoe, and we need fish." - -Blaise nodded and dipped his paddle again. As they drew near a reef -running out from the end of a small island, Hugh felt his line tighten. -Fishing from the bateau was much less precarious than from a canoe. -Without endangering the balance of the boat, Hugh hauled in his line -quickly, swung in his fish, a lake trout of eight or ten pounds, and -rapped it smartly on the head with his paddle handle. He then gave the -line to Blaise and took another turn at the paddle. In less than ten -minutes, Blaise had a pink-fleshed trout somewhat smaller than Hugh's. - -Then luck deserted them again. Not another fish responded to the lure of -the hook, though they paddled back and forth beside the reef several -times. They went on along the little island and up the bay for another -mile or more without a nibble. It was a wonderful place, that lonely bay, -fascinating in its wild beauty. Down steep, densely wooded ridges, the -deep green spires of the spruces and balsams, interspersed with paler, -round-topped birches, descended in close ranks. Between the ridges, the -clear, transparent water was edged with gray-green cedars, white-flowered -mountain ashes, alders and other bushes, and dotted with wooded islands. -Far beyond the head of the bay blue hills rose against the sky. The -fishing, however, was disappointing, and paddling the bateau was tiresome -work, so the lads turned back. - -As they passed close to an island, the younger boy's quick eye caught a -movement in a dogwood near the water. A long-legged hare went leaping -across an opening. - -"If we cannot get fish enough, we will eat rabbit," said the boy, turning -the boat into a shallow curve in the shore of the little island. "I will -set some snares. If we are delayed another day, we will come in the -morning to take our catch." - -Tying the boat to an overhanging cedar tree, the brothers went ashore. On -the summit of the island, in the narrowest places along a sort of runway -evidently frequented by hares, Blaise set several snares of cedar bark -cord. While the younger brother was placing his last snare, Hugh returned -to the boat. He startled a gull perched upon the prow, and the bird rose -with a harsh cry of protest at being disturbed. Immediately the cry was -repeated twice, a little more faintly each time. Hugh looked about for -the birds that had answered. No other gulls were in sight. Then he -realized that what he had heard was a double echo, unusually loud and -clear. Forgetting caution he let out a loud, "Oh--O." It came back -promptly, "Oh--o, o--o." - -"Be quiet!" The words were hissed in a low voice, as Blaise leaped out -from among the trees. "Canoes are coming. We must hide." - -He darted back into the woods, Hugh following. Swiftly they made their -way to the summit of the island. The growth was thin along the irregular -rock lane. Blaise dropped down and crawled, Hugh after him. Lying flat in -a patch of creeping bearberry, the younger lad raised his head a little. -Hugh wriggled to his side, and, peeping through a serviceberry bush, -looked out across the water. - -The warning had been justified. Two canoes, several men in each, were -coming up the bay. The nearest canoe was not too far away for Hugh to -make out in the center a man who towered, tall and broad, above the -others. The boy remembered the gigantic Indian outlined against the sky, -as his canoe passed in the early dawn. He saw him again, standing -motionless, with folded arms, in the red light of the fire. - -Blaise, close beside him, whispered in his ear, "Ohrante himself. What -shall we do?" - -If the canoes came down the side of the island where the bateau was, -discovery was inevitable. For a moment, Hugh's mind refused to work. A -gull circled out over the water, screaming shrilly. Like a ray of light a -plan flashed into the boy's head. - -"Stay here," he whispered. "Keep still. Remember the 'Bay of Spirits.'" - -Swiftly Hugh wriggled back and darted down through the woods to the spot -where the bateau lay. He crouched behind an alder bush, drew a long -breath, and sent a loud, shrill cry across the water. Immediately it was -repeated once, twice, ringing back across the channel from the islands -and steep shore beyond. Before the final echo had died away, he sent his -voice forth again, this time in a hoarse bellow. Then, in rapid -succession, he hooted like an owl, barked like a dog, howled like a wolf, -whistled piercingly with two fingers in his mouth, imitated the mocking -laughter of the loon, growled and roared and hissed and screamed in every -manner he could devise and with all the power of his strong young lungs. -The roughened and cracked tones of his voice, not yet through turning -from boy's to man's, made his yells and howls and groans the more weird -and demoniac. And each sound was repeated once and again, producing a -veritable pandemonium of unearthly noises which seemed to come from every -side. - -Pausing to take breath, Hugh was himself startled by another voice, not -an echo of his own, which rang out from somewhere above him, loud and -shrill. It spoke words he did not understand, and no echo came back. A -second time the voice cried out, still in the same strange language, but -now Hugh recognized the names Ohrante and Minong and then, to his -amazement, that of his own father Jean Beaupre. For an instant the lad -almost believed that this was indeed a "Bay of Spirits." Who but a spirit -could be calling the name of Jean Beaupre in this remote place? Who but -Blaise, Beaupre's other son? It was Blaise of course, crying out in -Ojibwa from up there at the top of the island. He had uttered some threat -against Ohrante. - -Suddenly recalling his own part in the game, Hugh sent out another -hollow, threatening owl call, "Hoot-ti-toot, toot, hoot-toot!" The -ghostly voices repeated it, once, twice. Then he wailed and roared and -tried to scream like a lynx. He was in the midst of the maniacal loon -laugh, when Blaise slipped through the trees to his side. - -"They run away, my brother." The quick, flashing smile that marked him as -Jean Beaupre's son crossed the boy's face. "They have turned their canoes -and paddle full speed. The manitos you called up have frightened them -away. For a moment, before I understood what you were about, those spirit -cries frightened me also." - -"And you frightened me," Hugh confessed frankly, "when you shouted from -up there." - -A grim expression replaced the lad's smile. "The farther canoe had -turned, but the first still came on, with Ohrante urging his braves. Then -I too played spirit! But let us go back and see if they still run away." - -Hugh sent out another hoarse-voiced roar or two and Blaise added a war -whoop and a very good imitation of the angry cat scream of a lynx. Then -both slipped hurriedly through the trees to the top of the island and -sought the spot where they had first watched the approaching canoes. The -canoes were still visible, but farther away and moving rapidly down the -bay. - -"They think this a bay of demons," Hugh chuckled. "The echoes served us -well. But what was it you said to them, Blaise?" - -"I said, 'Beware! Come no farther or you die, every man!' They heard and -held their paddles motionless. Then I said, 'Beware of the manitos of -Minong, O Ohrante, murderer of our white son, Jean Beaupre.'" - -"Blaise, I believe it _was_ Ohrante who killed father." - -"I know not. The thought came into my head that if he was the man he -might be frightened if he heard that the manitos knew of the deed. And he -was frightened." - -"Did he order the canoe turned?" - -"I heard no order. He sat quite still. He made no move to stay his men -when they turned the canoe about. Ohrante is a bold man, yet he was -frightened. That I know." - -"Was it one of those canoes we saw yesterday, do you think?" - -"It may be, but Ohrante was not in it. He is so big, far away though they -were, we should have seen him." - -"We couldn't have helped seeing him. I wonder if they came around the end -of the long point. How could they in such a sea?" - -"It may be that the waves have gone down out there. See how still the -water is in here now." - -"Then we can start for the mainland. We must go back. The canoes are out -of sight." - -"No, no, that would be folly. If they go straight out of this bay all -will be well, but we know not where they go or how far or where they may -lie in wait. No, no, Hugh, we have frightened them away from this spot, -but we dare not leave it ourselves until darkness comes." - - - - - XX - HUGH CLIMBS THE RIDGE - - -The small island was scarcely a half mile in circumference, and it did -not take Hugh and Blaise long to explore it. Its only inhabitants -appeared to be squirrels, hares and a few birds. Breakfast had been -light, and by mid-afternoon the boys were very hungry. The lighting of a -fire involved some risk, but they could not eat raw fish. On a bit of -open rock at the extreme upper or southwest end of the island, they made -a tiny blaze, taking care to keep the flame clear and almost smokeless, -and broiled the fish over the coals. The meal put both in better spirits -and helped them to await with more patience the coming of night. - -The evening proved disappointing. The sun set behind black clouds that -came up from the west. The water was calm, the air still and oppressive, -and above the ridges lightning flashed. The prospect of making a start -across the open lake was not good. Yet in one way the threatening weather -served the lads well. The night was intensely dark. The lightning was too -far away to illuminate land or water, and this black darkness furnished -good cover. When they pushed off from the little island, they could see -scarcely a boat's length ahead. - -Close to the shores of the islands and the long point, they paddled, -avoiding wide spaces, which were, even on this dark night, considerably -lighter than the land-shadowed water. As he sat in the stern trying to -dip and raise his paddle as noiselessly as his half-brother in the bow, -Hugh felt that the very bay had somehow changed its character. That -morning the place had seemed peaceful and beautiful, but to-night it had -turned sinister and threatening. The low hanging, starless sky, the dark, -wooded islands, the towering ridge, its topmost line of tree spires a -black, jagged line against the pale flashes of lightning, the still, -lifeless water, the intense silence broken only by the far-away rumble of -thunder and the occasional high-pitched, squeaking cry of some night -bird, all seemed instinct with menace. The boy felt that at any moment a -swift canoe, with the gigantic figure of Ohrante towering in the bow, -might dart out of some black shadow. Frankly Hugh was frightened, and he -knew it. But the knowledge only made him set his teeth hard, gaze keenly -and intently into the darkness about him and ply his paddle with the -utmost care. What his half-brother's feelings were he could not guess. He -only knew that Blaise was paddling steadily and silently. - -In the thick darkness, the older boy was not quite sure of the way back -to the hidden pond, but Blaise showed no doubt or hesitation. He found -the channel between the point and the chain of islands, and warned Hugh -just when to turn through the gap into the inner channel. When it came to -feeling the way past the round islet and through the narrow passage, Hugh -ceased paddling and trusted entirely to Blaise. The latter strained his -eyes in the effort to see into the darkness, but so black was it on every -hand that even he had to depend more on feeling with his paddle blade -than on his sense of sight. It was partly luck that he succeeded in -taking the boat through without worse accident than grating a rock. He -did not attempt to cross the little pond, but ran the bateau up on the -pebbles just beyond the entrance. - -Hugh drew a long sigh of relief. They were back safe in the hidden pond -near the cache of furs. The sense of menace that had oppressed him was -suddenly lifted, and he felt an overpowering physical and mental -weariness. Blaise must have had some similar feeling, for he had not a -word to say as they climbed out of the bateau and pulled it farther up. -In silence he lay down beside Hugh in the bottom of the boat. In spite of -the rumbling of the thunder, and the flashing of the lightning, the two -boys fell asleep immediately. - -The storm passed around and no rain fell, but the sleepers were awakened -towards dawn by a sharp change in the weather. The air had turned cold, -wind rustled the trees, broken clouds were scudding across the sky -uncovering clear patches. The morning dawned bright. The little pond was -still, but it was impossible to tell what the weather might be outside. -The only way to find out was to go see. Their adventure of the day before -had made the boys more than ever anxious to get away from Isle Royale at -the first possible moment. Yet the thought that Ohrante might be lurking -somewhere near made them cautious. They hesitated to leave their hiding -place until they were sure they could strike out across the lake. To load -the furs and start out, only to be obliged to turn back, seemed a double -risk. - -"If the lake is rough it is likely that Ohrante and his band have not -gone far," Blaise remarked. "They may be in this very bay." - -"That does not follow," Hugh replied quickly and with better reasoning. -"There was a long interval between the time when we saw them and the -coming of the storm-clouds. Because the lake was rough in the morning is -no sign it was rough all day. They must have come in here from somewhere, -and we know that the wind changed. The water in the bay was as still as -glass last night. Ohrante was surely well frightened and I have little -doubt they made good speed away from the Bay of Spirits." Hugh was silent -for a few moments. Then he asked abruptly, "What would happen if we -should encounter Ohrante? He can't know what brought us here, and we have -done him no harm. Why should he harm us when he has nothing against us?" - -"He has this against us, that we are the sons of Jean Beaupre." - -"He doesn't know we are." - -"He knows me. He has seen me more than once and knows me for the son of -my father. Ohrante forgets not those he has seen." - -"I didn't know he knew you. He can't know me. Probably he doesn't even -know that father had another son. I'll go alone in the bateau, Blaise, -down the channel, and see how the lake looks." - -"No, no," Blaise objected. "You must not take such a risk. If you go out -there, I will go too." - -"That would spoil the whole plan. If Ohrante catches sight of you, it -will be all up with both of us. He doesn't know me. If he glimpses me, he -may even be afraid to show himself. He may think me one of a party of -white men, and he is a fugitive from justice." - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. - -"Well, at any rate," Hugh protested, "I shall have a better chance if you -aren't with me. I don't believe I shall see anything of Ohrante or his -men, but I run less risk alone. I will be cautious. I'll not expose -myself more than I can help. Instead of going out along the point by -water, I'll paddle across the channel and then take to the woods. I can -climb to the top of the ridge, under cover all the way, and look out -across the lake. It can't be very far up there. I shall be back in an -hour. You must stay here and guard the furs." - -The expression of the younger lad's face betrayed that he did not like -this new plan much better than the first one, but he voiced no further -objection. - -Hugh pushed off the bateau, waved his hand to the sober-faced Blaise, and -paddled through the narrow waterway and out of sight. After his brother -had gone, Blaise picked his way along the shore of the pond and into the -woods to the cache. He found no signs of disturbance around the old -birch, and, climbing up, he looked down into the hollow. The rotten wood -and dead leaves he and Hugh had strewn over the bark cover seemed -undisturbed. Satisfied that the furs were safe, Blaise climbed down -again. He was reminded though that Hugh still had the packet. He wished -he had asked his elder brother to leave it behind. - -The half-breed boy waited with the patience inherited from his Indian -mother. But when the sun reached its highest point he began to wonder. -Surely it could not take Hugh so long to cross to the point, climb to the -top and return. From experience of untracked woods and rough ridges, -Blaise knew the trip was probably a harder one than Hugh had imagined, -but the latter was not inexperienced in rough going. Unless he had -encountered extraordinary difficulties, had been obliged to go far -around, or had become lost, he should have been back long before. The -possibility that Hugh had become lost, Blaise dismissed from his mind at -once. With the ridge ahead and the water behind him, only the very -stupidest of men could have lost himself in daylight. That he had come to -some crack or chasm he could not cross or some cliff he could not scale, -and had been compelled to go far out of his way, was possible. Blaise had -come to know Hugh's stubborn nature. If he had started to go to the top -of the ridge, there he would go, if it was in the power of possibility. - -There seemed to be nothing Blaise could do but wait. Even if he had -thought it wise to follow his elder brother, he had no boat. Sunset came -and still no Hugh. The lad felt he could delay action no longer. - -The pond was in the interior of a small island. Blaise made up his mind -to cross to the shore bordering on the channel that separated the island -from the long point. Through the woods he took as direct a route as he -could. The growth was thick, but there was still plenty of light. In a -very few minutes he saw the gleam of water among the trees ahead. He -slipped through cautiously, not to expose himself until he had taken -observations. His body concealed by a thick alder bush, he looked across -the strip of water, studying the opposite shore line. - -The shore was in shadow now and the trees grew to the water. Letting his -eyes travel along foot by foot, he caught sight of the thing he sought, a -bit of weather-stained wood, not the trunk or branch of a dead tree, -projecting a little way from the shadow of a cedar. That was the end of -the bateau. Hugh had crossed the channel, had left his boat and gone into -the woods. - -Slipping between the bushes, Blaise glanced along his own side of the -channel, then made his way quickly to the spot where a birch tree had -toppled from its insecure hold into the water. With his sharp hatchet, -the boy quickly severed the roots that were mooring the fallen tree to -the shore. Then, with some difficulty, he succeeded in shoving the birch -farther out into the channel and climbing on the trunk. His weight, as he -sat astride the tree trunk between the branches, pulled it down a little, -but the upper part of his body was well above water. The channel was -deep, with some current, which caught the tree and floated it away from -shore. Like most woods Indians and white voyageurs, Blaise was not -skilled in swimming, but the water was calm and, as long as he clung to -his strange craft, he was in no danger of drowning. Leaning forward, he -cut off a branch to use as a paddle and with it was able to make slow -headway across. He could not guide himself very well, and the current -bore him down. He succeeded with his branch paddle in keeping the tree -from turning around, however. It went ashore, the boughs catching in a -bush that grew on the water's edge, some distance below the spot where -the bateau was drawn up in the shelter of the leaning cedar. - - - - - XXI - THE GRINNING INDIAN - - -When Hugh passed out of the narrow channel into the wider one, he ran his -eyes searchingly along the opposite shore, alert for any signs of human -beings. Then he looked to the right and left, up and down the channel and -the shores of the small islands. He saw nothing to cause him -apprehension. Putting more strength into his paddle strokes, he crossed -as quickly as he could, and ran the bateau in beside a leaning cedar tree -with branches that swept the water. The bow touched the shore, and Hugh -climbed out and made the boat fast. He felt sure it would be concealed -from down channel by the thick foliage of the cedar. From up channel the -bateau was not so well hidden, but this place seemed to be the only spot -that offered any concealment whatever, so he was forced to be content. He -would not be gone long anyway, and he was well satisfied that Ohrante and -his band would not return soon to the Bay of Manitos. - -This was by no means the first time Hugh had been through untracked woods -and over rough ground, yet he found the trip to the ridge top longer and -more difficult than he had expected. The growth, principally of -evergreens, was dense and often troublesome to push through. The bedrock, -a few feet from shore, was covered deeply with soft leaf mould and -decayed wood and litter, forming a treacherous footing. Sometimes he -found it firm beneath his feet, again he would sink half-way to his -knees. Wherever a tree had fallen, lightening the dense shade, tangles of -ground yew had sprung up. The rise on this side of the point was gradual -compared with the abrupt cliffs of the northwest side, but the slope -proved to be, not an unbroken grade, but an irregular succession of low -ridges with shallow gullies between. By the general upward trend, -occasional glimpses of the water behind him, and the angle at which the -sunlight came through the trees, Hugh kept his main direction, going in -as straight a line as he could. Under ordinary circumstances he would -have used his hatchet to blaze his way, so that he might be sure of -returning by the same route, but he hesitated to leave so plain a trail. -It was not likely that Ohrante would come across the track, but Hugh was -taking no chances. If the giant Iroquois should come down the channel and -find the bateau, a blazed trail into the woods would make pursuit -altogether too easy. Though he was in too great a hurry to take any -particular care to avoid leaving footprints, Hugh did not mark his trail -intentionally and even refrained from cutting his way through the thick -places. The whole distance from the shore to the summit of the highest -ridge probably did not exceed a mile, and did not actually take as long -as it seemed in the climbing. - -He hoped that he might come out in a bare spot where he could see across -the water, but he was disappointed. The ridge was almost flat topped and -trees cut off his view in every direction. Going on across the summit, -however, he pushed his way among the growth, to find himself standing on -the very rim of an almost vertical descent. He looked directly down upon -the tops of the sturdy trees and shrubs that clung to the rock by -thrusting their roots far into holes and crannies. Beyond stretched the -lake, rich blue under a clear sky. A little to his left, a projecting -block of rock a few feet below offered a chance for a better view. He let -himself down on the rock and took an observation. The lake was not too -rough to venture out upon, when the need of crossing was so great. He -noted with satisfaction that the breeze was only moderate. The direction, -a little east of north, was not unfavorable for reaching the mainland, -though steering a straight course for the Kaministikwia would be -impossible. - -Hugh turned to climb back the way he had come down. He gave a gasp, -almost lost his footing, and seized a sturdy juniper root to keep himself -from falling. Directly above him, on the verge of the ridge, stood a -strange man, from his features, dark skin and long black hair evidently -an Indian,--but not Ohrante. It flashed through Hugh's mind that on level -ground he might be a match for this fellow. They were not on level ground -though. The Indian had the advantage of position. Moreover Hugh's only -arms were the hatchet and knife in his belt. The Indian carried a musket -ready in his hand. That he realized to the full his advantage was proved -by the malicious grin on his bronze face. There was no friendliness in -that grin, only malevolence and vindictiveness. - -Hugh knew himself to be in a bad position. Probably the Indian was one of -Ohrante's followers, and they were a wild crew, outlaws and renegades, -their hand against every man and every man's hand against them. The -picture of the prisoner being tortured in the firelight crossed the boy's -mind in a vivid flash, and a shudder crept up his back. Then the grin on -the Indian's face sent a wave of anger over Hugh that steadied him. He -must be cool at all costs and not show fear. - -Moving a step, to a more secure footing, he looked the fellow straight in -the eyes. "Bo jou," Hugh said, using the corruption of the French "Bon -jour" common among traders and Indians. - -"Bo jou, white man," the other replied in French. - -Both were silent for a moment. Hugh did not know what to say next and the -Indian seemed content to say nothing. Suddenly Hugh made up his mind, -resolving on a bold course. - -"What is this place?" he asked. "Is it island or mainland?" - -"Ne compr'ney," was the only answer. - -Hugh took the phrase to be an attempt to say that the other did not -understand. He repeated his questions in French, then tried English, but -the Indian merely stared at him, the sardonic grin still distorting his -lips, and replied in the same manner. Either he really did not -understand, the two French phrases being all the white man's speech he -knew, or he did not wish to talk. Yet Hugh made another attempt at -conversation. - -"I was driven here in the storm last night," he volunteered, "and my -canoe wrecked and my companion drowned. We were on our way down shore -from the New Fort with our winter supplies, but they are all lost. What -is this place? I never saw it before and I do not like it. This morning I -heard strange sounds, unlike any I ever heard made by man or animal. The -devil was at large I think," and he crossed himself in the French manner. - -During the speech Hugh had kept his eyes closely fixed on the Indian's -face. He thought when he mentioned the strange sounds that he detected a -quiver of interest, but it was gone in an instant. The fellow merely -repeated his singsong "Ne compr'ney." There was no use saying more. -Determined not to show that he expected or feared any violence, Hugh -started to climb up the projecting rock. Somewhat to the boy's surprise, -the Indian made no move to stop him. However, he kept his gun ready for -instant use. - -After gaining the top Hugh was in a quandary how to proceed. He did not -believe the man's intentions were friendly. Would it be wise to strike -first? At the thought, his hand, almost unconsciously, sought his knife. -Before he could grasp the handle, the Indian made a swift movement, and -the end of the musket barrel rested against Hugh's chest. The flint-lock -musket was primed and cocked, ready to fire. Resistance was useless. Hugh -stood motionless, looked the fellow in the eye and feigned anger. - -"What do you mean?" he cried, trying to make his meaning plain by his -voice and manner even though his captor could not understand the words. -"What do you mean by threatening me, a white man, with your musket?" - -The gun was moved back a trifle, but the bronze face continued to grin -maliciously. To show that he was not afraid, Hugh took a step forward, -and opened his mouth to speak again, but the words were not uttered. As -his weight shifted to his forward foot, he was seized from behind, and -thrown sidewise, his head crashing against the trunk of a tree. - - - - - XXII - BLAISE FOLLOWS HUGH'S TRAIL - - -Blaise had no difficulty finding the place where Hugh had gone into the -woods. The white boy thought he had been careful about leaving a trail, -but to the half-breed lad the indications were plain enough. Most of the -tracks were such as might have been made by any large animal, but Blaise -knew Hugh had landed at this spot intending to go directly to the ridge -top. The younger boy was confident that trampled undergrowth, prints in -the leaf mould, freshly broken branches, were all signs of his brother's -passage. - -At first