Show U ItIl Pl II x lW m x x p U 1 1 l L I-H I I III I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I H-H-I I I II I I I I I I I I III H 1 I I H 1111 1 1 I I 1 I H H-H-H HI I I I I I III I I I I I I II H II I I I I III I I i 1 o I G I I I I I I w wp p Free Traders Trader x p Bt VICTOR ROUSSEAU by bt W O 0 Chapman aa I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I J I I I I I I I J I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I H H cr r aT car T II I c P A SYNOPSIS SYNOPSIS Lee Le e Anderson n Roy Roy- Royal Royal al ILl Canadian Mounted Poll Police ser ser- sergeant sergeant r geant In le sent ent to Stony Range HanKe to arrest lt II a man named Pelly P lly for Cor murder lIe Ito II le Is I also Instructed to look after Jim pathway Hathway r reputed head ot of the th Free Fr e Traders Trader illicIt liquor runners At Little Litti l he ands Polly Pelly Is tl credited d with havIng found Cound II a old gold mine an and andIs andla Is missing At the hotel hot l app appears ars arsa a girl Kirl obvIous obviously out of oC place In inthe the tho rough rouKh surroundings A half half- h l-br l bre ed d Pierre and nd a companion Shorty annoy the th gIrl Kirl Anderson An- An Anderson d An-d derson ron Interferes In her b behalf The rho girl seta lets out for Cor Lake which Is la also Andersons Anderson's objective objective c- c clive tive live Ho lie ov overtakes her and the tho two men with whom he li had trou trou- trouble trou- trou trouble trouble ble the th night before beCore She Is sus- sus sus suspicious of oC him and antI the th two Iwo men are hostile Plu and Shorty ride on Anderson and the th girl Callow following In the tho th hills the th road Is II blown up beCore before a and d behind the two Anderson with his hors horse Is la hurled down the moun- moun mountain moun mountain tain side aide senseless consciousness AndErson Andersen finds ands th the girl Kirl has disappeared but he concludes sir olio Is 18 alive and probably probably abl ably In the th power of oC Pierre Pl and Shorty On tout fool he r his way to SIston Lake I There Th re he h finds his companion of oC the day before and with a girl I Estelle stelle a ft former Cormer sweetheart of oC Anderson Andersons who had abused his and almost wrecked his life lit strikes Estelle and utter after aCt r a fight Anderson Anderon with Estelles Estelle's help escapes with the theirl girl Irl Anderson Andersons companions companion's mind Is clouded and sho h Is suf- suf suffering suf fering with a dislocated knee Anderson sets seta the knee and makes the h girl eirl as comfortable as 1111 possible lie II has a broken rib The Tho two plan to make mak their Wl way to a Moravian mission of C which Father McGrath has charge Their acquaintance ripens ns Into love The Th girl eirl remembers that thatter her ter name nam Is 18 Joyce Joyc Pelly She Sir Is dau daughter of oC the man Anderson has been sent lent to arrest Torn between her love lov for Cor her father Cather and her regard recard for or Anderson the th girl practically drives him from Crom her In th the forest Anderson stumbles tumbles upon the th entrance to a gorge and Is convinced he h has located Pelly's Pollys mine mint In the th tun- tun tun-irl tun not nol he h Is attacked by an unseen adversary whom he lr takes to be b Pelly A knife thrust Is turned aside b by the tho th girls girl's hair In his blouse ue Escaping h he returns to th the cabin to find Ond Joyc Joyce gone cone He follows her trail to the th mission of oC Father McGrath The priest repulses him but Joyce Joyc feels her love return and welcomes Tier Her memory has been In a meas- meas measure measure m ur as-ur ure restored 1 CHAPTER Continued XI-Continued XI Continued 9 tIe lie would not touch the hoard of oC gold old which he claimed to possess possess we had never believed In but It-but It but lie he had made mone money b by his furs funs I was to be bewell bewell well ell educated I spent three years Jears at t the convent and then I went to a missionary training school to study medicIne because e It had always b been n my dream to teach the Indian and breed half children In this district And then then- then Site She stopped topped and looked at lit hIm doubtfully Father McGrath strode toward them lIes Hes get gettin tin round fund ye he cried I can see the In your our face lell Pelly I 1 I No no Father Fattier cried d Joyce sharply Leave us n a few tew minutes more Fattier Father McGrath withdrew mutter mutter- muttering muttering In ing after a doubtful glance at her And and then then and then then-I I cant can't re- re re- re remember re remember member Lee Joyce continued Theres a blank a terrible blank In my mind still The Th next thIng thine I re- re remember re remember member I was riding north alone to save Rave my father because that devil had betrayed him But Hut how was I 1 to save him That I dont don't know I 1 remember that I was half crazed with anxiety I remember see see- seeIng seeing see Ins Ing you at a hotel and those two dreadful men they And And they had some ome power over overtime time me and I 1 wanted you to help hell me and dared not ask alk I you you I didn't know what to do Once In my despair I begged you to kill pathway to save saH toy my father But Hut how could that have saved him hen hen he was