The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-02-03
Under
Frozen
Stars
X By X
George Marsh
.XSNXMNX&M&
CHAPTER VII-Continued

Copyright by Penn Pub. Co.
CWNU Service)

Rabbit" growled Omar, as the
familiar humping Of the hind feet of
a buck snowshoe was repeated.
"What're you going to do? Hunt
up old Jinaw in the morning and &C
cuse him Of this?" whispered Jim as,
with rifles across knees, they settled
down to their long watch for the pos
sible appearance of others of the
Paradis band.
"Ah-hah! For he tell Paradis all
ne know about US. / close heeS mour."
There was no disputing the fact
that the old mans knowledge of their
search for Esau would be a grave
menace to their safety. Yet it was
unlikely that he would leave his wife
to die alone while he hunted for Para
dis. And to the white man who sat
through the hours beside the i'm
placable half-breed who had already
pronounced sentence of death on the
migrate, it was unthinkable that the
courageous old squaw should be de-
serted to a slow death. But in hold
ing Omar's hand in giving her her
chance of recovery from the infection.
Jim realized that he was gambling
with his own life and that of his
misunderstanding what he owed the
girl at the Lake of the Sand Beaches.
And yet he could not bring himself to
do otherwise.
At dawn, the watchers on the shore,
now confident that the wOuld-be-assas-
sins had come alone, started a search
for their canoe, which they shortly
found not far away, and drew up and
hid in the brush. Then, leaving their
own canoe, for they did not wish to
be seen, they started through the tim
Der for the tipi of Jinaw.
Squatted by a small fire, over which
simmered a tea pail, they found the
old Indian frying pan of fish. At
the sound of their approach, to Jim's
surprise the Ojibwa hailed them with
a "bo'-jo" without turning his head.
slow is the woman?" asked Stuart
in Ojibwa.
= The deep lines of the old Indians
face sOftened, as he rose and faced
the hostile eyes of the white man
and the half-breed. Then look of
bewilderment shaped itself on his
hawk-like features as he glanced curl
ously from one to the other. "Sleep
, has come to her." he said: "At the
first light she said the pain had grown
little in her arm. The medicine of the
white man is strong"
Old Jinaw stared quizzically at the
60 %
stepped forward and started to speak,
when the raised hand of Jim checked
him
f'Heat some water" ordered Stuart
ST will wash out her hand"
Putting a pail of water on the fire,
Jinaw led Jim into the tipi. His
entrance was greeted from the pile of
skins by a low, mia! MIA! You have
come! Your medicine is strong, for
the pain has grown small"
Jim placed his hand on the wrinkled
forehead. The fever had dropped.
Then he took the bandage off the arm
and washed the incisiOn he had made
in the hand, while the squaw, num-
bling her gratitude, stoically refused
more water, Jim quietly asked her:
"Was it your son who stopped here
the last sleep after put medicine on
your hand?"
The eyes of the old woman, sunken
with hours of agony, widened at the
question. There is no subterfuge
here, thought Jim, as she whimpered:
= "My son, here, the last sleep? No, he
has forgotten-he comes no more.
There was no one here"
AS Jinaw entered with the warm
water, Stuart said: 1--WE thought that
YOU had sent two men to knife us in
our sleep and we came here to make
you pay"
- st saw it in your eyes," said the
Indian, calmly meeting Jim'S gaze,
"but l did not know why your hearts
had turned bitter. The men of Paradis
found you, but your medicine was too
strong"
"They will stalk no more sleeping
men, Jim closely studied the wrin-
- killed. mask of old Jinaw, but in the ex-
preston there, he found only mild
surprise.
at was, then, the moon on a wet
paddle, as l thought"
"YOu saw their cancer"
mo, after you left, l saw far on the
lake, a flash. Then the moon was
- hid"
I'VE thought you had sent them to
find u.s."
Sorrowfully the Indian shook his
head. "Jinaw has little to give the
white trader for his good medicine,
but his friendship. He gave him that
the last sleep, when he touched hands.
. Does the trader from the House of the
Sunset believe Jinaw now speaks with
a single tongue?'
Rising, Jim gave the old man his
hand. Il do. We shall be friends"
NTTTY