CHAPTER 19
At the cabin on the Gray Loon, on the fourth night of Baree's absence,Pierrot was smoking his pipe after a great supper of caribou tenderloinhe had brought in from the trail, and Nepeese was listening to his taleof the remarkable shot he had made, when a sound at the doorinterrupted them. Nepeese opened it, and Baree came in. The cry ofwelcome that was on the girl's lips died there instantly, and Pierrotstared as if he could not quite believe this creature that had returnedwas the wolf dog. Three days and nights of hunger in which he could nothunt because of the leg that dragged had put on him the marks ofstarvation. Battle-scarred and covered with dried blood clots thatstill clung tenaciously to his long hair, he was a sight that drew atlast a long despairing breath from Nepeese. A queer smile was growingin Pierrot's face as he leaned forward in his chair. Then slowly risingto his feet and looking closer, he said to Nepeese:
"Ventre Saint Gris! Oui, he has been to the pack, Nepeese, and the packturned on him. It was not a two-wolf fight--non! It was the pack. He iscut and torn in fifty places. And--mon Dieu, he is alive!"
In Pierrot's voice there was growing wonder and amazement. He wasincredulous, and yet he could not disbelieve what his eyes told him.What had happened was nothing short of a miracle, and for a time heuttered not a word more but remained staring in silence while Nepeeserecovered from her astonishment to give Baree doctoring and food. Afterhe had eaten ravenously of cold boiled mush she began bathing hiswounds in warm water, and after that she soothed them with bear grease,talking to him all the time in her soft Cree. After the pain and hungerand treachery of his adventure, it was a wonderful homecoming forBaree. He slept that night at the foot of the Willow's bed. The nextmorning it was the cool caress of his tongue on her hand that awakenedher.
With this day they resumed the comradeship interrupted by Baree'stemporary desertion. The attachment was greater than ever on Baree'spart. It was he who had run away from the Willow, who had deserted herat the call of the pack, and it seemed at times as though he sensed thedepths of his perfidy and was striving to make amends. There wasindubitably a very great change in him. He clung to Nepeese like ashadow. Instead of sleeping at night in the spruce shelter Pierrot madefor him, he made himself a little hollow in the earth close to thecabin door. Pierrot thought that he understood, and Nepeese thoughtthat she understood even more; but in reality the key to the mysteryremained with Baree himself. He no longer played as he had playedbefore he went off alone into the forest. He did not chase sticks, orrun until he was winded, for the pure joy of running. His puppyishnesswas gone. In its place was a great worship and a rankling bitterness, alove for the girl and a hatred for the pack and all that it stood for.Whenever he heard the wolf howl, it brought an angry snarl into histhroat, and he would bare his fangs until even Pierrot would draw alittle away from him. But a touch of the girl's hand would quiet him.
In a week or two the heavier snows came, and Pierrot began making histrips over the trap lines. Nepeese had entered into an exciting bargainwith him this winter. Pierrot had taken her into partnership. Everyfifth trap, every fifth deadfall, and every fifth poison bait was to beher own, and what they caught or killed was to bring a bit nearer torealization a wonderful dream that was growing in the Willow's heart.Pierrot had promised. If they had great luck that winter, they would godown together on the last snows to Nelson House and buy the little oldorgan that was for sale there. And if the organ was sold, they wouldwork another winter, and get a new one.
This plan gave Nepeese an enthusiastic and tireless interest in thetrap line. With Pierrot it was more or less a fine bit of strategy. Hewould have sold his hand to give Nepeese the organ. He was determinedthat she should have it, whether the fifth traps and the fifthdeadfalls and fifth poison baits caught the fur or not. The partnershipmeant nothing so far as the actual returns were concerned. But inanother way it meant to Nepeese a business interest, the thrill ofpersonal achievement. Pierrot impressed on her that it made a comradeand coworker of her on the trail. His scheme was to keep her with himwhen he was away from the cabin. He knew that Bush McTaggart would comeagain to the Gray Loon, probably more than once during the winter. Hehad swift dogs, and it was a short journey. And when McTaggart came,Nepeese must not be at the cabin--alone.
