The Washington times., 1901-10-13

I feet. and next day they buried him under
! a big cottonwood back bit from the ST.
! Jacques bank. with all the boys standing
! around bareheaded, looking at the
! ground, and Berac Correze at the head Of
! the grave, saying prayer for the soul of
/ the dead.
Well. some time that night. after every
! body had long gone to bed young Flabel
woke up all at once with the pain in his
/ head which was very bad. And right
! away he heard whisperings in the next
| bunk that he knew at once by the voices
came from Michael Lemastre and Spanish
John
Il can fix that going down II I am chief
boatman," Spanish John was saying
And about St Louis?" says Lemastre,
like he was holding back
Run past in the night, you fool, and
nobody. will know-then right on to Ste.
Genevieve, where we will sell the stuff,
and then off for New Orleans"
But what If" Lemastre began, but
somebody near by rolled over and mum
bled in his sleep, and they stopped talk
ing.
Next morning Flabel told Felicia what
he had heard which wasn't much, to be
sure, but enough to set Felicia thinking
Spanish John was right good natured with
the boys that day, laughing and joking.
and he talked a good deal with Berac
Correze. too. But Berac had heard a
word from Felicia, and along in the after
noon he called the men together and told
them he had decided TO make Felix Non
tron chief boatman in Fauvent's 5 place,
as he had the right to do, being an agent
of the company That pleased the boys,
for Nontron was well liked, but mon Dieu,
how quick Spanish John went out of his
good humor and fell to cursing and whis-
pering again with Lemastrei His scheme
hadn't worked out as he expected, but he
told Correze to his face, in black rage,
that he'd be chief boatman yet before the
bateauX got to st. Louis. SO help him God
Well that seemed an idle enough threat
surely, seeing things were as they were,
with Felix Nontron a good fellow and ali
the boys his side. and nobody paid
much heed TO what the Spaniard said. ex-
cept Felicia, and he kept his thoughts to
himself
Next day they loaded the boats ready
to start down the river the following
morning, and by midafternoon every
thing was fixed to cast off as soon as
ever the daylight should come. So moth
ing being left to do. and thinking some
fresh meat would not be bad to have on
the boats next day. Nontron and Correzc
took their guns and padded over to the
bottom prairie, on the south side of the
Missouri, after herd of antelope, saying
they might not be back till midnight if
the game took to the bluffs. \ little aft
cr they left a Yanktonaie Indian came
up to the cabin and asked Felicia for
some tobacco. Felicia was surprised to
Esar,
even from the farthest prairies to the
West and the great lake Of the North
We're holding a grand feast and dance on
the council hill, up about six miles north
west of the cabin. and they had not much
time for poor traders with such things
going on. But this buck, Ar-ke-ta-gha-
nah, which is the same as Standing War
rior, was one that Felicia had saved one
time from mad buffalo on the Fondrier-
CENT prairie, and ne came down once in
a while to see Felicia even then. SO he got
his tobacco and squatted down on the
shady side Of the cabin. And there he
stayed, swallowing smoke Ga Sioux Indian
swallows instead Of pulling out the smoker
fron his IoEg-stemmed pipe till after sun
set, as stu and stupid as a full-gorged
bear. and all the while around the cor
ner sat Spanish John and Michael Lemas-
tre. jabbering away 10 each other like
fools. and never thinking that maybe the
redskin could understand French.
JUST after dusk when the boys We're all
down around the boats swimming and
these two got up and
crept into the cabin and came out again
in a minute, each with a gun in his hand.
They peered around to see nobody was
looking. and then slouched down to the
St Jacques bank and began to push off
in a canoe. Just then Felicia and Lau-
rent Mavot came around the corner and |
stopped right in front Of the Indian, who |
was squating there putting his pipe and
the whole game.
Hello calls out Felicia, thinking no
harm when he sees the boys pushing off |
the boat. Where are you going?' They
were caught then, sure enough for they
didn't want to be seen. Spanish John
around in such a rage he could
hardly speak.
That's none of your business" he
says. in voice like he was talking
through mud. We're not asking your
leave"
Were going to try for shot at some
buffalo, says Lemastre, as smooth as
oil. ''There were some upriver before
sunset"
Then they pushed of without another
word and went into the woods, Felicia
them. the voice clean gone out
Of him with wonder at their actions.
Buffalo," says Standing Warrior all |
at once. down on the ground behind him !
''Ugh!"
, Yes; why not?" says Felicia.
NO buffalo on the Fondricrceint this /
afternoon"
We'll, what them"
The council hill"
Felicia swung round and stared at him. |
Then he laughed. You've got the moon |
in your head. Standing Warrior" says he. |
They're on the wrong side of the river" |
They can swim"
Aye. il there's need" says Felicia.
Then he walked or with Mavot. But an |
the same in a few minutes they went into |
the cabin and got some pistols and then |
struck off through the woods northwest, |
with Standing Warrior right behind |
them, walking soft as panther
The moon was well up, with the big |
river strip of grey mist behind them |
and the long, rolling bluffs like a cloud |
bank beyond. when they came to tho foot |
Of the council hill. The sky was red with |
the light and smoke of first, and there |
was a noise in the air like locusts in the |
timber in August. Only this |
came from the hundreds OF people and |
dogs and horses in the camp above, for |
there were many tribes there. and the |
lodges ran far up the bluffs on either side |
and back over the prairie
Felicia and the others went to the top |
and found themselves in a crowd of war |
riOrs, scorces and scores of them, ! fac |
ing toward an open space in the middle |
and all listening Whore theY came IN |