already betrayed f She looked at Lee In anguish Uh Oh I dont don't understand she cried It If I could remember It was something terrIble something that I could never go through agaIn Do you ou think asked Lee that you had pledged yourself to marry way way In order to save your Jour fathers father's life I I I I couldn't have No never neverLee Lee She trembled Lee stepped stepped to her Joyce darling Joyce nothIng has changed You are still mine Lee it cant can't be My I father fattier stands between bet will us-will us will always stand stand- stand e Joyce Ive I've been thinking of something on the way here tonight We both wish to do what Is ha best st for your our father tather Let Iet us work worl together Marry me 1 Lee It cant can't not be-not be not till till- till But she swayed him In u a moment they would have been In each others rs arms anns It was wa a bellow from rather McGrath whom the they had hud for tor forgotten gotten that forced them guiltily apart Hes got round ye e und and I knew t would come he cried Gel ye 1 bal bark k to your dells della OU 04 Futher Father cried Joyce pall sub suh ling bing and half halt laughing this Isn't one of Hathway's gang Ive I've tried to tell you you-to you Aye and ye told me that ye Ie see him and noo have ha bussed him If Ie I stopped ye Je yeWed We l I 1 ken the pertinacity of oC time the dells agents agents- agents Listen to me now v said Lee tak- tak taking tak taking ing Father lather McGrath McGrath by the arm And ignoring the good priests priest's ImpulsIve Interruptions he ho told him their story Before he was halt way through Father McGrath was listening In pro pro- profound found perplexed astonishment Fattier Father I want Joyce to marry me cried Lee Once site she Is mine we can fuce mice the future to together ether whatever It may bring forward There Is no real antagonism antagonism- Father McGrath shook his head In perplexity I canna under understand tand Ithe It It he said I ken but hut little of oC what's been een happening here Im I'm a new man manIn manin manIn In the It Isna lsna as If it Id I'd known Mr r Telly himself you OU see I canna Imagine lne what Pelly In- In intended In Intended tended to do when she lime was coming up to see her father Was It your In Intention In- In Intention to warm hIm do you ou I lie he asked the girl girls gIrL Or was It something some some- something thing more Joyce Toyce could not answer him him and andLee Lee saw nw how It distressed her het to try to tl remember It was from that crux of oC the problem that the mind had withdrawn It Itself se Ie refusing to re- re remember reto re remember to member ember Ye were going to the Free Traders McGrath persisted Oh I dont don't I know know I dont don't know I cried Joyce In a agony ony Fattier Father McGrath cleared his throat and delivered ered lila his deliberated opinion Its my he said that until we e er Mr Ir Pelly or lEarn that hes he's dead deall or awn ann Ira fra ra time the dees trice trIet It wadna be advisable for ye and lles Pelly lelly to marry unless her mew memo memory ory comes back to her Im I'm too tat athe but a while agone she hated hinted ye- ye ye Father I never ne hated haled him Mm I crIed Joyce Indi Indignantly And Im I'm no In favor or of oC thes chan changes es said Father McGrath Joyce sided with him Lee dear dear- dearest dearest est est until one of oC those two things hap lisp happens pens we must just wait walt she slie saId But It if you find my and faUler-and father and Im I'm convinced nw n w that It would be for Cor Corthe forthe forthe the well Lest best well then Ill I-I'll I Ill I'll marry youIt you youit it IC you want me Leend Lee And nd this time there the was no Father to Interfere with them for forthe forthe forthe the good priest was patting the head of oC an Indian bab baby at the door of one of oC time the huts alts And late though the hour was Lee declining time the fathers father's offer of oC hospi hospitality for tor the night set off on for the log Louse house again lIe He wanted to be alone with his singing heart In the silence lie reached readied his Ills destination sometime some sometime sometime time In n the small hours and careless of oC possible attack b by the mysterIous wanderer flung himself down In one 4 0 r He H Had No N Doubt D That Pelly's Gold GoldMine GoldMine I Mine Lay In the th Chasm of oC the rooms and lay like a 10 log until awakened by the sunlight streaming In Jumping up completely rested and restored he ran down to the rIver plunged Into the Ice-cold Ice waters raced meed back over the frozen snow inow and dressed Joyce was to remain at the mIssion until Lee knew definitely whether or not her father was In the distrIct Before DeCore leaving lea the lie night before beCore Lee had drawn the father tather Into a talk and hind learned from him that she w ouid not be In danger from rom the Free Trad Trad- Traders Traders Traders ers The father had been compelled he said much against his will viii to cometo come cometo cometo to an understanding with then them by whIch he lr undertook not to attempt to Interfere with their operations pro pro- provided provided vided his women and balms were well left e Time rhe board bard of oC ml missions was a u power that the Free Fre Traders were not anxIous to Father McGrath