Part 6 (1/2)
”And the stockade?”
”There will be no stockade.”
”No stockade! Are you crazy? If MacNair----”
”I will attend to MacNair, Mr. Lapierre.”
”Do you imagine MacNair will stand quietly by and allow you to build a trading-post here on the Yellow Knife? Do you think he will listen to our explanation that this is a school and that the store is merely a plaything? I tell you he will countenance neither the school nor the post. Education for the natives is the last thing MacNair will stand for.”
”As I told you, I will attend to MacNair. My people will not be armed.
The stockade would be silly.”
Lapierre smiled; drew closer, and dropped his voice to a confidential whisper. ”I can put one hundred rifles and ten thousand cartridges in the hands of your people in ten days' time.”
”Thank you, Mr. Lapierre. I don't need your guns.”
The man made a gesture of impatience. ”If you choose to ignore MacNair, you must, at least, be prepared to handle the Indians who will crowd your counter like wolves when they hear you are underselling the H.B.C. When you explain that only those who are members of your school may trade at your post, you will be swamped with enrolments. You cannot teach the whole North.
”Those that you will be forced to turn away--what will they do? They will not understand. Instead of returning to their teepees, their nets, and their traplines, they will hang about your post, growing gaunter and hungrier with the pa.s.sing of the days. And the hunger that gnaws at their bellies will arouse the latent lawlessness of their hearts, and then--if MacNair has not already struck, he will strike then. For MacNair knows Indians and the workings of the Indian mind. He knows how the sullen hatred of their souls may be fanned into a mighty flame. His Indians will circulate among the hungry horde, and the banks of the Yellow Knife will be swept bare. MacNair will have struck. And with such consummate skill will his hand be disguised, that not the faintest breath of suspicion will point toward himself.”
”I shall sell to all alike, while my goods last, whether they are members of my school or not----”
”That will be even worse than----”
”It seems you always think of the worst thing that could possibly happen,” smiled the girl.
”'To fear the worst, oft cures the worst,'” quoted Lapierre.
”'Don't cross a bridge 'til you get to it' is not so cla.s.sic, perhaps, but it saves a lot of needless worry.”
”'Foresight is better than hindsight' is equally uncla.s.sic, and infinitely better generals.h.i.+p. Bridges crossed at the last moment are generally crossed from the wrong end, I have noticed.” The man leaned toward her and looked straight into her eyes. ”Oh, Miss Elliston--can't you see--I am thinking of your welfare--of your safety; I have known you but a short time, as acquaintance is reckoned, but already you have become more to me than----”
Chloe interrupted him with a gesture.
”Don't--please--I----”
Lapierre ignored the protest, and, seizing her hand in both his own, spoke rapidly. ”I will say it! I have known it from the moment of our first meeting. I love you! And I shall win you--and together we will----”
”Oh, don't--don't--not--now--please!”
The man bowed and released the hand. ”I can wait,” he said gravely.
”But please--for your own good--take my advice. I know the North. I was born in the North, and am of the North. I have sought only to help you.
Why do you refuse to profit by my experience? Must you endure what I have endured to learn what I offer freely to tell you? I shudder to think of It. The knowledge gleaned by experience may be the most lasting, but it is dearly purchased, and at a great loss--always.” The man's voice was very earnest, and Chloe detected a note of mild reproach.
She hastened to reply.
”I _have_ profited by your advice--have learned much from what you have told me. I am under obligation to you. I appreciate your interest in--in my work, and am indeed grateful for what you have done to further it. But there are some things, I suppose, one _must_ learn by experience. I may be silly and headstrong. I may be wrong. But I stand ready to pay the price. The loss will be mine. See!” she cried excitedly, ”they are rolling up the logs for the store.”
”Yes,” answered the man gravely, ”I bow to your wishes in the matter of your buildings. If you refuse to build a stockade we may erect a few more buildings--but as few as you can possibly manage with, Miss Elliston. I must hasten southward.”