he followed the trail easily, but the long northern twilight was -waning. As the darkness gathered in the woods, tracking grew increasingly -difficult. Blaise had no wish to attract attention by lighting a torch. -As he penetrated the thick growth, he was not only unable to find Hugh's -trail, but was obliged sometimes to feel his own way and was in grave -doubt whether he was going aright. Coming out into a more open spot, -where several trees had fallen, he examined, as well as he could in the -dim light, the moss-covered trunks for some sign that Hugh had climbed -over them. A fresh break where the decayed wood had crumbled away under -foot, a patch of bruised moss, the delicate fruiting stalks broken and -crushed, were enough to convince him that he was still on the right -track. - -Alternately losing the trail and finding it again, he came to the summit -of the ridge. Crossing the top, he found himself on the rim of the cliff, -but not in the same spot where his brother had come out. He had missed -Hugh's trail on the last upward slope, and was now a hundred feet or more -to the left of the projecting block of rock. For a few minutes Blaise -stood looking about him. He glanced out over the water, noting that the -sky was partly cloud covered. He could make out the low point, and he -realized that the rock shore with the fissures must lie almost directly -below him. The twin coves, where he and Hugh had camped, could not be far -to the left. Blaise was not concerned just now with either place, he was -merely obeying the Indian instinct to note his whereabouts and to take -his bearings. - -The lad was at a loss how to proceed. That Hugh had reached the rim of -the ridge somewhere along here seemed more than probable. Where had he -gone then? Blaise could scarcely believe that his elder brother had -attempted to climb down that abrupt descent. If he had gone down there -and through the woods and over the rocks to the water, he could have got -no better view of the open lake,--and Hugh had been in haste. No, he had -certainly not gone down there of his own accord. If he had started back -the way he had come, what had happened to him? Blaise shook his head in -perplexity. Of only one thing was he sure. Some disaster had overtaken -Hugh. Had he made a misstep and plunged down the cliff, or had Ohrante -something to do with his disappearance? - -The first thing to do, Blaise decided, was to search along the ridge top -for some further sign of Hugh or of what had befallen him. He turned to -the right and made his way along as close to the edge as he could, -stooping down every few paces to seek for some clue. The night was -lighter now, for the moon had come out from behind the clouds. When he -reached the spot just above the projecting rocks, Blaise stopped still. -There was no need to search for signs here, they were quite plain. The -moon shone down on the little open space where Hugh and the strange -Indian had confronted one another. It was clear to the half-breed boy -that there had been a struggle. The gray caribou moss was crushed and -trampled and torn up by the roots. A branch of a little jackpine on the -edge of the opening showed a fresh break and hanging from that branch was -a torn scrap of deerskin. But that was not all. Lying on the moss, in -plain sight in the moonlight, was a small, dark object, a bit of steel -such as was commonly used with a piece of flint for fire making. Blaise -picked up the steel. It was the one Hugh carried, beyond doubt. - -What did those marks of struggle mean? They were too far back to indicate -that Hugh had lost his footing and slipped over the edge, seizing the -tree to keep himself from falling. No, that was quite impossible, for the -jackpine grew at least ten feet from the rim of the cliff. Had Hugh -fought with some animal? Blaise knew of no animal likely, at that season -of the year, to make an unprovoked attack upon a man. He felt sure that -Hugh had too much sense to strike first with knife or hatchet at a bear -or moose. Moreover if an animal had slain him it would scarcely have -carried him away. Every indication pointed to an encounter, not with a -beast, but with a man. Hugh must have come across Ohrante or some of his -followers. Had they killed him or taken him prisoner? If they had killed -him they would not have troubled to take away his body. They would have -taken his scalp and gone on their way,--unless of course they had thrown -him over the cliff. Blaise looked down the abrupt descent, now bathed in -moonlight. Should he seek down there for Hugh or in some other direction? -He decided to look around a little more before attempting to climb down. - -Almost immediately he found further traces. Beyond the jackpine more -crushed moss and broken bushes and trampled undergrowth showed plainly -that someone, more than one man probably, had gone that way not many -hours before, had gone boldly and confidently, careless of leaving a -trail. Blaise dropped on his knees to make a closer examination. The -moonlight helped him, and he soon came to the conclusion, from the shape -of a footprint impressed clearly in a bit of loose earth, that one man at -least had gone in that direction, whether he had come that way or not. -The print was too large for Hugh's foot, but, a little farther on, Blaise -found another smaller track that he thought might be Hugh's. It pointed -the same way as the larger print. - -The beginning of the trail was now plain, but could he follow it in the -darkness of the woods? He must try anyway. He would go as far as he -could, taking care not to lose the tracks. - -Blaise did not succeed in following far. No longer was he aided by any -knowledge of the general direction those he was pursuing would be likely -to take. Under the trees the moonlight was of little assistance. He soon -lost the tracks and was compelled to go back to the starting point. He -tried again and lost the trail a second time. A white boy, in his anxiety -and impatience, would probably have persisted in the hopeless attempt, -and would have lost the trail and himself. But Blaise was part Indian. -Anxious though he was over Hugh's fate, he knew when to wait as well as -when to go forward. By daylight he could doubtless find the trail easily, -and could cover in a few minutes ground that in darkness might take him -hours, if he could find his way over it at all. He seated himself on a -cushion of dry caribou moss near the rim of the ridge to wait, -sleeplessly and watchfully. - -Dawn came at last. When the light was strong enough to make it possible -to find his way through the woods, Blaise again took up the trail. The -tracks he had started to follow and had lost in the first bit of dense -growth, led him, not through, but around the thick place, into a sort of -open rock lane bordered with trees and running along the ridge top. To -his great surprise, when he reached the end of the open stretch, he came -upon a clearly defined trail. It was not merely a track made by one or -two men coming and going once. It gave evidence of having been travelled -a number of times. The soft moccasins of the Indian do not wear a path as -quickly as the boots of the white man, but this trail was well enough -trodden to be followed easily. No blazes marked the trees and no clearing -had been done other than the breaking or hacking off of an occasional -troublesome branch. The men who made that trail had gone around the -obstacles, instead of cutting through or removing them, but any white man -who knew anything of woods' running could have followed it. - -The half-breed boy hastened along without hesitation, scarcely thinking -of the trail itself, but with eyes and ears open for signs of other human -beings. That travelled way must lead, he felt sure, to some more or less -permanent camp. Had Hugh fallen into Ohrante's hands or into those of -some tribe of permanent inhabitants of Minong? Blaise hoped heartily that -it might be the latter. Even if they were inclined to be hostile, he -feared such an unknown people less than he did the too well known -Iroquois. - -Going noiselessly, with every sense alert, the boy caught sight of -something moving among the trees ahead. Instantly he dropped to the -ground and slipped like a snake among trees and bushes and through -undergrowth to the left of the trail. Behind a dense clump of balsams -that had sprung up about a parent tree, he lay motionless. When he -thought he had waited long enough, he crept cautiously back towards the -trail. Moving bushes a little distance away in the direction from which -he had come, a glimpse of a black head told the boy he had just missed an -encounter. - -A short distance farther on, the trail turned to the right and plunged -down an abrupt descent. Then the way wound up and down over low ridges, -the outer slopes of which were steep to abruptness, and through boggy -ravines with thick growth and treacherous moss and mud. Following a -general downward trend, the trail led at last to almost level ground. Now -Blaise went forward with the utmost caution, for he felt that the end -must be near at hand. On this lower ground, near the water, the village -or camp must be situated. Presently the lad stopped, stood still and -sniffed the air. He smelled smoke. - - - - - XXIII - A CAPTIVE - - -Hugh's fall stunned him for a moment, and that moment was his undoing. -When he came to himself, he was propped against the tree, his knife and -hatchet gone. Two Indians were binding his wrists with a rawhide rope. -Dizzy, his head spinning, he fought to free himself, but to no avail. The -knots were tied, and he struggled to his feet to confront the malicious -grin of the young Indian whom he had first encountered, and the ugly, -lowering face of another, older savage of short, squat figure. It must -have been this fellow's long, strong arms that had seized and thrown the -boy. Recovering himself a little, Hugh looked desperately about for a way -of escape. His captors understood that glance. The squat man seized his -arm in a grip that almost made the boy cry out, while the young fellow, -who had picked up his long gun, raised it threateningly. - -In spite of his aching head, the sickness at his stomach and a general -feeling of misery and despair, physical and mental, the boy made an -heroic effort to stand erect and, with calm and impassive face, look his -enemies in the eye. He knew that to show weakness or fear would only make -matters worse. He must assume an indifference and unconcern he was far -from feeling, at the same time keeping alert for any chance of gaining an -advantage. - -He was not left long in doubt of his captors' immediate intentions. With -a guttural grunt, the man who held his arm turned him about and led him -around the jackpine, the other following, musket ready. They went through -the woods, and came out into an open rock lane bordered with trees and -bushes. There they turned to the right. It was of no use to struggle. -Hugh had no chance to get away. Even if he had been able to break loose -from the iron grip of the squat man, or, by thrusting out a foot, trip -him and twist himself from the Indian's grasp, he could not hope to -escape the fellow with the gun. The latter would most certainly have shot -him or clubbed him into unconsciousness. - -Hugh went in silence, until they entered a trail leading from the open -lane. Then he attempted a question. "Where do you take me, to whom?" he -asked. - -Receiving no answer but the young fellow's singsong "Ne compr'ney" and a -sullen grunt from the older savage, the boy made another attempt. Loudly -and vigorously, to make his anger clear by his voice and manner, he -uttered an indignant protest. What did they mean by such treatment of a -white man of peaceable and friendly intentions, who had never done wrong -to them or to any other Ojibwa? He voiced his indignation in both English -and French, apparently without effect, except to cause the squat Indian -to tighten his grip and the grinning one to prod the captive in the back -with his musket. - -Curiously enough, that prod, instead of frightening the lad, made him -blaze with anger. The blood surged to his face. With difficulty he -restrained himself from turning to give battle. But one cool spot in his -brain told him that such an act would be suicide. He must keep his wrath -under control and use guile instead of force, if he was ever to see -Blaise again and escape with their joint inheritance. So he controlled -himself and went quietly where his captors led him. Questions and -protests were worse than useless. - -It was not a path they were following, merely a trail trodden down more -or less by use. As Indians and woodsmen always go single file, the way -was narrow. The squat Indian went ahead, the end of the rawhide that -bound Hugh's wrists wrapped about his hand. He went rapidly, and Hugh, -his arms extended in front of him, had to step quickly to keep from being -dragged. Behind him the other man gave him an occasional reminder by -touching him between the shoulders with the gun barrel. Every time he -felt that touch, wrath surged up in Hugh. The boy would have been less -than human if he had not been afraid of the fate in store for him, but he -was proving himself the true son of his father. Every threat or insult -produced in him a hot anger that, for the moment, completely blotted out -fear. Yet he strove to hold himself in check, to keep calm and silent and -to appear unconscious of the fellow behind him. - -Had Hugh not been active and light-footed, he could not have kept pace -with his guards on the rough and winding trail. The squat Indian showed -not the slightest consideration for his captive. Hugh knew that if he -lagged, tripped or fell, he would be dragged along regardless of his -comfort. In addition he would probably be kicked or prodded by the man -behind. So he exerted himself to keep up the swift pace with truly Indian -agility. - -The trail turned to the right and led to the edge of an abrupt decline. -The older Indian let go his hold of the boy, to climb down, but the other -man kept the muzzle of his gun between Hugh's shoulders. The lad wondered -if the two expected him to go down that almost vertical descent with -bound arms. He was still wondering when the Indian in front reached the -bottom. The man in the rear, without warning, suddenly seized the boy -about the waist, swung him off his feet, and literally dropped him over -the edge. - -Hugh went sliding down, trying to save himself from too rapid a descent -by gripping the rock with his moccasined feet. In a flash he saw that he -would land right in the arms of the man at the bottom. If he could only -strike the Indian in the stomach with enough force to knock him down, and -then dodge aside swiftly before the other fellow could pick up his gun -again---- Far more quickly than it can be told the plan was born in the -boy's mind. The squat Indian's long arms were stretched out and up. His -powerful hands gripped Hugh. The lad tried to throw himself forward, but -the sturdy figure stood firm. The Indian swung Hugh around, and in an -instant had him flat on his back in a tangle of prickly juniper. The -captive's one attempt to escape had failed. - -Bruised and battered by his slide down the rocks, Hugh was jerked to his -feet. The younger savage was beside him now, ready to take up his -position in the rear. The two wasted no time. The older man gripped the -rawhide again and the march was resumed. Speed was not slackened even in -the steep places, and Hugh was put to it to keep up and not lose his -footing. The general course was downward, until they reached almost level -ground, thickly wooded with evergreens, where the trail led over many -fallen tree trunks, decayed and moss covered. Then they went up a few -feet of rise, like a low and ruinous rock wall. To his left among the -trees, Hugh could see the gleam of water. - -The squat Indian sprang down from the natural wall, and Hugh leaped with -him, to avoid being dragged down. He found himself almost on a level with -the water, among scattering broad-leaved trees and bushes. A few steps -farther and, rounding a clump of mountain ash, he came in sight of a -small birch bark lodge, of the conical wigwam form sometimes used by the -Ojibwas for temporary dwellings to be occupied a few days or a week or -two. The more permanent lodges were commonly of a different shape with -rounded roofs. In a moment another, slightly larger wigwam came in view. -A thin curl of smoke rose from the remains of a fire, and a canoe lay on -the sand beach. No human beings were to be seen. - -The two Indians marched their captive to the cleared spot where the fire -smouldered. Then, before the boy realized his intention, the squat man -turned quickly, put his arm about Hugh's waist, tripping him cleverly at -the same time, threw him backwards to the ground and sat upon him. -Without a word spoken, the grinning savage dropped his musket, seized a -strip of rawhide and set to work to tie the prisoner's ankles together. -Hugh attempted to kick, but the squat man prodded him unmercifully in the -stomach. The boy realized that he could not help matters by struggling. -The younger Indian completed his work, rose to his feet and grinned down -at him derisively. The older man tested the cord on Hugh's wrists, pulled -it a little tighter and got to his feet, to the great relief of the sore -and suffering captive. The squat Indian was heavily built, and Hugh felt -that a few moments more of that weight on his middle would crush him -flat. He strove to control his features, however, and not to let his -misery, indignation and despair show in his face. - -Evidently the pair considered their work completed, or perhaps they had -tired of tormenting the prisoner. At any rate they left him to himself. -For a time Hugh lay perfectly still, too miserable for effort of body or -mind. His head still pained him from the fall against the tree, he had -several sore bruises on his body, his arms and shoulders ached from being -held so long in one position, the thongs cut into his wrists and ankles, -and he was sick at the stomach from the treatment he had just received. -As he lay on his back, his captors were no longer within his range of -vision, but he did not flatter himself that he was unwatched. That the -two were not far away he knew from the sound of their voices that came to -him at intervals from somewhere down by the water. There was no need for -them to watch him closely, he thought bitterly. Bound as he was and -unable to even raise himself to his feet, he had not the slightest chance -of escape. - -After a while he began to feel better, and his hopes rose a little. -Turning his head from side to side, he looked about for some way to help -himself. He could no longer hear the voices of the Indians nor could he -catch any glimpse of them. Everything about him was quiet, except for the -ripple of the water on the sand and gravel of the beach, and the -occasional cries of a small flock of gulls. - -There was something familiar about this spot, this stretch of sandy -ground, with its sparse growth of trees and bushes, and its curving -beach. Beyond and above, the tree-covered ridges towered. Hugh managed to -roll over on his side, and looked across a narrow blue channel to another -thickly wooded shore, where the trees ran down to the water. He knew the -place now. On that stretch of sand and pebbles, Captain Bennett had -beached the _Otter_. Hugh himself had helped to clear the very spot where -the wigwams now stood. The place looked somewhat different, to be sure, -with all the ice and snow gone and the trees and bushes in full summer -green. - -Hugh's thoughts turned from the memory of that other camp to the present -situation. He pulled at the thongs that bound him and tried to loosen -them by wriggling his hands and feet, but it was of no use. The cords, -instead of loosening, only cut into his wrists and ankles more painfully. -He was just about to attempt to sit up, when the gruff voice of the older -of his captors sounded close by, just beyond his head. Hugh composed -himself to lie still. The Indian came near and looked down frowningly on -the lad, then seated himself at a little distance and went to work on a -piece of deerskin he was fashioning into moccasins. Hugh was familiar -enough with Indian ways to grasp the significance of the fact that the -man was making his own moccasins. That was women's work, if there were -women about. It was evident that in this camp there were no squaws, or -the braves would not be doing squaws' work. - -Growing tired of watching his guard at his task, Hugh closed his eyes. -The sun was warm and in this sheltered place there was little breeze. He -felt very tired and all things around him conspired to make him drowsy. -In a few minutes the captive had fallen fast asleep. - - - - - XXIV - IN THE HANDS OF THE GIANT - - -The sound of voices waked Hugh. He opened his eyes to find, looking down -on him, the young Indian and a repulsive fellow with a strip of dirty red -cloth bound about his black hair. The latter had evidently just come from -visiting his snares, for he was carrying two rabbits. When he saw that -Hugh was awake, he turned away, the young fellow, after favoring the boy -with another of his malicious grins, following him. From the position of -the sun Hugh knew that he had not slept long, but his head felt better -and the sick feeling had passed. - -Long and tedious hours of waiting followed. At least one of the Indians -was in sight and hearing every moment. Hugh was hungry, but he was -offered no food, thirsty, but he disdained to ask for a drink. He strove -to lie quiet and to keep his feelings of discomfort, anxiety and -apprehension from his face. The ground was hard, the sun beat down upon -his head and face, and he could not move to a more comfortable spot. Only -with difficulty could he roll over on his side. His mental suffering, -however, was far worse than his physical discomfort and pain. - -Why was he treated in this way? Into whose hands had he fallen? What were -they going to do to him and for what or whom were they waiting? The one -possible explanation of his treatment was that he had fallen into the -hands of Ohrante's little band of outlaws. Why should even they want to -take him prisoner? Was Ohrante looking for the hidden cache? A cold chill -ran up Hugh's spine, as he remembered the packet in the breast of his -shirt. If he had only had sense enough to leave that packet with Blaise! -It must surely come to light should his captors strip him to torment or -torture him. Torture! He recalled the fiendish scene in the firelight. -Was that what it meant to fall into the hands of the giant Iroquois? The -boy dared not think of that. He tried to assure himself that the outlaw -had nothing against him. At any rate he must not give way to fear. If he -could keep cool and alert, he might yet find some way out of the perils -that threatened him. He _must_ find a way. - -With such thoughts running through his head, the time dragged painfully. -Late in the afternoon, the younger Indian renewed the fire and hung over -it an iron pot of water. Into the pot he put several handfuls of wild -rice and rabbit meat cut into small pieces. The odor was tempting to -Hugh's nostrils, but he strove to keep his hunger from showing in his -face. - -Sunset came. The stew was ready, but the pot was not unslung. The three -Indians sat about the fire, the younger one whiling away the time by -playing on a crude native flute with three holes. The sounds produced -were mournful and monotonous and did not inspire cheerfulness. The other -two savages sat idle, eying the seething mixture in the kettle, but none -made a move to dip into it. They were certainly waiting for the return of -the rest of the band. Unusually well disciplined savages, Hugh thought -them, to postpone their own supper until their chief arrived. - -The squat man turned his head, gave a little grunt, rose and walked away -towards the beach. The young fellow ceased his flute playing and -followed, the other remaining to watch the stew. Hugh heard a canoe grate -lightly on the gravel, a few words exchanged. He rolled over on his side, -and saw, striding towards him--Ohrante. There could be no mistaking that -huge form, looking more gigantic than ever as it towered over the -prostrate lad. - -For an instant Hugh forgot all else in wonder at the Indian's size. -Ohrante was not less than seven feet in height, with proportionate -breadth of shoulder and depth of chest. Then, as he gazed into the face -looking down on him, a veritable panic of fear shook the lad. It was not -an ugly face. In its outlines and proportions, its strongly cut, regular -features, it was unusually handsome for an Indian. But there was an -inhuman hardness about it, a fiercely piercing quality in the eyes, cruel -lines about nostrils and lips, a general expression of bitter and -vindictive malevolence that appalled the boy. A shudder passed through -him, yet, fascinated, he could not take his eyes from the dark, piercing -ones. - -Ohrante spoke, and Hugh gave a start of surprise. It was not the words -that amazed him. All the Indian said was, "Who are you, white man? How -come you here?" A simple question in curiously accented English. It was -the voice that surprised Hugh. Weak, high pitched, almost squeaking, such -a voice as the boy had never heard in an Indian before, it was -ludicrously incongruous with the size and appearance of the evil giant. -Instantly the spell in which Ohrante had held him was broken. So great -was the revulsion of feeling that Hugh actually wanted to laugh. Luckily -he realized that to take any notice of the giant's weak point would -surely arouse his bitterest hatred. Self-possession regained, Hugh -controlled his features and answered steadily. He had had plenty of time -that long afternoon to plan the story he was to tell. - -"I am Hugh McNair. I came here by accident. High winds drove me out of my -course and against the great rocks yonder." He jerked his head in the -direction of the mouth of the bay. "My canoe was wrecked, all my winter -supplies lost, my comrade drowned." He paused, rather surprised at the -readiness with which he told his false tale. Ordinarily Hugh was -truthful, inclined to regard a lie as a coward's refuge, but he had no -intention of divulging his true name and purpose to his father's -bitterest enemy. - -Ohrante seemed to consider the reply. Then he spoke again. "Minong far -from mainland," he said in his bad English. He was suspicious of the -tale, but the boy was prepared for doubt. - -"We were going from the New Fort at the Kaministikwia," Hugh went on to -explain. "We had sold our furs and had all our supplies for the winter. -Also we were very sleepy. We had drunk deep and we did not take care -where we went. Then came the wind." - -Hugh was watching Ohrante's face closely, but he could not tell whether -the Iroquois believed the story or not, or indeed how much of it he -understood. He made no reply except a queer little sound in his throat. -Because of his high-pitched voice, that sound could not be called a -grunt, and Hugh was at a loss to know whether it meant assent, disbelief -or contempt. Before he could add anything more to his story, the giant -turned abruptly away, walked over to the fire and seated himself on a -log. - -Immediately one of his followers removed the pot, and, with a -long-handled, crudely carved wooden spoon, ladled out a generous portion -of the stew into a birch bark dish. The chief received the dish in -silence and commenced to eat, picking out the bits of meat on the point -of his knife, and taking up the rice on the flat of the blade. After he -had finished the more solid part of the food, he drank the soup and -passed the dish back to be refilled. - -The other Indians, eight in number, stood or sat about in silence. Not -until the chief had finished his second portion and had signified, by -turning the empty dish upside down on the ground, that he had had enough, -did they venture to approach the kettle, each with his own bark or wooden -bowl. Ohrante said something to the squat man who had been one of Hugh's -captors, pointing to the boy as he spoke. At once the man, carrying his -own dish of stew, went