The Coolidge examiner., 1931-04-17


man hair. while the French-and
you know it, Henri ARE paying a
hundred crowns apiece for white
scalps as we'll as red. It's hair the
Indians are bringing in instead o
fur. And here you sit like couple
of foolish doves with a young one
in the nest. your scalps worth
fifty pounds apiece. your windows
open. your door unlocked, your
senses gone"
Catherine rose from her seat and
came around to her brother so that
she stood behind him with her arms
about his shoulders. "Hepsibah,
we know this you have told us is
true" she said, pressing her cheek
against his face. There is ter
rible murder along the frontiers
from which you have come, and
that is why Henri has brought
Jeems and me into this country of
his where are only peace and
friendship and no thought of the
hideous killings and ugly traffick
ings you speak about. You have
argued against yourself. Brother
for it is you who should move out
of strife and danger and come to
live with us"
Together we will have a para
disc here" urged Henri.
"And | will find you a wife," add
ed Catherine. "a wife who will
love you greatly, and until you
have children of your own we will
give you half Of Jeems."
Hepsibah rose gently out of her
arms.
For Jeems you should change
your home TO place where there
is a schOolmaster and more for him
TO learn" he said, catching des-
perately at last argument where
all others had failed.
'In all of New France and the
English colonies there Is no better
teacher than our Catherine" an
swered Henri proudly. "In English
and French she has given to JeemS
more than he could ever have
learned in your town Of Albany
or our college in Quebec: for there,
in one place, he would have been
English, and in the other, French,
while here he is both. like his fa-
ther and mother. and will never
strike at either of the two bloodS
that are in his veins"
"Of that | am sure" agreed Cath
crime. 81 pray God my Jeems will
never be fighting man.
When Hepsibah went to his cot
in the loft, he stood for moment
with his lighted candle beside
Jeems' bed where the boy lay
sleeping with the cloth of velvet
close to his hands. a smile on his
lips. Looking down on him Hepsi-
bah thought of Henri Bulain's last
| words and his sisters prayer. and
his lips moved whisperingly to him
self. "They can't keep it from you,
lad-hope nor prayer nor all their
faith. It's coming. and when It
comes you'll strike and strike hard,
and it's then you'll be what you're
hound The, Jeems-a fighting man -
GATHERINGS breakfast was on the
table with the break of sunrise.
and Jeems was even ahead of that,
! helping his father with the chores.
i The OK was fed and the cart ready
| for a days rough travel before his
( Uncle HepSibah came down from
his sleep Talk of war and mas
sacre and death had left no shadow
in GATHERINGS heart, and Hepsibah
could hear her singing. The sound
of her voice made him pause and
I face the south. His wide shoulders
! twitched. and he marked the swell
ing and dips of the tilnbered soli-
tudes of Forbidden valley, and saw
where the Mohawks would enter it
and where they would come out II
his prediction and his fears came
true. With the shiver still in his
blood, he turned and found Odd
standing close behind him, also
facing the stiffness and mystery OF
the valley, his nose shifting the air
and his eyes-as the mans had
been a moment before-tilled with
a steadiness and tenseness of look
which had in it Somber and voice
less foreboding.
At the touch of Hepsibah's hand
the strain seemed TO leave Odds
body.
It'll bear watching day and
night but specially in that hour o1
darkness which comes just before
the crack O. dawn. Not now. bul
soon"
When Jeems went ahead of his
father and uncle to Lussan's place
he did not burden himself with un
necessary habiliments of either
peace or war. He wore his ole
suit of brown homespun cloth, will
lndian-made m0ccasins and leg
gings of doeskin, and on his hea(
was frontiersman's cap with al
eagle feather in it. From under
this cap his blond hair fell with it
ends touching his shoulders. ant
with only his bow for a weapon hi!
slim young body was free ant
huOyant and much handsomer thar
it had been the previous day will
its carefully chosen raiment ant
warlike accoutrementS.
He was filled with exultatior
mingled with a determined eager
ness. He knew we would fight i
Paul Tache was at Lussan's place
and what was going to happen il
that fight was as definitely fixet
in his mind. He was on his WAY (.