Lennie’s mask-like face became animated when I was introduced at
dinner-time into the deck-cabin where meals were served. Questions
began to buzz about my ears like mosquitoes on a damp evening. I told
the story of my kidnapping, although I professed to be ignorant of my
captors’ names, and when I had said all I intended to, the captain
began to talk.
“Jake Peterssen never done it,” he stated. “You beat Jake, an’ he took
his beatin’. There wasn’t one madder than him when ’twas told you’d ben
misplaced. No, sir, Jake was fair spoilin’ to fix the man what took you
foul. He said right through you’d ben took foul. Ain’t that so, Pete?”
Pete acquiesced, and Lennie disregarded his dinner and talked on.
“Well, now, there’s ben strange doings at Gull this trip.” He lowered
his voice, peered about, and whispered, “Where’s the father?”
“Outside,” said the steward. “Said he wasn’t wantin’ his grub till some
of ye was through.”
Lennie became mysterious.
“Some of ye must have heard tell of Father Lacombe of Three Points.
They say he’s a priest what always wants to stretch the days out at
work, and don’t have no use for settin’ around. They do say he’s
a-goin’ to be next archbishop, ’cause he went to a place called
Rome two year ago, a-payin’ calls on ole Father Holiness. Well,
now, we don’t give a darn whether he’s goin’ to be archbishop or
church-scraper; but here’s the trouble: What’s the father’s racket
a-bummin’ around Gull these days on the idle, watchin’ the boys at
scrap, and going inter Tommy’s Restaurant wi’ a bad crowd? Tommy
wouldn’t get to give him away, ’cause that sort of thing ain’t
bis’ness; but some of the boys saw him go in along wi’ toughs. Well,
there’s that, an’ there’s the boy bein’ took foul, an’ there’s that
steamer.”
It became my turn to ask a question.
“We’d got away from Gull this mornin’, when Sandy sights a steamer
runnin’ at the island from the south,” went on Lennie sadly. “She was
comin’ full rip, an’ not flyin’ any flag far as we could see. Sandy
made out she was the _Firefly_ of the Force, but I’ll take me oath she
was the _Sault Ste. Marie_ of the Hudson Bay. Don’t matter which she
was. What does she want around Gull, anyhow? This is the only boat that
goes to Gull, ’cept the lumber scows.”
Lennie looked round the table sourly, and went on:
“We’re goin’ to have a bad trip. That’s a dead sure thing. When I set
down to breakfast before startin’ I found a flap-bug in me porridge.
Takes a black dog wi’ a wall-eye to beat that for luck.”
After dinner MacCaskill and I talked upon deck, while Akshelah sat
herself in the sun, her deft fingers engaged in repairing certain
ravages in my coat. The factor thought that the opposition threatened
by Leblanc and Morrison would be more likely to benefit than to injure
us. “Sort of divides the aces,” was his comment. He went on to impress
upon me the necessity for deceiving Redpath by making him believe that
he was deceiving us, and here I had a question to ask, because I wanted
to learn how the adventurer had come by his disguise.
“It’s as clear as sky, Rupe, that he brought the fixings along to
Yellow Sands,” the factor said. “He’s ben playin’ some lively game down
east, or down south, and havin’ to get out at a small hole he fixed
himself up as a priest and came north for his health. Likely he didn’t
change that rig until he got to Yellow Sands River, and heard tell of
ole Petrie. By that time he reckoned he’d show up as his own ugly self.”
I was for telling Lennie the truth, but MacCaskill, who knew the world,
pointed out danger. Redpath would never allow himself to be taken
without bloodshed. Even if placed under confinement, he would possibly
win over the crew by promising to share his secret with them. By this
time I began to understand what men will do for “the dirt.” A mutiny
might follow, and we should certainly be worsted.
“We’ll have a chance to get ahead of him,” went on the factor. “The
_Carillon_ drops us at the Little Peace, and from there we work our way
north along the coast.”
He called to Akshelah.
“Know what sort of folk live at the mouth of the river, my gal?”
Akshelah looked up, her eyes full of thought, and said presently:
“If the people of Mekawask are there, they are our friends.”
“They will let us have a big canoe?”
“I will get you a canoe,” said the girl proudly.
“And Redpath will steal one,” added the factor morosely.
“I will tell the tribe,” went on the girl. “They will watch their
canoes, and if the man comes to steal, they will shoot at him.”
MacCaskill chuckled, “I guess we’ve got his reverence.”
Hardly had he spoken when the man himself came out of the cabin, and
began to pace the deck on the opposite side to us. His cassock was held
up behind by a safety-pin, and he wore the hard felt hat in which he
had landed at Gull. He carried his disguise well.
That he was promenading with a motive beyond mere exercise was soon
made evident; he gave a side movement with his head. I could not be
sure that he was signalling me, but when I made no response, he boldly
beckoned me with his hand.
“See what his game is, but don’t let him fool you, or take you from
deck,” said MacCaskill.
“If you go to him I shall come with you,” said Akshelah, flinging down
my coat, her eyes lighting. “He will overcome you with his eye, and
throw you into the water.”
“Stop where you are,” I ordered, quite sharply, but apparently young
women delight in disobedience.
Akshelah immediately rose up and accompanied me.
I felt a sense of shrinking as I came up to the big, strong-willed man.
His keen eyes passed over me, before he spoke in his courteous manner.
“Can we not dispense with the--er--young lady, Petrie?”
He was not going to play the priest with me, because he understood that
I had seen through his disguise.
Akshelah faced him at once.
“I am going to stay here,” she said angrily.
The adventurer nodded and smiled at me.
“A positive young Xantippe, my dear fellow. Do you speak French?”
I did not know what he meant, but rightly replied in the negative, and
motioned Akshelah to stand a little aside. She took her stand to the
right of me, watching Redpath unflinchingly. Farther along I could see
the factor’s straw bonnet bobbing up and down excitedly.
“Have you anything to say to me?” I said, feeling how much rather I
would openly fight with this man, because when it came to a contest of
tongues I had no chance.
“In the first place, I have to congratulate you upon your escape from
Olaffson and his gang of rascals,” said Redpath heartily. “I did what
I could for you. Little, I confess, but I was powerless to do more. By
the way, did this disguise deceive you at all?”
“Yes, at first.”