over to the captive, seated himself cross-legged -beside him, took up a piece of meat on the point of his knife and held it -to Hugh's lips. In this way he fed the lad about half the contents of the -dish, reserving the rest for himself for fear the kettle might be empty. -Neither the wooden dish nor the knife blade was very clean, but Hugh was -too hungry to be particular. He could have eaten more, but he was -thankful to get anything. Whatever the fate in store for him, he was -apparently not to be starved to death. He risked asking for a drink, -making signs to explain his meaning, and the Indian brought him some -water from the lake in a bark cup. - -Ohrante did not speak to Hugh again that night, or show any further -interest in him. He was left lying bound and was not even given a -blanket. Early in the evening, Ohrante retired alone to the smaller of -the two wigwams, and a little later the others, all except the young -fellow with the malicious grin, crowded into the larger dwelling. The -young Indian, rolled in a dirty blanket, lay down on the opposite side of -the fire from the prisoner. - -Hugh's arms and legs had grown so numb that he no longer felt the galling -of the cords, but he was very sore and uncomfortable from lying on the -hard ground. He had no wish to sleep, he was too eager to find some means -of escape. If he could bring his bonds in contact with a coal from the -fire, he might burn them enough so that he could pull them apart. He -hitched nearer the flickering blaze and turned on his side towards it. -The light was full on the face of the Indian beyond. Hugh could see that -the man's eyes were open and fixed upon him. His lips were grinning in -the evil fashion the boy knew all too well. - -Hugh settled himself as comfortably as he could and closed his eyes. -After what seemed a long time, the deep breathing of the guard seemed to -prove that he slept. The captive opened his eyes and, cautiously and with -painful effort, rolled nearer to the fire. There was a low grunt from the -Indian. He rose, came over to Hugh, seized him by the shoulder and -roughly dragged him back from the fire. Then he passed a skin rope about -the boy's body under the arms and tied it to a strong young birch. The -rope was long and did not prevent Hugh from lying down and turning from -side to side, but it effectually anchored him too far from the fire to -put his plan into operation. His guard had probably divined his -intention. So ended the captive's attempt to escape. There was nothing -left for him but to sleep, if he could, and gather strength and courage -for whatever the morrow might bring. It was long before he slept, -however, and the discomfort of his position waked him frequently. At last -the chill of early dawn refused to let him sleep longer. - -He had not long to wait before the camp was stirring. The man with the -scarlet head band set about preparing a breakfast of boiled fish. Hugh's -guard of the night took his gun and went away somewhere. Breakfast was -eaten at sunrise, and this time Hugh's hands were unbound that he might -feed himself, but he was left tied to the tree. It was some time before -the numbness wore off so that he could use his hands freely. His first -attempts to manage his food amused the Indians, and the boy felt the -blood rise to his cheeks at their grins and unintelligible gibes. - -Breakfast was over when the young fellow with the grin returned. He -talked with Ohrante, and afterwards the chief came over to Hugh and began -to ask questions. Again the boy was almost moved to mirth at the contrast -between the giant's appearance and his voice. As Ohrante went on with his -questioning, however, Hugh almost forgot the ludicrous voice. His replies -kept his wits busy. The Iroquois wanted to know whether Hugh trapped for -himself or traded with others for furs, whether he sold to the Old -Company or to the New, where he intended to winter and other particulars. -Hugh had believed that he had his story well planned, but several of the -questions were unforeseen, and he was obliged to think quickly and invent -as he replied. Telling a false tale was not such a simple matter this -morning, and he was not at all sure that he made his convincing. After -Ohrante turned away, Hugh was left wondering if his answers had allayed -the giant's suspicions or aroused them. - - - - - XXV - THE CHIEF OF MINONG - - -Hugh had expected to learn his fate that morning and had braced himself -for the ordeal, but Ohrante paid no further attention to him. With six of -his band the Iroquois left the camp. From where he sat propped against -the birch trunk, Hugh could see the two canoes start up the bay. His -wrists had been bound again and he was tied to the tree. The squat man -and the ugly fellow with the scarlet head band, who had remained to guard -the captive, evidently considered him so secure that he did not need -close watching. Shortly after the canoe had disappeared, both men went -off somewhere out of sight and hearing. - -Now was his chance, thought Hugh, if he could only find some way to loose -his bonds. He pulled and wriggled and twisted, but to no avail. His -captors had done their work too well. His struggles only drew the knots -tighter. He sank back inert and disheartened. - -"Take heart." - -The whisper was so low Hugh doubted his ears. He turned his head. Prone -on the ground in the shadow of a willow lay a slim figure, the black head -raised ever so little. - -"Blaise!" - -The head shook in warning. Wriggling like a snake, Blaise drew close. - -"Untie me," Hugh breathed. - -"No, not till night. The guards are too near. When all sleep, I will come -again." - -"That may be too late," Hugh protested. - -"They will do nothing to-day. Ohrante wishes to take you to the mainland, -and to-day the lake is rough. Keep a strong heart, my brother." - -Blaise wriggled back to the shelter of the willows, and was gone without -a sound. He was out of the way none too soon. The guttural voice of the -squat man came to Hugh's ears. In a few moments both guards were back, -carrying a birch basket of fish. - -That day was even longer to Hugh than the preceding one. The sun climbed -and descended so slowly it seemed almost to stand still. Though his -guards left him alone several times, he neither saw nor heard anything -more of Blaise. That did not worry Hugh. He knew that somewhere, not far -away, his younger brother was hiding, awaiting the coming of darkness. -The knowledge put new heart and spirit into the prisoner. If only the -Indians did not capture Blaise, there was a good chance of getting away -safely. Hugh felt sure that he did not need to fear violence from his -captors just yet. Blaise had said that Ohrante meant to carry the -prisoner to the mainland. The lad must have had some good reason for -thinking that. Probably he had overheard the Indians' conversation. In -this manner the captive, propped against the birch, in the thin shade of -its foliage, speculated on the movements and plans of his captors and his -rescuer. To speculate and plan was all he could do. - -About the middle of the afternoon one of the canoes returned with Ohrante -and two of his followers. The men who had remained behind prepared a meal -of the fish they had brought in that morning, boiled in the big kettle. -Hugh was given a portion and his hands were again untied that he might -eat. His pleasure in the fresh lake trout was rather spoiled by its -having been sweetened with maple sugar. He had grown well used to eating -his meat and fish without salt, but he had not learned to enjoy the -Indian custom of using sugar instead. - -After the meal, Ohrante again approached the boy. For a few moments the -big man stood looking down at him fixedly and in silence, and Hugh strove -to meet the piercing gaze boldly. Presently the giant began to speak. His -English was bad and interspersed with Indian words, at the meaning of -which Hugh could only guess. His speech, as well as the boy could make it -out, was something like this: - -"White man, whether the tale you tell is true or false I know not. When I -look at you I think of a white man I knew and hated and took revenge -upon. Yet you are not like him. Your hair, your eyes are pale. It matters -not. I hate all white men. White men are my enemies. When a white man -falls into my hands I treat him as a great chief should treat his -enemies." He paused to let the words sink in, his dark face hard as -stone. - -The impressiveness and dignity of the chief's deliberate address were -rather spoiled in effect by his ridiculously weak and broken voice, like -the changing tones of a boy, but Hugh could not fail to perceive the -threat conveyed. - -"You are mistaken, great chief," he replied quietly, using as a bit of -flattery the title Ohrante had given himself. "The white men are not the -enemies of the Indians. They wish the Indians no evil, only good. The -white men know no reason why the peace between themselves and the Ojibwas -should not last forever." - -"Ojibwa!" Ohrante made a gesture of contempt. "The Ojibwa may be a slave -of the white men if he wishes. I, Ohrante,"--he drew himself up a little -straighter, keeping his fierce eyes on the boy's face to observe what -effect the name had--"I, Ohrante, am no Ojibwa. I was born a Mohawk of -the great six nations. Now I and my braves have taken another name, a -name not for the white man's ears or lips, the name of the ancient race -of warriors and giants who once lived on Minong, the blood of whose -chiefs flows in my body. We will draw others to us, build up a strong -nation, and drive the white men from all the lands about the great -waters." He made a sweeping gesture with one long, big-muscled arm. - -Hugh could scarcely believe his ears. The giant Indian must be insane to -be the victim of such an illusion of greatness. Hugh knew nothing of any -ancient race upon Minong, although Baptiste had told him that the -Indians, in days gone by, were supposed to have come to the island from -time to time for copper. For all he knew, Ohrante might be a direct -descendant of those old miners, but his speech was none the less absurd. -Its vanity and pomposity were in such violent contrast to the weak, nasal -voice in which it was uttered that the boy forgot his own peril in his -desire to laugh. He controlled himself and for a few moments made no -answer. Ohrante also remained silent. As the two gazed into one another's -eyes, a daring idea entered the lad's head. Ohrante's talk of the ancient -race of warriors and giants recalled the tales told by Baptiste and -Blaise and the trick he and his brother had already played upon the big -Mohawk. - -"You speak," Hugh said, "of the ancient race who once lived on this -island. I have heard that the inhabitants of Minong were not human at -all, but were, and indeed still are, spirits and fiends and frightful -creatures unlike man or beast. Once I laughed at those tales, but now -that I am on Minong, I laugh no more. I myself have seen and heard -strange things on this island. If I were not a good Christian, I should -be sore afraid of this enchanted land. Have you seen or heard aught of -those strange beings, great chief?" - -Hugh's eyes were fastened on Ohrante. When he mentioned the spirits and -fiends he noticed a slight change in the huge man's face. As the boy went -on, Ohrante's composure was so far shaken that he drew a quick breath and -one of his big hands clenched with a convulsive movement. Hugh was -pleased with his strategy. He had found the giant's weak spot. Brave he -might be in contact with his fellow men, but of unearthly beings he was -superstitiously afraid. Hugh feigned not to notice, and in a moment -Ohrante had covered his agitation with a show of indifference. - -"No, white man," he lied proudly, "I have heard nothing and I fear -nothing." Then he changed the subject. "When the waves go down in the -lake out there, we leave Minong. We go to the place of vengeance, where -Ohrante puts all his prisoners to death. On the Island of Torture both -white men and Ojibwas may find the signs and learn how the Chief of -Minong takes vengeance on his enemies. Prepare for the torture, white -man, for not even your white God can save you." And turning, the big -chief strode away. - -"Yet I think He will save me," Hugh said to himself, "through my brother -Blaise." - -It was after sundown when the other canoe returned, with the four -remaining members of the band. They brought with them a quantity of moose -meat, the best parts of a young animal. Immediately the kettle was swung -over the fire. The odor of the cooking meat was tempting to Hugh's -nostrils, but he was not offered any. His captors evidently considered -that he had had sufficient food for that day. The whole band feasted on -moose, and the camp did not become quiet until much later than on the -previous night. - -Hugh was left tied to the tree, his wrists and ankles bound. No one took -enough pity on him to throw a blanket over him. This time it was the -squat man who lay down by the fire. He must have been very sure the -prisoner could not get away. Moreover the enormous amount of meat he had -eaten made the man especially drowsy. His loud breathing soon proved that -he was sleeping soundly. - -Under the birch tree, beyond the light of the flickering fire, Hugh lay, -tense and anxious. He heard the snores of his guard, and other sounds of -heavy slumbering from the larger wigwam. Why did not Blaise come? Except -the breathing of the sleeping Indians and the low ripple of the water on -the beach, not a sound broke the silence of the night. Every sense on the -alert, Hugh waited through the long minutes. It seemed to him hours must -have passed since the guard lay down by the fire. - -What was that rustle in the willows? It was the slightest of sounds, but -his ear caught it. Was it only a rabbit? He felt a touch on the rope that -bound him to the tree, then a sharp jerk. The rope sagged down. Fingers -grasped his shoulder and sent a shiver of excitement through his body. A -hand slipped swiftly down his left arm, something cold touched his -wrists, slipped between them. There was another little jerk, and his arms -were free. His numb hands dropped to the ground, began to tingle. He did -not dare to try to raise himself to a sitting position for fear of making -a noise. Then his ankles fell apart, and he knew that bond had been cut -also. Yet, motionless, he waited for orders. - -The hand touched his shoulder again. Lips brushed his ear, as a voice -whispered in the softest of hisses, "Roll over and follow." - -Hugh obeyed unquestioningly. As he rolled over, he realized that the cord -was still attached to his left wrist. There came a gentle pull, and he -understood. Blaise had hold of the cord. This was his method of guiding -his brother. Hugh attempted to crawl forward, but his legs and feet were -so numb he found progress difficult. They dragged like logs. He could not -move them lightly and noiselessly, yet he must go noiselessly to escape. - -The cord on his wrist slackened. Blaise had sensed the difficulty. His -shoulder brushed Hugh as he crawled back to the latter's side. In a -moment he was silently but vigorously rubbing and kneading Hugh's calves, -ankles and feet. Hot prickles of feeling began to course through the numb -legs. After a few moments of stinging pain, the blood was running -normally again, and the numbness was gone. Still the wigwams remained -silent and the squat Indian by the fire snored on. An Indian in his wild -state is commonly supposed to sleep lightly and wake at the slightest -sound, and so he does if he is where there may be danger, and has not -eaten or drunk too much. The Indian is human, however. A full and hearty -meal, accompanied by a sense of security, can cause him to sleep as -soundly as any well fed white man. - - - - - XXVI - ESCAPE - - -Taking the lead again, Blaise crawled cautiously and silently away from -the vicinity of the fire and the wigwams. Hugh, his legs and feet once -more under control, followed close behind, Blaise still guiding him by -the cord attached to his wrist. The half-breed boy seemed able to glide -like a snake without a sound, but Hugh was less experienced in stealth. -In spite of all his care, the bushes he brushed rustled now and then. The -noises were very slight, but each rustle or creak brought the lad's heart -into his mouth. Yet the Indian by the fire lay still, and no sound came -from the wigwams. - -At last the fugitives were far enough from the camp, and well screened by -trees and bushes, so they dared go upright. Blaise had kept his sense of -direction in the darkness and knew where he wanted to go. Turning to the -right, he led Hugh across level ground and through open growth of birches -and poplars. Then he turned again. A little farther on he paused among -some alders, handed Hugh the cord, uttered a low whisper of caution, and -slipped between the bushes. - -Hugh carefully pushed his way through, and stopped still. Before him lay -the lake, the ripples lit by the stars and moon. Glancing along the -narrow strip of sand that separated him from the water, he could make out -a dark shape lying above the reach of the waves. It was an overturned -canoe. Blaise had circled about in the woods and had come back to the -shore. A little way beyond the canoe, back from the beach and hidden from -where Hugh stood by trees and bushes, was the Indian camp. This was a -dangerous manoeuvre of his younger brother's and at first Hugh could see -no reason for it. Why had not Blaise led straight back through the woods -and up the ridge? The bateau, to which they must trust to get clear away, -was on the other side of those ridges. _Was_ the bateau still there or -had the Indians found it? - -Blaise was moving swiftly along the beach, and, after hesitating a -moment, Hugh followed. He was relieved to find that the alder bushes -still screened them from the camp. They could launch the canoe without -being visible from the wigwams or from the spot where the fire burned. -The canoe was not one of those he had seen Ohrante's band using, but a -small craft, barely large enough to hold two men. Silently the boys -turned it over, carried it down the beach and placed it in the lake. -Blaise, standing in the water to his knees, held the boat while Hugh -stepped into the stern. The younger boy took his place in the bow, the -paddles dipped. - -Hugh had expected to steer around the inner beach and on up the long bay. -He was astonished when Blaise signalled him to go the other way. This was -indeed a risk. The older boy would have protested, had he dared speak -loud enough to make his brother hear. But they were too near the camp to -chance conversation, whatever foolhardy venture Blaise might be planning. -Moreover Hugh knew that the half-breed lad was far from foolhardy and -must have good reason for what he was doing. The elder brother obeyed the -signal and said nothing. - -Crouched as far down in the canoe as they could kneel and still wield -their paddles, the two dipped the blades noiselessly. A few strokes and -they were out of the shelter of the fringe of bushes. They were passing -the camp, where the ground was open from lodges to beach. Fearfully Hugh -glanced in that direction. He could make out the dark bulk of one of the -wigwams and near it the dull glow of the dying fire. His guard lay beside -that fire. If the man should wake and raise his head, he could scarcely -fail to see the passing canoe, a dark, moving shape on the moonlit water. -A vigorous but careful stroke, and both lads held their paddles -motionless while the canoe slipped by of its own momentum. It made no -sound audible above the rippling of the water on the pebbles. The squat -Indian slept on. - -A clump of mountain ash, leafy almost to the ground, came between the -canoe and the fire. The paddles dipped again. In a few moments the slight -projection, scarce long enough to be called a point, had been rounded. -The wigwams and the fire were hidden by trees and bushes. - -Hugh drew a long breath and put more speed into his strokes. The brothers -were moving down the bay, and he realized now the reason for their -manoeuvre. Had they struck through the woods to the ridge, they would -inevitably, in spite of the greatest care and caution, have left a trail. -The canoe left no tracks. When they passed out from the narrowest part of -the channel, they were obliged to put strength and vigor into their -paddling, for they were going almost directly against the fresh wind. -They kept as close to the right hand shore as they dared, and so had some -protection. Vigorous and careful handling were necessary, however, to -make headway in the roughening water. - -As they went by one of the shallow curves that could scarcely be called -coves, Blaise uttered a little exclamation and pointed with his paddle to -a black object moving on the water. As Hugh looked, the thing turned a -little, and he could make out, in silhouette, great branching antlers. A -moose was swimming from one shore of the little indentation to the other. - -"There is meat to last us a long time," he muttered regretfully, "if only -we dared risk a shot." - -Blaise laughed softly. "We could not shoot if we wished. Neither has a -gun." - -"True. When you set out to find me, Blaise, why didn't you bring yours?" - -The lad in the bow shrugged slightly. "I could not use it without a -noise, and I wished not to be burdened with it. Let us not talk now. -Voices carry far in the night." - -Hugh heeded the warning. As the bay widened, the force of wind and waves -increased. The lads were paddling northeast, almost in the teeth of the -wind. Hugh began to doubt whether they would be able to round the long -point, or even keep on along it much farther. Blaise had no intention of -rounding the point, however. He had another plan. As they passed the twin -coves, where they had camped while they sought for the cache of furs, he -turned his head ever so slightly and spoke. - -"Steer into the crack where we carried out the furs." - -Hugh replied with a word of assent and steered close under the riven rock -wall. The water was slightly sheltered, and the waves were running past -the fissures, not into them. The canoe slipped by the stern of the -wrecked bateau, projecting from the crack into which it had been driven. -The narrow rift was passed. At the wider black gap, Hugh made the turn. -In response to his brother's quick "Take care," he held his paddle -steady. - -The canoe glided into the gap, slowed down. Before the bottom could grate -on the pebbles, Blaise had warned Hugh to step over the side. The latter -found himself in the water above his knees. - -"We must take the canoe well up the crack and hide it," he said. - -"And risk its discovery, which would put Ohrante on our trail? No, lay -your paddle in the bottom. Turn around, but do not let go." - -Hugh did not at first grasp the half-breed lad's intention, but he -obeyed. When Hugh had turned, Blaise spoke again. - -"Push out with all your strength. Now." - -Together they gave the light craft a strong shove and let go. It slid -over the water, out from the mouth of the rift. The wind caught it and it -was borne away in the moonlight. - -"The wind will take it up the bay," the younger boy explained. "It may -stay right side up, it may not. It may be shattered on the rocks or -washed on some beach. Wherever Ohrante finds it, it will be a long way -from here." - -"It will not help him to pick up our trail certainly," Hugh exclaimed. -"That was a clever thought, Blaise." - -Blaise turned to lead the way up the crack. It was black dark in the -fissure. Patches of moonlit sky could be seen overhead, between the -branches and spreading sprays of the cedars, but no light penetrated to -the bottom. Guiding themselves by their outstretched hands, and feeling -for each step, as they had done on that other night when they had entered -this cleft, the two made their way up. As he thought of that other night, -Hugh put his hand to his breast to feel if the precious packet was still -there, attached to a piece of fish line around his neck. It was luck that -the Indians had merely taken his weapons and had not searched him. - -Feeling along the left wall of the gap, Blaise found the slit that led -into the pit where the furs had been concealed, but he did not squeeze -through. He led on up the wider rift. Where the walls were less sheer and -trees grew on the gully bottom, pushing through in the darkness became -increasingly difficult. When the brothers had come that way in daylight, -they had found it troublesome enough. Now exposed roots and undergrowth -snared Hugh's toes, rocks and tree trunks bruised his shoulders, prickly -evergreen branches scratched his face and caught his clothes. These were -small troubles, however, not to be heeded by a fugitive flying from such -a cruel fate as Ohrante had in mind for him. The boy's only desire was to -put as great a distance as possible between himself and the giant Mohawk. -Indeed he had to hold himself in restraint to keep from panic flight. - -After a few hundred feet of stumbling, groping progress, the two came to -the broken birch, ghostly in the moonlight which shone down into the open -space where the guide tree stood. They paused for a moment. On either -hand and ahead the growth was thick. - -"Which way now?" Hugh whispered the words as if he still feared an enemy -lurking near. - -"Straight ahead to the top of the high ridge. It will be difficult. I -know not if we can do it in the darkness." - -"We must do it," said Hugh emphatically. - -Blaise nodded. "We will try," he agreed. - -The ground was low here, protected from the lake by the rock ridge with -its rifts and cracks. A few steps beyond the little birch, the lads found -themselves in a veritable tangle of growth, through which but little -light penetrated from the sky. They struggled forward among close -standing, moss-draped, half dead evergreens and old rotten birches, their -feet sinking deep into the soft leaf mould and decayed wood that formed -the soil. Where fallen trees had made an opening that let in a little -light, thickets of bushes and tangles of ground yew had grown up, more -difficult to penetrate than the black woods. Compelled to make their way, -for the most part, by feeling instead of sight, they could go but slowly. -Hugh soon lost all sense of direction, and he wondered whether Blaise -knew where he was going. - -Rising ground and a thinning of the woods reassured the white boy. They -must be going up the ridges, not back towards the Indian camp. He -marvelled that Blaise had managed to find the way. Blaise was far from -infallible though, and there soon came a time when he did not think it -wise to go farther. They had climbed a steeper slope, treading firmer -soil and outcroppings of rock, but still in thick woods, and had reached -a small rock opening overgrown with moss and low plants. The sweet -perfume of the carpet of twin flowers he could not see came to Hugh's -nostrils. Blaise stopped and peered about him. Clouds must have covered -the moon, for the open space was very dark. - -"We had best wait here," he said after a few moments. "If the moon shines -again, or after dawn comes, I will climb a tree and see where we are." - -"Don't you know where you are?" Hugh asked. - -"I am not certain. How can I be certain in the darkness, when I have -never come this way before? I think our way lies over there." He pointed -across the opening. "We are on the top of a low ridge, but if we go down -where the trees stand thick, we may lose our way and much time also. We -are well hidden here. When Ohrante wakes, he will not know which way to -seek. It will be long before he finds our trail." - -"I hate to stop as long as we can go on." - -"I too, my brother, but I think we shall gain time, not lose it if we -wait for light." - - - - - XXVII - WHAT BLAISE OVERHEARD - - -Far from the Indian camp and well hidden, the brothers could risk -conversation. Instinctively they kept their voices low. Hugh was curious -to learn how Blaise had crossed from the pond in the small island to the -long point, and Blaise equally eager to hear how Hugh had fallen into -Ohrante's hands. Seated on moss patches in the rock opening, they -satisfied each other's