Adventure Magazine Cover — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 Playgreen Lake, their tongues jangling in conversation about the chase that was going on out_there. “Lie down now,” Steene directed his own Ojibway canoemen. ‘‘When they go to launch for me, make your rush. And you, Clara, be close at hand.” As if coming down from the post he himself strode boldly forward. The Iroquois turned their heads at the sound of his footsteps and, recognizing the governor’s coat and hat, stood erect at salute, awaitmg his word. Steene did not take the risk of speaking. He made a motion of his hand for them to launch the big canoe, and as they stooped to obey his own Ojibways dashed vnon them. Short and sharp the battle raged, Ojibways against Iroquois, but the Ojibways had the advantage of surprize. With fists and paddle blades they beat the Iroquois back from the margin so that Steene, slipping through the mélée with Clara, seized the craft and launched it with his own hands. With an exultant laugh he lifted the girl aboard. Then the Ojibways sprang in with them, flinging in the provisions and equipment Drum- ming Grouse had spirited out of Norway House, and with a flash of paddles the governor’s craft was driven off the shore. The dazed Iroquois stared after it a second and gave tongue like a pack of wolves. And as if echo- ing and reechoing their cries other voices clamored on the night. Great Playgreen Lake reverberated with a pandemonium of sound, for the canoe brigades that had converged on Steene’s camp had found it empty, and they were scouring the shores of Mossy Point hail- ing each other with excited shouting. Suddenly a fresh clamor broke out on the other side of the spruce ridge. “They’ve found the post runner Drumming Grouse tied up at the beaver dam,” interpreted Steene. “Then they’ll all turn back at once to Nor- way House,” breathed Clara. “We must get through the lake entrance before they can alarm the brigades that guard it.” “Yes, and Burnham can’t help but hear those Iroquois yells. Ha! There he is now in the post door, and your father at his shoulder. They’re running down to the shore. Listen, the — raging like a madman.” : BY THE light of the fires that some Se one had fed afresh in the emergency they could see Burnham on the edge ofthe the landing hurling condemnation on his dazed Iroquois, calling for the canoe brigades to come back from Mossy Point. Luckily the brigades guarding the lake entrance were too far away to catch his cries, and if they did hear clamor in the distance they could but attribute it to the ardor of the chase till they re- Adventure ceivéd a change of orders from Norway House. So Burnham raged and bellowed for a craft - to head off the Free Trader, but Steene was resolved not to be headed. Faster and faster his Ojibway crew drove’ the speedy birch-— bark forward, bearing straight for the entrance into Lake Winnipeg. Patrolling the entrance glided a dozen small canoes, and as soon as they sighted the big craft they drew together to watch it coming. They recognized it immediately as Governor Burnham’s six-fathom craft. The Ojibway paddlers were not to be told in the night from the Iroquois, and amidships, Clara Travis sitting on the fur robes at his knees, bulked Steene, posing grimly in the governor’s coat and hat. As Steene’s appropriated craft drew abreast — of the patrol his Ojibway paddlers gave a wild yell in unison and raised paddle blades in salute. The guarding canoes returned the salute. Truly the Free Trader must be captured at last, for here was Governor Burnham bound out over Lake Winnipeg with his bride. With a cheer they speeded the pseudo-governor on his way, heading out over the lake in a sea that no craft but his huge six-fathom craft hitherto had — weathered, in a wind that no crew but his matchless Iroquois crew hitherto had faced. “Thank God,” breathed Clara as they shot into Lake Winnipeg and caught the full force of the swell as they héaded from Old Norway House Point toward Montreal Point. ) “Aye, thank God, and you, and faithful Drumming Grouse,” ‘cried Steene. He tore off the governor’s coat and hat and cast them to the winds that roared overhead and settled himself with a sigh of relief beside Clara. ; “It’s pretty rough,” he observed, “‘but we don’t need to fight it very long. We’ll put a good gap of wild sea between us and Norway House and go ashore till the wind dies down at morning.” ‘““‘What’s ethat yonder?” jenianaed Clara: suddenly, pointing back toward the entrance to Great Playgreen Lake. ‘Another canoe?” With the passing of the six-fathom craft the patrol had stood on guard again, awaiting the coming of orders from Norway House as they glided backward and forward with slow strokes under the shelter of the headlands, nor were the orders long in coming. The canoe Clara Travis had marked drove up with a gurgle and wash and the petrified patrol gazed on the real Governor Burnham, minus his coat and hat, but condemning them with a vigor that | left no doubt of his personality. “You fools. You dupes,” he rated. “You let him pass in my clothes, eh? And make us dare Lake Winnipeg in small craft to catch him? After him, Sherman, MeTaggart, Bar- rett, Corbeau.” COMICOOOKS -—? a com