Part 5 (1/2)
Whatever ht be the blackness hidden in his heart, the half-breed's outer see was one to command respect In quick appreciation of the truth, Donald was constrained to admit that his own conduct thus far had not been of a sort to match the courtesy of his jailer
”What do you want to say to me about myself?” he questioned, finally; his voice cauis answered immediately, with directness
”After an hour in council, I coated by the brotherhood, to aze met that of his prisoner fairly, as he continued: ”The Hudson Bay Company is a hard ives less, than any other organization in the world If it's hard to us, then it's also hard to you After your years with the Company, do you think you've achieved the position you deserve? Certainly not! We're all agreed on that” The half-breed appeared to hesitate for a esture of resolve, and continued with a new emphasis in his words
”Can't you see that your superior, the factor at Fort Severn, hates you bitterly? I, s there Last summer, I was at the fort, you remember I was there all the time you were
I watched you--and Miss Jean--”
”Stop!” Donald interrupted, furiously He fought back his rage as best he ht, and went on less violently ”Now, noabout the bush Just say what you have to say, and begone!”
Seguis remained wholly undisturbed by the outburst At once, he went on speaking, imperturbably:
”I was about to state,” he said evenly, ”that I have noticed the factor's expression behind your back, and I want to warn you against him He's your superior, you know, Captain McTavish Well, then, how can you expect to rise in the Co for a reply
Again, Donald experienced a sensation that was akin to dismay He had not expected such perspicacity on the part of one whoe Moreover, in addition to his indignant confusion over the introduction of Jean's na vastly disturbing to him in realization of the fact that his own belief of hostility on the part of the factor was thus proven by the observation of the half-breed To hide his disconcertuis, and spoke sharply:
”Get to the point--if there is one!”
”The point's this,” caht show of asperity; ”that we, the Brotherhood of Free-Traders, offer you a position with us--at our head, if you'll take it In other words, I'll step down to second place--if you'll step up to first”
Donald stared at the speaker in aest the possibility of his turning traitor
Seguis, however, endured his angry scrutiny without any lessening of the tranquillity that had characterized hihout the interview So, since silent rebuke failed completely, the Hudson Bay official was driven to verbal expression of his resentiven for you to believe that I was anything but loyal to the Couis adiven no cause for such an idea,” Donald went on, fiercely, ”what reason have you to come here and insult me with such a proposition as you've just offered?”
In his shame over a proposal that in itself contained an accusation of disloyalty, the young nificance of the suggested plan in its bearing on the one who offered it He failed altogether to appreciate the sacrifice that Charley Seguis stood ready to make The half-breed was, in fact, as he had just declared, at the head of the organization that called itself the Brotherhood of Free-Traders Now, from his own announcement, he was prepared to withdraw from the chief place, in order to ht well be believed that thesuch e his fellow foes of the Co to renounce his authority in favor of one whom he deemed worthy to supersede hiin in selfishness, but sprang rather from some ideal of duty, rudely shaped, perhaps, but vital in its influence Yet, to all this, Donald gave no concern just now, even though at his question Seguis shrank as if frohtened to the full of his height, and spoke with coldness in which was a hint of scorn under unjust accusation
”I come to you, a prisoner and a burden on us,” he said, bitterly
”I coet insults In spite of your attitude, I'll give you another chance for your life Will you co phrase in the other's words had caught and held Donald's attention with sinister intentness
”What do you mean?” he demanded ”A chance for my life?”
The explanation was prompt, unequivocal
”I mean that, if you don't accept this offer, your life isn't worth--that!” With the word, Seguis snapped under his heel a twig from the little fire ”Either you stay with us, and know everything--or you go from us, to die with the secret!” The voice was monotonous in its e, a chill of fear fell on Donald, a fear fornant, fatal shape Out of memory leaped tales of terror, unbelieved, yet hideous Noas born a new credulity, begotten of dread His face whitened a little, and his eyes widened as he regarded the half-breed with growing alarm His voice quavered, despite his will, when he put the question that was tor him:
”You don't mean that you'd send hast The enormity of the peril swept over hih he questioned so wildly, he knew the truth, and the awfulness of it put his manhood in revolt, made him coward for the moment The Death Trail!He had not been prepared for that To back against the wall, and fight to the end like a trapped ani for which he had been prepared But, the Death Trail--!
Suddenly, with the incongruity that is frequent in a highly wrought h the years to the ti, which was called the Death Trail He had run away from his nurse in Victoria Square, in Montreal, and, after his recapture, the girl had threatened him with the Death Trail as a punishht, he had questioned his father, the co And the cohed, unconcernedly