Read Online Lonely On the Mountain (1980) by Louis - Sackett's 19 L'amour - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis - Sackett's 19 L'amour
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man's just back from Montreal. He was studyin' to be a priest, I heard, then changed his mind, or they changed it for him.
"When those outsiders began to come in with their newfangled way of surveyin', his ma sent for him to come home. She seen trouble comin'.
"I ain't sure he's the right man for it.
He's a thoughtful young feller. Seems reasonable. Been through here a time or two.
"Now away out west, the way you're a-goin', there's a man named Dumont, Gabriel Dumont. Captain of the buffalo hunts! Those m`etis would follow him through hell! Good man!
A great man! Reminds me of that poem, writ by a man named Gray, somethin' in it about "Cromwells guiltless of their country's blood" or some such thing. Well, I seen a few in my lifetime! Men who had greatness but no chance to show it elsewhere than here! I seen 'em!
I seen a passel of them!" Nolan glanced at him again. "You ever hear of Frog Town? Well, you fight shy of it. Rob you. Cheat you. Knock you in the head or knife you. That's a bad lot. Sometimes the steamer starts from there, dependin' on how high the water is.
"Steamboatin' on the Red ain't like the Mississippi. Mean. Mean an' cantankerous, that's what it is. River's too high some of the time, too low most of the time, and filled with sawyers, driftin' logs, and sandbars. No fit river for man or beast." "But it flows north?" "That it does! That it does!" Nolan put a hand on his sleeve. "Here she comes now, that Molrone girl. Say, is she the pretty one! If I was single--to was Orrin turned toward her, smiling. She looked up at him. "Oh! Mr. Sackett!
I am so glad you are here! They say we must go from here by oxcart, and I was wondering if--?" "You can go with us. We would have it no other way.
And we shall leave tomorrow morning, early." "I'll be ready." He paused. "The offer includes Mrs.
McCann." "You want her," Nolan whispered, "you'd better act fast, young feller! She's too durned pretty to be about for long!" There was a pause, and Nolan pulled his hat brim down and started around the counter. "Don't envy you, young feller. Not one bit! You got a long road to travel, an' it can be mean. Oh, there's folks done it! Palliser done it, the Earl of Southesk, he done it, and, of course, folks like David Thompson, Alexander Henry, and their like, but the Sioux weren't around then, an' there wasn't all this trouble with the m`etis--" "But you said Riel was a reasonable man?" "I did, an' I still say it. Trouble is, both them and the army will need grub, they will need rifles and ammunition, and you'll have 'em--if you're lucky." "You made a reference to Gavin?" "I said nothing. Only"--he paused--"I like a careful man. I always did like a careful man, and you shape up like such. I said nothing else.
Nothing a-tall!" He started for the door, then turned and came back. "You get smart, young feller. You latch on to that girl. You'll travel a weary mile before you see her kind again. Ain't only she's pretty, she's game. She's got gumption!
That's my kinda woman, boy. That there's my kinda woman!"
Chapter VIII
It was cold and dark when he opened his eyes, holding himself still for a long minute, just to listen. There were subdued rustles from the next room where the women were, so they were already astir.
Rising, he bathed lightly and swiftly, then pulled on his pants and boots and began stropping his razor. The vague light in the room was sufficient until he wished to shave; then he lighted the coal-oil lamp. He shaved with care, and as he shaved, he considered the situation.
With luck they would be aboard the International before sundown, and if they hoped to miss the mosquitoes, they must be. Once aboard, he must settle down to some serious thinking, as well as the planning of his every move once he reached Fort Garry.
He rinsed his razor, stropped it once more for the final touch-up, thinking as he did so. It was a foolhardy venture at best, something not to be considered had not a Sackett been in
"When those outsiders began to come in with their newfangled way of surveyin', his ma sent for him to come home. She seen trouble comin'.
"I ain't sure he's the right man for it.
He's a thoughtful young feller. Seems reasonable. Been through here a time or two.
"Now away out west, the way you're a-goin', there's a man named Dumont, Gabriel Dumont. Captain of the buffalo hunts! Those m`etis would follow him through hell! Good man!
A great man! Reminds me of that poem, writ by a man named Gray, somethin' in it about "Cromwells guiltless of their country's blood" or some such thing. Well, I seen a few in my lifetime! Men who had greatness but no chance to show it elsewhere than here! I seen 'em!
I seen a passel of them!" Nolan glanced at him again. "You ever hear of Frog Town? Well, you fight shy of it. Rob you. Cheat you. Knock you in the head or knife you. That's a bad lot. Sometimes the steamer starts from there, dependin' on how high the water is.
"Steamboatin' on the Red ain't like the Mississippi. Mean. Mean an' cantankerous, that's what it is. River's too high some of the time, too low most of the time, and filled with sawyers, driftin' logs, and sandbars. No fit river for man or beast." "But it flows north?" "That it does! That it does!" Nolan put a hand on his sleeve. "Here she comes now, that Molrone girl. Say, is she the pretty one! If I was single--to was Orrin turned toward her, smiling. She looked up at him. "Oh! Mr. Sackett!
I am so glad you are here! They say we must go from here by oxcart, and I was wondering if--?" "You can go with us. We would have it no other way.
And we shall leave tomorrow morning, early." "I'll be ready." He paused. "The offer includes Mrs.
McCann." "You want her," Nolan whispered, "you'd better act fast, young feller! She's too durned pretty to be about for long!" There was a pause, and Nolan pulled his hat brim down and started around the counter. "Don't envy you, young feller. Not one bit! You got a long road to travel, an' it can be mean. Oh, there's folks done it! Palliser done it, the Earl of Southesk, he done it, and, of course, folks like David Thompson, Alexander Henry, and their like, but the Sioux weren't around then, an' there wasn't all this trouble with the m`etis--" "But you said Riel was a reasonable man?" "I did, an' I still say it. Trouble is, both them and the army will need grub, they will need rifles and ammunition, and you'll have 'em--if you're lucky." "You made a reference to Gavin?" "I said nothing. Only"--he paused--"I like a careful man. I always did like a careful man, and you shape up like such. I said nothing else.
Nothing a-tall!" He started for the door, then turned and came back. "You get smart, young feller. You latch on to that girl. You'll travel a weary mile before you see her kind again. Ain't only she's pretty, she's game. She's got gumption!
That's my kinda woman, boy. That there's my kinda woman!"
Chapter VIII
It was cold and dark when he opened his eyes, holding himself still for a long minute, just to listen. There were subdued rustles from the next room where the women were, so they were already astir.
Rising, he bathed lightly and swiftly, then pulled on his pants and boots and began stropping his razor. The vague light in the room was sufficient until he wished to shave; then he lighted the coal-oil lamp. He shaved with care, and as he shaved, he considered the situation.
With luck they would be aboard the International before sundown, and if they hoped to miss the mosquitoes, they must be. Once aboard, he must settle down to some serious thinking, as well as the planning of his every move once he reached Fort Garry.
He rinsed his razor, stropped it once more for the final touch-up, thinking as he did so. It was a foolhardy venture at best, something not to be considered had not a Sackett been in
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