XXVII WHY THE PERIERS CAME TO PEMBINA
Before starting for the hills, Walter had written Elise that he expectedto be back by the first of March. So when Mr. Perier decided to leaveFort Douglas, he felt very sure that he would find his apprentice atPembina. "I was anxious to get away," he said when he told his story."The weather was mild and favorable for the journey, and--well, I hadother reasons. At St. Boniface I learned of a man with a dog team who wascoming this way."
Walter interrupted to ask if the man was really Murray.
"Yes, that is his name," Mr. Perier replied. "He said he knew you andyour friend Louis Brabant. Murray had not intended to leave for anotherday or two. He was waiting to see Sergeant Kolbach's brother, who hadgone to Norway House."
At first the half-breed had refused to take the Periers to Pembina. Whilehe was arguing his case, Mr. Perier had taken out his watch and glancedat it; a nervous habit of his when worried or distressed. Murray pointedto the watch. He would go for that he said. As nothing else would satisfyhim, Mr. Perier agreed. Murray furnished toboggan and dogs, and theystarted early the next morning.
Before they had been out an hour, the Swiss began to regret his bargain.Murray's brutality and his insolent, overbearing manner filled the quiet,gentle-natured apothecary with apprehension. The trip proved far frompleasant, but, knowing that the wild _bois brules_ were apt to appearmore savage than they really were, he did not think his children andhimself in any real danger. What really happened Elise had already told.Before the journey was over, Murray demanded his pay. Mr. Perier had beenforced to hand over his watch and chain. As soon as the coveted articleswere in the half-breed's possession, he had whipped up his dogs, jumpedon the sled, and left the Periers to freeze or starve.
Mr. Perier knew that if they followed the river it would lead them toPembina. They tried to keep going but they had no snowshoes and werecontinually breaking through the crust. All three were very cold andtired. When they came to a spot a little sheltered from the wind, theycamped, intending to go on in the morning. With his pocket knife, thefather hacked off a few dead branches. He kindled a fire, and Elise andMax lay down beside it, wrapped in one of the blankets. They insistedthat their father should use the other.
"I didn't intend to go to sleep," he confessed. "I was utterly exhaustedand had to rest a little. I lay down, meaning to get up in a few minutesand cut more wood. What happened was all my fault. I should have keptawake and moving.
"Even now I am at a loss to understand," he concluded, "how Murray daredto desert us. To have taken us on, as he promised, would have delayed himbut little. He must have known that, whether we ever reached here aliveor not, he was responsible for us. He would be charged with the crime ofdeserting us and stealing our belongings. Surely the Company cannotoverlook such a crime. He must suffer for it."
Louis shrugged. "It is not at all certain that he will suffer for it,though Walter and I will do our best to see that he does. This is not _leMurrai Noir's_ first crime, and always, so far, he seems to have escapedpunishment. He thinks he will always escape. He stole the Company'sproperty, he and Fritz Kolbach attacked and robbed one of the Company'shunters, yet he has not been punished, it seems, for either of thosecrimes. He was bold to go to St. Boniface and stay there, after that lastaffair."
"Perhaps he lay low and did not let the Company at Fort Douglas know hewas there," suggested Walter.
"Or he lied himself free of the charge," Louis added, "with witnessesbribed to say he spoke the truth. But this last crime is more serious."The boy rose from the hearth, where he had been sitting cross legged.There were not stools enough to go around. "I go now," he announced, "tolearn whether _le Murrai_ really came to Pembina, and if he is stillhere."
"I'll go with you," cried Walter springing up, tired though he was. "Thesooner we lay charges against Murray the better. Already he has had timeto take warning from our coming, and be gone."
A little questioning of the people of Pembina brought the informationthat Murray had arrived at the settlement before daybreak, had rested afew hours, and had gone on, with a fresh team for which he had exchangedhis exhausted dogs. His only answer to the question whither he was boundhad been "Up river."
