Newspapers / The Wallace Enterprise (Wallace, … / Aug. 26, 1937, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of The Wallace Enterprise (Wallace, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
BLACK FEATHER By HAROLD TITUS - - - - - - SYNOPSIS Rodney Shaw, Independent trader, ar rives In Mtchlllmacklnac In 1818, deter mined to light the trade monopoly es tablished by the John Jacob Astor com pany Ip the Northwest territory. He Is met I - Conrad Rich, an elderly clerk, Ramsay Crooks, Astor’s dominant fig ure. and Annette Leclere, local beauty .and Inspiration to all the traders, espe cially to Burke Rickman, a ruthless trader who Is the Instrument of destruc tion to traders refusing to amalgamate with the Astor company. RousaeSWhe town bully, wearing the black feather, symbol of Invincibility, knocks down Shaw's head oarsman, Basile, and Shaw In return throws Roussel Into the water. Ramsay Crooks presents the symbolic black feather to Shaw. Later, at a con ference, Shaw scorns Astor's proposal virtually to surrender his independence, announces hts readiness to fight the amalgamation, and prepares to depart the following day. At’ a ball that eve ning Shaw recognizes Burke Rickman as the Astor agent who had previously robbed him of his partner and his trade, and as a dangerous rival for Annette, with whom he is infatuated. There Is an exchange of bitter words. Annette Is chosen queen of the dance, and chooses Shaw as king for the following evening. Basile warns Shaw to hasten his de parture and tells him an old man awaits him at his tent. Shaw finds Leslie, an old free-trader, who proposes that Shaw Join him and go to the rich Pillager country, where Astor is planning to send Rickman. He shows him a map and an Indian ceremonial stone given him by Standing Cloud, Pillager chief. Shaw ac cepts Leslie’s offer. The spying Rick man finds Annette alone and artfully be littles Shaw, aggravating Annette into boasting of his plans, until Rickman learns of tne partnership and the depart ure for rich unclaimed ground. He fol lows Shaw to Leslie's camp and hides within earshot .Shaw finds Leslie very 111, attended by‘his clerk, Giles. With Giles as a witness, Leslie gives Shaw the map and the Indian stone. After Shaw departs. Leslie dies. Rickman as certains the old man's death, and plunges a knife into his heart. Shaw, reaching his camp, finds soldiers with a warrant for his arrest on a charge of murdering Leslie. Basile reports to Shaw, in prison, that Rickman embarks the following day, and that Giles is in timidated from telling the truth. Shaw, Impatient at the delay, orders Basile to hold all in readiness for the moment he can escape. Annette makes love to Rick man, noping to delay him. CHAPTER IV—Continued But Basile did not see all, heard nothing whatever. He did not ob serve Rickman’s attempt at a final kiss; did not see Annette twist and squirm from his arms; could not hear her one honest word at the entire passage. One word, a strained, gasped: “Neverl" It was that word that sent Rick man away, an unhappy, if com manding figure. And so Burke Rickman had a day and a halt the advantage, even though events might give Rodney his freedom ot movement before an other dawn. Indeed, it seemed until late after noon that another quiet northern night would follow. But as the sun began to drop a murk appeared in the south, and the wind veered and softened and a thunder head rose above the strait and Rodney's heart picked up its measure. Basile came, on the pretext that the men were demanding the bal ance of their compensation, and Rodney told him to trade what re mained of the packs. “The storm will come, master." “And give me cover for my task! » . . When the revelry is at its best, launch the canoe. Wait for me on the northern side of the is land. I’ll cry as a great owL'* The storm broke at midnights a furious lashing of wind and playing of lightning and cannonade of thun der. Tentatively, Rodney touched file to the bar, and drew its edge slowly along the softer metaL Its rasp was covered by the drum of rain and wind in' the trees. And then began his battle with his prison. Savagely he sawed with the short file, putting all the strength he could bring to bear against the cutting edge. Sinewy as he was, the task was labor. The first bar went In twain and by a tentative test he knew his strength inough to bend it out But two more bars re before he could hope to xuson his broad shoulders through the opening. Be sawed madly . . . The second bar yielded and the edges 'of the file were dulling. An other thunder shower impending and lightning