The Minneapolis journal., 1901-11-02
LORDS OF THE NORTH
A Story of the Trap
perS and Pioneers of
the Great Northwest.
Copyright 1900

which civilized men call rebellion. l could
| readily understand how the Hudson Bay pro-
| carnations forbidding the sale of furs to
/ rivals. when these rivals were friends by
marriage and treaty with the natives reused
| all the bloodthirsty fury Of the Indian nature.
! Nor-Westers forts were being plundered.
Why should the Bois- -Brules not pillage Hud-
son Bay posts? Each company was stealing
| the cargo of its rival, as boats passed and
| repassed the different forts. Why should the
half breed not have his share of the booty ?
The most peace-loving dog can be set Alright
ing; and the fght-loving Indian finds it very
difficult indeed to keep the peace This, the
great fur companies had not yet realized; and
| the lesson was TO be driven home to them
with irresistible force.
The half-breeds also had news of a priest
| bringing delirious man to Fort Douglas.
! The description seemed to fit Hamilton and
| Father Holland. Whatever truth might be in
/ the rumors of an uprising, l must ascertain
| whether or not Frances Sutherland would be
/ safe. Leaving Little Fellow to guard our
| horses, at sundown l pushed my canoe into
| the Assinibone just east of the rapids Pad
ding swiftly with the current, l kept close
to the south bank. where oyerhanging willows
| concealed one side of the river
AS a swung out into the Red, true to the
! Bois- Brues' report, l saw only blackened
chimneys and ruined walls on the site of Fort
Gibraltar. Heading towards the right bank.
| I hugged the naked cliff on the side opposite
Fort Douglas, and trusted the rising mist to
conceal me. Thus, l slipped past cannon,
pointing threateningly from the Hudson Bay
| post, recrossed to the wooded west bank
again, and padded on till 1 caught glimpse
Of little, square, whitewashed house in a
grove of fine old trees This L knew, from
! Frances Sutherland's description, was her
fathers place.
Mooring among the shrubbery l had no
/ patience to hunt for beaten path; but dig
| ging my feet into soft clay and catching
| branches with both hands, l clambered up the
| cliff and found myself in thicket not a
| stones throw from the door. The house was
| in darkness My heart sank at the possibility
which hardly framed itself to thought.
| Was the apparition in the Mandane lodge
| some portent? Had l not read, or heard, of
| departed spirits lowering near loved ones?
/ l had no courage to think more.
| Suddenly the door flung open. Involuntar-
| lily, l slipped behind the bushes, but dusk hid
the approaching figure. Whoever it was made
! no noise. l felt, rather than heard, her
coming, and knew no man could walk SO sill
emily. 1t must be a woman. Then my chest
| stihed and heard my own heart-beats. Gar
! ments huttered past the branches of my hid
! Ing place She of whom l had dreamed by
sleeping, or waking, paused, not an arms
| length away.
I Toying with the tip of the branches. which
I was gripping for dear life, she looked
| dangerously through the foliage towards the
| river. At first l thought myself the victim
! of another hallucination, but would not stir
! lest the vision should vanish. She sighed
audibly, and 1 knew this was no spectre
Then trembled all the more, for my sudden
appearance might alarm her.
I should wait until she went back to the
house-another of my brave vows to keep my
! self in hand!-then walk up noisiIy giving
due warning, and knock at the door. The
keeping of that resolution demanded all my
strength of will; for she was so near / could
have clasped her in my arms without an
effort. Indeed, it took a very great effort to
refrain from doing so.
'Heigh-ho" said a low voice with the
ripple of a sunny brook tinkling over pebbles,
but it's long day-and long, long week
and a long, long, long month-and ho!-
century Of years since and the voice broke
in a sigh.
think-though I would not set this down
as a fact-that a certain small foot, which
once stamped two strong men into obedience,
now vented its impatience at twig on the
grass. By the code of eastern proprieties,
may not say that the dainty toe-tip first
kicked the offensive little branch and then
crunched it deep in the turf.
4 hate this lonely country" said the
voice. with the vim of water-fret against an
obstinate stone. Wonder what it's like in
the Mandane land! I'm sure it's nicer there -
Now affirm there is not youth living
who would not at some time give his right
hand to know womans exact Interpretation
of that word nicer" For my part, it set
me clutching the branch with such ferocity,
off snapped the thing with the sharp splinter
! ing of a breaking stick. The voice gave a
gasp and she jumped aside with nervous tre-
pidation.
''Whatever-was that? 1 am-nOt fright
| ened" No one was accusing her. Il won't
go in! 1 won't let myself be frightened !
There! The very ideal" And three or four
sharp stamps followed in quick succession; !;
but she was shivering.
Il declare the house is so lonely, a ghost
would be live company" And she looked
doubtfully from the dark house to the CULVER
ing poplars. I'D rather be ont here with the
tree-toads and owls and bats than in there
alone, even if they do frighten me! Anyway
I'm not frightened! It's just some stupid
hop and go-spring thing at the base of our
brains that makes US jump at mice and rats -
But the hands interlocking at her back
twitched and clasped and unclasped in a way
that showed the automatic brain-spring was
still active.
Its getting worse every day. l can't
stand it much longer, looking till I'm half
blind and no one but Indian riders all day
long. Why doesn't he come? Oh! l know
something is wrong
Afraid of the Metis," thought l. land
expecting her father. fine father to
leave his daughter alone in the house with
the haf-breeds threatening raid. She needs
some one else to take care of her." This, on
after thought, I know was unjust to her
father; for pioneers obey necessity first and
| chivalry second.
IF he would only comet she repeated in a
half whisper.
Hope he doesn't" thought T.
For week I've been dreaming such fear
full things see him sinking in green water.
stretching his bands to me and can't reach
out to save him. On Sunday he seemed to
be running along black, awful precipice.
caught him in my arms to hold him back. but
he dragged me over and l screamed myself
awake Sometimes, he is in a black cave
and 1 can't find any door to let him out
Or he lies bound in some dungeon and when
l stoop to cut the cords he begins to sink
down, down, down through the dark where
can't follow. 1 leap after him and always
| awaken with such dizzy start. Oh! know
he has been in trouble Something is wrong!
His throughts are reaching out to me and I
| am so gross and stupid l can't hear what his
| spirit says. If l could only get away from
things, the clatter of everyday things that
dull ones inner hearing, perhaps l might
know! / feel as if he spoke in a foreign
language, but the words he uses l can't make
out All to-day, he has seemed so near!
Why does he not come home to me?''
mighty fond daughter" thought I, with
jealous pang. She was fumbling among the
| intricate draperies, where women conceal
| pockets, and presently brought out something
i In H. rnnlrr a. H..