Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

116 the toe of his moccasin on the breed’s heel and all but upset him. “This is boy’s play. Let us hug each other and fight like men,” urged Dubeau. “Show your strength, cat!’ howled Black the renegade. “Give Dubeau a fight. We want a fight; not tricks, trap robber.” La Blanche burst forth in a Saulteur war song of a man charging the enemy, beating his palms on his knees for a drum as he chanted— ‘**My friends do not flee; I am strong- hearted.’ ”’ A dozen lusty voices caught it up, shout- ing— “Nidjikiwetdog gego ojimokegun nin zon- “Stand up and fight you, you cat!” yelled Black. “T’ll break an arm for that,” promised Carcajou, turning his head to glare at the renegade. Dubeau grunted in deep satisfaction and with unexpected quickness lunged forward and swung his fist downward. Carcajou instinctively tried to avoid the blow and escaped the full force. But at that the glancing impact of the big fist sent him staggering backward and_ brought blood on the side of his head. Dubeau saw his opportunity and made after him to catch him before he could fully recover his balance. La Blanche groaned in dismay as he be- lieved Carcajou was about to fall and tore open the mouth of his medicine bag its full width. But the Wolverene was only up to his tricks again. He went over until his left hand touched the ground and no farther, and at the same moment his long leg shot out and upward. Dubeau sensed his danger and essayed to stop his plunging rush, but the heel of the moccasin caught him on the jaw with a hundred and eighty pounds of bone and muscle behind it. Dubeau flew off his feet and crashed to the ground insensible. Carcajou quickly righted himself and turned to assail John Black, but the rene- gade was retreating through the outer rim of the circle. The spectators were dumb for a moment, then began shouting loudly. The Picard cried: “Bon Dieu! He’s snapped the bear’s neck!” _ “JT hope not!” cried Carcajou, running to his fallen opponent and kneeling beside him. Adventure He rolled the insensible figure over and dug his fingers into the base of the neck and worked the head back and forth. Some one brought water, and some one brought brandy. In a few minutes Dubeau rolled over on his side and managed to sit up. He stared foolishly at the wide circle of grinning faces and slowly recovered his senses. Crawling to his feet and standing unsteadily, he caressed his jaw and mum- bled: “In the fiend’s name, what did you do to me? Or did some one hit me with a club?”’ ‘Just one of my tricks, Dubeau. Come now, drink some brandy and soak your bear’s head in water. If you didn’t have the neck of a moose your head would be floating like a pumpkin in the middle of the Narrows,” said Carcajou, hurrying into his shirt and belting on his knife and ax. “Tt was the medicine bag that did it,” hoarsely whispered La Blanche. “‘Barbarians!’’ weakly muttered Chartier. “Monsieur the Wolverene, I congratulate you.” “Come back here, Carcajou,” begged Dubeau. ‘‘We didn’t come to grips. My head will soon stop spinnin x “Pardieu! But this man must be hurried to the Niagara and blooded,” cried Carca- jou. ‘No, no, old bear. I have a talk for M’sieur Durantaye. Some other time we will play some more. Be a good fellow and get drunk and don’t bother me now. Come along, Old Papa. Your company would be esteemed, M’sieur de Niagara.” And, followed by these two, Carcajou hastened to the fort. He could hear Dubeau bel- lowing after him: “Then at the Niagara, Wolverene. I know all your tricks now.” But Dubeau ceased to matter; Carcajou was beholding Durantaye standing in front of Du Lhut’s trading post. For a moment uncertainty was in Carcajou’s heart. Then he squared his shoulders, brushed back his long hair and sternly told La Blanche to keep in the background. He approached the Mackinac commandant briskly, his brown face wearing a genial smile. Durantaye stared at him sharply and greeted him: “How is this, bush lopere Have the Ot- tawas taken our fort? I thought you were waiting at the point for Monsieur Perrot. Where is he?” “M’sieur Perrot is at the point. He comiclboolk (©