became more frequent The third bar was sundered and he dropped the file, a tremble in ev ery muscle. The sentry passed be neath his window, moving slowly on toward the clump of cedars. Rod ney gripped the first bar with both hands and leaned against it Slowly it yielded. The bar protruded at an angle outward. The guard did not look up. The second bar bent before Rodney's strength, and then the third. His fingers gripped the outside edge of the stone window ledge. He leaped, wriggling himself outward, belly on the siU. He breathed free tur. His head and shoulders were outside the pris on. He wriggled frantically. The whitewashed wall of the building spread below himl In another sec ond he would be silhouetted against it foe any eye to see. And the lest lightning Care of. me hanging The sentry’s shout went through Rodney Uke a knife stab. He let go his hold. He dropped, rolling in the wet grass. He was on his feet, crouching, gauging the ap proach of the soldier whose feet thudded on the path. Shaw backed a Step, gripped the corner of the building, swung around it, and began to run. “Halt, or I Are!” the guard cried. “Fire and be—” The crash of the musket cut off Rodney’s cry of defiance. He felt the breath of the bullet on his cheek and a savage elation swept him. The musket was empty. The sound of the shot would rouse the garrison and the roused garrison would rouse the village. But he was free, plunging into drenched shrubbery. Free, in cover, with a plan before him and all he asked was this meager chance at free dom! He ran with an the strength in his chest and legs. He gained the shingle of the island’s northern beach, standing there alone in the darkness. He fought to still his breath and gave the hoUow, falsetto cry of a great owl. He listened and from somewhere across the water it was answered and he heard the thud of an oar against canoe rail and ran that way, crying out again . . Rodney was wading out, to his knees, to his hips. He was being lifted into his canoe by loyal hands fc'Yy.V "Halt, or I Fir el" the Guard Cried. as, streaming water, he gained his place. “Bravo!” he breathed. “Bravo, my brave children! . . . To oars, nowl . . . March!” Sixteen days, men had said, from Point Iroquois to the St. Louis? Shaw laughed as his canoe nosed into the bay which is the mouth of the river. They had silently passed Rickman's brigade encamped on the shore three nights ago. Sixteen days? he taunted. Eight! Eight days from the point of the Iroquois. Your names shall live forever, green in the boastings of the North! . One passes the lair of opposition disdainfully, and Shaw did not even glance at the walls of the company fort they breasted at sundown, with its flag limp and men staring. They would see, they would tell, but it would be days, yet, before Rickman arrived with Intent ears to hear their On above was the first portage and there camped the canoe maker of whom Leslie had told. The great canoe was abandoned at the na tive’s camp and two smaller craft procured because the other would be unwieldy in the narrow rivers and difficult to transport on the long carries. These arrangements made, the portage awaltfb. Nine miles it was; 19 pauses; a winding, twisting trail, up tortuous clay banks, over un yielding rocks, with the forest brush ing the grim. faces of men who toiled with great diligence over It “Up, good children!" Shaw cried, flinging portage collars at them. "Up, Jacques, with your back of an ox. You will lead!” Jacques, grinning, twisted thong ends about a package, shouldered the straps and nestled his forehead against leather. Another package was set on the first-and hunched into position; a third, and the man grinned. Two hundred and seventy pounds he bore. But as he swayed forward for the first slow step he was halted by Rodney's cry. *fUn autre, man enfant!" The smile died and a hurt look came into the fellow's eyes. "No?” Shaw’s question was mock incredulity. **My good Jacques says Not” He stood a moment, shaking his head dolefully. "Too great, the burden? Yes? But look. Observe the trader, then! Re gard a back untried by the collar!" He dropped to his knees and ad justed the thongs to n package. He Another, a third . . . “Quatre!” He was bidding them do to him what had made the great Jacques demur. Amazed, they piled his bur den higher. “Alors, cinq!