curiosity on those points. Then Blaise went on to -tell how he had tracked his elder brother. When he had smelled smoke he -had known he must be near a camp. - -"I heard the rippling of water," the boy said in his soft singsong. "Then -I caught the sound of men's voices. I left the trail and crept towards -the water. I peeped through the alders and saw the lake and the beach. -Canoes lay on the pebbles, but no man was in sight. I wished to find out -if you were in the camp. So I went back into the woods and crawled -towards the voices. I crept from tree to tree and bush to bush, and found -myself behind a wigwam. I lay flat and tried to peep around it, but a -clump of willows was in the way, and I could see nothing. I crawled like -a snake for the willows. I looked through them and saw you, my brother, -bound to the birch. My heart gave a leap when I saw you unharmed and knew -there was yet time to steal you away. I saw Ohrante too. He sat by the -fire and ate. He turned his head, and I feared his sharp eyes might find -me through the willows, so I crept away. I went back into the woods and -hid not far from the trail. The Iroquois I had seen on the trail -returned. Crawling nearer the camp again, I heard him talk to Ohrante, -but I could not understand, for he spoke the Iroquois language. I saw no -way to get you away before nightfall, and I feared they might carry you -off somewhere in a canoe where I could not follow. - -"Back to the beach I went and hid myself in the alders near the big -canoes. I saw Ohrante and six others go away. By their moccasins I knew -that two were Iroquois, the others Ojibwas and Crees. A small canoe was -left on the beach. When Ohrante had been gone a while, I heard voices, -and two more men came along the shore from the camp. One carried a net of -cedar cord. He had an ugly face and a red band around his head. The -other, a short, strong man, I knew at once. He is Monga, an Ojibwa, one -of the two who helped Ohrante to escape. The two sat down on the sand -just below where I was hidden, and I crawled nearer to listen to what -they said as they mended their net. They spoke Ojibwa. Red Band has not -been with Ohrante long. He asked what the chief would do with the white -captive. Monga,--his name means the _loon_,--answered that Ohrante would -take the white man to the mainland, to the Isle of Torture, but they -could not start to-day because the wind was too strong and the lake too -rough. Red Band was not pleased. He said he wished the chief would let -the white men alone until his people were stronger. Monga said that -Ohrante hated all white men. When the trader Beaupre escaped his -vengeance----" - -"What?" interrupted Hugh. "He said 'the trader Beaupre'?" - -"Yes. When the trader Beaupre escaped Ohrante's vengeance, the chief -swore to kill every white man who fell into his hands." - -"But what did he mean by father's escaping Ohrante's vengeance?" - -"It was as we thought," Blaise replied, his voice low and tense. "It was -Ohrante who brought our father to his death. Red Band said it was true -that Beaupre escaped, but in his escape he received his death wound." - -"That explains what we found at the Devil Track River." - -"Yes. From what they said it seems that our father and Black Thunder both -fell into Ohrante's hands. In some way they escaped, but they were -overtaken at the River of Devil Tracks. They fought and our father got -away again, but sorely wounded. That is the way I put together the things -I heard the two men say." - -"How comes it then that the bateau and furs are here on Isle Royale? Did -Ohrante bring them here?" - -"I think Ohrante knows nothing of the furs. When we first saw him here I -thought he had come to Minong to seek the furs, but no, this is not the -first time he has been here. His braves call him 'Chief of Minong.' I -think he fled here, he and Monga and the other man who helped him, when -he escaped from our father and the Ojibwas. I know not when the rest of -the band joined him, but I believe Ohrante and those two were living -somewhere on this island when white men and red sought them and could not -find them. This I know, here on Minong Ohrante captured our father and -Black Thunder. Monga said it was strange that two white men had been -found here, where no man was believed to come. Both Jean Beaupre and the -new white captive pretended to be only traders, he said, and told tales -of how they were driven here by storm and wrecked on the rocks. The chief -believed Beaupre's story, but now that this other white man came with the -same tale, Ohrante began to doubt. He thought perhaps they came to spy on -him." - -"I feared Ohrante did not believe me," Hugh confessed, "but it made -little difference what story I told. He says he hates all white men and -intends to destroy them and drive them out of this country. He thinks he -is destined to be some sort of king over this part of the world. Did -those two say more of father?" - -"No, their net was finished and they went out in the little canoe. At -once I sought you, my brother, but I dared not cut your bonds. The two -were only a little way out in the bay. Later I listened to them talk -again. I could not get the meaning of all they said, but I think Ohrante -intends to hold a council on that island where he tortures his prisoners. -I am sure that others are to meet him there to join his band." - -"And he was reserving me to be put to death by torture as a sort of -entertainment for his new adherents, I suppose," Hugh muttered grimly. -"That is not the part in the performance I should choose to play. Perhaps -I can find some other part more to my liking." A daring suggestion had -come into his mind as Blaise told of the council on the "Island of -Torture." "Did you learn when the meeting was to be?" Hugh asked -abruptly. - -"It is to be soon, I think. They wait only for safe weather to make the -crossing." - -Hugh was silent in frowning thought. When he spoke, it was not of the -council. "It is plain to see what happened," he said musingly. "The storm -bore father and his comrade here to this island. Their boat was driven -into that crack in the rocks and wrecked. Ohrante came upon them, took -them captive and carried them to the mainland. Father must have had some -warning, though, for he hid the pelts and the packet. I wonder, Blaise, -if, when he was first wrecked, he put the furs up on that rock shelf to -keep them dry and safe. Then, afterwards, when he learned Ohrante was -near, he moved the bales to a more secret spot farther from the wreck." - -Blaise nodded. "It may be," was all he said. - -"We were right all the time," Hugh added, "in believing that Ohrante had -something to do with father's death." - -"I felt in my heart that Ohrante was the guilty one," the younger lad -replied simply. - -"Yet of course it may not have been Ohrante himself who gave father his -death blow," Hugh mused. - -Blaise waved away his brother's reasoning with a gesture. "It matters not -whether Ohrante himself or one of his men struck the blow. It is not the -knife that we punish when a murder is committed, but the man who wields -the knife. Ohrante is that man. It was he who captured our father, who -would have put him to the torture, who caused his death." - -"And Ohrante shall pay for it," Hugh broke in passionately. "He shall pay -soon if we can but reach the mainland in time. The sky is lighter, -Blaise," he added, looking up above the surrounding tree tops. "We must -be moving." - - - - - XXVIII - CONFUSING THE TRAIL - - -Looking around for a tall tree, Blaise found a tapering spruce, growing -in a pocket of deeper soil and towering above its fellows. The stubs of -the lower branches, that, deprived of light by adjacent trees, had died -and fallen off, formed a ladder, up which he climbed, Hugh not far -behind. Reaching the live limbs, they pushed their way among the thick -masses of dark green needles. The smaller lad went on until the slender -spire bent threateningly under his weight. - -The moon had come out from behind the clouds, and the paling sky foretold -the dawn. From his perch above the surrounding trees, Blaise could see -the water, and, across it, the narrow black line of the low point. On the -other side, directly below him, he could make out from the growth that -the ground dipped down. Beyond the slight dip, the rising ranks of trees -betrayed the steepness of the ascent. A little to his right and far up, -his keen eyes detected a bare stretch of rock between the masses of -foliage above and below. He took a long look in every direction, then -started to climb down. - -Hugh, learning from the movement of the branches above him that Blaise -was descending, also moved farther down. There, resting on a stout limb, -he waited for his brother. - -"What did you make out?" he asked eagerly. "I could see that we are part -way up the ridges. Have we kept a straight course?" - -"Yes, we have come straighter than I feared, but we are scarce more than -half-way up, and we must go farther to the left. You remember that bare -cliff?" - -"The wall, like a fortification, that we saw from across the bay?" - -"The same. We cannot climb that place. We must go to the left to avoid -it. Come, we must make haste." - -Darkness still lay deep in the woods, as the two plunged down the short -slope into a narrow and shallow gully. Through the thicker growth at the -bottom, they threaded their way to the left a hundred yards or more, then -began to ascend again. The rapidly rising ground, interrupted by shallow -depressions only, served as a guide. Where the slope was regular and not -too steep and there was soil enough to anchor them, trees grew thick, but -abrupt bare places, masses of tumbled rocks and almost vertical walls -made up much of the way. The northwestern side of the long point was far -more abrupt than the southeastern, but the increasing light made it -possible for the boys to choose their path. They were no longer compelled -to proceed by sense of feeling only. Sound of wind, active of limb, and -goaded on by the signs of breaking day, they climbed swiftly and without -pause. - -Crossing a narrow shelf of broken rock debris, that had crumbled into -soil deep enough to bear trees, they came to the last rise. By going -farther to the left, they had thought to avoid the bare, pillared, rock -ramparts, and had indeed escaped the steepest and highest stretch. -Nevertheless the cliff before them was almost vertical, and clothed with -only an occasional sturdy, dwarfed mass of cedar or trailing juniper, a -little seedling tree, stunted bush or tiny plant, growing in crevice or -hollow, and the ever present, tight clinging moss and lichens. Had the -ancient rock not been ribbed and blocked and weathered, it would have -been unclimbable. The splitting off of blocks and scaling away of flakes, -which had crumbled into debris at the foot of the cliff, had left shelves -and crannies affording some foothold and finger-hold to the active -climber. - -It was a bad place to go up but not an impossible one. The fugitives -paused only long enough to select what appeared to be a possible route up -a sort of flue, caused by the falling out of one of the pillars. Blaise -went first, and Hugh would have followed close behind, had not the -half-breed boy bade him, somewhat sharply, wait below. If Blaise lost his -hold and slipped back, it would not advantage him any to take his elder -brother down with him. The lad was nearing the top when he let his weight -rest too heavily on an insecure ledge. The rock flaked off, and he was -left hanging, one hand thrust into a crack, the other clinging to a cedar -stem. Down below, Hugh held his breath in suspense. For the interval of -an instant, while the agile climber drew up his left foot and thrust his -toes into a cranny, the cedar held. Then its roots pulled loose. But -Blaise managed to keep his balance, and quickly hooked his strong fingers -around the rim of the hole where the cedar clump had been growing. In a -few moments he was over the top, and it was Hugh's turn to make the -ascent. - -The scaling away of the piece of rock that had formed the narrow ledge -made it necessary for Hugh to take a slightly different route up the -flue. He was heavier than Blaise and for him the climb was even more -perilous. Profiting by his younger brother's experience, Hugh trusted to -crannies and cracks into which he could thrust his fingers and toes, -rather than to the more treacherous projections. Climbing cautiously, he -reached the summit without accident. - -The growth on the ridge top prevented the boys from seeing to the east, -but the sky was now so light they knew sunrise could not be far away. -Hurrying across the summit, they came out upon the southeastern slope. -From there they could see the rose pink flush of day. - -The southeastern side of the high ridge was far less abrupt than the -northwestern. Except for occasional open rock stretches, it was, however, -thickly forested. In spite of the rough going, the fugitives made good -speed on the down grade. Nimbly the light-footed Blaise threaded his way -among trees and undergrowth, and sprang down the open slopes. Hugh, to -whose feet the very thought of the cruel Iroquois seemed to give wings, -kept close behind. In a shorter time than they would have believed -possible, they were at the edge of the water. - -Blaise glanced towards the woods across the channel. "That is not the -island where the little lake is," he said. "We are too far down. The -bateau is over that way." Without waiting for Hugh to reply, the lad -turned to the right and began to make his way along shore. - -A moment later, Hugh, following closely, said anxiously, "We are leaving -a plain trail here. The ground is damp and there is much undergrowth." - -"We cannot help that. If we must leave a trail, we will use it to lead -our enemies astray, Step as lightly as you can, and in a little while I -will show you a trick." Hugh had been possessed with the fear that some -of Ohrante's men might have discovered the boat and taken it away. He was -greatly relieved to find it tied to the overhanging tree where he had -left it. - -"Take the bateau," the younger boy ordered, "and paddle down to the place -where we came out of the woods. I will join you there." - -"What are you going to do?" - -"Lead our enemies astray. If they find my tracks near their camp and -follow them, they may also find the trail down to this place. They must -not think that we crossed the water from here. I shall make tracks, plain -tracks, from here down towards the mouth of the bay, beyond the place -where you and I came out of the woods a little while ago." - -"But in our old trail from here to the ridge top the footprints point up, -not down." - -"Yes, and we have not time to go back and make new. I hope they will -think we travelled both ways on that trail. I will go back a little way -and make a few prints leading down." - -While Hugh was untying and pushing off the bateau, Blaise, going -carefully and lightly, followed for a little way the route he had taken -when he went in search of his white brother. Then, turning, he came back, -leaving here and there clear impressions to show direction. Twenty or -thirty feet from the shore, he branched off to the left, making tracks -leading to the alongshore trail, but avoiding the spot where the bateau -lay. He then went on towards the mouth of the bay, carefully obliterating -all toe marks that pointed up the channel, and making sure to leave some -pointing down. - -In the meantime Hugh had pushed off the bateau. He noticed that the boat -had left no clear traces, except where the rope had rubbed the bark from -the limb around which it had been tied. That scar might easily have been -made by the claws of some animal climbing out over the water. To make -such an origin seem more likely, he scratched the scar lengthwise several -times with his thumb nail. As he paddled along close to shore, he came -upon the tree Blaise had crossed on, and pushed it out into mid channel. - -About a hundred feet below the place where they had come out of the -woods, Hugh joined Blaise. Here they took pains to leave distinct signs -that a boat had been pulled up on shore. They wished their pursuers to -see that they had taken to the water at this spot. Their intention was to -lead Ohrante, should he find their trail, away from the island where the -furs were hidden. - -"Wouldn't it be possible, Blaise," Hugh questioned, "to load the furs and -start across the lake at once? If the wind is right, I am willing to risk -Ohrante's seeing us and giving chase. With a good breeze we can -outdistance his canoes." - -Blaise shook his head. "We could not run away from him in this wind. Last -night it was nearly northeast, but now it is northwest. Surely you -noticed that when we were on the ridge top. We cannot make speed with -this heavy bateau against the wind. Yet it is not too strong for canoes -to go against it, if the men at the paddles have skill. No, we must wait -till the wind changes or till darkness comes again. Now we will carry our -false trail farther." - -Blaise steered the boat straight across the channel to the outer end of -the opposite island. Between steep, high, bare masses of detached rock -and the small island itself, a reef extended, the inner end rising out of -the water to form a beach of boulders and pebbles. The boys ran the -bateau on the pebbles and jumped out. They could see off across the open -water to the east, where the sun was already above the horizon. - -"Here," said Blaise, "we will leave the ashes of a fire, as if we had -stopped to cook a meal. Make haste and get wood." - -Hugh did not need to be warned to make haste. A small fire was soon -kindled on the pebbles where it could not spread, then partly stamped out -and left smouldering. As the boys embarked again, Hugh glanced back to -satisfy himself that the wind was not carrying any sparks towards the -woods. Heretofore he had always drenched his cooking fire before leaving -camp, but to have poured water on this one would have defeated his -younger brother's purpose. Blaise wanted the recent kindling of the fire -to be in plain evidence. - -"Where we have gone from here our enemies cannot tell," he explained. -"They will find no tracks or signs on this little island except around -the fire. Then they will be sure we have gone by boat, but which way they -will not know." - -"Which way shall we go?" Hugh questioned. - -"Back to our camp in the little inland lake, but not down the channel -next the point. We will steer around these big rocks and up the other -side of this island." - -The two paddled the bateau around the rocks and up along the southeastern -side of the small island. High in the center and heavily wooded, it hid -them completely. Their route led them into the open end of the narrow -strait that cut into the other island where the furs were hidden. They -passed the gap with its two tiny islets, where heretofore they had gone -in and out, and were soon back in the little pond. - -"I don't know whether we are wise to stay here," Hugh said thoughtfully, -as they drew the boat up on the narrow beach. "We have tried to confuse -our trail, yet if Ohrante tracks us across the high ridge and down to the -water, he will surely search all these islands. This is almost too -perfect a hiding place. If those Indians are familiar with this 'Bay of -Spirits' they will think of this place at once. Then we shall be caught -like rats in a trap." - -"You are right to call this the 'Bay of Spirits,'" Blaise replied. "By -that name Monga and Red Band spoke of it. But I think they have never -been here but that one time. From what they said I think they have always -made their camps on the part of Minong that lies the other side of the -high ridge. And now both Monga and Red Band have great fear of this bay." - -Hugh chuckled. "So has the mighty chief Ohrante. I saw his fear in his -face when I spoke of hearing strange noises. I am wondering, though, if -he should track us here, if he will not suspect a trick." - -"Something more than the voices has frightened them," Blaise went on. -"The second time I listened to those two, Monga told Red Band of huge -giants at the end of the point." - -"Giants? Did he mean those pillars of rock?" - -"No, the giants were alive and moved." - -"Some old superstition, Blaise." - -"Monga said he saw the giants, Hugh, he and others of the band." - -"We spent nearly a day on that point and we saw no giants. If Monga saw -anything there it must have been you and me. I don't understand how those -fellows in that canoe could have missed seeing us. Blaise,"--a sudden -light of understanding dawned in Hugh's face,--"Blaise, do you remember -how hot and still it was, and how the haze shimmered on the water? And do -you recall the day we crossed to the Isle Royale, the very same sort of -day? We saw the mirage, high mountains towering up where later we found -there were no real mountains. Do you remember too when we left the Bay of -the Beaver, how we saw coming towards us through the morning mist, what -we thought was a ship, so tall it looked, but when it drew nearer it -shrank to a mere sailboat?" - -"I remember those things." Blaise was staring at Hugh's excited face. - -"Don't you understand then? Don't you see how it was that Monga and those -others in that canoe saw giants on the end of the point? On that hot, -still day, as they came across the water and looked through the shimmer -of the heat haze, they saw us there on the open rocks. We ourselves saw -that island far out greater than it really was and distorted. Do you -remember how it shrank afterwards? To those men in that canoe we too were -distorted and loomed up huge and tall like giants. That was what -frightened them. That explains their hasty flight. We were the giants on -the end of the point!" - -Blaise was still staring, but his look of puzzlement had given way to one -almost of awe. "It may be as you say," he replied slowly. "Monga thought -it was Kepoochikan and Nanibozho. I cannot understand it at all, that -enchantment you call mirage that makes men see mountains that are not -there and turns bateaus into ships and men into giants." - -"I don't understand it either," Hugh admitted, "and neither did the -captain of the _Athabasca_. He said it was just one of the secrets of -nature that we don't understand yet. Surely the mirage is nothing to -fear. It has stood us in good stead by frightening away Ohrante's men and -causing them to stand in terror of this bay. No wonder we scared them -away with the echoes. They must have been frightened when they came in -here. If only their fear is strong enough to keep them away now, we are -safe. But we dare not trust too much to that. We must hide ourselves as -well as we can. The entrance to this little lake is narrow and I think I -see a way to block it so it will look as if no boat could have gone -through. First, though, let us eat something if there is anything left." - -"There is a little corn, if no animal has stolen it," Blaise replied. "I -too am sore hungry, for I have eaten nothing but a few green bearberries -since I set out in search of you." - - - - - XXIX - THE CEDAR BARRIER - - -The corn, in its bark wrapping, was found untouched, hanging from the -birch where Blaise had left it. Not daring to kindle a fire for fear the -smoke might betray them, Hugh put the dry, hulled kernels in the kettle -with cold water to soften them. Then he spoke again of his plan to block -the entrance to the pond. - -"That cedar that leans far down over the water," he explained, "looks as -if it was almost ready to fall of its own weight. If we could pull or -push it down, it would go clear across that narrow channel." - -"But then we could not take our bateau through." - -"Oh, we can easily chop out a section when we are ready to go." - -"If anyone is near he will hear the sound of the axe." - -"It is better to risk that, Blaise, than to leave the entrance open. We -will go look at the tree and see what we can do." - -The leaning, top-heavy cedar had tipped so far that several of its roots -had pulled loose from their anchorage, bringing with them a section of -the shallow soil and exposing the rock below. On one side the roots still -held, supplying enough nourishment to the limbs to keep part of them -alive. Some of the thick sprays of foliage were brown and dead, but many -were still green and flourishing. The tree certainly looked as if the -slightest additional strain would tip it the rest of the way. Before -testing it, the boys noted where it would fall. It stood a few feet above -the water and slanted out at an angle across the passageway. - -"It will not catch in any tree when it goes down," Hugh observed. "Fresh -breaks in other trees or bushes would betray how recently it had fallen. -Of course the fact that it is partly green will prove it hasn't been down -very long." - -"An uprooted tree lying in the water will stay green for many days," -Blaise replied. - -"I think we had better try to push it over," Hugh decided. "To make a way -out to-night we shall not need to chop through the trunk. This end will -be high enough from the water so, by cutting off a few of the lower -limbs, we can take the boat underneath." - -"If the water is deep enough at this side," added Blaise. - -First attempts to bring down the slanting tree failed, however. It was -not so insecure as it appeared. The tough roots that still held were -stronger anchors than the boys had suspected. Pushing and pulling with -all their might had little effect. - -"We must cut away some of the roots that are holding," Hugh said at last. -"Lend me your hatchet, Blaise. Ohrante has mine." - -The roots were tough, but the little axe was sharp and Hugh's blows -vigorous. He cut every root he could reach, and the tree trembled, swayed -and tipped, pulling up more rootlets and chunks of soil. - -"It will come now. It needs just a little more weight. Here, Blaise." - -Hugh returned the hatchet, jumped upon the leaning trunk and made his way -along it. The tree swayed with the added weight. As he went farther up -and out, the strain on the few roots was too great. With a rending sound -they tore up the shallow soil, and the cedar crashed down across the -channel. - -Hugh had expected the tree to go suddenly, and he kept a firm hold, but -he was jarred and drenched in the splash. The trunk, where he was -clinging, did not go under water, and he scrambled quickly back to shore. -All the roots were in the air now, and the tree slanted down from the -butt, instead of up. The crown rested in the shallow water and against -the opposite shore. The entrance to the little pond was both well closed -and effectually concealed. - -Hugh uttered a little exclamation of satisfaction. "It must look from out -there," he said, nodding towards the water beyond, "like a perfectly -natural accident. This old cedar is the best of screens. I don't believe -anyone coming around that little island and seeing this fallen tree would -guess there was a lake or bay in here. Of course if he came so close he -could peep through the branches, he might be able to see water beyond, -but he would never guess that a boat could go in. If anyone came up here, -though, he would see the freshly upturned earth and the cut ends of the -tree roots. But the bushes hide this spot from the water and there is -nothing to bring anyone ashore here. We shall be better hidden than we -could have hoped." - -"Yes, it was a good thought, my brother. We will go back now and bring -the bateau around to this side of the little lake. Then if anyone looks -through the branches and sees the water beyond, he cannot see the bateau -or us. If he tries to cut a way through, we shall hear him and be warned. -The sun climbs high. We must make haste." - -Without pausing to reply, Hugh led off at once, back to the beach and -around to the spot where the boat lay. Quickly and carefully, the -brothers erased all signs of their camp that might be seen from across -the pond. Hugh gathered up the remains of the fire and was about to throw -them into the water, when Blaise stopped him. The charred sticks might -float across, and betray that someone had camped there. So Hugh carried -the blackened bits back into the woods, and then washed