It was chance and daring and danger which drew him in the beginning to
the country, love of the wild and breath of the vast reaches, something
within which pushed him forward among these savage peoples, even as the
same thing pushed Maren Le Moyne toward the Whispering Hills, sent De
Courtenay to the Saskatchewan.
At any rate he was very hungry, and when a bent and withered crone of a
squaw brought food and loosed his right hand, the young factor tossed
up his head to get the falling hair out of his eyes and fell to with a
relish.
"Faugh!" said De Courtenay with the first mouthful; "I wonder, M'sieu,
is there nothing we can do to hasten the end? Many meals of this would
equal the stake."
Whereat the gallant smilingly tossed the meat and its birchbark platter
at the woman's feet.
"If you would not prefer starvation, I would suggest that you crawl for
that, M'sieu," said McElroy gravely; but the wrinkled hag gathered it
up, and left them to the night that was fast settling over the forest.
Thus began the long trail up to the waters of Churchill and beyond into
that unknown region where few white men had yet penetrated, and fewer
still.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171