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Tell him I gone wit' Mahooley. He rich. Give me ev'ryt'ing I want." "I not tell Sam that kind of stuff," returned Musq'oosis scornfully. "It is truth," she insisted sullenly. "I goin' all right." "If Sam come back sorry you feel bad you gone wit' Mahooley." "No, I glad!" she cried passionately. "I hope he want me when it is too late. I want turn him down. That mak' me feel good."
I t'ink I die if I got go 'way wit'out him. I t'ink I don' know w'at I t'ink. Want him, that's all!" "Tcha! White woman!" said Musq'oosis disgustedly. During the rest of the tale he muttered and frowned and wagged his head impatiently. When she came to the scene of the hearing in Gagnon's shack he could no longer contain himself. "Fool!" he cried. "I tell you all w'at to do.
Many days' journey down the little river and the big river to the landing. From the landing four days' walk to town. I am too old to travel so far." "I not afraid travel alone," exclaimed Bela. Musq'oosis continued to shake his head. "What you goin' do in town?" he asked. "I marry a white man," replied Bela coolly. Musq'oosis betrayed no astonishment.
You said he was married. Did he leave any family?" "His baby come after," said Musq'oosis. "Two months." "What's become of it?" Musq'oosis nodded toward the shack. "That is Bela," he said. Joe clenched his hands to keep from betraying a start. This was what he wanted. He bit his lip to hide the cruel smile that spread upon it. "Why you smile?" asked Musq'oosis. "No reason," replied Joe hastily.
The old man had no great liking for this burly youth with the comely, self-indulgent face, nor did he relish his style of address; however, being a philosopher and a gentleman, this did not appear in his face. "Sit down," he added hospitably. Musq'oosis was making artificial flies against the opening of the trout season next month.
"No," said Beattie; "he was in some kind of partnership with a man called Walter Forest, a white man. Forest died, and the amount was transferred to Musq'oosis. It's twenty years ago. I inherited the debt from my predecessor here." Joe, seeing that the trader had nothing more of special interest to tell him, let the talk pass on to other matters.
By and by Bela began to tell her story with the sullen, self-conscious air of a child expecting a scolding. But as she went on she was carried away by it, and her voice became warm and broken with emotion. Musq'oosis, working away, gave no sign, but the still turn of his head persuaded her he was not missing anything.
"I pay cash," said Musq'oosis calmly. Mahooley stared. "Where the hell will you get it?" "I got it now." "Let me see it." Musq'oosis declined. Mahooley finally came down to six hundred, and Musq'oosis went up to five-seventy-eight. There they stuck for an hour. "Five-seventy-eight!" said Mahooley sarcastically. "Why don't you add nineteen cents or so?"
"I thought her name was Bela Charley." "Her mot'er marry Charley Fish-Eater after," explained Musq'oosis. "People forget Walter Forest's baby. So call Bela Charley. Right name Bela Forest." "Well," said Joe, "that's quite a story. Did he leave any property?" Musq'oosis glanced at him sharply. His suspicions began to be aroused. "No," he said shortly. "That's a lie!" thought Joe.
Now I glad I got no old wife beat a drum wit' her tongue in my teepee." "Women! You're right there!" cried Sam explosively. "They're no good. They're savages! Women confuse and weaken a man; spoil him for a man's work. I'm done with them!" A slow smile lighted Musq'oosis ugly old face. "W'en a man talk lak that," he remarked, "I t'ink pretty soon some woman goin' get him sure."
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