every trace of -ashes from the pebbles and sand. The mast and sail, which had been left -on shore, were laid in the boat, and the lads paddled around to a spot -less than a hundred feet from the end of the blockaded passageway. With -the poplar rollers they had used before, they drew the bateau up on -shore, where it could not be seen by anyone peeping through the barrier. - -The sun would soon be directly overhead. Ohrante had had several hours to -find Hugh's trail. The boy did not believe that the Iroquois would let -him escape without some effort to trace and recapture him. Even now the -Chief of Minong or some of his followers might be near at hand. It would -be wise to lie low and keep very quiet, restricting conversation to -necessary whispers. After chewing, as well as he could, some of the -partly softened corn, Hugh stretched himself out on the narrow beach to -let the sun dry his clothes. - -Waiting quietly for Ohrante to come and find him proved nerve wracking. -After what seemed a long period of inaction, he raised himself on his -elbow and hitched nearer his younger brother. The latter was sitting -close to the bateau, his eyes closed, apparently asleep. - -"Blaise, I'm going up through the woods to find some spot where I can see -out. Then if anyone comes near our barrier I shall know it." - -The half-breed boy had opened his eyes at the first word. "We must take -great care," he replied in the softest of whispers. "The cracking of a -twig, the moving of a bush may betray us. Yet I am ready to take the risk -if you are." - -"We'll both go then, and we'll not take more risk than we can help." - -Blaise nodded and rose. Slipping into the woods just beyond where the -boat lay, he threaded his way among trees and bushes. Hugh followed quite -as cautiously. It was but a short distance, and after a few steps Blaise -dropped to his hands and knees. Hugh followed his example, and remained -motionless while the other crept ahead and disappeared behind a clump of -balsams. - -The older boy waited several minutes, then ventured forward. Beyond the -balsams he paused, but could catch no glimpse of Blaise among the dense -growth. The sunlight between the trees ahead showed him that he must be -close to the margin of the woods. Lying almost flat, he wriggled along -until he could see a patch of water. For a moment he lay still, looking -and listening. Then he crept forward again and took his station behind a -thick mass of cedar needles. In its youth this cedar had been bent almost -double by some weight, a fallen tree probably, and had grown in that -misshapen form, branching and leafing out in dense sprays clear to the -ground. Peeping around the green screen, Hugh found he was but a few feet -from the edge of the water. The sheltered bay was without a ripple, the -sun hot, the woods still, the silence unbroken by even the twitter of a -bird or the hum of an insect. - -The boy was about to raise himself for a better view, when, from the -water, a sound came to his ears. The very slightest of sounds it was, but -he lowered his head instantly. He wriggled a little farther back behind -the cedar masses and lay motionless. The sound came again, the slightest -suggestion of rippling water. But the bay was smooth and still. What he -heard was the dipping of a paddle blade, the ripple of water against the -side of a boat. - -For a few moments Hugh dared not try to look. Then curiosity got the -better of fear. Raising his head ever so little, he found a peep-hole -between the cedar sprays and put his eye to it. He could see a bit of the -round, wooded islet, a section of the shore opposite and, on the water -between, a birch canoe. It held three men. The bow-man was the tall young -Iroquois who had first taken Hugh prisoner. The man in the middle wore a -red band about his long black hair. As the canoe came nearer, Hugh could -see that the steersman was the squat Ojibwa from whose custody he had -escaped. Ohrante had not killed the guard then, but no doubt some heavy -punishment hung over Monga's head if he did not find Hugh and bring him -back. He was desperate enough to dare return to the dreaded Bay of -Manitos. - -The canoe came slowly, the man in the bow watching the water. It was -shallow between the round islet and the blocked entrance to the little -pond. Would the fallen cedar deceive the Indians or not? Hugh held his -breath. - -The bow-man straightened a little, glanced towards the cedar, then looked -back at the water again. Red Band's eyes were on his paddle. Monga's head -turned from side to side, as he scanned the shore and the woods for any -sign that the fugitive had been there. His glance swept the barrier. He -twisted his paddle. The canoe swerved nearer to the blocked passage. - -The man in the bow uttered a sharp hiss of warning. For an instant Hugh -feared that the fellow had caught sight of him through the leafy screen. -But the warning was of shallows ahead. The steersman dipped his paddle -and swerved the canoe again, this time away from the fallen cedar. He did -not cast another glance in that direction, as the canoe came on past the -barrier. The "tide," as Hugh had called it, was out. The water was at its -lowest point of fluctuation. No one could suspect a navigable channel -where the uprooted tree lay. - -It was plain that the Indians intended to round the little islet. To do -so they must pass close to the shore where Hugh was. He lowered his head -cautiously and lay prone and motionless. He could hear the gentle ripple -of the water as the canoe slipped through it. Then a harsh voice spoke. -So close it seemed that the lad almost jumped, and a shudder of fear -passed through him. In an instant he realized that the voice was Monga's -and that it came from the water, not from the land. The tall fellow -answered briefly, and Monga grunted an abrupt rejoinder. What they said -Hugh could not guess, for they spoke in Ojibwa. - -The slight sounds of dipping paddles and rippling water grew fainter and -fainter, then ceased. Hugh drew a long breath, raised his head a little -and looked through the peep-hole. The canoe was no longer in sight. It -could not be far away, though, so he lay still. He was just wondering -whether it would be safe now to try for another and wider view of the bay -and strait, and had raised his head to reconnoiter, when he caught sight -of a crouching figure slipping swiftly between the trees towards him. For -an instant his heart seemed to stop beating, then he saw that it was -Blaise approaching. - -The younger brother dropped down beside the elder. "They are gone," he -whispered. "Let us go back." - - - - - XXX - THE FLIGHT FROM MINONG - - -The canoe had gone by, but the boys did not abate their caution and -watchfulness one whit, as they made their way back to the shore of the -pond. - -"That danger seems to be over," Hugh remarked, his voice still lowered to -a whisper, as he came out of the woods near the boat. "Blaise, could you -understand what those two said? Were you near enough to hear?" - -"I was but a little way beyond you, my brother. I heard every word. There -is bad blood between Monga and the young Iroquois. It was the Iroquois -who wished to come up this way. They found the ashes of our fire at the -end of that island out there. Monga thinks we went on across the mouth of -this long bay. He wished to seek us in that direction, but when the -Iroquois found the passage between these islands, he forced Monga to come -up here first. He is sure now that we are not in here. So they go the way -Monga wishes." - -"Then we are safe from those three for some hours at least, but I wish we -knew where Ohrante and the others are." - -"Ohrante must hold Monga, and perhaps the Iroquois, to blame for your -escape. If they take you not back, it will go hard with them. It may be -that Ohrante has sent them to seek you and himself waits at the camp, or -he may search in the other direction. Perhaps he will not come into this -Bay of Manitos at all." - -"Very likely he is glad of an excuse to stay out," returned Hugh with a -grin. "Ohrante may be brave as a lion with other men, but I think he is -not quite so bold with spirits." - -"No man is," Blaise replied simply. "I am not sure that Ohrante is very -brave. He is cruel and treacherous, but brave in the way our father was? -No, I think he is not brave like that." The lad gave one of his -characteristic French shrugs. - -Hugh made no answer. He discounted his brother's opinion of Ohrante -somewhat. Blaise was half Ojibwa, of the Algonquin stock, and the ancient -hatred between Algonquin and Iroquois had not died out and probably never -would die. The boy was naturally unwilling to admit any good qualities in -the self-styled "Chief of Minong," half Mohawk by blood and wholly so by -training. But Ohrante, thought Hugh, must have some unusual qualities, -since, in spite of the ancient hate, he had attracted to his band Ojibwas -as well as Iroquois. - -"Yet, we know not," Blaise went on after a moment, "how near the others -may be, or how soon Monga may return this way. We dare not venture out -until darkness comes." - -Sunset came at last and twilight. The last morsels of the maple sugar and -the soaked corn made up the evening meal. Blaise slipped through the -woods once more, and reported the outer bay and strait empty of all life -except a pair of fish ducks. Then he and Hugh pushed off the bateau and -crossed the pond. No more peaceful spot could be imagined. The still -water reflected the motionless trees and the soft colors of the sky. From -the woods came the clear, plaintive notes of a thrush. - -Landing, the lads went directly to the old birch, and were relieved to -find no signs that anyone had been near it. Blaise climbed the tree and -let himself down into the hole. Hugh then followed him up, received the -bales the younger boy handed him and lowered them to the ground. -Squirrels or wood-mice had nibbled the outer wrappings, but had not -penetrated to the pelts. When all the packages were out of the tree, the -two carried them to the shore and stowed them in the boat. Once more they -paddled across the lake and took the sail aboard. They did not set up the -mast, as they wished to push the boat under the fallen cedar. Beaching -the bateau close to the end of the barrier, they set to work to cut a way -through. - -They had only the one little axe, and Hugh wielded that, climbing out on -the tree to reach the limbs he wished to cut. Blaise, standing in the -shallow water, trimmed off smaller branches with his stout knife. Working -with skill and speed, they soon had the lower limbs cleared away from the -under side of the trunk. There appeared to be room enough to push the -bateau through, but the water at that spot was very shallow. The boat -grounded on the rock bottom. The lads unloaded most of the furs, and -succeeded in dragging the lightened bateau over the shallows. Then they -had to carry the bales through the woods, and reload. All this work they -were forced to do as quietly as possible. The blows of the axe could not -be muffled, but the two made no noise they could avoid. They did not dare -light a torch, but the sky was clear and the northern twilight long. -Darkness had settled down, however, by the time they were ready to leave -their island of refuge. - -In that sheltered place, they were unable to tell whether there was -breeze enough to aid or hinder them, but they had made up their minds to -leave the Bay of Spirits. If possible they would start for the mainland, -by sail if they could, by paddle if they must. If the wind was so strong -against them that they could not cross, they would go on in the other -direction, and find some temporary hiding place farther from the camp of -the Chief of Minong. - -Straight out through the quiet water of the narrower channel, shadowed by -the black, wooded masses of the islands to right and left, they paddled. -Darkness and still water made the shallows treacherous, but they had -noted the channel on their way in that morning, and made their way out -again without accident. - -Suddenly Blaise in the bow gave a quick, low hiss. Hugh knew that the -alarmed warning meant, not mere shallow water ahead, but some graver -danger. He obeyed the signal and steered into the deep shadow of the -island close by. The boat scraped the rocks and came to a stop. Looking -out from the protecting gloom, across the moonlit lake, Hugh caught sight -of the cause of his brother's alarm. A canoe, paddled swiftly, was -crossing the open water beyond the islands, going north. Would it turn up -the bay? Hugh sat motionless, his paddle handle gripped tightly. Then he -drew a breath of relief. The canoe had not turned. It went straight on -and disappeared from sight. - -Hugh moved forward to speak to Blaise. "The fellows who were after us," -he whispered, "going back to camp. They have given up the chase." - -"I could make out but two men," Blaise replied. - -"You couldn't be certain there weren't three," Hugh argued, "unless you -can see much better at night than I can." - -Blaise shook his head doubtfully. "The canoe was headed for the long -point. They must be some of Ohrante's men." - -"None of them was big enough to be Ohrante himself. We could see them -well enough to make sure of that." - -The brothers waited in the shadow for several minutes, then ventured on. -As they came out from the shelter of the islands, a light southeast -breeze, that barely rippled the water, struck them. - -"A favorable enough wind, if we want to go direct to the Kaministikwia," -remarked Hugh, "but do we?" - -"It is at the Kaministikwia where we must sell the furs." - -"But how about our revenge on Ohrante? Are we to let him meet those -reinforcements at his Torture Island, and then go on capturing innocent -people and putting them to death for his own pleasure? Ohrante is a -menace to both white men and Ojibwas, Blaise." - -"Yes, I know that," the younger lad replied slowly, "but what can you and -I alone do against him and his band and the new braves who come to join -him? I am as eager as you to see Ohrante destroyed. I long to avenge my -father by doing the deed with my own hands, but we must plan cautiously. -If we are over rash, we shall fail." - -"What would you do then, Blaise?" - -"I would go quickly to the Kaministikwia, leave the furs there, and find -other men to go with us to the Isle of Torture." - -"That will take a long time," Hugh objected. "We may be too late." - -"Then we will cross to Minong again. We know where his camp is. Oh, we -can find men eager to seek out Ohrante and his wolf pack wherever they -may be, and destroy them like the wolves they are. The X Y agent will -help us to raise a party. Ohrante was brought into this country by the -Old Company. He is a skillful hunter and took to them many pelts." - -"True. The New Company will be glad to help capture the fellow no doubt," -Hugh agreed. - -"But you and I, as our father's sons, will claim the right to deal with -him." There was a hard, fierce note in the lad's voice. Jean Beaupre had -not been a mild man, yet it was not so much the hot-tempered French -father that spoke now in the son, as the fierce, implacable savage. -Bitterly as Hugh hated the giant Mohawk, he sensed something different -and alien in his half-brother's passion. Through the weeks of constant -association with Blaise, Hugh had ceased ordinarily to think of him as -Indian, but now, for the moment, he was not Blaise Beaupre, but -Attekonse, Ojibwa. Yet it was the white boy who was the most impatient at -the thought of delay in dealing with Ohrante. - -The wind, however, had apparently settled the question. The breeze would -carry the boat northwest to Thunder Bay, but would be more hindrance than -help in going southwest to Grand Portage. In the lee of an island, the -brothers raised their mast and ran up their sail. As they paddled out -from shelter, the breeze caught the canvas and they were off across the -lake. - -Clouds had covered the moon, and it was too dark to sight Thunder Cape. -The boys could do nothing but run before the wind and trust to it to -carry them somewhere near their destination. At any rate they were -leaving Minong and putting the miles between themselves and the cruel, -self-appointed chief of the island. That wonderful and beautiful island, -which the white men had appropriately called Royale, deserved a better -king, and the first step in the right direction was to depose the present -usurper, thought Hugh with grim humor. - - - - - XXXI - WITH WIND AND WAVES - - -In the light breeze the bateau sailed but slowly, and the boys, in their -impatience, strove to increase speed by helping with the paddles. As they -went farther out, however, the wind increased, and before long they laid -aside the blades, satisfied that they were making fairly good progress. - -Overhead the stars shone dimly. To the south and east, the sky was banked -with masses of cloud. Hugh, glancing that way, felt uneasy. A rain-storm -coming down upon the heavily loaded, open bateau would be unpleasant if -not disastrous. From the behavior of the sail, he knew that the wind was -less steady. During the past two months he had learned something of the -moods of Lake Superior, and he understood that he must be ready for a -sudden shift. He had been handling both sheet and tiller, but now he -turned the steering over to his brother. - -The change of wind came suddenly and with force. For a few moments Hugh -had his hands full. Blaise obeyed orders on the instant, sail and boat -were swung about, and were soon running freely before the wind again. - -"We may not reach the Kaministikwia so soon as we hoped," Hugh commented, -when the momentary danger was past. "The wind seems to be taking us where -it chooses. As near as I can tell we must be running almost directly west -now instead of northwest." - -Blaise looked up at the only patch of clear sky visible. "Yes, I think we -go west. If the wind holds steady we shall reach the shore somewhere -between the Kaministikwia and the Grand Portage. If it shifts again----" -He broke off with a shrug. - -"If it shifts again," Hugh took up the words, "we shall reach somewhere -sometime, unless we go to the bottom. Even that would be a better fate -than falling into Ohrante's hands." - -The breeze was increasing in force, the waves running ever higher. Hugh -and Blaise were kept busy and alert. Before the wind, the bateau was -sailing swiftly enough so that there was little danger of following seas -actually swamping it, but, heavily laden, it rode low, with little -buoyancy. Every time it pitched down into the trough of the waves it -shipped water. Those were the dangerous moments. With the utmost care in -handling sail and rudder, the brothers could do little to insure against -disaster. To keep straight before the wind, not to lose control of sail -or rudder, and to take the chances with coolness and composure was about -all there was to do. As they drove on in the darkness, now riding high on -the summit of a wave, now pitching down between walls of water, they lost -all count of time. - -The waves seemed to be flattening out a little. Surely they were less -high and long, yet they were even more troublesome, for they had grown -choppy and uneven. When Blaise steered straight with them, Hugh found the -sail swinging around. When he sailed directly before the wind, the boat -pitched at an angle with the waves. - -"The wind has shifted again," he said anxiously. - -"It comes from the northeast now," Blaise returned. - -Both were too busy and anxious to talk. Hugh confined his speech to -sharply given orders and Blaise to answering grunts. The spray of -breaking waves soaked them both, time and again. The boat was shipping a -good deal of water, but bailing was impossible. The elder brother had his -hands full with the sail, the younger was compelled to give all his -attention to steering. - -Gradually conditions improved. The wind steadied and the waves obeyed it. -Once more the bateau could ride them straight, while running directly -before the breeze. The clouds were broken now, moving swiftly across the -sky, covering and uncovering the moon and stars. Whenever the boys dared -to take their eyes from sail and water, they glanced upward. When enough -sky had been blown clean to show them the position of the moon and -principal stars, both lads were surprised to learn that dawn was not -nearer. It seemed to them that they had been pitching about in the waves -for a very long time, yet the day was still hours away. - -The wind continued strong, the waves were higher than ever, but the -brothers had gained more confidence in the sailing qualities of the boat -and in their own ability to handle it. Less water was being shipped, and -by bailing when they had a chance, they managed to keep it from rising -too high. Now that the sky was clearing and there was more light on the -lake, they could see farther across it. As the boat rose to the top of a -wave, Blaise said suddenly, "L'isle du Pate." - -Hugh looked quickly and, before the bateau pitched down between the -waves, he caught a glimpse of a compact, abrupt, black mass towering from -the water not many miles to his right. There seemed to be no chance of -reaching the mouth of the Kaministikwia though. To turn and run in past -the south side of Pie Island was out of the question. The square sail -would be worse than useless, and the laden bateau would inevitably be -swamped in the trough of the waves. - -The stars were waning in the paling sky. The short summer night was -drawing to a close and dawn was approaching. South and west of Pie Island -and nearer at hand, lower lines of shore appeared, the chain of islands -from one of which the adventurers had set out for the Isle Royale. Those -islands, across several miles of heaving water, were still too far away -to be reached. Wind and waves were carrying the bateau by. The sun, -coming up in an almost clear sky, found the boat still running southwest -on a course almost parallel with the unattainable chain of islands. - -As the hours passed, the boys were encouraged to discover that they were -drawing gradually nearer and nearer to the islands on the right. What was -still better, they were bearing straight towards land ahead, continuous, -high land they knew must be the main shore. It seemed that they must -reach the mainland not many miles to the southwest of the place where the -chain of islands diverged from it. Hugh had long since ceased to be -particular where he landed, if it was only in some spot where food might -be obtained. Rations the day before had been very scanty, and he was -exceedingly hungry. - -The wind was strong but steady, the waves long and high. The bateau, as -it plunged down into the trough, continued to ship a little water, but -the boys kept it down by bailing when a hand and arm could be spared. -They were borne nearer and nearer to the land. As they ran past a group -of small islets not more than a half mile distant, with a larger and -higher island showing beyond them, Hugh glanced that way and considered -trying to turn. - -Blaise guessed his brother's thought. "The mainland is not far now," he -said, "and we go straight towards it. Let us go on until we can land -without danger to the furs. There will be more chance to find food on the -mainland also." - -Both of the younger boy's arguments had weight with Hugh. He gave up the -idea of attempting to turn, and they went on with wind and waves. At the -end of another hour they were bearing down upon an irregular, rocky -point. - -"Is that island or mainland, do you think?" Hugh inquired. - -"Mainland," was the unhesitating reply. "I remember the place. Have I not -passed it three times in the last two moons?" - -Hugh made no answer. He himself must have passed that spot twice within -two months, but there were so many rocky points along the shore. Hugh was -observing enough in the white man's way, but he did not see how Blaise -could remember all those places and tell them apart. - -The bateau ran close to the point. When a bay came into view, Hugh -expected Blaise to steer in, but the latter made no move to do so. - -"It is steep and rocky there," he explained, with a nod towards the -abrupt-shored cove. "Beyond yet a little way is a better place, shallow -and well protected." - -Past another point and along a steep rock shore they sailed. Here they -were in much calmer water, for the points broke the force of wind and -waves. As they approached a group of small islands, Blaise remarked, "It -is best to take down the sail. We can paddle in." - -Accordingly Hugh lowered the sail and took up his paddle, while Blaise -steered the bateau in among the islets. In a few moments the haven lay -revealed, an almost round bay, its entrance nearly closed by islets. The -islands and the points on either side were rocky, but the shores of the -bay were low and densely wooded with tamarack, cedar and black spruce. -The water was almost calm, and the boys made a landing on a bit of beach -on the inner side and under the high land of the right hand point. - -Hugh had not realized that he was particularly tired. The strain of the -dangerous voyage had kept him alert, but he had had no sleep for two -nights. Now, suddenly, an overpowering weariness and weakness came over -him. His legs almost collapsed under him. He dropped down on the beach, -too utterly exhausted to move. He was on solid land again, but he could -scarcely realize it. His head was dizzy, and the moment his eyes closed -he seemed to be heaving up and down again. - - - - - XXXII - THE FIRE AT THE END OF THE TRAIL - - -When Hugh woke, the dizziness and sense of swaying up and down were gone. -He sat up, feeling strangely weak and hollow, and looked about him. The -bateau was drawn up on the beach, but Blaise was nowhere in sight. From -the shadows Hugh could tell that the sun was on its downward journey. He -had slept several hours. He was just gathering up his courage to get up, -when he heard a stone rattling down the rock hill behind him. Turning his -head, he saw Blaise descending. The boy was carrying several fish strung -on a withe. Hugh eyed those fish with hungry eyes. He could almost eat -them raw, he thought. He got to his feet and looked around for fuel. Not -until he had a fire kindled, and,--too impatient to let it burn down to -coals or to wait for water to heat,--was holding a piece of fish on a -crotched stick before the blaze, did he ask his younger brother where he -had been. - -"I slept for a while," Blaise admitted, "but not for long. My hunger was -too great. I took my gun and my line and climbed to the top of the point. -I went along the steep cliff, but I found no game and no tracks. Then I -came to that rocky bay. The shores are steep there and the water clear. I -climbed out upon a rock and caught these fish. They are not big, but they -are better than no food." - -"They certainly are," Hugh agreed whole-heartedly. - -The elder brother's pride in his own strength and endurance was humbled. -He had slept, exhausted, for hours, while the half-breed boy, nearly -three years younger than himself, had walked two or three miles in search -of food. - -When no eatable morsel of the fish remained, the brothers' thoughts -turned to their next move. - -"We are far nearer the Grand Portage than the Kaministikwia," Hugh said -thoughtfully. "We had better follow my first plan and go down the shore -instead of up. We can surely find others at the Portage willing to go -with us against Ohrante." - -"It is all we can do," Blaise assented, "unless we wait here for the wind -to change. It is almost from the north now. We must go against it if we -go up the Bay of Thunder. The other way, the shore will shelter us. But -we cannot start yet. We must wait a little for the waves to go down." - -"And in the meantime we will seek more food," Hugh added. "Why not try -fishing among those little islands?" - -The channels among the islets proved good fishing ground. By sunset the -lads had plenty of trout to insure against any danger of starvation for -another day at least. The waves had gone down enough to permit travel in -the shelter of the shore. Sailing was out of the question, and paddling -the laden bateau would be slow work, but Hugh was too impatient to delay -longer, and Blaise more than willing to go on. - -After half an hour of slow progress, the younger brother made a -suggestion. "We are not far from the Riviere aux Tourtres now." He used -the French name for the Pigeon River, a name which seems to mean "river -of turtles." The word _tourtres_ doubtless referred to turtle doves or -pigeons. "To paddle this bateau," Blaise went on, "is very slow, and to -reach Wauswaugoning by water we must go far out into the waves around -that long point below the river mouth. But along the south bank of the -river is an Ojibwa trail. At a bend the trail leaves the river and goes -on across the point to Wauswaugoning. We shall save time if we go that -way, by land." - -"What about the boat and the furs?" - -"We will leave them behind. There is a little cove near the river mouth -where the bateau will be safe. The furs we can hide among the rocks. We -shall not be gone many days if all goes well. No white man I think and -few Ojibwas go that way. An Ojibwa will not disturb a cache," Blaise -added confidently. - -"Yet I don't like the idea of leaving the furs," Hugh protested. - -"They will be safer there than at the Grand Portage, where the men of the -Old Company might find them." - -"Why not turn them over to the X Y clerk at the Portage?" Hugh -questioned. - -"No, no. If our father had wanted them taken there he would have said so. -Again and again he said to take them to the New Company at the -Kaministikwia. He had a debt there, a small one, and he did not like the -man in charge at the Grand Portage. There was some trouble between them, -I know not what." - -Blaise was usually willing to yield to his elder brother's judgment, but -this time he proved obstinate. Jean Beaupre's commands must be carried -out to the letter. His younger son would not consent to the slightest -modification. - -Darkness had come when the two reached the mouth of the Pigeon River, but -the moon was bright and Blaise had no difficulty steering into the little -cove. Alders growing down to the water concealed the boat when it was -pulled up among them. Blaise assured Hugh that, even in daylight, it -could not be seen from the narrow entrance to the cove. The mast was -taken down and the sail spread over the bottom of a hollow in the rocks. -On the canvas the bales of furs were piled, and a blanket was thrown over -the heap. The boys cut several poles, laid them across the hole, the ends -resting on the rock rim, and covered them with sheets of birch bark, -stripped from an old, half-dead tree. The crude roof, weighted down with -stones, would serve to keep out small animals as well as to shed rain. -All this work was done rapidly by the light of the moon. - -The cache completed, Blaise led Hugh to the opening of the trail at the -river mouth. The trail, the boy said, had been used by the Ojibwas for -many years. A narrow, rough, but distinct path had been trodden by the -many moccasined feet that had travelled over it. The moonlight filtered -through the trees, and Blaise, who had been that way before, followed the -track readily. With them the brothers carried the remaining blanket, the -gun, ammunition, kettle and the rest of their fish. As Blaise had said, -the trail ran along the south bank until a bend was reached, then, -leaving the river, went on in the same westerly direction across the -point of land between the mouth of the Pigeon River and Wauswaugoning -Bay. The whole distance was not more than three miles, and the boys made -good time. - -Hugh thought they must be nearing the end of the path, when Blaise -stopped suddenly with a low exclamation. The elder brother looked over -the younger's shoulder. Among the trees ahead glowed the yellow light of -a small fire. - -"Wait here a moment," Blaise whispered. And he slipped forward among the -trees. - -In a few minutes he was back again. "There are three men," he said, -"sleeping by a fire, a white man and two Ojibwas. One of the Ojibwas I -know and he knew our father. We need not fear, but because of the white -man, we will say nothing of the furs." - -The two went forward almost noiselessly, but, in spite of their quiet -approach, when they came out of the woods by the fire, one of the Indians -woke and sat up. - -"Bo-jou," remarked Blaise. - -The second Indian was awake now. "Bo-jou, bo-jou," both replied, gazing -at the newcomers. - -The white man rolled over, but before he could speak, Hugh sprang towards -him with a cry of pleasure. "Baptiste, it is good to see you! How come -you here?" - -"Eh la, Hugh Beaupre, and I might ask that of you yourself," returned the -astonished Frenchman. "I inquired for you at the Grand Portage, but the -men at the fort knew nothing of you. When I said you were with your -brother Attekonse, one man remembered seeing him with a white man. That -was all I could learn. I was sore afraid some evil had befallen you. You -are long in returning to the Sault." - -"Yes," Hugh replied with some hesitation. "I have stayed longer than I -intended. Is the _Otter_ at the Grand Portage, Baptiste?" - -"No, she has returned to the New Fort. I came on her to the Grand -Portage. We brought supplies for the post and for the northmen going -inland to winter. There was a man at the Portage, a Canadian like myself, -who wanted sorely to go to the Kaministikwia. He has wife and child -there, and the mate of the sloop brought him word that the child was very -sick. So as I have neither wife nor child and am in no haste, I let him -have my place. Now I am returning by canoe, with Manihik and Keneu here." - -At the mention of their names, the two Indians nodded gravely towards -Hugh and repeated their "Bo-jou, bo-jou." - -"We camp here until the wind goes down," Baptiste concluded. - -During the Frenchman's explanation, Hugh had been doing some rapid -thinking and had come to a decision. He knew Baptiste for a simple, -honest, true-hearted fellow. In one of his Indian companions Blaise had -already expressed confidence. - -"Baptiste," Hugh asked abruptly, "have you ever heard of Ohrante, the -Iroquois hunter?" - -There was a fierce grunt from one of the Indians. The black eyes of both -were fixed on Hugh. - -"Truly I have," Baptiste replied promptly. "As great a villain as ever -went unhanged." - -"Would you like to help get him hanged?" - -Keneu sprang to his feet. It was evident he had understood something of -what Hugh had said. "I go," he cried fiercely in bad French. "Where is -the Iroquois wolf?" - -"There is an island down the shore," Hugh went on, "the Island of -Torture, Ohrante calls it, where he and his band take their prisoners and -torture them to death. Sometime soon he is to hold a sort of council -there." - -"How know you that?" Baptiste interrupted. - -"I shall have to tell you the whole story." Hugh turned to his -half-brother. "Blaise, shall we tell them all? Baptiste I can trust, I -know." - -"As you think best, my brother." - -Sitting on a log by the fire at the edge of the woods, while the -moonlight flooded the bay beyond, Hugh related his strange tale to the -amazed and excited Canadian and the intent, fierce-eyed Keneu, the "War -Eagle." The other Indian also watched and listened, but it was evident -from his face that he understood little or nothing of what was said. Hugh -made few concealments. Frankly he told the story of the search for the -hidden furs, the encounters with Ohrante and his band, the capture and -escape, and what Blaise had learned from overhearing the conversations -between Monga and the Indian with the red head band. Hugh did not -mention, however, the packet he carried under his shirt, nor did he say -definitely where he and Blaise had left the bateau and the furs. Those -details were not essential to the story, and might as well be omitted. - -"We know now it was through Ohrante father was killed," the boy -concluded, "and we, Blaise and I, intend that the Iroquois shall pay the -penalty for his crime. He has other evil deeds to pay for as well, and -that isn't all. As long as he is at liberty, he is a menace to white man -and peaceable Indian alike. He calls himself Chief of Minong, and he has -an ambition to be a sort of savage king. He is swollen with vanity and -belief in his own greatness, and he seems to be a natural leader of men, -with a sort of uncanny influence over those he draws about him. One -moment you think him ridiculous, but the next you are not sure he is not -a great man. If he succeeds in gathering a really strong band he can do -serious harm." - -Keneu gave a grunt of assent, and Baptiste nodded emphatically. "He must -be taken," the latter said. - -"Taken or destroyed, like the wolf he is," Hugh replied grimly. "We have -a plan, Blaise and I." - -For nearly an hour longer, the five sat by the fire discussing, in -English, French and Ojibwa, Hugh's plan. Then, a decision reached, each -rolled himself in his blanket for a few hours' sleep. - - - - - XXXIII - THE CAPTURE OF MONGA - - -Baptiste's canoe was large enough to accommodate Hugh and Blaise, and the -party were up and away early. The lake was no longer rough, so they made -good time through Wauswaugoning Bay and around the point to the Grand -Portage. Though Baptiste had been employed, in one capacity or another, -by the Old Northwest Company, he was under no contract. An independent -spirited fellow, who came and went much as he pleased, he did not feel -under any obligation to the Old Company and was not an ardent partisan of -that organization, so he made no objection when Hugh proposed that they -try the X Y post for help in their undertaking. The men of either company -would be glad no doubt to lay hands on the rascally Iroquois but the X Y -men's grievance was the stronger, since Ohrante had been in the employ of -the Old Company when he committed his first crime. The white man he had -slain was an independent trapper, affiliated with neither company, but -Jean Beaupre had been under contract, for the one season at least, to the -New Company. To learn that he too had come to his death through the Giant -Mohawk would add fuel to the flame of the X Y men's anger. - -Shunning the Old Company's dock, the party crossed the bay to the X Y -landing. At the post Hugh and Blaise told as much of their story as was -essential to prove that they had really encountered Ohrante, had learned -his plans and knew where to lay hands on him. The time for the annual -meeting of the New Northwest Company, still held at the Grand Portage -post, was approaching. None of the partners or leading men had yet -arrived, but most of the northmen, as the men who wintered inland west of -the lake, were called, had come with their furs, and a considerable -number of Indians were gathered at the post. The agent in charge could -not leave, but in a very few minutes the boys had recruited a dozen men, -half-breeds and Indians, with one white man, a Scotchman, to lead them. - -It would not do to approach the Island of Torture in too great force. -Hugh and Blaise, with Baptiste and the two Indians, were to go first, -find out whether Ohrante's recruits had assembled and watch for the -coming of the chief himself. The men from the Grand Portage, in two -canoes, would start later. Hugh had a very simple plan, which promised to -be effective, to prevent Ohrante from leaving his council island before -the Grand Portage party arrived. - -The plan of campaign arranged, the scouts got under way at once. As they -rounded the high point to the south and west of the Grand Portage Bay, -they noticed, coming from the open lake, a large canoe with only two men. -It was headed straight for the land, but suddenly swung about and turned -down shore. Blaise, who was second from the bow, raised his paddle for a -moment, while he gazed intently at the other canoe. - -Turning his head, he called back to Hugh and Baptiste, "Red Band! We must -catch them. It is Red Band and I think Monga." - -"_Vite!_ Make speed!" ordered Baptiste. "We will separate those two from -the rest of Ohrante's rascals." - -He scarcely needed to give the command. Keneu, in the bow, had already -quickened his powerful stroke. The others followed his lead and the five -blades dipped and rose with vigorous, rapid rhythm. The Indians ahead did -their best, bending to their paddles with desperate energy, but their -canoe was fully as large as Baptiste's and they were two paddles to five. -The pursuers gained steadily. They must certainly overtake the fugitives. - -Suddenly the fleeing canoe swerved towards the land. Keneu saw in an -instant what the two men were trying to do. They intended to beach their -boat and take to the woods, trusting to lose their pursuers in the thick -growth. The Indian bow-man gave a sharp order. Baptiste's canoe swung in -towards shore. It must cut off the fugitives, get between them and the -land. The shore was steep and rocky, and there was no good place to beach -a boat. Yet so great was the panic of Monga and Red Band that they kept -straight on. Despairing of escape by water, they were ready to smash -their canoe on the rocks and take a chance of reaching land. - -They did not even get near to the shore. In their panic haste, they -failed to notice a warning ripple and eddy ahead. Their canoe struck full -on the jagged edge of a rock just below the surface. The pursuers were -close enough to hear the ripping sound, as the sharp rock tore a great -gash in the thin bark. The water rushed in. Red Band sprang from the bow, -but Monga remained where he was in the stern, the canoe settling under -him. - -The pursuers bent to their paddles and shot towards the wrecked boat. -They reached the spot just as Monga was going down, but they did not -intend to let him escape them by drowning. Keneu reached out a sinewy arm -and seized the sinking man by the neck of his deerskin shirt, while the -others threw their bodies the other way and backed water to hold the -canoe steady and keep it off the sharp rock. - -The sensation of going down in that cold water must have instilled in -Monga a dread greater than his fear of capture, for he made no struggle -to free himself. As if the fellow had been a fish too large to be landed, -his captors passed him back from hand to hand until he came into the -keeping of the other Indian in the stern. The captive could not be pulled -aboard, so Manihik ordered him to hold to the rim. Kneeling face towards -the stern, he held Monga by the shoulders, and towed him behind the canoe -till Keneu found a landing place. - -Red Band had disappeared. Blaise, who had watched, felt sure Monga's -companion had not reached shore. He had gone down and had not come up. -Either he was unable to swim or had struck his head on a rock. Whatever -had happened, there was no sign of him. - -When shallow water was reached, Manihik took good care that his dripping -prisoner should not escape. Monga was towed ashore and his wrists and -ankles bound with rawhide rope. He said not a word, his broad face sullen -and set. - -Not until Blaise had asked him several questions in Ojibwa, did the -captive deign to speak. Even then he answered with reluctance, a word or -two at a time in sullen grunts. Then a question suddenly loosed his -tongue, and he poured out a torrent of guttural speech. The other two -Indians and Baptiste, who understood a little Ojibwa, listened intently, -but Hugh could make out no word, except the names Ohrante and Minong. - -When Monga paused, Blaise, his hazel eyes shining, turned to his brother. -"We have not so many enemies to oppose us as we thought. Ohrante has only -five of his old men left. The young Iroquois who captured you is dead." - -"That fellow dead?" Hugh exclaimed. "Are you sure Monga isn't lying?" - -"He speaks the truth, I am certain," Blaise replied confidently. "When -Ohrante found you had escaped, he was in a great rage. He held the young -Iroquois, Monga and Red Band to blame, and threatened all three with -death, unless they found you and brought you back. Because the small -canoe was gone, they believed you had escaped by water. We hoped the -empty canoe might drift up the bay, but they found it not. The Iroquois -thought you might have gone into the Bay of Manitos. Monga had no wish to -go there. He was afraid of the giant manitos, he says, but he was -desperate and at last agreed. They found our fire on the stones at the -end of that island. Monga believed you had crossed the mouth of the bay -and had gone on the other side of Minong, but the Iroquois wished to go -up the narrow channel. They went up the channel, as we know, to what they -believed to be the end. The shallow water and the fallen cedar deceived -them. So they turned back and went on across the mouth of the Bay of -Manitos." - -"What were Ohrante and the others doing all that time?" - -"They searched the western side of Minong. Monga says Ohrante would not -go into the Bay of Manitos himself." - -"Then he evidently didn't suspect our trick." - -"No, but I think perhaps the young Iroquois suspected, and that was why -he wished to search the bay." Blaise went on with his tale. "Monga and -Red Band were in despair when they could not find you. They proposed that -the three of them should run away to the mainland, but the Iroquois was -too proud to be a coward. He wished to go on with the search or go back -to take the punishment. So Monga pretended he could see the end of a -canoe among the trees on an island. They landed, and Monga and Red Band -murdered the Iroquois and left him there. Then they started for the -mainland." - -"They were the ones we saw when we were going out of the bay." - -"Yes, they went around the long point, past that bay, and along the -northwest side of Minong, but the wind came up and they could not cross. -This morning they have crossed over." - -"We should have nothing further to fear from Monga then, even if we had -not captured him." - -Blaise shrugged contemptuously. "Monga is a coward and a fool. He says he -was angry because the traders sold him a bad musket. It exploded when he -tried to fire it and blew off his little finger. So he joined the Mohawk -wolf who boasted that he would drive the white men away. Monga thought -Ohrante was a great chief and a powerful medicine man, but when he -proposed to go to Minong, Monga was afraid. Then Ohrante told him that -Minong was a wonderful place where they would grow rich and mighty and -have everything they wished. He said he was such a great medicine man -that the spirits of the island would do his bidding." - -"And they didn't," put in Hugh with a grin. - -The swift, flashing smile like his father's crossed the younger boy's -face. "Monga was disappointed to find Minong little different from the -mainland. When he heard the spirits threatening Ohrante and saw the chief -frightened, he began to lose faith in him. You escaped, and Ohrante's -medicine was not strong enough to find you and bring you back. He would -not even go to the Bay of Manitos to seek you. So Monga knew the Chief of -Minong was just a man like other men. He has run away and wants no more -of Ohrante." - -"Just the same I think we had better keep an eye on him," Hugh decided. -"We'll take him with us." - -Blaise nodded. "There is still much Monga has not told us," he replied. - -It was finally settled that Baptiste and the two Indians should take the -prisoner with them, while Hugh and Blaise went on ahead in the captured -canoe. It was their plan to approach the Island of Torture under cover of -darkness. Conditions being good, the two boys paddled steadily. Late in -the afternoon they paused for a meal. They had not many more miles to go, -and would wait until nightfall. Before they had finished their supper, -Baptiste's canoe came in sight. Monga had expressed willingness to wield -a paddle, but Baptiste did not trust him. The "Loon" rode as a compulsory -passenger, wrists and ankles still bound. At Hugh's signal, Baptiste ran -in to shore to wait with the others for darkness. - - - - - XXXIV - MONGA'S STORY - - -During the enforced wait for nightfall, Blaise put more questions to the -Indian prisoner. Monga, anxious to ingratiate himself with his captors, -talked freely. - -Ohrante, the captive said, after his first crime, capture and escape, had -fled with Monga and the other Ojibwa who had helped him to get away. At -the lake shore they had come across two Iroquois hunters, the tall fellow -with the malicious grin and another. When Ohrante proposed to take refuge -on Minong, the Ojibwas held back. The Mohawk, however, told them a long -story about how his mother, a captive among the Iroquois, had been a -direct descendant of the ancient tribe or clan who had once lived on -Minong and had mined copper there. Her ancestors had been chieftains of -that powerful people, Ohrante asserted, and he himself was hereditary -Chief of Minong. From his mother's people and also from his father, who -was a Mohawk medicine man, the giant claimed to have inherited marvellous -magic powers. He had further increased those powers by going through -various mysterious experiences and ordeals. The manitos of Minong, he -said, awaited his coming. He had had a dream, several moons before, in -which the spirits, in the forms of birds and beasts, had appeared to him -and begged him to come and rule over them. They would do his bidding and -aid him to destroy his enemies and to become chief of all the tribes -about the Upper Lakes. He would unite those tribes into a powerful nation -and drive the white men from the country. - -Persuaded by Ohrante's arguments, the four Indians accompanied him to -Minong. Their first camp was made on the southwestern end of the island. -There Ohrante and the two Ojibwas, secure from pursuit, remained while -the others crossed again to the mainland and brought back more recruits, -an Ojibwa, a Cree and another Iroquois hunter. The band of eight roamed -about the western side of the island by land and water. Most of the -winter they spent in a long, narrow bay, where, according to Monga, they -found many pieces of copper. In the spring, in search of the wonders -their chief had promised them, they reached the northeastern end of the -island. Then came a hard storm of wind, rain and snow, accompanied by -fog. Three days after the storm, when the waves had gone down, the band -entered, for the first time, the bay west of the long point. There they -found and captured Jean Beaupre and Black Thunder. It was evident from -Monga's tale that he knew nothing of the hidden furs. Ohrante had -accepted the story Jean Beaupre had told of having lost everything in the -storm, when his bateau, driven out of its course, had been dashed into a -rift in the rocks of the long point. Undoubtedly Beaupre must have had -some warning of the approach of the Indians, for he had had time, as the -boys knew, to secrete the furs. The fact that Black Thunder had suffered -an injury to one leg, when the boat was wrecked, might account for the -failure of the two to dodge the giant and his band. - -When Monga finished this part of his story, Blaise turned from him to -translate to Hugh. - -"Ask him," the elder brother suggested, "if father knew he was on the -Isle Royale." - -Blaise put the question and translated the reply. "Monga says our father -knew not where he was. The weather was thick and cloudy, there was no sun -and it was not possible to see far. Our father thought he was somewhere -on the mainland. Ohrante did not tell him where he was. The chief wished -no man to know the hiding place. The prisoners were kept bound. They were -given something cooked from leaves that made them sleep sound. Then they -were put in the canoes and taken to the other end of the island. By night -they were brought across to the Isle of Torture." - -"That explains father's not telling you where he was wrecked. He had no -idea he had been driven to Minong. But why did Ohrante bring his captives -away over here? What was his motive? Can you find out?" - -Again Blaise asked a question, listening gravely to the answer. "Monga -says that he and Ohrante and the other Ojibwa camped on that little -island they now call the Isle of Torture, when they first escaped from -our father, and Ohrante dreamed that night that he had many white -captives and put them to the torture one after another. Monga thinks it -was because of that dream that the chief brought his captives over to -that island." - -"How did father escape?" Hugh questioned eagerly. - -Again Blaise turned to Monga, and soon had the rest of the story. At the -Torture Island, Ohrante had met with several recruits, who brought with -them a supply of liquor stolen from some trading post. The torture of the -two captives, Ohrante's part of the entertainment, was postponed until -night. During the day the party feasted and drank. They consumed all of -the liquor, which was full strength, not diluted with water as it usually -was before being sold to the Indians. By night the whole band were lying -about the island in a heavy stupor. Even the lookout, who had been -stationed in a tree to give warning of the approach of danger, had come -down to get his share. - -When the band came to their senses next morning, they found the prisoners -gone. The thongs with which they had been tied lay on the ground, one -piece of rawhide having been worn through by being pulled across a -sharp-edged bit of rock. A canoe was gone and another had a great hole in -it, but a third boat, on the other side of the island, the prisoners had -not found. Monga's Ojibwa comrade, the one who had helped Ohrante to -escape justice, had been set to guard the captives. In a rage, Ohrante -threatened the fellow with torture in their stead. The guard begged to be -allowed to track the escaped prisoners, and the chief consented. A high -wind had blown all night and the lake was rough, too rough for the -fugitives to have travelled far by water. The channel between shore and -island was protected from the wind, however, and some of the band crossed -and found the canoe the escaped prisoners had used. Black Thunder's lame -leg prevented rapid travelling, and at the Devil Track River, the -negligent guard and one of the Iroquois overtook the fugitives. Stealing -quietly upon them, the Ojibwa attacked Jean Beaupre, the Iroquois, Black -Thunder. Black Thunder struggled desperately, and the Iroquois was -obliged to fight for his life. He slew Black Thunder, only to find his -Ojibwa companion lying dead a little farther on. Jean Beaupre was gone. - -The Iroquois tried to follow Beaupre, but, being himself wounded, fell -fainting from loss of blood. Monga and another of the band, sent after -the two by Ohrante, found the Iroquois unable to travel without help. It -was Monga who had kindled the cooking fire, the remains of which Hugh had -found. Blaise spoke of finding the blood-stained tunic and Monga said -that the Iroquois had stripped it from Black Thunder, but Monga and the -other Indian would not let him carry the shirt away for fear of the -vengeance of the thunder bird pictured upon it. The three returned to the -Island of Torture without attempting to follow Beaupre farther. When the -lake calmed, two of the band took the winter catch of furs to the Grand -Portage and exchanged them for supplies. Then the whole party returned to -Minong, living for some time at the southern end. In a later raid they -captured the unfortunate Indian, Ohrante's personal enemy, whom the boys -had seen being tortured. One of the chief's men was killed in the -encounter, another deserted and several were left on the mainland to -obtain recruits. - -The rest went back to Minong and travelled to the northern end again. In -the bay west of the long, high point, they found the spot the crew of the -_Otter_ had cleared, and built their wigwams there. The discovery that -someone else had visited the place made Ohrante a bit uneasy, and he kept -a lookout stationed on the high ridge. When the Beaupre brothers reached -the point, all of the band except two happened to be away on a hunting -trip. The two guards, neglectful of lookout duty, had failed to see the -lads approach. It must have been one of them who had fired the shot that -aroused the boys at dawn. Ohrante and one canoe of the hunting party -returned that very day. The call that had so startled Hugh, when he was -about to open the packet, was a signal from one of the camp