Part 10 (1/2)
Choo-qualee-qualoo laid down this last proposition with a doubting gravity, for the young ated it as if with a sense of its ihed atthat any one else said
He saw fit to remark that he did not understand how that sober- the Scotchman--had ever contrived to capture such a fine wos Now as for such rattling blades as himself and his Captain--ould have been disposed to lay the flat of his sword smartly across the shoulders of the orderly, could he have dreamed of mention in such irreverent fellowshi+p--they had no chance with the women, and for his own part this made him very sad And he contrived to look so for about a minute, as he led the Captain's horse up and down before the door of the council-house, while Choo-qualee-qualoo, at one end of his beat, stood a a clump of laurel and talked to hih, in the shadowy recesses of a neighboring hut, watched through the open door how his scheme took effect
It irls to like other fellows better than hienerally did!
And Choo-qualee-qualoo broke off to say here that she did not discern why such preference should be, for this soldier's hair was the color of the Captain's gold lace on his red coat (the orderly was called ”Carrots” by his comrades), and he had a face with--and at a loss she dabbled the tips of her fingers delicately about the bridge of her nose and her eyes to intimate the freckles on his fair skin, which beauty-spots she evidently admired
The Scotchh to declare again, and everybody else thought so too But he had overheard Captain Deht to bring her to this western wilderness, and that that terrible journey of so h to have killed her; and Captain Stuart had replied that she wouldorder The orderly protested that for his part, if he were a condemned fine woman like that, he wouldn't live in a wilderness--he would run away froo back to wherever she came from Handsomest eyes he ever saw--_except two eyes_!
Here Choo-qualee-qualoo gave Odalie a broadside glance which left no doubt as to whose eyes this exception was supposed to refer, and put two or three strands of the red beads into her hed with pleasure and pride
Thus it was that Odalie was apprised of the fact that she was regarded by the Indians as a French prisoner in the hands of the English, and that the young soldier's use of the idea of capture by her husband, figuratively, as in the toils of matrimony, was literally construed
Her first iestion of captivity, of detention against her will Then her strong instinct of wisdoht in theas politic as Captain Stuart himself, moved her to reserve this detail for the consideration of the commandant of the fort, as everyenst them, and their disposition to fraternize with the French, was important
The two captains listened with serious attention when she detailed this conversation to the received as a guest of reat hall, summarily cleared of the junior officers, and, not so summarily, of the clouds of tobacco s the impression on the minds of the Indian wo theood humor with some little presents--a tiny mirror set locket-wise and an ivory bobbin wound around with red thread The women had evidently derived special pleasure from the slyness and presu out with a craft of concealment that coiven Odalie a sense of disapprobation and repulsion
”Why should you care?” demanded Demere, always sympathetic with a woman's hams, even when he could not feel with them ”No amount of explanation could enable the Indian women to comprehend the situation from your standpoint”
And Captain Stuart could not restrain his laughter at her discomfiture
”Do you consider yourself so free, then? Do you call it freedom--in the holy _bonds_ of matri of your chains!”
As he noted her long-lashed glance of disdain,--”Doesn't the holy Scripture call it a 'yoke,'” he persisted, bursting out laughing afresh
She would not reply but sat listening to Captain Dean to reason,--”This iht afford us--I don't kno--so the treacherous plans of the savages It gives us a source of inforh you that we can trust”
”I don't relish the deceitful part assigned to me,” she protested
”What would we do with any inforht of value,” returned Dehtiness, ”except to use it for the defense of the fort, and your own outlying station? Are we here to ar or to maintain peace?”
She was silent, a trifle mortified because of her own mortification to be supposed a mere captive
”Everybody else knows that you are the co officer at MacLeod's Station,” said Stuart in pretended consolation, only half sravely, ”you will never be able to convince thee soldier's rodo woht to be gagged!” exclaiht at her seriousness
The color mounted to Odalie's cheek She had but entered her twenties, and despite her , now and then
Notwithstanding her humble pioneer status, she retained much of the aristocratic traditions inherited froreat liberty that the young orderly should have expressed his adh of course he was not aware that it would be repeated She objected that he should know that she knew of it
”I hope you will not acquaint him with the circumstances,” she said, stiffly
”By noher scruples ”That sort of thing is beyond discipline Thethey know or think they know”