The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-01-13
= - - - Z q
Under
Frozen
Stars
X By X
George Marsh
Copyright by Penn Pub. Co.
George Marsh
CHAPTER V-Continued

Copyright by Penn Pub. Co.
CWNU Ssrvicsl

won't let him have her, but Smoke'n
always love old Jim, won't he?"
So the man and the great dog he
had once carried inside his fur parka
as a puppy, sat side by side, in perfect
understanding. while the flush Of the
sky slowly faded through the long
northern twilight in the mirror OF the
lake. Then, as Jim held a lighted
match to his pipe, in the indigo gloom
of the spruce of the mainland across
the straight, there was the flash and
roar of a rifle, followed swiftly by an
other
a bullet wrenched the shattered
pipe from Stuart's teeth. Then he
dove headlong for the bushes, as Omar
and Esau took cover on the opposite
side of the dead fire.
You heet?" called Omar.
''No!'' grOwled Jim, launching
toward his gun which stood propped
against a bush. IF they want war
give it to 'emI''
Again the twilight silence was split
by the guns on the mainland, and bull
lets spattered around the camp, while
the excited Smoke yelped as he raced
back and forth, still untouched.
They'll ruin the canoe if we don't
stop 'emI'' stormed the maddened fur
trader, as he drew himself within
reach Of his gn1. Here. Smoke,
they'll get you! Here! Down."
Then the rifles OF Omar and Esau
opened on the ambush two hundred
yards across the strait. Shortly the
repeating guns Of the three men, firing
at the flashes, made the opposite
shore too hot for the single shot rifles
In the ambush The shooting stopped.
well. the war on the Pipestone is
on, Omar!'' called Jim. ct think
they're making their getaway-afraid
we'll cross in the canoe in the dusk
and hunt EN-"
Knowing that rife sights were now
invisible in the murk Of the opposite
shore, Jim stood up, TO find Omar
calmly examining the canoe.
Now who do you suppose pulled
that trick, Esau?"
Dose young men follow US from de
camp
II suppose they're some OF Paradis'
peopIe-onIy they don't know that
they'll never see him again"
Omar approached Jim and thrust a
face into his, the fierceness Of which
even the gathering dusk did not soften.
-'Dey follow Us and shoot to keel. Do
I use dees now, wen I feel de neck
Of dat Paradees?'' The half-breed
pointed TO the long skinning knife
sIung from the sash at his waist.
Yes, guess you're justified in using
anything, now. They're after US and
they'll get Us too, in this country, il
we're not careful. Came pretty close
with that first shot. Got my pipe right
under my hand 1 didn't know an In
dian could shoot so straight"
Desc peopr goin' follow u.s." said
Esau. wen de moon go down, we
drop down de riviere an wait for dem
cen de mOrnin'."
"Ah-hah!' agreed Omar. 1--WE maxi
q Ieetle ambush for dem"
As the night thickened before the
moon died at midnight, the peterboro
from Sunset House silently left the
island. and dropped down through the
shadows TO the outlet and into the
river. A few miles downstream they
turned in and made camp.
Jim wrapped himself in his blanket
with Smoke beside him, to wrestle
with a difficult problem. Clearly the
Indians who had followed them down
the lake would stop at nothing to drive
them out Of the country. With these
paid henchmen Of Paradis on his heels.
he could not 90 on. But TO allow
Omar and EsaU 10 shoot them out Of
their canoe in the morning, much as
they deserved it, would be bad gen.
eralship. They had kinsmen among
the PipestOne Ojibwas who would take
up the feud, thus started, and Jim's
mission was one Of Cancellation. Yet
he had 10 defend himself, and Omar
and Esau would be hard to handle.
The sun was high in the sky on the
following morning before the three
who waited in the river willows saw
a canoe turn the bend above them.
Clearly the two paddlers were conf
dent that the peterbOro was some
where far ahead of them downstream.
for the men in the willows plainly
heard their voices.
There was the muffled click Of steel
on steel as three rifles were cooked.
Then the willows were silent. Pres
emily. as the birch bark canoe drifted
abreast Of the ambush, there was a
roar, as the guns spat from the shore
The paddle Of the bowman fell. splin-
tered from his hands. With a cry of
terror the sternman swung the nose
of the craft toward the opposite bank.
as the rifles again exploded
In his fear the Indian in the bow
of the canoe plunged headlong into
the river and made for the shore,
while his mate flattened on the floor
of the canoe. Then from the willows,
two men padded rapidly across the
stream TO the drifting canoe, while the
third covered the craft with his rife
Running the peterboro alongside.
omar stepped into the birch bark and,
lifting the gray-faced young Ojibwa in
mis- great arms, with curse threw
him into the water.
I'VE Eot shoot jijag, de skunk, an
we not shoe. at you, dis taml" roared
che Infatuated haIf-breed. deprived OF
his vengeance by the commands Of
Stuart But de next tam, weel split
your t'roat lax stab de caribou"
As the frightened Ojibwa swan for
she shore, Omar returned to the peter