Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

Blended Brigades ingly. “Hello, David,” he greeted Gar- land himself as he strode up from the beach. “You’ve arranged the Little Company traverse, I see.” “Nothing to do but wait for the Slave brigades,” returned Garland, laying an exultant hand on Clendenning’s shoulder. “You have your own North West canoes ready to launch, also. What about our friends the independents? Are Perry and Weston bound south or north?” . “I don’t know,” confessed Clenden- ning. “They’re at their old quarrel once more at my post yonder. They tried to drag me into it. At least Perry did, and mentioned Frances here.” “The impudent peddler,’’* Frances. “Impudent indeed,” nodded Clenden- flashed ning. “But I didn’t wish to brawl with him, so I stepped out. Good Heavens— hear that!” The roar of a pistol at the North West post beat in on Clendenning’s words. He wheeled instantly and bounded for the door, Frances instinctively following him, running light as a fawn at his heels with her father lumbering after. “Be careful, Arthur,” she warned as they reached the door. “That man Perry is violent and Weston is very determined: You don’t know which one fired.” S Clendenning, never stopping, pushed open the door, he knew. In the middle of the floor lay Weston, flaming- bearded, sunny-haired, doubled up in a grotesque shape, while over by the fire- place, just as he had sprung out of. his chair, crouched Perry, his pistol still out- thrust in his hand. 5 Frances cried out fearfully at the sight but, woman-like, bent over Weston as - Clendenning sprang past at Perry. “He’s dead, Arthur,’ she breathed. “Stubborn and all, Weston’s dead.” “T used the pistol in self-defense,” snarled Perry, as if the words Frances spoke formed a direct accusation. “Clen- denning, Garland, you’ll have to bear me out in that. See, there’s his knife on the floor beside him.” “We'll bear you out in nothing, Perry!” roared Clendenning. “We saw nothing. The knife slid out of his belt, * Name given to independent traders who peddled their wares ameng the Indians. - <= A ag ES egies : * Pa ‘aged i <i t : P ns a ee =~ 5) eae ete po , Ts + af ~ OF ihe So Se ge lhl Con eat Cs Sah gees SS RE OS Sept ee I! fan, ee ae, Oe ee 5 LI5 for it’s only half-way out of the sheath yet. Gfve me that pistol. We can’t let a maniac like you go armed.” Perry spat an oath of denial and clubbed his discharged pistol at Clenden- ning, but the latter dodged lew under his guard, clutching him about the bedy. Locked tight, Perry snarling and biting like a wolf, they rocked against the rude mantel of the stone fireplace, sending Indian-relics, caribou horns, arrowheads and peace pipes crashing to the floor, their stamping moccasins striking the ends of the birch logs in the fire-pit and scattering the coals about the hearth. Clendenning’s foot slipped on a rounded knot and together they went down in the ashes, Perry wrenching free his pistol arm as he fell. He clubbed his. pistol again and Clendenning, momen- tarily blinded by: the dust-like ashes, could not see the weapon threatening. In another second the pondereus butt would have cracked his skull, but Gar- land was behind and Garland’s quick hands caught Perry’s descending arm, and twisted the pistol from his grasp. “Thanks, David,’ coughed Clenden- ning, winking out the dust. “You saved me something that time. Yes, let go of his arm now, I can hold him all right.” His knee in Perry’s chest, Clendenning had him pinned to the hearth, and, onee the weapon was gone, Arthur dragged him up and put him back in his chair by the fireplace, the chair from which he had sprung and fired in his violent pas- sion. Then the North West manager glanced about at the recumbent form of Weston and saw Francis covering it wi a blanket. “She was right, eh, David?” he de- manded sharply. “‘There’s no mistake?” “No mistake,” answered Garland, his eyes bent on Perry, weaponless in his chair. “Well, then, Perry,’ Clendenning went on, “I guess your quarrel is settled at last and the direction of your journey too. You'll have to go south now instead of north.” “Of course,” growled Perry, “curse the luck! Ill have to clear this matter in the Montreal courts before ever I can lay hand to trade again. But I’ll make the trip worth my while, for I’ll take all the Slave furs with me.” EOLPMIG OOO KS (E(0) PO en ag eS Se ye ee ae ny Pcs Poems se) a eae gill me ES. Oe