Assault

By Moose Brannigan

Cuthburt, Duke of Wales will stop at nothing to sustain his placement and status in the Royal court and will vengefully dispose of Baptist who has assaulted the Duchess of Scott. Across continents of the eighteen-sixties and the cultures of British aristocrats and the uncivilized west of Canada, Cuthburt will demand retribution. Cuthburt alone will demand that only a true bloodline exists and that his son, Duke Winston, and Duchess of Scott produce a child to carry on the royal lineage. Baptist, a trapper, is thrown into a mix of deceit and revenge, yet holds true to his easy-going nature and ability to foil a nemesis who tries to rule all beneath his Royal position. Cuthburt shall fail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moose Hide Books imprint of Moose Enterprise Publishing
• Release date: Nov 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781927393048

Book preview

Assault

ASSAULT

ASSAULT

by

MOOSE BRANNIGAN

MOOSE HIDE BOOKS

imprint of

MOOSE ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING

684 WALLS ROAD

PRINCE TOWNSHIP

ONTARIO, CANADA

cover illustration by Marc Cove

ASSAULT

By

Moose Brannigan

Richard Mousseau

Copyright March 27, 2012

Published September 1, 2012

By

MOOSE HIDE BOOKS

imprint of

MOOSE ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING

684 WALLS ROAD

PRINCE TOWNSHIP

ONTARIO, CANADA

web site www.moosehidebooks.com

NO VENTURE UNATTAINABLE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED, THIS INCLUDES STORING IN RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM BY ELECTRONIC MEANS, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR OTHER, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THIS PUBLISHER.

THIS BOOK IS A WORK OF FICTION, NAMES, CHARACTERS, PLACES AND INCIDENTS ARE EITHER PRODUCTS OF THE AUTHOR’S IMAGINATION OR ARE USED FICTITIOUSLY. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL EVENTS OR LOCALES OR PERSONS, LIVING OR DECEASED, IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL.

CREATED IN CANADA

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Brannigan, Moose

Assault [electronic resource] / Moose Brannigan.

Electronic monograph in PDF format.

Issued also in print format.

ISBN 978-1-927393-04-8

I.Title.

PS8576.O977A87 2012C813’.54C2012-902159-8

ASSAULT

1

Disturbing wind forced sturdy tree trunks to submit to its whim.

Across the semi plains of the Red River valley of the Canadian prairies, wind swept Arctic snow into a blanket to cover the ugly browns of fall grass lands. Winter made an early arrival to the open expanse. For those homesteading in this ever-changing land, both man and beast welcomed the seasonal change in the late eighteen-sixties. The remaining barren land Grizzly longed to hibernate with full stomachs. North West trappers were eager to set out their trap lines for the bounty of fur bearing animals.

Baptist peered out through the single semi transparent hide window of a single roomed log cabin. He smiled happily, glad to see the mounting snow layers, impressed by the forcefulness of nature. Twelve-inch diameter seasoned log walls dared the wind, its bitter biting coldness, destructive forces to assault the fortress.

A slap of a dismembered fir branch against the hide window forced Baptist’s head to recoil. Glancing to three other walls where wounded openings held thick coverings of oiled skins, Baptist sighed. Over the seasons, each thin-skinned opening succumbed to the ravenousness of nature. Two by intruding, dismembered tree branches, one by a young hungry Grizzly reaching in to grab a fresh bread cooling on a counter.

Unable to counter a reaction to the tree branches, Baptist did respond to the brown hairy arm and claw imbedded into the loaf of bread. Both hands clutched the end of the loaf, a sliver of the loaf, a mere morsel to satisfy his hunger. Without fear, nor a slight indication of empathy, a black wet nose with saliva filled lips remained framed by the bare window frame. Beady black eyes stared directly at the human. Without hindrance, it devoured the loaf in several hastened gulps.

Before a final swallow, it sniffed and stuck its head further in through the opening, inquiring if indeed other food fair would be offered. Baptist felt the steam of the bear’s hot breath against flustered cheeks. Defiantly, Baptist stood his ground, unintimidated by the bear’s aggression. Slowly he griped a spatula from a frying pan and raised it into the eye sight of the bear. It sniffed at the grease beading on the silver surface of the utensil.

A swish and a smacking sound echoed followed by a whining snort. Insulted by the human’s reaction, the bear recoiled, rolling backwards over its bulk and into the berry bushes. Leaning out through the opening, Baptist displayed the spatula to the bewildered bear. Assuming, that if it approached, that the odd weapon would repeat its strike, the bear ambled away soothing its tingling nose into arm fur.

Pinging pellets of snow against the hide window drew Baptist’s wandering thoughts back to reality. Forgoing the need to dress for the weather, he entered the force of winter. Storm shutters were closed to ward off the cold wind bringing the cabin into the glow of a lone oil lamp.

Winter wind whistled faintly, barely heard through the thick walls chinked with bear greased hemp fibres. A projected three-day storm would cocoon Baptist within the warmth of a pot-belly stove centred in the middle of the room. Propped on the dried moss filled bed frame, Baptist read by the yellow light of the lamp. Shelves lining the upper perimeter of the cabin held books of knowledge, adventure, romance and poems to entertain the mind of a lone trapper through the isolation of distance from other human counter parts.

Events of the outside world happened, yet unaware, nor of interest to Baptist.

2

Accustom to normalcy of weather of the British Iles, a woman peered out through the window of a royal carriage into the fog blanketing the wooden docks along the Thames.

According-to the pestering press, they wondered when Kathleen Winslet, Duchess of Scott would present an heir to the throne. Enjoying the newness of her two-year marriage to the first heir to the throne, Katt conceived no thoughts of becoming pregnant. Though the young couple did not pre-plan conceiving, they did not prevent the possibility of conceiving.

Brushing back long straight hair over a shoulder, its light brownish colour glittering under the rare sun of early fall as Katt was lead up the ship’s gang plank escorted by Royal guards. From the open door of her state room, Katt watched the aids depart. Left alone, she contemplated the long sea voyage, the first without the accompaniment of Winston, her husband, Willie, as she alone addressed the Duke.

A humph sound echoed through the empty compartment after Katt realized that she had voiced the sound a bit too loud. So, what! She was peeved that this trip would be singular, except for body guards. Expecting to rendezvous with Willie in the new territories of the western plains of Canada was reassuring, though sailing across the Atlantic, up the Saint Lawrence river and negotiating the massive great lakes on various vessels was not exciting. Boring when alone and always pampered and controlled by a royal matron and stiff lipped guards over a gruelling four-month trip. Vacant time sailing between locations, sleep, needle point and reading would be an only option. One can only be impressed by vast emptiness of water for a limited extent, land locations being only a brief glimpse while being securely escorted to the next means of transportation.

The last means of water voyage ended at Port Arthur at the head of the largest Great lake, Lake Superior. Overland transportation would be the jarring rocking motion of a coach pulled by a six-up mix bread of draft horses. This land was not the civilized landscape of England and suitable road system. Katt marvelled at the ruggedness of the landscape, the variety of wildlife seemingly in over abundance. Mud swallowed the thin wagon wheels to the hubs as the snows of early fall began to blanket the greens and browns of an endless vista. Several weeks would force the delay of the coach