Part 1 (1/2)
The Wilderness Trail
by Frank Williams
CHAPTER I
UP FOR JUDGMENT
”And you accuse lared down into the heavy, ugly face of his superior--a face that concealed behind itsas the northland that bred the” Fitzpatrick pawed his white beard ”I only know that a great quantity of valuable furs, trapped in your district, have not been turned in to me here at the factory It is to explain this discrepancy that I have called you down by dogs in the dead of winter Where are those furs?” He looked up out of the great chair in which he was sitting, and regarded his inferior with cold insolence For half an hour now, the interview had been in progress, half an hour of shame and dismay for McTavish, and the same amount of satisfaction for the factor
”I tell you I have no idea where they are,” returned the post captain ”So far as I know, the usual number of pelts have been traded for at the fort If any have disappeared, it is a matter of the white trappers and the Indians, not reed the other suavely; ”but who is in charge of Fort dickey?”
”I am”
”Then, how can you say it is not your affair when the Co twenty thousand pounds a year froround his teeth helplessly, torn between the desire to throttle ugly old Fitzpatrick where he sat, or to turn on his heel, and walk out without another word He did neither Either would have been disastrous, as he well knew He had not coade_ fro the autocratic, alus Fitzpatrick, factor at Fort Severn for these two decades
So, now, he choked back his wrath, and walked quietly up and down, pondering what to do The room was square, low, and heavily raftered
Donald had to duck his head for one particular beareat bearskins in profusion; a moose's head decorated one end of the place The furniture was heavy and home-made
At last, he turned upon the factor
”Look here!” he said siainst me? You knoell as I do that there isn't another man in your whole district you would call in from a winter post to accuse in this way What have I done? How have I failed in e of my position as the chief coain, and shot a sharp, inquisitive glance at the young captain That htly untoward In turn, he pondered a minute
”Up to this time,” he said at last, ”you have done your ell
You know the business pretty thoroughly, and your Indians seeainst you--”
”No,” burst out McTavish, ”you have nothing against ative; never have I heard you grant a positive quality in all the time I have known you And, to be frank, I think that you have soainst me But what it is I cannot find out” He paused eloquently before the white-haired figure that seeranite
”This is hardly the time for personalities, McTavish,” said the other, harshly ”What I want to know is, what steps will you take to restore the furs that have disappeared from your district?”
”How do you know they have disappeared fro in this country,” replied Fitzpatrick, dryly
”Then, a Indians?”
”Enough!” roared the factor, at last roused from his caloing to do?”
McTavish dropped his clenched hands with a gesture of hopeless weariness
”I'll s your insulting innuendoes, and try to dig up some evidence to support your accusation,” he said, quietly ”If I get track of any leakage, I'll do my best to stop it If not, you shall learn as soon as possible”