Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-27
I he Honor
BY James
Oliver GWrW00@
. Of The - =.
CHAPTER ~.
The C.arihou Carnival.

faith at these two crea lures who told
her or wonderful things in the up
bring OF a child-things of which she
had never so much as heard rumor be-
fore. her mother instincts we're arous-
ed, but with Cree stolcism she made
no betrayal or them.
The leather tanned immobilIty OF
her face underwent no whit of change
when Cummins soiemnly declared that
the little Melissa was about 10 begin
teething. she sat grimly and watched
them 10 silence when between them
upon a Dearskin stretched on the floor
they tried vainly TO persuade Melissa
10 use her feet
Weeks passed and Williams came in
from the southern forests. Mukee fol-
lowed him from the edge Of the Bar
Tens. Old Perez. partly Eskimo. re-
turned from the Eskimo people, three
quarters starved and with half Of his
dogs stolen. From the north. east
west and south the posts fur rangers
trailed back. Life was resumed
There was a softness in the air, a
growing warmth IL the midday sun
The days OF the big change were near.
And when they came, John Cummins
aud Jan Thoreau, Of all the factors
people. wore patches at their knees.
One afternoon in the beginning OF
the mush snow a long team Of rakish
malemutes. driven by an Athabasca
Freuch-Canadian. raced wildly into the
clearing about the post The entire
post rushed ont to meet the newcomer.
lie was Jean de Gravois the most i'm
portant man in the Fond du Lac coun-
try. for whose goodwill the company
paid small bonus. That he had made
a record catch even the children knew
by the size or the packs on his sledge
aud by the swagger in his walk.
Gravois was usually one of the last
10 appear at the annual gathering OF
the wilderness fur gatherers. He was
big man In reputation as he was
small In stature He was one OF the
few Of his kind who had developed
personal vanity along with unerring
cunning IN the ways OF the wild. Ev-
erybody liked Grayois, for be had a
biz soul in him and was as fearless as
a lynx. and he liked every body. iDclud-
ing himself.
lie explained his early arrival by an
uouncing IN noDchalant manner that
after he had given his malemutes Il
DAYS rest he was going on TO Fort
Churchill to bring back a wife. He
hlutcd with puuctuating crack OF his
whip that ne would make a second
visit and n more interesting one at
lust about the time when the trappers
were there IN force
Jan Thoreau listened TO him, bunch
Ing his shoulders little at the others
manifest air Of importance. In turn
the French 1Canadiau scrutinlzed Jan
good naturedly.
Every hour after the half breeds ar.
rival quickened the pulse of eIpectan-
cy at the post For six months 1t had
been small and solitary unit of life
IN the heart OF big desolation. The
first snow had smothered IL In lone
illness that WAS almost the loneliness
OF desertion. With that first snow be-
gan the harvest days OF the trsppers-
Now the change was at hand. II
was Ike the breath OF spring to the
awakening wilderness. The forest
people were moving. Trap lines were
being broken. snacks abandoned
sledge dogs put TO harness. On the
day that Jean de Gravois left fol
Hudson bay the company's supplies
came In from Fort Churchill-seVeI
toboCgans drawn by Eskimo dogs
laden with -four and cloth. ffty pounds
other things. 10 be exchanged for tn,
furs that would soon be in LondoI
rnd Paris.
Fearfully Jan Thoreau ran out Il
meet the sledces There were sever
Indians and one white man. Jal
thrust himself close to look at tn
white man. He wore two revolve
holsters ana carried an automatic
Uuquestionably be was not mission
AIRY. but an agent OF the company. wei
prepared TO care for the company
treasure.
Jan hurried back to the cabin. hi
heart bubbling with a strange Joy.
There ees no missioner. Melissel
he cried triumphantly. dropping bc
side her. his face glowing with tn
gladness OF his tidlngs You shall b
good and beautiful. lax her. but 20
shall not be baptize by missioner. II
has not come"
A few minutes later Cummlns cam
In. one of his hauds was torn an
bleeding
Those Eskimo dogs are demons!
he growled. III they knew how {
stand on their legs they'd eat our hui
kies alive VIII you help me wit
thisT'
Jan was at work in an instant bar
daging the wounded hand
1t ees not deep" he said. and thel
without looking up. be added. ''Th
missioner did not come
NO" said Cummlns shortly. NE
Their has the mail. he Is with that"
he did not notice the sudden trer
bic Of JAMS fingers. nor did be 81
the startled look that shot into Il
boys down turned eyes. Jan 6nishI
his bandaginG without I0etrzyfng h
emotion and went back with CRzEail
90 the cOmpany's Store
Tie next morning two Chippew6yal
trai,ed in with a team Of mongrel Gu
from the south Thereafter Cummil
found but little dine To devote to NJ
"a -