In Darkest Depths by David Thompson Page A

notice.”
    â€œDang him. If he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse.”

    â€œNow, now. Not everyone can be as sneaky as you.”
    â€œSpeaking of horses, I would my horse had the speed of your tongue.”
    Blue Water Woman made circles in the air with the wooden spoon. “Now, what would you want with a canoe? It is too big for you to play with in the wash tub when you take your yearly bath.”
    â€œGo to, woman. Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth, from whence you have them.”
    â€œFunny that you should mention a devil,” Blue Water Woman jousted. “And the answer is no.”
    â€œI did not realize I had asked a question,” Shakespeare said, worried now.
    â€œYou intend to go out on the lake after the water devil, and I will not have it. If you will not act your age, at least respect my feelings.”
    â€œWhen have I ever not?” Shakespeare rallied. “And I can’t catch something that lives in water if I stay on land.”
    â€œWhy catch it at all?” Blue Water Woman wanted to know. “Why not let it be?”
    â€œI would hate for a perfectly good steeple to have gone to waste.”
    â€œI am serious.”
    â€œAs am I.” Shakespeare thrust out his jaw in defiance. “We cannot go on living here without knowing what it is.”
    â€œWho says? We have lived here this long without knowing. You know that my people believe water devils are bad medicine. Why show them, and me, such disrespect?”
    â€œHonest to goodness,” Shakespeare said in exasperation. “Leave it to a woman to twist a man’s considerate nature into an attack on her.”

    â€œWhere is the consideration in you refusing to listen to me?” Blue Water Woman demanded.
    â€œMost excellent accomplished lady,” Shakespeare quoted. “The heavens rain odors on you. When did you become a tyrant?”
    â€œI beg your pardon.”
    â€œI am old but I am not puny. I am a man, I have a will, and I will by God breathe as men breathe. If you wanted to marry a milksop you should have found a man who lets you tell him what clothes to wear.”
    â€œYou are changing the subject again.”
    â€œNo, I am not. The point, dearest tickle-brain, is that were a bear to come nosing around our cabin, you would have me deal with the bear. Were a fox or a coyote to become interested in our chicken coop, you would have me deal with the fox or the coyote. But let something in the lake pose a possible danger, and suddenly I am too old or too feeble or I do not respect your feelings.” Shakespeare came out of his chair. “Look me in the eyes and say that again. Look into the eyes of the man who has given all that he is to make you happy and tell me I am worthless.”
    Blue Water Woman swallowed and averted her face. “I cannot.”
    â€œThen there will be no more talk of betrayal,” Shakespeare said. “I have to do it and that is that.”
    â€œDamn you,” Blue Water Woman said, but she said it softly.
    â€œI love you, too, apple of my eye. Now how about breakfast? I cannot fight dragons on an empty stomach.”

First Clash
    â€œWhat do you think of our craft, Horatio?”
    On his knees in the stern, Nate King smoothly stroked his paddle. He had used canoes before, in particular a Shoshone canoe that belonged to Touch the Clouds, his wife’s cousin. The difference between the Shoshone canoe and the Nansusequa canoe was as night and day. The former was small and light and fast and responded superbly to every dip of the paddle; the latter was big and heavy and cumbersome, all of which combined to give it the speed and response of a brick. And because it was so heavy, the gunwales rode low to the water, barely a foot above the surface. A high wave might easily swamp them.
    â€œI didn’t hear you…” Shakespeare McNair