Pierrot's trap line swung into the north and west, covering in all amatter of fifty miles, with an average of two traps, one deadfall, anda poison bait to each mile. It was a twisting line blazed along streamsfor mink, otter, and marten, piercing the deepest forests for fishercatand lynx and crossing lakes and storm-swept strips of barrens wherepoison baits could be set for fox and wolf. Halfway over this linePierrot had built a small log cabin, and at the end of it another, sothat a day's work meant twenty-five miles. This was easy for Pierrot,and not hard on Nepeese after the first few days.
All through October and November they made the trips regularly, makingthe round every six days, which gave one day of rest at the cabin onthe Gray Loon and another day in the cabin at the end of the trail. ToPierrot the winter's work was business, the labor of his people formany generations back. To Nepeese and Baree it was a wild and joyousadventure that never for a day grew tiresome. Even Pierrot could notquite immunize himself against their enthusiasm. It was infectious, andhe was happier than he had been since his sun had set that evening theprincess mother died.
They were glorious months. Fur was thick, and it was steadily coldwithout any bad storms. Nepeese not only carried a small pack on hershoulders in order that Pierrot's load might be lighter, but shetrained Baree to bear tiny shoulder panniers which she manufactured. Inthese panniers Baree carried the bait. In at least a third of the totalnumber of traps set there was always what Pierrot calledtrash--rabbits, owls, whisky jacks, jays, and squirrels. These, withthe skin or feathers stripped off, made up the bulk of the bait for thetraps ahead.
One afternoon early in December, as they were returning to the GrayLoon, Pierrot stopped suddenly a dozen paces ahead of Nepeese andstared at the snow. A strange snowshoe trail had joined their own andwas heading toward the cabin. For half a minute Pierrot was silent andscarcely moved a muscle as he stared. The trail came straight out ofthe north--and off there was Lac Bain.
Also they were the marks of large snowshoes, and the stride indicatedwas that of a tall man. Before Pierrot had spoken, Nepeese had guessedwhat they meant. "M'sieu the Factor from Lac Bain!" she said.
Baree was sniffing suspiciously at the strange trail. They heard thelow growl in his throat, and Pierrot's shoulders stiffened.
"Yes, the m'sieu," he said.
The Willow's heart beat more swiftly as they went on. She was notafraid of McTaggart, not physically afraid. And yet something rose upin her breast and choked her at the thought of his presence on the GrayLoon. Why was he there? It was not necessary for Pierrot to answer thequestion, even had she given voice to it. She knew. The factor from LacBain had no business there--except to see her. The blood burned red inher cheeks as she thought again of that minute on the edge of the chasmwhen he had almost crushed her in his arms. Would he try that again?
Pierrot, deep in his own somber thoughts, scarcely heard the strangelaugh that came suddenly from her lips. Nepeese was listening to thegrowl that was again in Baree's throat. It was a low but terriblesound. When half a mile from the cabin, she unslung the panniers fromhis shoulders and carried them herself. Ten minutes later they saw aman advancing to meet them.
It was not McTaggart. Pierrot recognized him, and with an audiblebreath of relief waved his hand. It was DeBar, who trapped in theBarren Country north of Lac Bain. Pierrot knew him well. They hadexchanged fox poison. They were friends, and there was pleasure in thegrip of their hands. DeBar stared then at Nepeese.
"Tonnerre, she has grown into a woman!" he cried, and like a womanNepeese looked at him straight, with the color deepening in her cheeks,as he bowed low with a courtesy that dated back a couple of centuriesbeyond the trap line.
DeBar lost no time in explaining his mission, and before they
reachedthe cabin Pierrot and Nepeese knew why he had come. M'sieu, the factorat Lac Bain, was leaving on a journey in five days, and he had sentDeBar as a special messenger to request Pierrot to come up to assistthe clerk and the half-breed storekeeper in his absence. Pierrot madeno comment at first. But he was thinking. Why had Bush McTaggart sentfor HIM? Why had he not chosen some one nearer? Not until a fire wascrackling in the sheet-iron stove in the cabin, and Nepeese was busilyengaged getting supper, did he voice these questions to the fox hunter.
DeBar shrugged his shoulders.
"He asked me, at first, if I could stay. But I have a wife with a badlung, Pierrot. It was caught by frost last winter, and I dare not leaveher long alone. He has great faith in you. Besides, you know all thetrappers on the company's books at Lac Bain. So he sent for you, andbegs you not to worry about your fur lines, as he will pay you doublewhat you would catch in the time you are at the Post."
