Adventure Magazine Cover — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

The Cannikin Clink Clink ei FOR two hours the partner, Mc- Siig Donald, Mclllivray, Lady-Face and three clerks had been “browsing at the nappy.” Fort servants -had cleared away the splendid feast and hurried off to their own. A marshaling of good liquor, amazingly varied for this wilderness table, held down the board. As the boisson had progressed Lady-Face had drawn away from Scottish import, and kept to sherry and still white wine. Half-risen in his chair at the long table, he sang the verse twice, that they might catch the words; sang it slowly, improvising the tune. As he started over it the third time, the company bore with him so loudly and with such stamping of feet that the log rafters threatened to tumble. Yet the mel- low tenor of the youth rose above the noise, Swinging the others with him and launching them into the full-lunged chorus: ‘“‘We are na fou, we’re nae that fou, But just a drapple in our ee; The cock may craw, the day may daw, And aye we'll taste the barley bree.”’ Outside, in the Br#lé quarters, the songs were in French; inside, where Highland esprit de corps obtained and the élite com- pany of six “carried on,” the songs were all in Scotch. If the first to drink himself under the table was king of them all, then the partner could fairly lay claim to royalty; for, as old punk takes fire most easily, he was drunk before the botsson reached its height. Lest he impede the free swing of what was to come, Lady-Face and a clerk gathered him up tenderly and carried’ him out to the factor’s quarters. The clerk tarried not, but pirouetted back to the dining room. Lady-Face stayed, under pretense of dashing water into the partner’s florid face. But first he went swiftly through the part- ner’s pockets. Finding nothing, he slammed the door and searched McDonald’s cabinet. Papers, reports, maps, letters and Indian debt sheets he drew out, glanced at and re- stored. Disappointed and puzzled, he gave up the search. The water opened the partner’s eyes, and a liberal drink of French brandy had him sitting up, happy and maudlin friendly with the youth, whom he vowed the brawest Jaddie that ever flung kiltie to hornpipes. ‘But they’re not friends of mine,” Lady- Face interrupted sorrowfuly. ‘They want to throw me out.” 5I ‘“‘Wha’?” the partner demanded heatedly. “The factor and Mclllivray. They’ve been saying about me—what have they been saying about me?” “Lies, laddie, lies!’ the partner swore vehemently, lapsing into Lowland. “That ye maught be, for a’ they ken, the young Harry Havice whom the English ha’e fetched over frae Sussex las’ year and sta- tioned at Fort X to apprentice the fur trade. Mclllivray gaed out to question the Pie- gan that halloed the name at ye, but by my life the Piegan cudna talk yet frae the wap ye gi’ed im.” “Ts this Harry Havice the same person that the English were going to make hzver- nant™ at their Belly-Fat Cree station?” “The same, lad. Ye shall ha’e the place yoursel’; for we ha’e the Opposition’s maps and plans, and will start a brigade there before the month is out. Ye shall ha’e the place, laddie—na, by the lang miles frae Scotty, ye shall ha’e the ither place!’ ‘‘What other?” queried Lady-Face, shak- ing the partner gently out of an encroaching snore. . ‘‘Wha’ ither? Aye, yes, the ither. The ae we're going to bi’g—the grand factory on the watersheds— As’ M’Donald for the maps—ye shall ha’t, laddie, by the lang—miles frae——” 3 Lady-Face shook himself free from the sleeping partner and returned to the botsson. McDonald, the nearest sober of the com- pany, was directing affairs in Lady-Face’s absence, and enlivening his drowsy com- panions with game and mimicry. A “voy- age” was organized—six men rolling along on empty kegs; and with flourish of brooms, snowshoes and cooper-staves for paddles, they swept swiftly down the broad bosom of the river that flowed around the dining room walls. . At cry of “Portage, ho!”’ each seized his keg, hoisted it on his shoulders, and stum- bled after McDonald—up the back-break- ing hill and down the portage trail to the next lake. ‘‘Sauté’? for the rapids! The table was cleared by the simple expedient of tipping it sidewise; the legs at one end were broken off; and down the incline of white water the factor steered, followed in a rout by the other kegs of the brigade. Lady-Face took charge. He propped up the table again; sent two clerks out buffalo- hunting to all corners of the room; made a -*Untitled factor wintering at a small or temporary post. NOOK C@ in