guards to the -returning chief. Luckily for the brothers they were well hidden in the -pit, and Ohrante and his men were back at their camp long before the two -lads reached theirs. The other canoe of hunters did not return until the -following day. Luck had been poor, and Monga proposed to his companions -that they round the long, high point and look for game on the other side. -They were headed towards the rocky tip, when, suddenly, before their -astonished eyes, a giant form appeared on the open rocks. The giant -turned, looked straight at the canoe, then seemed to sink into the -ground. Just as he vanished, however, a second giant, even taller than -the first, loomed up. Monga and his comrades turned and fled. Monga -looked back once, just in time to see one of the giants spring up out of -the rocks, he said. The frightened Indians took refuge beyond the low -point on the other side of the bay, and stayed there until the fog came -in, before daring to venture to camp. They told Ohrante of seeing -Nanibozho and Kepoochikan on the end of the long point, but he, to -strengthen his followers' belief in his magical powers, insisted next day -on rounding the point. In the Bay of Manitos, the Chief of Minong had the -scare of his life. - -Darkness had come by the time Blaise had learned all this from the -prisoner and had translated it to Hugh and Baptiste. It was time to make -a start. Monga was left behind, and to prevent his crying out or -attracting attention in any way, he was gagged and tied to a tree. Then -the others embarked in Baptiste's canoe. The weather favored them. The -night was dark, not a ray of moonlight penetrating the thick clouds. Only -a light breeze rippled the water and the air was unusually warm. - -Noiselessly, through the deepest shadows, the canoe approached the Island -of Torture. From the upper end, the black mass appeared to be quite -deserted. No gleam of fire shone through the trees. As the canoe slipped -along close to the mainland, however, the flickering light of a small -fire appeared ahead. That fire was not on the island, but on the mainland -opposite. Swerving in to shore, the canoe was brought to a stop, its prow -just touching a bit of beach. Without speaking a word, and making -scarcely a sound, the five stepped out, deposited the boat upon the -pebbles and gathered around it in a knot. - -Keneu, his mouth close to the half-breed boy's ear, whispered a word or -two. Blaise nodded, and in an instant the Indian was gone into the -darkness. Blaise turned to Hugh and explained in the softest of whispers: -"Keneu goes to learn who they are." - -Silent, almost motionless, the rest of the party remained standing on the -bit of beach in the thick darkness of the sheltering bushes. Hugh's eyes -were fastened on the black, silent island across the narrow channel. Had -Ohrante changed his plans? He felt his younger brother's hand on his arm, -and turned about. He could just distinguish a low, hissing sound, which -he realized was the Indian making his report to Blaise. - -The sound ceased and the boy's lips were at Hugh's ear. "There are four -men camping there. One is an Iroquois. They wait for Ohrante to come. -Then they go to the island." - -"He hasn't come yet, then?" Hugh whispered back. - -"No, these are new men except the Iroquois. They come to join Ohrante. -They have liquor, but the Iroquois will not let them drink until the -chief comes." - -"Then the only thing we can do is wait." - -"That is all. We can watch the island from here. When Ohrante comes we -shall know it." - - - - - XXXV - THE FALL OF THE GIANT - - -As the wait might be long, the party decided to snatch a few minutes' -sleep, one of them remaining on the lookout for the arrival of the Chief -of Minong. It was some time after midnight, when Keneu, who was doing -guard duty, discerned something moving on the lake, coming down shore. He -laid his hand on the half-breed boy's forehead, and Blaise woke at once. - -"A canoe," the Indian whispered. - -Blaise raised his head to look. "The men from the Grand Portage. What -idiots! Why not keep closer in?" - -The Indian's hand pressed the lad's shoulder warningly. "Wait," he -breathed. "Let them go by." - -Secure in the black shelter of the alders that overhung the bit of beach, -Blaise watched the approaching canoe. It came on rapidly, confidently. As -it drew close in the darkness of the channel between mainland and island, -the boy's eyes could make out no details. But his ears caught something -that made him heartily glad he had not signalled that canoe as had been -his first thought. What he heard was an order spoken in Ojibwa, in the -unmistakable, high-pitched, nasal voice of Ohrante. In obedience to the -command, the canoe swung away from the mainland towards the Island of -Torture, and disappeared in the blackness of its margin. - -Blaise drew a long breath and whispered in Keneu's ear, "Go watch the -camp and see what they do." - -Keneu made no reply, but Blaise knew he was gone, though he heard no -sound as the Indian slipped through the bushes. In the same quiet way -that Keneu had waked him, by laying his hand on the forehead of each, -Blaise aroused his companions. In a few minutes all were sitting up, wide -awake, staring at the dark water and the impenetrable blackness of the -island. There were no stars or moon. The air was unusually warm and -sultry. A pale flash lit up the dark sky for an instant. Some moments -later a low rumbling came to their ears. A storm now might spoil all -their plans, thought Hugh anxiously. - -A gleam of light shone through the trees at the farther end of the -island. A fire had been kindled as a signal that the Chief of Minong had -arrived. Again the sky was lit by a white flash. Again the thunder rolled -and rumbled. From down the channel came a sound of splashing water. No -canoe, paddled by Indians, ever made such a splashing as that. "Have they -all jumped in? Are they swimming across?" thought Hugh. - -Rolling over, he crawled down the beach. His head almost in the water, he -gazed down the channel. Another flash of lightning swept the sky. Hugh -crouched low, but in the instant of the illumination, he saw, crossing -from mainland to island, a canoe with several men, and in its wake -something black rising above the water. Hugh could not believe that the -swimming thing was really what, in the instant's flash of light, it -appeared to be. - -He turned to slip up the beach again, and found Blaise at his side. In -silence the two went back to their place beside the canoe. A few minutes -later, Blaise felt a hand on his shoulder, and Keneu's voice spoke in his -ear, in a low, hissing whisper. - -"They have left their camp. They have crossed to the island, where a fire -now burns." - -"How many canoes?" - -"Only one." - -"Are other men coming?" - -"I think not. I think they are the only ones." - -Hugh was growing impatient. It had been his intention to wait to put his -plan into operation until the party on the island had feasted and drunk -and were sleeping. The coming storm, however, threatened to thwart his -strategy. Bad weather might drive Ohrante and his band to the mainland in -search of better shelter. Even if they remained on the island, a violent -storm would delay action. In daylight he could not carry out his scheme, -and dawn was not far off. There was grave risk in acting now, but to -delay might mean to lose all chance of success. Again the lightning -flashed more brightly, the thunder rolled louder and at a shorter -interval. He must act now if at all. He put his mouth to his younger -brother's ear. - -"We must get those canoes. A storm may spoil our chance. We dare not -wait." - -"Yes," agreed Blaise. He understood the situation quite as well as Hugh. -There was no need for more than the one word. - -"You and I and Keneu will go," Hugh went on. "When we get across, Keneu -must remain with our canoe. The others must stay here to stop the men -from the Grand Portage when they come." - -"Yes," Blaise replied again, and rose to his feet. "Come," he said -briefly to the Indian. - -In a few whispered words, Hugh explained to Baptiste that he and Manihik -must remain where they were. The Frenchman was inclined to grumble. He -did not like the idea of the boys' going into action without his support. -Hugh was firm, however, and as the whole plan was his, he was by right -the leader, so Baptiste was forced to submit. By the time Hugh had -finished his explanation, Blaise and Keneu had the canoe in the water. - -Just as Hugh, as leader, took his place in the bow, a flash of lightning -lit up the sky. The moment the flash was over, the canoe was off, Blaise -in the center and Keneu in the stern. The paddling was left to the -Indian, Hugh dipping his blade only now and then on one side or the -other, as a signal to the steersman. - -The natural clearing, where the fire now blazed bright, was at the other -end of the little island. If the Indians were all gathered around the -fire, they could not see the canoe crossing from the mainland. Someone -might be down at the shore, but the attacking party had to take a chance -of that. Luckily the short passage was accomplished before the next -flash. - -On the inner side of the little island, the trees and bushes grew down to -the water. In absolute silence, the canoe slipped along, close in. -Another bright flash of lightning, quickly followed by a peal of thunder, -caused Keneu to hold his blade motionless. The boat was well screened by -the trees, however, and there was no sign that it had been observed. - -That flash of lightning had revealed something to Hugh. Just ahead was a -little curve in the margin of the island, and beyond it, a short, blunt -projection, a bit of beach with alders growing well down upon it. On the -beach were two canoes. To reach the spot, however, it would be necessary -to pass an open gap, a sort of lane leading up from the shore to the -place where the fire burned. Through the gap the firelight shone out upon -the water. It would never do to try to pass in the canoe. - -Hugh dipped his paddle and gave it a twist. The Indian understood. He too -saw the firelight on the water. The canoe swerved towards shore and -slowed down. Before it could touch and make a noise, Hugh was overside, -stepping quickly but carefully, to avoid the slightest splash. Blaise -followed. Keneu remained in the boat. He allowed his end to swing in far -enough so he could grasp an overhanging branch and hold the craft steady. - -Now came the most difficult part of the undertaking, to creep in the -darkness through the dense growth, which came clear to the water line, -around to the beach where the canoe lay. Hugh, as leader, intended to go -first, but he did not get the chance. Before he realized what the younger -boy was about, Blaise had slipped past him and taken the lead. It was -well he did so for Blaise, slender and agile, was an adept at wriggling -his way snake-like, and he seemed to have a sixth sense in the darkness -that Hugh did not possess. So Hugh was constrained to let his younger -brother pick the route. He had all he could do to follow without rustling -or crackling the thick growth. Progress was necessarily very slow, only a -few feet or even inches at a time. Whenever there came a lightning flash, -both lay flat. The flashes were less revealing in the dense growth, and -luckily the trees stood thick between the two lads and the fire. - -Blaise had reached the edge of the gap through which the yellow-red -firelight shone. He could see the fire itself, a big, roaring pile, and -the figures moving around it. The sound of voices speaking Ojibwa and -Iroquois came to his ears. Reaching back with one foot, he gave Hugh a -little warning kick, then looked for some way to cross the open space. - -The Island of Torture, like most of the islands off the northwest shore -of the lake, consisted of a low, flat-topped, rock ridge descending -gradually to the water on one side and more abruptly on the other. The -lane was a natural opening down a steep slope from the ridge top to the -water. Just at the base of the open rock lane, at the very edge of the -water, grew a row of low shrubs, so low that they did not shut off the -light of the fire, but cast only a narrow line of shadow. The one way to -cross that gap without being seen was to crawl along in the shadow of -those bushes. The water might be shallow there or it might be deep. Lying -flat, Blaise put one hand into the shadowed water. His fingers touched -bottom. He felt around a little, then crawled forward. The water proved -to be only a few inches deep. Prostrate, he wriggled along the rock -bottom in the narrow band of shadow. When Blaise had reached the shelter -of the woods beyond, Hugh followed, taking extreme care to slip along -like an eel, without a splash. - -The brothers were now but a short distance from the canoes. The thick -growing alders fringing the pebbles shut off the firelight. The chief -peril was that someone might be guarding the boats. Eyes and ears -strained for the slightest sign of danger, the two crawled forward on -hands and knees. They reached the first canoe without alarm and went on -to the second. Still hidden from the Indians around the fire, the boys -lifted the canoe and turned it bottom side up. Blaise drew his knife from -the sheath and carefully, without a sound of ripping, cut a great hole in -the bark, removing a section between the ribs. Then the two carried the -boat out a few feet and deposited it upon the water. It began to fill -immediately, the water entering the big hole with only a slight gurgling -noise. Even that sound alarmed the lads. They beat a hasty retreat and -lay close under the alders. The Indians around the fire, however, were -too engrossed in their own affairs to heed the sound, if indeed it -carried that far. - -A man with a full, deep voice was speaking at length, his tones reaching -the boys where they lay hidden. Every now and then his listeners broke in -with little grunts and ejaculations of approval or assent. A crash of -thunder, following close upon a bright flash, drowned his voice. When the -rumbling ceased, he was no longer speaking. Something else was happening -now. Little cries and grunts, accompanied by the beating together of wood -and metal and the click of rattles in rude rhythm, came to the boys' -ears. - -"They are dancing," thought Hugh. "What fools to make such an exhibition -here where a boat may pass at any moment! Ohrante is certainly insane or -very sure he is invincible. It is time we finished our work." - -He missed Blaise from his side, and crept down to the remaining canoe, -supposing his younger brother had gone that way. Blaise was not there. -Hugh waited several minutes, listening to the grunts and cries, which, -low voiced at first, were growing louder and faster as the dancers warmed -to their work. Suddenly one of them uttered a yell, which was followed by -quite a different sound, an animal's bellow of rage or pain. Hugh was -both alarmed and curious. What was going on up there, and what had become -of Blaise? - -The elder brother crept back across the pebbles, pushed his way -cautiously among the alders, and crawled up a short, steep slope topped -by more bushes and trees, through which the firelight flickered. The -noises of the dance, broken by louder cries and angry bellows, continued. -Crouching low in the shadow, Hugh peeped through at the strangest scene -he had ever looked upon. - -In the open space a big fire blazed, casting its reddish-yellow glare -over the picture. Between the fire and the boy, the dancing figures of -the Indians passed back and forth, crouching, stamping, gesticulating, to -the rhythm of their hoarse cries and the clicking of their weapons and -rattles. All were naked to the waist and some entirely so. Their faces -and bodies were streaked and daubed with black and white, yellow and red. -Near by, in dignified immobility, stood the self-styled Chief of Minong, -his tall feather upright in his head band, his face and breast -fantastically painted in black and vermilion. His bronze body was -stripped to the waist, displaying to advantage the breadth of his -shoulders and the great muscles of his long arms. A little shudder passed -down Hugh's spine as his eyes rested upon that huge, towering form and -the set, cruel face. Yet it was neither the war dance nor Ohrante that -held his surprised gaze longest. - -A little to one side of the fire, the tall birch rose straight and high -above its fellows. To its white stem was tied, not a human victim this -time, but the dark form of an animal, a moose. As the beast tossed its -head about in frenzy, Hugh could see that its antlers, still covered with -the fuzzy velvet, had no broad palms and bore but two points on either -side. It was a crotch horn or two year old. Every few moments one or -another of the dancers would utter a yell or war whoop, dart towards the -captive animal, strike it a swift blow with knife, spear or firebrand, -then leap nimbly out of the way of its tossing antlers and flying -forefeet. A favorite sport seemed to be to strike the beast upon the -sensitive end of the nose with a burning pole. The moose was wild with -rage and pain, plunging madly about, swaying the birch almost to -breaking. The bonds were strong and the tree failed to snap, yet the boy -wondered how long it would be before something gave and freed the -frenzied beast. He thought the young moose did not realize his own -strength, but when he should find it out, Hugh did not want to be in the -way. - -The watcher was just about to retreat to the beach, when the dancing -suddenly stopped. Drops of rain were beginning to fall, but the shower -was not the reason for the cessation of the dancing. Ohrante had raised -his arm in an impressive gesture. The dancers lowered their weapons and -rattles and drew back to the other side of the fire. Majestically Ohrante -stalked forward and confronted the plunging moose. Lightning flashed, -thunder pealed, there came a sharp dash of rain, the fire hissing and -spitting like a live thing as the drops struck it. But Ohrante did not -intend to be deprived of his cruel sport by a mere thunder shower. He -held in his right hand a long pole with a knife lashed to the end. -Standing just out of reach of the enraged beast's antlers and forefeet, -he lunged directly at its throat. - -There came a dazzling flash, a flare of light, a stunning crash that -seemed to shatter Hugh's ear-drums. Even as the flash blinded his eyes, -they received a momentary impression of a great black object hurtling at -and over the giant Indian, as he toppled backward into the fire. The next -instant a huge bulk crashed through the bushes almost on top of the boy. -A tremendous splash followed. - - - - - XXXVI - HOW BLAISE MISSED HIS REVENGE - - -The rain came down in torrents. Thunder pealed and crashed, and Hugh, a -roaring in his head, his whole body shaking convulsively, lay on his face -among the bushes. A hand seized his shoulder and instantly he came to -himself. He started up and reached for the knife he had borrowed from -Baptiste, then knew it was his half-brother who was speaking. - -"Quick," Blaise whispered. "Follow me close." - -The rain was lessening, the thunder peals were not so deafening. From the -beach below came the sound of voices. With bitterness, Hugh realized that -he and Blaise had delayed too long. The Indians had reached the one canoe -and had discovered that the other was missing. - -"They are going to get away. We must do something to stop Ohrante at -least." - -"Ohrante is stopped, I think," Blaise replied quietly. "I go to see." And -he wriggled through the dripping bushes. - -Hugh followed close on his younger brother's heels. Out from the shelter -of the trees into the open space the two crawled. Where the fire had -blazed there was now only smoke. A flash of lightning illuminated the -spot. It seemed utterly deserted except for one motionless form. Without -hesitation the brothers crept across the open, no longer single file, but -side by side. The thing they had caught sight of when the lightning -flashed, lay outstretched and partly hidden by the cloud of smoke from -the quenched fire. As they drew near, there was another bright flash. -There lay the giant figure of Ohrante the Mohawk, his head among the -blackened embers, his broad chest battered to a shapeless mass by the -sharp fore hooves of the frenzied moose. Hugh was glad that the flash of -light lasted but an instant. The merciful darkness blotted out the -horrible sight. He turned away sickened. - -The report of a musket, another and another, shouts and yells and -splashings, came from the channel between island and mainland. - -"The men from the Grand Portage," cried Hugh. "They have come just in -time. Not all of Ohrante's rascals will escape." - -He ran down the open lane, Blaise after him. The flashes and reports, the -shouts and cries, proved that a battle was on. The black shapes of canoes -filled with men were distinguishable on the water. A pale flash of the -now distant lightning revealed to the lads one craft close in shore. It -contained but one man. - -"Keneu," Hugh called. - -The Indian had seen the boys. He swerved the canoe towards the line of -low bushes at the foot of the gap, and Hugh and Blaise ran out into the -water to step aboard. The yells and musket shots had ceased. The fight -seemed to be over. But another canoe was coming in towards the island -beach. Did that boat hold friends or enemies? - -"Hola, Hugh Beaupre," a familiar voice called. "Where are you?" - -"Here, Baptiste, all right, both of us," Hugh shouted in reply. - -"Thank the good God," Baptiste ejaculated fervently. - -The canoe came on and made a landing on the beach. Hugh, Blaise and Keneu -beached their craft near by. - -"Did you catch those fellows?" Hugh asked eagerly. - -"We sunk their canoe and some are drowned. Others may have reached shore. -The rest of our men have gone over there to search. But where is Ohrante? -We have seen nothing of him. Is he still on this isle?" - -"Yes, he is here," Hugh replied, a little shudder convulsing his body. -"But Ohrante is no longer to be feared." - -"He is dead? Who killed him? One of you?" Baptiste glanced quickly from -one lad to the other. - -"No, the victim he was torturing killed him." - -"Another victim? What became of him? Did he escape?" - -"He escaped. By now he is probably in safety." - -"Good! Then we have----" - -A shout from the top of the island interrupted Baptiste. The other men -from the canoe, who had scattered to search for any of Ohrante's band who -might be in hiding, had discovered the body. The boys and Baptiste went -up to join them, and Hugh described what he had seen and how the Chief of -Minong had come to his death. - -"A frightful fate truly, but he brought it upon himself by torturing the -beast," the Frenchman exclaimed. "But how was it they had a captive -moose? Surely they did not bring it across from the Isle Royale?" - -"No." It was Blaise who spoke. "Keneu says the men from the mainland -brought the moose. Keneu saw the beast tied to a tree at their camp. It -was a two year old and seemed tame. He thought it had been raised in -captivity. They brought it to kill for a feast. Hugh and I saw it swim -across behind their canoe." - -"Ohrante had no human captive to torture." Hugh shuddered again, -realizing that he himself had been the intended victim. "He had no man to -practice his cruelty upon, so he used the animal. What a fiend the fellow -was!" - -Not one of Ohrante's band was found on the island. The sudden fall of -their chief had so appalled them that they had fled, every man of them, -to the beach and had crowded into the one remaining canoe. The -explanation of Ohrante's fate was clear. The lightning had struck the top -of the tall birch. The young moose, already wild with pain and fright, -was driven to utter frenzy by the crash and shock. It had burst its bonds -and plunged straight at its nearest tormentor, knocking him into the -fire, stamping upon his body with its sharp hooves, and then dashing for -the lake and freedom. A terrible revenge the crotch horn had taken. - -Hugh's plan had been to sink one canoe and steal the other, leaving the -Chief of Minong and his followers marooned on the little island. He had -hoped that the loss of the boats would not be discovered before morning. -Then the besieging party could demand the surrender of Ohrante, promising -his followers, if necessary, that they should go free if they would -deliver up their chief. Even if they refused, there seemed no chance for -Ohrante to get away. Before he could build canoes, the attacking party -could easily raise a force sufficient to rush the island. If members of -the band should attempt to swim the channel or cross it on a raft, they -would be at the mercy of the besiegers. Sooner or later the giant and his -men would be compelled to yield. - -In accordance with this plan, the boys had set out to make away with -Ohrante's canoes. When ample time to carry out the manoeuvre had passed, -and they did not return, Baptiste had grown anxious. The sounds of the -war dance and the bellows of the captive moose, carrying across the -water, had increased his alarm. The men from the Grand Portage arriving -just before the storm broke, Baptiste signalled them and they held -themselves in readiness to go to the rescue of the lads. The watchers saw -the lightning strike the island. They heard the tumult as the frightened -Indians, believing some supernatural power had intervened to destroy -their chief, fled to the beach. At once Baptiste's men, regardless of the -storm, started for the island. A flash of lightning showed them a canoe -crossing to the mainland. Attack followed and the canoe was sunk or -overturned. One boat of the attacking party put into shore to cut off the -flight of any of the band who might succeed in reaching land. The other -turned to the island. - -When the whole force came together at dawn, they had taken two prisoners -and had found the dead bodies of two other Indians besides Ohrante. The -Mohawk had brought but three men with him and four others had joined him -at the island. Three were therefore unaccounted for. They might have been -drowned or they might have escaped. The important thing was that Ohrante -was dead and his band broken up. - -The headlong flight of the great chief's followers was explained by one -of the prisoners. The Indians had believed the giant Iroquois invincible. -He had the reputation, as Monga had said, of being a medicine man or -magician of great powers. He claimed to have had, in early youth, a dream -in which it was revealed to him that no human hand would ever strike him -down. The dream explained the boldness and rashness of his behavior. It -also threw light on his fear of powers not human. Suddenly he was felled, -not by human hand indeed, but by the dreadful thunder bird and the hooves -of a beast which surely must be a spirit in disguise. The invincible was -vanquished and his followers were panic stricken. The three men Ohrante -had brought from Minong led the flight. They had seen and heard the -threatening manifestations of Nanibozho, Kepoochikan and their attendant -manitos on that island. Two of the band, the captive said, had been left -on Minong to guard the camp. Of them neither Hugh nor Blaise ever heard -again. Whether the Indians remained on the island or whether after a time -they returned to the mainland and learned of Ohrante's death, the lads -never knew. - -With the fate of the giant Mohawk all the attacking party were well -satisfied except Blaise. He was so glum and silent that Hugh could not -understand what had come over the lad. After their return to the Grand -Portage, Blaise opened his heart. - -"I wished to kill our father's enemy with my own hands," he confessed to -Hugh. "It was the duty of you or me to avenge him, and I wished for the -honor. You saw not in the darkness that I took my musket with me. When we -crept in the water below that open place, I carried the musket on my back -not to wet it. And then when I knelt among the trees and he stood there -with his arms folded, I had him in good range. But, my brother, I could -not shoot. It was not that I feared for myself or you. No, I felt