54-40 or Fight by Emerson Hough

  CHAPTER XXIX

  IN EXCHANGE

  Great women belong to history and to self-sacrifice. --_Leigh Hunt_.

  For sufficient reasons of my own, which have been explained, I did notcare to mingle more than was necessary with the party of the Hudson Bayfolk who made their quarters with the missionary families. I kept closeto my own camp when not busy with my inquiries in the neighborhood,where I now began to see what could be done in the preparation of aproper outfit for the baroness. Herself I did not see for the next twodays; but one evening I met her on the narrow log gallery of one of themission houses. Without much speech we sat and looked over the pleasantprospect of the wide flats, the fringe of willow trees, the loom of themountains off toward the east.

  "Continually you surprise me, Madam," I began, at last. "Can we notpersuade you to abandon this foolish plan of your going east?"

  "I see no reason for abandoning it," said she. "There are some thousandsof your people, men, women and children, who have crossed that trail.Why should not I?"

  "But they come in large parties; they come well prepared. Each helps hisneighbor."

  "The distance is the same, and the method is the same."

  I ceased to argue, seeing that she would not be persuaded. "At least,Madam," said I, "I have done what little I could in securing you aparty. You are to have eight mules, two carts, six horses, and two men,beside old Joe Meek, the best guide now in Oregon. He would not go tosave his life. He goes to save yours."

  "You are always efficient," said she. "But why is it that we always havesome unpleasant argument? Come, let us have tea!"

  "Many teas together, Madam, if you would listen to me. Many a pot breweddeep and black by scores of camp-fires."

  "Fie! Monsieur proposes a scandal."

  "No, Monsieur proposes only a journey to Washington--with you, or closeafter you."

  "Of course I can not prevent your following," she said.

  "Leave it so. But as to pledges--at least I want to keep my littleslipper. Is Madam's wardrobe with her? Could she humor a peevish friendso much as that? Come, now, I will make fair exchange. I will trade youagain my blanket clasp for that one little shoe!"

  I felt in the pocket of my coat, and held out in my hand the remnants ofthe same little Indian ornament which had figured between us the firstnight we had met. She grasped at it eagerly, turning it over in herhand.

  "But see," she said, "one of the clasps is gone."

  "Yes, I parted with it. But come, do I have my little slipper?"

  "Wait!" said she, and left me for a moment. Presently she returned,laughing, with the little white satin foot covering in her hand.

  "I warrant it is the only thing of the sort ever was seen in thesebuildings," she went on. "Alas! I fear I must leave most of mypossessions here! I have already disposed of the furnishings of myapartment to Mr. James Douglas at Fort Vancouver. I hear he is toreplace this good Doctor McLaughlin. Well, his half-breed wife will atleast have good setting up for her household. Tell me, now," sheconcluded, "what became of the other shell from this clasp?"

  "I gave it to an old man in Montreal," I answered. I went on to show herthe nature of the device, as it had been explained to me by old Doctorvon Rittenhofen.

  "How curious!" she mused, as it became more plain to her. "Life, love,eternity! The beginning and the end of all this turmoil about passing onthe torch of life. It is old, old, is it not? Tell me, who was the wiseman who described all this to you?"

  "Not a stranger to this very country, I imagine," was my answer. "Hespent some years here in Oregon with the missionaries, engaged, as heinformed me, in classifying the butterflies of this new region. A Germanscientist, I think, and seemingly a man of breeding."

  "If I were left to guess," she broke out suddenly, "I would say it musthave been this same old man who told you about the plans of the Canadianland expedition to this country."

  "Continually, Madam, we find much in common. At least we both know thatthe Canadian expedition started west. Tell me, when will it arrive onthe Columbia?"

  "It will never arrive. It will never cross the Rockies. Word has gone upthe Columbia now that for these men to appear in this country wouldbring on immediate war. That does not suit the book of England more thanit does that of America."

  "Then the matter will wait until you see Mr. Pakenham?"

  She nodded. "I suppose so."

  "You will find facts enough. Should you persist in your mad journey andget far enough to the east, you will see two thousand, three thousandmen coming out to Oregon this fall. It is but the beginning. But you andI, sitting here, three thousand miles and more away from Washington, candetermine this question. Madam, perhaps yet you may win your right tosome humble home, with a couch of husks or straw. Sleep, then, by ourcamp-fires across America, and let our skies cover you at night. Our menwill watch over you faithfully. Be our guest--our friend!"

  "You are a good special pleader," said she; "but you do not shake me inmy purpose, and I hold to my terms. It does not rest with you and me,but with another. As I have told you--as we have both agreed--"

  "Then let us not speak her name," said I.

  Again her eyes looked into mine, straight, large and dark. Again thespell of her beauty rose all around me, enveloped me as I had felt it dobefore. "You can not have Oregon, except through me," she said at last."You can not have--her--except through me!"

  "It is the truth," I answered. "In God's name, then, play the gamefair."