Isobel : A Romance of the Northern TrailCurwood, James Oliver
General
Isobel : A Romance of the Northern Trail
Curwood, James Oliver
Northwest, Canadian -- Fiction
Reverently he began the task ahead of him. One after another he went
into Deane's pockets and drew forth what he found. In one pocket there
was a small knife, some cartridges, and a match box. He knew that
Isobel would prize these and keep them because her husband had carried
them, and he placed them in a handkerchief along with other things he
found. Last of all he found in Deane's breast pocket a worn and faded
envelope. He peered into the open end before he placed it on the
little pile, and his heart gave a sudden throb when he saw the blue
flower petals Isobel had given him. When he was done he crossed
Deane's hands upon his breast. He was tying the ends of the
handkerchief when the door opened softly behind him.
The little dark chief entered. He was followed by four other Eskimos.
They had left their weapons outside. They seemed scarcely to breathe
as they ranged themselves in a line and looked down upon Scottie
Deane. Not a sign of emotion came into their expressionless faces, not
the flicker of an eyelash did the immobility of their faces change. In
a low, clacking monotone they began to speak, and there was no
expression of grief in their voices. Yet Billy understood now that in
the hearts of these little brown men Scottie Deane stood enshrined
like a god. Before he was cold in death they had come to chant his
deeds and his virtues to the unseen spirits who would wait and watch
at his side until the beginning of the new day. For ten minutes the
monotone continued. Then the five men turned and without a word,
without looking at him, went out of the cabin. Billy followed them,
wondering if Deane had convinced them that he and Pelliter were his
friends. If he had not done that he feared that there would still be
trouble over little Isobel. He was delighted when he found Pelliter
talking with one of the men.
"I've found a flunkey here whose lingo I can get along with," cried
Pelliter. "I've been telling 'em what bully friends we are, and have
made 'em understand all about Blake. I've shaken hands with them all
three or four times, and we feel pretty good. Better mix a little.
They don't like the idea of giving us the kid, now that Scottie's
dead. They're asking for the woman."
Half an hour later MacVeigh and Pelliter returned to the cabin. At the
end of that time he was confident that the Eskimos would give them no
further trouble and that they expected to leave Isobel in their
possession. The chief, however, had given Billy to understand that
they reserved the right to bury Deane.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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