Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

108 “Nonsense. Frenchmen will not kill Frenchmen. A trip to Montreal and turned loose in a few months,”’ encouraged Carca- jou, who did not believe La Fontaine would pay the extreme penalty for taking up his abode in Dongan’s colony. “Tf I do not escape I shall never live to see Montreal.”’ : “Stand back there! No talking with the prisoners!” cried an officer. Papa La Blanche’s aged face wore a smirk of satisfaction as he emerged from the fort. He ran to Carcajou and boasted: “Old Papa has explained everything. He has painted you as mightier than Nana- bozho. Tail of a beaver! If you could have seen their eyes stick out as I told of the Fox camp!” The bush loper caught him by thigh and shoulder and held him over his head, then dropped him lightly on his feet and said— “T hope you have not talked me into my grave or into an iron cage, Old Foolish.” ‘“‘Carcajou!” called a soldier from the door of the fort. Durantaye’s bearing was amiable. Car- cajou without prompting told a lively story of his adventures on Lake Michigan and La Baye, and gave important information regarding the fickle attitude of certain tribes at the bay. Durantaye had heard of the Loups’ successful efforts to discourage cer- tain tribes from taking the* long path against the Iroquois, but this disappoint- ment was offset by the bush loper’s assur- ance that Perrot would bring some Pota- watomi men with him and would induce many of the Ottawas at the point to join im. “We will hope that,” sighed the com- mandant. “If Monsieur Perrot can not raise them, then no one can.” ‘He did it in eighty-four. He will do it now,” confidently declared Tonty. “He should have no trouble with me to help him, monsieur,’’ modestly said Carcajou. Tonty showed his teeth in an ugly grin and said: “You’d make a good man for me if I could have you out in the woods alone long enough to break you in. How many men did you say would be necessary to take you down the lakes?”’ “T will be at the Niagara before the army kills an Iroquois,”’replied Carcajou. Adventure Durantaye eyed him thoughtfully and slowly said: “Possibly no one mortal knows what you have to answer for, bush loper. I shall have to leave you here to tell Monsieur Perrot what has happened. I will believe you will wait here until Monsieur Perrot arrives and will come with him.” “He couldn’t stir from the point without me,”’ loudly declared Carcajou. “We will be with you before the first ax is thrown. M’sieur Perrot is my second father. He will keep me out of the cage on Cape Diamond.”’ “Then see to it you do nothing more to arouse the resentment of Monseigneur the governor,” harshly warned Durantaye. There followed much bustling and hurry- ing as the fleet of canoes were inspected and made ready, as supplies were assembled and the prisoners prepared for the long journey. Nansoaskouet again embarked with his orig- inal force but slightly augmented. Many of the Ottawas now declared they would not pick up an ax until their father, Perrot, arrived to advise and lead them. The Hurons, who had taken the path for the purpose of deserting to the English, again painted for war and put their canoes in the water. Neither Durantaye nor the Hurons them- selves knew whether they were to help smash the Western Door of the Long House or turn on the French and massacre them. The latter possibility was to depend on how thoroughly the one hundred and fifty coureurs de bois and the soldiers kept on the alert. If the Hurons could be led to the Iroquois without a mutiny they would fight the Long House. As Durantaye was getting into his canoe Carcajou waded alongside and whispered: “Beware of the Hurons. Have them and the Ottawas leave their canoes on Lake Huron and go overland to Teiaiagon® and join you at Niagara. “See that you overtake us at Niagara,” Durantaye answered. Brouwer, Turcot, Chartier and Dead Bear, the Seneca, were embarking. The young Frenchman waved his hand in fare- well to the bush loper. Nansoaskouet’s men and the Hurons were racing their canoes back and forth, firing their guns and wasting powder. *Name of Ancient Indian village at gate of modern Toronto. GOMIGIOO (C©