no -fear. I could not shoot him unarmed and with no chance to fight for his -life. I am a fool, a coward, a disgrace to the Ojibwa nation." - -"No, no, you are nothing of the kind," Hugh cried indignantly. "There is -no braver lad anywhere. You are no coward, you are a white man, Blaise, -and an honorable one. That is why you couldn't shoot Ohrante in the back -from ambush. I know there are white men who do such things and feel no -shame. But would father have done it, do you think? Would he?" - -A little anxiously, Hugh waited for the answer. He had known his father -so little, and Jean Beaupre had lived long among savages. The reply came -at last, slowly and thoughtfully. - -"No," said the younger son, "no, our father would never have shot a man -in the back." - - - - - XXXVII - THE PACKET IS OPENED - - -With eager curiosity Hugh Beaupre sat watching Monsieur Dubois unwrap the -mysterious packet. The adventurous journey was over. The ex-members of -Ohrante's band, including Monga, had been turned over to the fur -companies to be dealt with. The pelts had been safely delivered to the -New Northwest Company at the Kaministikwia, Jean Beaupre's small debt -cancelled, and the rest of the price paid divided between the two boys. -The furs had proved of fine quality, and Hugh was well satisfied with his -share. He had been given a draft on the company's bankers in Montreal, -who had paid him in gold. Blaise had chosen to take his half in winter -supplies, and, with Hugh and Baptiste to back him, had won the respect of -the company's clerk as a shrewd bargainer. At the Kaministikwia, the -younger boy had found his mother with a party of her people, and Hugh, -less reluctant than at the beginning of his journey, had made her -acquaintance. Regretfully parting with Blaise, the elder brother had -joined the great canoe fleet returning with the furs. He was able to -qualify as a canoeman, and he had remained with the fleet during the -whole trip to Montreal. Of that interesting but strenuous journey there -is no space to tell here. - -One of the lad's first acts after reaching the city had been to seek out -Monsieur Dubois. Dubois proved to be a prominent man among the French -people of Montreal, and Hugh had found him without difficulty. After -explaining how he had come by the packet, the lad had placed it in the -Frenchman's hands. He had learned from this thin, grave, white-haired man -that he, Rene Dubois, had lived in the Indian country for many years. -During the first months of Jean Beaupre's life in the wild Superior -region, Dubois, though considerably older, had been the friend and -companion of Hugh's father. When an inheritance had come to him, the -elder man had been called back to Montreal, where he had since lived. -Beaupre, on his infrequent returns to civilization, had made brief calls -on his old comrade, but they had no common business interests and had -never corresponded. Monsieur Dubois was, therefore, at a loss to -understand why Hugh's father had been so anxious that this packet should -reach him. - -He undid the outer wrapping, glanced at his own name on the bark label, -cut the cord, broke the seals and removed the doeskin. Several thin white -sheets of birch bark covered with fine writing in the faint, muddy, -home-made ink, and a small, flat object wrapped in another thin cover of -doeskin, were all the packet contained. When his fingers closed on the -object within the skin cover, the man's face paled, then flushed. His -hands trembled as he removed the wrapping. For several moments he sat -staring at the little disk of yellow metal, turning it over and over in -his fingers. Why it should affect Monsieur Dubois so strongly Hugh could -not imagine. It was obvious that the white-haired man was trying to -control some strong emotion. Without a word to the boy, he laid the disk -down, and Hugh could see that it was a gold coin. Taking the bark sheets -from the table where he had laid them, Dubois scanned them rapidly, then -turned again to the beginning and read them slowly and intently. When he -raised his eyes, Hugh was surprised to see that they were glistening with -tears. His voice trembled as he spoke. - -"You cannot know, Hugh Beaupre, what a great service you have done me. It -is impossible that I can ever repay you. You do not understand, you -cannot, until I explain. But first I would ask you a question or two, if -you will pardon me." - -"Of course," replied Hugh wonderingly. "I shall be glad to answer -anything that I can, Monsieur Dubois." - -"Well then, about that half-brother of yours, what sort of a lad is he?" - -"As fine a lad as you will find anywhere, Monsieur," Hugh answered -promptly. "When I first received his letter, I was prejudiced against -him, I admit." He flushed and hesitated. - -Dubois nodded understandingly. "But now?" he questioned. - -"Now I love him as if he were my _whole_ brother," Hugh said warmly. "We -went through much together, he saved me from a horrible fate, and I -learned to know him well. A finer, truer-hearted fellow than Blaise never -existed." - -Again Dubois nodded, apparently well satisfied. "And his mother?" - -"I was surprised at his mother," Hugh replied with equal frankness. "She -is Indian, of course, but without doubt a superior sort of Indian. For -one thing she was clean and neatly dressed. She is very good-looking too, -her voice is sweet, her manner quiet, and she certainly treated me -kindly. She loves Blaise dearly, and,--I think--she really loved my -father." - -Once more Monsieur Dubois nodded, a light of pleasure in his dark eyes. -"I asked," he said abruptly, "because, you see, she is my daughter." - -"Your daughter? But she is an Indian!" - -"Only half Indian, but no wonder you are surprised. I will explain." - -Monsieur Dubois then told the wondering boy how, about thirty-eight years -before, when he was still a young man, he had taken to the woods. It was -in the period between the conquest of Canada by the English and the -outbreak of the American Revolution, long before the formation of the -Northwest Fur Company, when the fur traders in the Upper Lakes region -were practically all French Canadians and free lances, each doing -business for himself. In due time, Rene Dubois, like most of the others, -had married an Indian girl. A daughter was born to them, a pretty baby -who had found a very warm spot in the heart of her adventurous father. -Before she was two years old, however, he lost her. He had left his wife -and child at an Indian village near the south shore of Lake Superior, -while he went on one of his trading trips. On his return he found the -place deserted, the signs plain that it had been raided by some -unfriendly band. There was no law in the Indian country, and in that -period, shortly after the so-called French and Indian War, when the -Algonquin Indians had sided with the French and the Iroquoian with the -English, conditions were more than usually unstable. For years Dubois -tried to trace his wife and daughter or learn their fate, but never -succeeded. - -"And now," he concluded, his voice again trembling with feeling, "you -bring me proof that my daughter still lives, that she was the wife of my -friend, and that in his son and hers I have a grandson and an heir." -Monsieur Dubois took up the gold coin and handed it to Hugh. One face had -been filed smooth and on it, cut with some crude tool, were the outlines -of a coat-of-arms. "I did that myself," Dubois explained. "It is the arms -of my family. When the child was born, I made that and hung it about her -neck on a sinew cord." - -"And Blaise's mother still had it?" exclaimed Hugh. - -"No, she had lost it, but your father recovered it. Read the letter -yourself." He handed Hugh the bark sheets. - -It was an amazing letter. Jean Beaupre merely mentioned how he had found -the Indian girl a captive among the Sioux, had bought her, taken her away -and married her. No doubt he had told all this to Dubois before. Beaupre -had not had the slightest suspicion that his wife was other than she -believed herself to be, a full-blooded Ojibwa. She had been brought up by -an Ojibwa couple, but in a Sioux raid her supposed father and mother had -been killed and she had been captured. Nearly two years before the -writing of the letter, Beaupre had happened to receive a gold coin for -some service rendered an official of the Northwest Company. His wife had -examined the coin with interest, and had said that she herself had once -had one nearly like it, the same on one side, she said, but different on -the other. She had always worn it on a cord around her neck, but when she -was captured, a Sioux squaw had taken it from her. At first Beaupre -thought that the thing she had possessed had been one of the little -medals sometimes given by a priest to a baptized child, but she had -insisted that one side of her medal had been like the coin. Then he -remembered that his old comrade Dubois had told of the coin, bearing his -coat-of-arms, worn by his baby daughter. Jean Beaupre said nothing of his -suspicions to his wife, but he resolved to find out, if he could, whether -she was really the daughter of Rene Dubois. On this quest, he twice -visited the Sioux country west of the Mississippi. The autumn before the -opening of this story, he learned of the whereabouts of the very band -that had held his wife a captive. After sending, by an Indian messenger, -a letter to Hugh at the Sault, asking the boy to wait there until his -father joined him in the spring, Beaupre left at once for the interior. -He was fortunate enough to find the Sioux band and the chief from whom he -had bought the captive more than fifteen years before. The chief, -judiciously bribed and threatened, had sought for the medal and had found -it in the possession of a young girl who said her mother had given it to -her. When Beaupre questioned the old squaw, she admitted that she had -taken the coin from the neck of an Ojibwa captive years before. How the -Ojibwa couple who had brought the girl up had come by her, Beaupre was -unable to find out, but he had no doubt that she was really the daughter -of Rene Dubois. He resolved to send the proof of his wife's parentage to -Montreal by his elder son, if Hugh had really come to the Sault and had -waited there. If Hugh was not there, the elder Beaupre would go to the -city himself. It was plain that he had not received either of the letters -Hugh had sent after him, nor had Hugh ever got the one his father had -written him. Fearing that if any accident should happen to him, the coin -and the story might never reach his old comrade, Beaupre had written down -the tale and prepared the packet. Even in his dying condition he -remembered it and told Blaise to go get it. Evidently, when he discovered -he was in danger of falling into Ohrante's hands, he had feared to keep -the packet with him, so had hidden it with the furs. If he escaped the -giant, he could return for both furs and packet, but if the coin came -into Ohrante's possession it would be lost forever. The letter, however, -said nothing of all that. It had undoubtedly been written before Beaupre -set out on his home journey. - -With deep emotion Hugh deciphered the fine, faint writing on the bark -sheets. He was glad from the bottom of his heart that he and Blaise had -been able to recover the packet and deliver it to the man to whom it -meant so much. If Hugh had had any dreams of some strange fortune coming -to himself through the packet, he forgot them when Monsieur Dubois began -to speak again. - -"I shall go to the Kaministikwia at once, if I can find means of reaching -there this autumn. At least I shall go as far as I can and finish the -journey in the spring. Wherever my daughter and my grandson are, I will -seek them out. I have no other heirs and Blaise, my grandson, shall take -the place of a son. I will bring them back to Montreal, or, if that does -not seem best, I will remain in the upper country with them. Whether my -grandson chooses to live his life in civilization or in the wilderness, I -can provide him with the means to make that life both successful and -useful." - -The elder brother's heart was glowing with happiness. He knew that his -own mother's people would help him to a start in life, and now his -younger brother, his half-breed,--no, quarter-breed--brother Blaise would -have a chance too. Hugh had no doubt that Blaise Beaupre would make the -most of his opportunities. - -It only remains to say that when Rene Dubois saw the mother of Blaise, -her resemblance to himself and to her own mother thoroughly convinced him -that there had been no mistake. He more than fulfilled to both his -daughter and his grandson the promises Hugh had heard him make. - - - THE END - - - MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE BOOKS FOR BOYS - - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored jackets._ - _Price 50 cents per volume._ - _Postage 10 cents additional._ - -SOUTH FROM HUDSON BAY, by E. C. Brill - - A thrilling tale of the coming of settlers from France and - Switzerland to the wilderness of the Prairie country of the Red - River district, and the adventures of three boys who find - themselves entangled in the fate of the little colony. - -THE SECRET CACHE, by E. C. Brill - - The father of two boys, a fur hunter, has been seriously injured - by an Indian. Before he dies he succeeds in telling the younger - son about a secret cache of valuable furs. The directions are - incomplete but the boys start off to find the Cache, and with the - help of men from a nearby settlement capture the Indian and bring - him to justice. - -THE ISLAND OF YELLOW SANDS, by E. C. Brill - - An exciting story of Adventure in Colonial Days in the primitive - country around Lake Superior, when the forest and waters were the - hunting ground of Indians, hunters and trappers. - -LOST CITY OF THE AZTECS, by J. A. Lath - - Four chums find a secret code stuck inside the binding of an old - book written many years ago by a famous geologist. The boys - finally solve the code and learn of the existence of the remnant - of a civilized Aztec tribe inside an extinct crater in the - southern part of Arizona. How they find these Aztecs, and their - many stirring adventures makes a story of tremendous present-day - scientific interest that every boy will enjoy. - - - CHAMPION SPORTS STORIES - - By NOEL SAINSBURY, JR. - -_Every boy enjoys sport stories. Here we present three crackerjack -stories of baseball, football, and basketball, written in the vernacular -of the boy of to-day, full of action, suspense and thrills, in language -every boy will understand, and which we know will be enthusiastically -endorsed by all boys._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. CRACKER STANTON _Or The Making of a Batsman_ - - Ralph Stanton, big, rawboned and serious, is a product of the - backwoods and a crack rifle shot. Quick thinking and pluck bring - him a scholarship to Clarkville School where he is branded - "grind" and "dub" by classmates. How his batting brings them - first place in the League and how he secures his appointment to - West Point make CRACKER STANTON an up-to-the-minute baseball - story no lover of the game will want to put down until the last - word is read. - -2. GRIDIRON GRIT _Or The Making of a Fullback_ - - A corking story of football packed full of exciting action and - good, clean competitive rivalry. Shorty Fiske is six-foot-four - and the product of too much money and indulgence at home. How - Clarkville School and football develop Shorty's real character - and how he eventually stars on the gridiron brings this thrilling - tale of school life and football to a grandstand finish. - -3. THE FIGHTING FIVE _Or the Kidnapping of Clarkville's Basketball Team_ - - Clarkville School's basketball team is kidnapped during the game - for the State Scholastic Championship. The team's subsequent - adventures under the leadership of Captain Charlie Minor as he - brings them back to the State College Gymnasium where the two - last quarters of the Championship game are played next evening, - climaxes twenty-four pulsating hours of adventure and basketball - in the FIGHTING FIVE... - - - SORAK JUNGLE SERIES - - By HARVEY D. RICHARDS - -_The name Sorak means War Cry in the Malay country. He grows up among the -most primitive of the Malay aborigines, and learns to combat all the -terrors of the jungle with safety. The constant battle with nature's -forces develop Sorak's abilities to such an extent that he is -acknowledged the chief warrior in all his section of the jungle._ - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in - color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. SORAK OF THE MALAY JUNGLE _or How Two Young Americans Face Death and - Win a Friend_ - - Two boys, Dick and Jack Preston are shipwrecked off the Malay - Peninsula and are rescued by Sorak. Their adventures in trying to - get back to civilization make an absorbing story. - -2. SORAK AND THE CLOUDED TIGER _or How the Terrible Ruler of the North Is - Hunted and Destroyed_ - - A huge clouded tiger, almost human, leads a pack of red dholes - into Sorak's country, and it takes all of Sorak's ingenuity, and - the aid of his friends to exterminate the pack. - -3. SORAK AND THE SULTAN'S ANKUS _or How a Perilous Journey Leads to a - Kingdom of Giants_ - - Sorak and his friends are trapped by a herd of elephants, and - finally run away with by the leader to an unknown valley where a - remnant of Cro-Magnan race still exists. Their exciting - adventures will hold the reader enthralled until the last word. - -4. SORAK AND THE TREE-MEN _or the Rescue of the Prisoner Queen_ - - Captured by a band of Malay slavers, Sorak and his friends are - wrecked on an island off the coast of Burma in the Mergui - Archipelago. Their escape from the island with the Prisoner Queen - after a successful revolution brings the fourth book of this - series to an exciting and unusual conclusion. - - - TOP NOTCH DETECTIVE STORIES - - By WILLIAM HALL - - _Each story complete in itself_ - -_A new group of detective stories carefully written, with corking plots; -modern, exciting, full of adventure, good police and detective work._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. SLOW VENGEANCE _or the Mystery of Pete Shine_ - - A young newspaper man, whose brother is on the police force, - becomes strangely involved in the mysterious killing of an - Italian bootblack. Suspicion points to a well-known politician - but he proves that it was impossible for him to have done the - deed. Then the reporter, who for a time turns detective, gets a - clue revolving about a startling, ancient method of combat. He - follows this up, watches a masked duelist and, with the help of a - girl, catches the murderer who justifies his deed on the plea of - Slow Vengeance. You will be interested in reading how the - reporter got out of a tight corner. - -2. GREEN FIRE _or Mystery of the Indian Diamond_ - - A golf caddy who has a leaning toward amateur detective work, - together with his younger cousin, are accidentally mixed up in - the strange loss, or theft, of a valuable diamond, known as Green - Fire. It was once the eye of an East Indian idol. To clear his - young cousin of suspicion, the older boy undertakes to solve the - mystery which deepens when one man disappears and another is - found murdered on the golf course. But, by a series of clever - moves on the part of the young sleuth, the crime is solved and - the diamond found in a most unusual hiding place. A rapidly - moving, exciting tale. You will like it. - -3. HIDDEN DANGER _or The Secret of the Bank Vault_ - - A young detective, who, in his private capacity, has solved - several mysteries, decides to open an office in another city. He - meets a young bank clerk and they become partners just when the - clerk's bank is mysteriously bombed and the cashier is reported - missing. It is not until next day that it is discovered that the - bank vault has been entered in some secret manner and a large sum - stolen. The regular detectives declared "spirits" must have - robbed the bank but the two young detectives prove that a clever - gang did it and also kidnapped the aged cashier. Not a dull page - from first to last. A clever story. - - - NORTHWEST STORIES - - By LeROY W. SNELL - -_A new group of stories laid in the Canadian Northwest by Mr. Snell, a -master writer of the glories and the thrilling adventures of the Canadian -Northwest Mounted Police. Each book is an individual story, well written, -beautifully bound, and contains a story that all boys will enjoy._ - - _Large 12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket - in color. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. THE LEAD DISK - - Tom Baley, leaving college goes north into Canada, hoping to join - the Northwest Mounted Police. His application is turned down by - his own uncle, an officer on the force, but after many thrilling - adventures and encounters with the Disk Gang he is able to win - the coveted uniform. - -2. SHADOW PATROL - - Luke Myers is sent into the Caribou Mountains to solve the - mystery of The Shadow, about whom many conflicting stories are - told. There are struggles with the outlaws, and finally a great - running battle down the fog-obscured mountain trails ... at the - end of which the outlaws are captured and the mystery of The - Shadow is solved. - -3. THE WOLF CRY - - Donald Pierce is sent to solve the mystery of his father's - disappearance, into the unmapped barrens where King Stively - weaves his web of wickedness, and rules a territory the size of a - small empire with a ruthlessness and cunning that baffles the - best of the Mounted Police. Behind all is the dread Wolf Cry - which causes brave men to shudder.... - -4. THE SPELL OF THE NORTH - - Sergeant David Stanlaw, stationed at Spirit River, is puzzled by - a local killing, the disappearance of the body, the finding of a - code message, and by the mystery of the "Listening Forest," which - casts a shadow of dread over the little town of Wiggin's Creek. - With the help of Jerry Bartlett they capture the leaders of the - gang and solve the mystery of the "Listening Forest." - -5. THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON - - Robert Wade whose patrol runs from Skagway on Chattam Strait - north into the Yukon country follows in the wake of a stampede to - a new gold strike. With the aid of his friend, Jim MacPhail, Wade - frustrates the outlaws, who try to trap the whole town behind the - "Pass of the Closing Door," and then races them to and across the - breaking ice floes of the Yukon. A strong adventure story all - boys will enjoy. - - - THE BOMBA BOOKS - - By ROY ROCKWOOD - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. With Colored jacket. - Price 50 cents per volume. Postage 10 cents additional._ - -_Bomba lived far back in the jungles of the Amazon with a half-demented -naturalist who told the lad nothing of his past. The jungle boy was a -lover of birds, and hunted animals with a bow and arrow and his trusty -machete. He had only a primitive education, and his daring adventures -will be followed with breathless interest by thousands._ - - 1. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY - 2. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AT THE MOVING MOUNTAIN - 3. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AT THE GIANT CATARACT - 4. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON JAGUAR ISLAND - 5. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN THE ABANDONED CITY - 6. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON TERROR TRAIL - 7. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN THE SWAMP OF DEATH - 8. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AMONG THE SLAVES - 9. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY ON THE UNDERGROUND RIVER - 10. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE LOST EXPLORERS - 11. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY IN A STRANGE LAND - 12. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AMONG THE PYGMIES - 13. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE CANNIBALS - 14. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE PAINTED HUNTERS - 15. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE RIVER DEMONS - 16. BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY AND THE HOSTILE CHIEFTAIN - - - THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES - - By LESTER CHADWICK - - _12mo. Illustrated. Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -1. BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS _or The Rivals of Riverside_ - -2. BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE _or Pitching for the Blue Banner_ - -3. BASEBALL JOE AT YALE _or Pitching for the College Championship_ - -4. BASEBALL JOE IN THE CENTRAL LEAGUE _or Making Good as a Professional - Pitcher_ - -5. BASEBALL JOE IN THE BIG LEAGUE _or A Young Pitcher's Hardest - Struggles_ - -6. BASEBALL JOE ON THE GIANTS _or Making Good as a Twirler in the - Metropolis_ - -7. BASEBALL JOE IN THE WORLD SERIES _or Pitching for the Championship_ - -8. BASEBALL JOE AROUND THE WORLD _or Pitching on a Grand Tour_ - -9. BASEBALL JOE: HOME RUN KING _or The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on - Record_ - -10. BASEBALL JOE SAVING THE LEAGUE _or Breaking Up a Great Conspiracy_ - -11. BASEBALL JOE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM _or Bitter Struggles on the Diamond_ - -12. BASEBALL JOE CHAMPION OF THE LEAGUE _or The Record that was Worth - While_ - -13. BASEBALL JOE CLUB OWNER _or Putting the Home Town on the Map_ - -14. BASEBALL JOE PITCHING WIZARD _or Triumphs Off and On the Diamond_ - - - ADVENTURE STORIES FOR BOYS - - By JOHN GABRIEL ROWE - - - _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket. - Price 50 cents per volume. - Postage 10 cents additional._ - -_Every boy who knows the lure of exploring and who loves to rig up huts -and caves and tree-houses to fortify himself against imaginary enemies -will enjoy these books, for they give a vivid chronicle of the doings and -inventions of a group of boys who are shipwrecked and have to make -themselves snug and safe in tropical islands where the dangers are too -real for play._ - -1. CRUSOE ISLAND - - Dick, Alf and Fred find themselves stranded on an unknown island - with the old seaman Josh, their ship destroyed by fire, their - friends lost. - -2. THE ISLAND TREASURE - - With much ingenuity these boys fit themselves into the wild life - of the island they are cast upon after a storm. - -3. THE MYSTERY OF THE DERELICT - - Their ship and companions perished in tempest at sea, the boys - are adrift in a small open boat when they spy a ship. Such a - strange vessel!--no hand guiding it, no soul on board,--a - derelict - -4. THE LIGHTSHIP PIRATES - - Modern Pirates, with the ferocity of beasts, attack a lightship - crew;--recounting the adventures that befall the survivors of - that crew--and--"RETRIBUTION." - -5. THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN IDOL - - Telling of a mutiny, and how two youngsters were unwillingly - involved in one of the weirdest of treasure hunts,--and--"THE - GOLDEN FETISH." - -6. SERGEANT DICK - - The Canadian Northwest police has the reputation of always - getting their man, and Sergeant Dick upholds the tradition in a - story of great adventure. - -7. THE CARCAJOU (kaercajoeu) - - A sequel to Sergeant Dick, with the Carcajou proving his worth in - a series of adventures that will hold the interest of any boy. - - - These books may be purchased wherever books are sold - _Send for Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_ - - - CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original printed text--this e-text - is public domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Secret Cache, by E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET CACHE *** - -***** This file should be named 43293.txt or 43293.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/2/9/43293/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Rod Crawford, Dave Morgan -and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/43293.zip b/43293.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index bdf1e3b..0000000 --- a/43293.zip +++ /dev/null |