At Fort Daer and Pembina House the boys learned that Murray had avoidedthe posts. The clerks in charge did not even know that the half-breed hadbeen in the neighborhood until the lads brought the news. The man at theCompany post listened gravely to the story, but was inclined to blame Mr.Perier for leaving Fort Douglas.
"Why didn't the Swiss stay where he was?" he asked impatiently. "He wasbetter off there than he will be here. What did he want to come toPembina now for? He will only have to go back again with the rest of thecolonists in a few weeks. It will soon be time to break ground and sowcrops."
To this Walter had no good answer, for he himself did not understand justwhy Mr. Perier had decided so suddenly to make the change. Not untilnight, after Madame Brabant and the girls were in bed in the main roomand Walter lay beside his master on a skin cot in the lean-to, did theboy learn the real reason for the journey to Pembina.
"Sergeant Kolbach turned us out," said Mr. Perier.
"What?" exclaimed Walter. "I thought he had been so kind to you."
"He was until recently, but he and I had a disagreement. He asked me forElise's hand in marriage."
"Why she is a mere child!" Walter was both surprised and distressed.
"So I told him. I said she was far too young to marry. He replied thatshe was old enough to cook his meals and keep his house, and that waswhat he wanted a wife for."
Walter grunted angrily.
"It is true," Mr. Perier went on, "that some of our girls not much olderhave married since coming to the Colony. You know the Company encouragedyoung women to come over because wives were needed in the settlement,especially by the DeMeurons. But Elise came to be with me, and I haveother plans for her. She shall not marry Kolbach or any other, now or tenyears from now, unless he is the right kind of a man and she wants him."
"I hope she'll never want a DeMeuron." The thought of his little sistermarried to one of that wild crew horrified Walter.
"I hope not indeed," agreed the father. "I would prefer one of our ownpeople for her; when she is several years older of course." He paused amoment then went on. "Elise never liked Kolbach. Even though he was kindto us and she felt she ought to be grateful, she disliked him and was alittle afraid of him. I could see it. If I had dreamed that he had anysuch idea in his head, I would not have stayed in his house a day."
"Does she know he wants to marry her?" Walter inquired.
"I think not. I told him I would not consent to his speaking to her. Hedeclared he would do as he thought best about that, but he has had nochance. We left his house that very day."
"Did he really turn you out?"
"It amounted to that. He was angry at my refusal to consider his suit. Hesaid he was willing to wait a year, if, at Easter, Elise was formallybetrothed to him. When I would consent to no betrothal, he said that wecould not stay in his house longer unless she was promised to him. I havebeen working at the buffalo cloth mill, and have been paying him what Icould for our lodging, and Elise has done all the housework. Yet he spokeas if we were beggars. I answered that we had no wish to remain in hishouse. We went to a neighbor,--Marianne Scheidecker she was before shemarried. I told her, as I told Elise, that Kolbach and I had quarreled.The next day I found Murray and hired him to bring us here."
"Do you suppose Kolbach could have put him up to deserting you?" Walterquestioned suspiciously.
"Oh no. I doubt if Kolbach knew we were going. The Sergeant would not dosuch a thing, however angry he might be. He is a rough, domineering man,but not bad at heart. No, no, he wouldn't be capable of anything likethat. In his way he is really fond of Elise. I think he would be as kindto her as he knows how to be, but he is not good enough for her, and sheis far too young."
"She certainly is," Walter
agreed emphatically.
It would be years yet before little Elise need think of such things, theboy decided. Then perhaps he would have something to say about thematter. The idea had never occurred to him before, but why should he notmarry Elise himself some day? What other girl was there in the new landor the old to equal her? Of course it would be years from now, but in themeantime he must keep guard over her and see that no DeMeuron, orScotchman, or French _bois brule_ tried to take her away. None of themshould bother Elise if he could help it, and he thought he could. It waswith a new and not unpleasing sense of responsibility that, the boy fellasleep that night.