"And--Nepeese?" said Pierrot. "M'sieu expects me to bring her?"
From the stove the Willow bent her head to listen, and her heart leapedfree again at DeBar's answer.
"He said nothing about that. But surely--it will be a great change forli'le m'selle."
Pierrot nodded.
"Possibly, Netootam."
They discussed the matter no more that night. But for hours Pierrot wasstill, thinking, and a hundred times he asked himself that samequestion: Why had McTaggart sent for him? He was not the only man wellknown to the trappers on the company's books. There was Wassoon, forinstance, the half-breed Scandinavian whose cabin was less than fourhours' journey from the Post--or Baroche, the white-bearded oldFrenchman who lived yet nearer and whose word was as good as the Bible.It must be, he told himself finally, that M'sieu had sent for HIMbecause he wanted to win over the father of Nepeese and gain thefriendship of Nepeese herself. For this was undoubtedly a very greathonor that the factor was conferring on him.
And yet, deep down in his heart, he was filled with suspicion. WhenDeBar was about to leave the next morning, Pierrot said:
"Tell m'sieu that I will leave for Lac Bain the day after tomorrow."
After DeBar had gone, he said to Nepeese:
"And you shall remain here, ma cherie. I will not take you to Lac Bain.I have had a dream that m'sieu will not go on a journey, but that hehas lied, and that he will be SICK when I arrive at the Post. And yet,if it should happen that you care to go--"
Nepeese straightened suddenly, like a reed that has been caught by thewind.
"Non!" she cried, so fiercely that Pierrot laughed, and rubbed hishands.
So it happened that on the second day after the fox hunter's visitPierrot left for Lac Bain, with Nepeese in the door waving him good-byeuntil he was out of sight.
On the morning of this same day Bush McTaggart rose from his bed whileit was still dark. The time had come. He had hesitated at murder--atthe killing of Pierrot; and in his hesitation he had found a betterway. There could be no escape for Nepeese.
It was a wonderful scheme, so easy of accomplishment, so inevitable inits outcome. And all the time Pierrot would think he was away to theeast on a mission!
He ate his breakfast before dawn, and was on the trail before it wasyet light. Purposely he struck due east, so that in coming up from thesouth and west Pierrot would not strike his sledge tracks. For he hadmade up his mind now that Pierrot must never know and must never have asuspicion, even though it cost him so many more miles to travel that hewould not reach the Gray Loon until the second day. It was better to bea day late, after all, as it was possible that something might havedelayed Pierrot. So he made no effort to travel fast.
McTaggart took a vast amount of brutal satisfaction in anticipatingwhat was about to happen, and he reveled in it to the full. There wasno chance for disappointment. He was positive that Nepeese would notaccompany her father to Lac Bain. She would be at the cabin on the GrayLoon--alone.
This aloneness to Nepeese was burdened with no thought of danger. Therewere times, now, when the thought of being alone was pleasant to her,when she wanted to dream by herself, when she visioned things into themysteries of which she would not admit even Pierrot. She was growinginto womanhood--just the sweet, closed bud of womanhood as yet--still agirl with the soft velvet of girlhood in her eyes, yet with the mysteryof woman stirring gently in her soul, as if the Great Hand werehesitating between awakening her and letting her sleep a little longer.At these times, when the opportunity came to steal hours by herself,she would put on the red dress and do up her wonderful hair as she sawit in the pictures of the magazines Pierrot had sent up twice a yearfrom Nelson House.
On the second day of Pierrot's absence Nepeese dressed herself likethis, but today she let her hair cascade in a shining glory about her,and about her forehead bound a circlet of red ribbon. She was not yetdone. Today she had marvelous designs. On the wall close to her mirrorshe had tacked a large page from a woman's magazine, and on this pagewas a lovely vision of curls. Fifteen hundred miles north of the sunnyCalifornia studio in which the picture had been taken, Nepeese, withpouted red lips and puckered forehead, was struggling to master themystery of the other girl's curls!
She was looking into her mirror, her face flushed and her eyes aglow inthe excitement of the struggle to fashion one of the coveted ringletsfrom a tress that fell away below her hips, when the door opened behindher, and Bush McTaggart walked in.