the necessity of oC making makInI terms with pathway Hathway had hind felt nevertheless ne that he was wits doln doing time the only thing pos pos- possIble possible possible sible under the circumstances until the government gO made a move to wIpe out the organization lie He assured Lae If L that and his men mn would not dare to molest Joyce Joce and an further further- furthermore furthermore furthermore more that he would protect her with hIs imis life It If necessary Lee Jee hud had thought best to say nothing to Joyce Jo-ce about his discovery of or the mine but he meant ant to make a thor thor- thorough thorough ough ought search of oC time the gorge JorJe for Failing him he meant to discover his mysterious assailant In the belief belleC that he could provide pro him with the time clue he needed lie He hud mud no doubt douht that Felly's Tellys gold Jold goldmine goldmine mine lay In the chasm After having ha Ing breakfasted he made leis his way to the rocking stone and slipped quietly Into the t tunnel StrIking n a match thatch or two and assuring himself that It was empty lie he de- de descended descended de descended and within a u minute or two hind hall reached the lower lover anti found himself again clinging to time the interior Inte wall of oC the chasm Here the artificial excavation atlon of the therun run rungs s ended but there wa was a n fairly easy descent nt down the lower portion of oC the dins din's which afforded pI plenty tnt of hold for the hands and feet Lee Le quickly scrambled do down don n and swing swinging ing hog free re of the lie wall found hImself standIng at time the lie bottom of oC the gorge Iorge whose inclining walls shut him hint off oIT completely from the time sight Right of oC anyone any one above Only by standing In the lie very center of oC the defile could he see time the summit of or the dins cliffs with their dense dence covering of oC scrub The base of the sm ch h- h hm m was a little wIder Ulan titan lie he had supposed perhaps fifty paces across between wall and wall Along the center n thin stream trickled over a sand sandy bed Led I Issuing from one end of oC the chasm chanI where It burst out through the granite r carrying with It the debris of the alluvial land above mud mud gravel and sand This Tills sandy deposit It carried along by the stream had been blen heaped heapE-d up probably In times of overflow 0 against the granite walls and within the little limestone ca caves cs s that studded their lower surfaces surfaces Looking Looking about him Ie Lee saw that some two or three hundred yards front from time the place where he Ime he had emerged out of oC the face Cace of oC the cliff the gorge made madea a sharp bend almost at right angle und and here the jI ground und was strewn n with witha a mass of oC fallen boulders run ranging n from huge rocks to small debris Above ALove It was a gap Jap In n the lower sec sc sec sec- section section tion of the cliff from witch which It had been detached Lee made trade his way In this tills direction At once he lie came to the conclusion that dynamite had been the cause of oC this collapse e of oC part of or the surface of 01 the granite wall which which smooth as a steel lining could have been disrupted by no natural force such as gravity And then he came came came upon something that confirmed the obvious deduction It was a rotting wooden cradle candle Beside It lay a R rusty pick Not Kot far faraway faraway faraway away were two huge Iron pans their bottoms eaten out with rust so that they resembled fretwork In steel Under them were nere still the time ashes and charred residue of oC the wood that had been used to thaw out time the frozen earth All about among the time fallen rocks were mounds the residue fro from the pans after the time extraction of the gold now covered with tangles of oC dead vegetation There was no lon longer er any doubt that thIs was wa Felly's Tellys gold mine Before making further Investigations dons here Lee Iee decided to explore the remaInder of oC the chasm It ran on be- be beyond be beyond yond ond the bend for a quarter of oC a mile and then Omen came cam to an abrupt termInation termination termination tion Without any gradual lessening of oC the depth It simply ceased the two cliff walls coming together torether in the th I same way as did near the rockIng stone at the other end The chasm was In fact simply an elongated crater Returning Lee made his way to the cave formed formed by the explosion If Ie Pelly was In the district there was hardly any doubt but that he would be hid hid- hidIng hid hiding ing log In that Inaccessible spot where tie he would besaCe be be- safe saCe against discovery It was not unlikely that he lie was In the cave e Itself at that moment Lee first examined the snow about the mouth mount of the cave for footprInts but he found no tracks except his own DrawIng his automatic he Into the time opening The sand In time tile In Interior in- in tenor bore the marks of oC contInued trampling but bur there were Ne no Imprints with clear cle-ar edges and It was WIlS certain longtime that no one had been there for a Ion long time Unfortunate Unfortunately Lee Le had brought no candle but he advanced some dis- dis dis distance twice tance within the tile cave ve lighting his way WU I with |