The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-01-13

ing TO find out something, or was he
bringing a friendly warningY
HE is fr'en' of Jingwak," said
Esau, "and Jingwak is scare"
"Ah-hah!' agreed Omar. HE ees
scare. He got no Paradees to help
heem now"
But in spite of the confidence of his
men, jim was troubled What he de-
sired was to bring about the downfall
Of the sorcerer by peaceable means
to gain the friendship of the hunters,
but it looked as If he would fail II
the old Indian was to be trusted, they
would be lucky to get out of the Stur-
geOn with whole skins. How far the
adherents of Jingwak were prepared
to go he already knew In the end it
meant blOodshed, and that meant de-
feat-the enmity of many Of the hunt
ers whose trade he sought. And de
feat meant good-by to Sunset House
and Aurore LeBlond. For he would
have not even a future in the COM
pany's service to offer her.
The following morning, Esau left
them. Travelling in a small birch
bark canoe he had got by trade from
an Ojibwa, the old man started ahead
of them down the Sturgeon on his lone
search for Jingwak. Time and again
Jim had endeavOred to learn how he
hoped to circumvent the medicine man
who had such a hold on the hunters Of
the Sturgeon, but Esau had kept his
own counsel. With a smile, the willy
old Indian had replied: "Eet may be
Esau ees too old. Hees back no longer
carry de beeg load for de companee.
His leg are stiff for de winter trail.
But he has seen nance ting and hees
memory ees long. Eef he nevaire
come back, eet mean hees head, also,
ees no good"
More he refused to say, and Omar,
when questioned by the curious Jim,
had shaken his head doubtfully as he
explained Esau's retfcence. The old
mans plan was so wild in its details
and depended for its success so large
ly on luck that Esau dared not divulge
it to his chief.
So Stuart parted with his friend
with misgiving in his heart. The loyal
old Indian was going down the Stur-
geon into the enemies country, alone.
to fight for Sunset House. What
could he do to Jingwak there, in his
stronghold, one against many!
He gripped the old Ojibwa's hand
In parting. Il don't like to have you
go alone, Esau," Jim said
"You an your fader was de good
fr'en Of me-" replied Esau, his eyes
bright with feeling. ST am ole man.
Soon go talk to your fader. Wen 1
meet heem, he ask. 'Esau. how you
leeye de boyT I wan to tell heem de
boy ees YER fine wild de beeg trade at
de House of de Setting Sun" The
old mans fingers gripped hard on
Jim's. Dat ees wy go to fin Jing-
wax"
Turning, Esau showed off the canoe
and was soon out of sight behind a
tfmbered point. In the gray eyes Of
Jim Stuart, as he watched the dip and
swing of Esau's paddle until the bent
back Of the old man disappeared,
there was the mist Of memory and
the emotion Of full heart.
The father he had buried on the
shore of far Gods Iake-what would
he not give today for his companion
ship and his counsel?
1t was September, the moon of the
mating of the caribou; September,
when through the wild valleys, the
lifting sun rolled back curtains Of
mist, yelling ridges touched here and
there with yellow and gold by the
magic wand of the frost; September.
when the muskegs were blue with
ripened berries and the looms. restless
with the urge Of far journeying, called
at sunset across nameless lakes.
North, on the vast marshes of the
great bay, the legions OF the geese
were assembling for their autumn
rendezvous-Iater to ride the first
stinging winds south over the green
seas Of the spruce and the flaming
islands Of the hardwood ridges.
Passing over the spawning beds of
the sturgeon, at the outlet of the Lake
of the Great Stones, where, for mile,
on the sandy bottom, the dark shapes
Of the huge fish were visible beneath
the peterboro, Jim and Omar entered
the river from which the old Ojibwa
had warned them they would never
dorcf
stream, where the river widened to
form large lake, Jim hoped to find
the man they sought. How, when he
found him, be was TO break the power
of the sorcerer, he did not know. But
the future Of Sunset House depended
on it, and in his desperation, Jim was
prepared to go far-how far, the man
who realized that failure in the trade
would mean in the end the loss of
Aurore LeBlond, did not dare admit
to himself.
All the morning the peterboro rode
the swift current Of the Sturgeon.
Toward noon the drum-beat of rapids
which the old Ojibwa had warned
them they could not run. sounded In
their ears. Then, as they dropped
alongshore, with their poles toward
the first broken water. they saw the
portage trail leading from the river
shore back into the timber.
They landed, and Omar, first swing
ing to his back on tump-line haunch
OF the yearling moose they had shot
at daylight, balanced the heavy, wa
ter-soaked peterboro on its center
thwart across his thick shoulders and
walked briskly or up the trail To
Omar Boisvert, the man who had
packed five bags Of company -four
half-miIe without resting. this hack