*' They murmured and burst into laughter and sobered quickly and did his bid ding. Five packages? Four hun dred and fifty pounds! “AllezI” he cried and led die way with a grunt of command for them to xouow. He moved bent far forward, right hand on the topmost piece which tow ered above his shoulders, left arm at a stiff angle for balance. He swayed from side to side; the mus cles at his legs bulged and carded against buckskin. Upward, on and on, reeling as he gained the crest and *««, upon level ground, moving steadily, sti fling moans. And now he reached the first pause. His packages thud ded to the ground, he straightened painfully and turned to watch the approach of his brave but humbled Jacques, who came on with many a gasped Sacrel and Rodney call ing a good-natured taunt that ana should "puff so under half a load. They snored that night beside a tiny stream threading abrupt hm« heavily clothed with pine and hem lock. Shaw frittered no precious mo ments of the hours, wasted no pound of his men’s strength, but assur ance, now, rode high in his heart He would have been less assured had he been back yonder at the company fort at the river’s mouth to see Burke Rickman land and to hear what was told to him. “You’re certain?” Rickman asked. “A tall man? Tall as I? And broad? . . And with a leath ery old devil at the steering oar?” Yes, that was certain. “Damn!" said Rickman, without passion, now, but calculatingly, as one who knows he must plan wen and promptly. He looked at Conrad Rich, whose eyes were wide, and smiled without mirth. “Fools!” he muttered. “They let him escape. After I’d arranged mat ters so he’d never annoy us again, they—” He broke off, biting his lip, and Conrad started slightly as he sensed the fact that Rickman had betrayed himself and his part in the arrest of Rodney. . Rickman paced the room. “At Knife portage yesterday?” be queried and did not so much as nod at the confirming reply. “Three days ahead. . . . Weill So we will show the Jackass what it costs to forge ahead in rivers.'* And now another company of men feverishly fought the turbulent St Louis. A small company, this: Three men. a single canoe, with only an oilcloth and blankets and mea ger foods as burden. Rickman’s brigade was reforming for the river travel but this detach ment went out ahead, light-footed if not light-hearted. And so, as embers died in Shaw’s camp, three pairs of eyes watched and three pairs of brawny hands clung to alder branches to hold their canoe in its vantage point while Shaw slept heavily, storing energy for the morrow. He had taken precautions, had posted a boatman to watch. But the stream was noisy. Its rush and tumble drowned small sounds, such as a man cautiously wading under the alders. So the guard could make no sound as a hand clamped over his mouth from behind, and a knife-butt rapped his skull. No, the guard did not waken Rodney Shaw, but the thing which one cry from the guard could have prevented did. He sat up sharply. The sound which had roused him came again, and yet again; a hollow, crunch ing crash. His men were stirring about the dead lire, indistinct, mov The fabric*! already been : small craft, a bargain for other work driven. quire? he adwl The Indians chattered, argued, de claimed . . . Three, yes; ten. per haps . . . Rodney gave the man a cautious gill of spirits to bind toe pact Cajoled, flattered by Rodney, toe entire family worked, mastercrafta ging spruce roots, bedding one end Basile at dana and. with toe sent him thre* CTO BE CONTINUED) Duels Remain a French Custom; Span Legal Gap, According to an Official Private dueling in Trance is still a custom that persists after cen turies, and there is a real reason for French dueling, not just a Hei delberg custom of giving the other fellow a scar on his cheek, but real ly settling a grave affair, writes a Paris United Press correspondent The cause of dueling is a legal one, according to J. Joseph-Renaud, who has officiated at more duels in France than any man alive. Duel ing is the means of replacing a gap in the French legal system, which does not promise to be changed for some time. In tact French law is based pure ly and simply on the protection and right at private property. Honor and personal integrity find no place before the law unless an insult at a libel involved a real loss of waric ing time, or private rights. There is no serious libel law in France—the result is the institution of dueling. Moreover, dueling has its own pri vate legal code. Persons who have a quarrel don’t just go out into H>e woods at dawn and shoot at each other as is popularly believed. As a matter of fact, nine out of tan Ask Me O Another ■ m B - m— lr3— * _ - 10oust AMBOM Smiles i
The Wallace Enterprise (Wallace, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 26, 1937, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75