Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

Blended the North Westers and Rory Mackenzie for the Little Company held sway, an- nouncing the death of Weston, the chal- lenge of Perry and detailing the course he had pursued. He commanded their immediate cooperation and ordered them to send the news ahead to the other posts. All of this made no small task, and nearly all night he had been poring over the yellow ledgers of the post, straighten- ing out district accounts. Now, every- thing. arranged to his satisfaction and his brain eased by the snatch of sleep, he roused his chief trader; Laflamme, from his bed to give the last of the Chippewa Indians their debt. Laflamme was more than half- Indian himself, son of one of the early coureurs de bois and a savage beauty of Slave Lake. He was wise in the ways of hunters and could speak the » dialects used from the Assiniboin plains to the Barren Lands. Clendenning could depend upon him and always made use of him as an interpreter in dealing with far-faring Indians. a free hand to finish the trade. “Give the rest of them their debt, La- flamme, according to your judgment,” he directed. ‘‘Run.them off quickly while I marshal my brigades. The Slave Lake men may come in sight any niinute. Remember, whatever happens, you are in charge of the North West post till Garland and I get back.” At Laflamme’s summons, the last of the Chippewas came, phantom hunters from their phantom tepees on Atha- basca’s shore, passing Clendenning like ghosts in the morning mist as he walked down to his brigades. These were already astir over their cooking fires, eating a hasty breakfast which they finished as he came down. They kept watch while they ate, sighting over mist- blanketed Athabasca. Their report to Clendenning was that they could catch no sign of the Slave brigades as yet. It was wise to be ready, though. Clenden- ning could hear a hum of preparation over by the independent post, and rather than have Perry steal a march on him he thought it wise to be afloat. “Launch the canoes!” he ordered. On the breast of the lake that was be- ginning to glow like silver under the dis- solving mist they ran them out, great six-fathom canoes of golden birch-bark, a ee Brigades Now he gave him . Then .the paddlers stepped aboard— bowsmen, steersmen, three pairs of middlemen in each—awaiting the fist glimpse of the Slave brigades and the word from Clendenning to move. Clendenning himself made his way along the shore to Garland’s mustering brigades. He had his canoes afloat also and, with Frances, was waiting at the waterline. “Good morning, Arthur,” Frances greeted demurely, her face as fresh as the dew-drenched wild rose. ‘We start with the sun and a good omen in the fair weather, do we not? Did you sleep at all last night? I see your Chippewas are getting the last of their debt, so you must have cleared up all your post business.” “TI slept very little,” admitted Clen- denning. “I couldin’t spare the time with all there was to do. And you, Frances? You rested well, I suppose, in ‘spite of last night’s nasty affair.” “Moderately well,’ she _ told foe “You didn’t see anything more of Perry ?”’ “No,” returned Clendenning, turning his head to listen, ‘but judging by the noise he’s making, his wasn’t an empty threat. There’s trouble not very far ahead, David.” Garland shrugged his broad shoulders. “Well,” he muttered, “he wants to make it, so the sooner he makes it the better. By heavens! Look—there are the Slave {°? brigades! LENDENNING and frances both wheeled to stare where Garland pointed. Out of the dissolving mist the brigades had loomed all at once, over a score of canoes laden to the gunwales with furs. All gilded by the coming sun, the coppéry shoulders of the Slaves gleaming blood-red as they worked the flashing paddles, the fleet bore in for the landing. Instantly a shout went up from Clen- ' denning’s Notthmen, and a redoubled clamor came from Perry’ s post. The independent men rushed forth in a stream for their own canoes, Perry in the lead yelling like a demon in his ex- citement. He lacked his big pistol of which Clendenning and Garland had disarmed him the night before, but he GEomichboo ‘Ss 117 SS —— (E@)