Show y l tt t t 4 GEORGE MARSH Se Ill AUTHOR OF OF'S S 'S a TOILERS OF THE TRAIL a aTHE THE WHELPS OF THE WOLF Lv t 1 COPYRIGHT by byTHE THE PENN CO THE TRACKS SYNOPSIS SYr WIth With David halt halt- half breed t breed guide culdo Brent Grent Steele of oC the American Museum of oC Natural History I In is traveling In northern Canada D By a n stream ream he hears Denise daughter of oC Col Hilaire St Onge OnRe factor at Walling River play the violin superbly He lie In- In Introduces introduces In Introduces himself and accepts nn an Invitation to make the Hie post his home during his hla stay atay He lie ands 4 the factor worried Iud nud The loG loe chateau Is a real home From St OnGe he learns lears of oC the mysterious creature of oC evil the Windigo and the disappearance of oC a iL canoe and Its crew v with the seasons season's ons on's tale take of oC furs fUrls Then at nl night ht the o gives elves a weird performance Even Steele Is mys- mys my tined David Steeles Steele's Indian and Michel St SL Onge's man head head leave for Cor tho the scene at C the canoes canoe's disappearance appearance In an nn attempt to solve e the mystery St Onge tells Steele that Lascelles the company's com company's com com- company's pany's manager at Fort Albany seeks his ruin In order to 10 compel Denise to marry him to save her father Cather Steele and Denise fall Call In Inlove inlove Inlove love CHAPTER III-Continued III III Continued 7 Like the white roads otI of ot I your lie he replied I think I pre Ire ter fer the northern winter to the sum sum- summer summer summer mer but of course It Is often orten grimand grim grimand grimand and lean for the of ot the hunt hunt- hunters for ers ers for the women and children Her lIer e eyes ees es clouded It Is always so Fa for the women and they children children find life me In here hard here In the north For n a Ion long Interval she was silent and he lie knew that her personal problem problem lem again haunted her lier thoughts Then the music hungry hungry Steele handed the tho bag bag containing th the violin to Its owner with Please Ilease any anything thin you ou care core to pla play that Is not sad To- To Today To Today day you ou know you were to forget and he lie smiled significantly Stretched at length lenth with hands be- be behind be behind hind head hend and closed e eyes es Steele listened as the I violin olin of the girl ran the gamut g mut of ot the composers Fo les io love e songs of many peoples fra fragments ments of or melodies lie he had hall never heard mad dances of the Slavs Slaws of the lie plains of Hungary nr serenades of f Spain pan and Italy a n riot of ot love lo and joy redolent of ot moonlight and fra- fra fra gr fra-gr gr mt nt gardens of Ivied towers and old romance she slie conjured for the en en- en enchanted en chanted ears of th the man JOan 1 lying on a Canadian hilltop For two hours the violin sang on the height above the forest t And as h he watched and listened Steele often compared compard tills this girl Irl he had known but days dars to other women who In the past had caught ht his Ills fancy and to his Ills surprise as he lie conjured them up and contrasted them with the vivid 1 personality of Denise St Onge the memories of ot the former 1 blurred to Insignificance Slight n as was as hll Ills his knowledge of ot her the quality which was so 80 patently a part of ot her her- herthe herthe tier the lie m mystery str of ot personality had Its spell At len length th she ceased plu playing ln and t asked d Now ov ow would you like to hear har some some some- something thing K of or m my own Ji Ir would be he delightful I I 1 c ill 11 ll this tills When hem Spring Come Comes h li Ii And she broke Into a n gay ny lilt lu Ill ugly flied filled with the rush of ot the tombs III s th the soft oft oft wind In the tho yom In cli leaves leav's the love son songs s of the birds You 1011 have caught It the nil all the d spring J lie he applauder applauded Please play It Ita a again aln I lint But she shook hr her r head Now I nm am to break breal my promise I by playing Farewell We e were to be ga gay today If It you ou do ant care to hear hearIt hearIt It- It lease e play It You mean fare fare- farewell well fire well 11 to leer III face ace darkened ns S she slie replied with n II characteristic shrug Farewell Fn to summer to summer to every every- everything everything thing thing thing- Oh Oli you ou cannot mean that VHf that Wit i plying she slie drew drew her lier how bow ll tl frn Ings s hr In hi u n low 10 minor and IW I I iu li lt In n a stark stark sturl revelation Uon tion f r a and It despair A i ii It cued r lie he heard n again aln the morn mOIl i I i f r a 1 uart without hope the ani an and I r 11 f d a 8 I tortured soul which hud hind hudt t e firs I i hi hip lils r rs at the rapids Seem SeE Seem Seem-Ini i 4 In ht tl th hr yi olein voicing through her what she could not express Iu in ini J i wor words s nail and ani the s sympathy of his Ills quick understanding went out to the lonel lonely 1111 with her unknown burden burt u She he censed ceased as n swiftly as she slie hind begun and aud gazing out on the tranquil valley lie He respected her mood by hy Ills his bis brain active e with conjecture his emotions motions danger danger- dangerously danger out nut of hand Then the tile warning ot of the lie low sun Im culled called the girl from flom her hr Sin SIll turned a 1 i wistful face fae 8 1 ih said I t have broken hl my lily and hn fn C ee Il cn n very sad monsieur r vu j J IIII have been telling me much In void OUI F Farewell tewell mademoiselle I 1 I- I in slab d yon yoi could trust me thai I could help you There was momen momen- momentarily momentarily momentarily In her eyes that which whipped the blood to Ills his face as she slie said It was because you ou have ha the heart ot of a- a a poet that I played my Farewell And I do trust you OU Monsieur Steele some title tine you rou may know know- know Wh Why some time why not Jot now If Ir I Iam Iam nm am to old aid you he demanded im- im impulsively Im Impulsively Hut But she slie only shook her head licad Carrying the tile violin and rille rifle Steele led It'd the way down the trail to the post The They had reached rachell n a hollow nt at atthe atHie the foot of the ridge ridge- where the soil soli I a was spon spongy anti moist even In Sep Sep- September September because of ot the springs s be- be be he beneath neath Here and ond there In the forest l Jold lowers flowers vividly blue and fringed bloomed on graceful I stems steins beside the lie trail Here are m my gentians monsieur crIed Denise Are the they not beautiful I cannot make them grow row so lovely nt at home It Is not damp enough She Slie bent and touched the r ot of a n flower and nod looking up said I think I love them more than the other autumn autumn- she suddenly checked her her- herself self felt her lier e eyes es widening The Tile man was staring at nt the tho trail beyond them Monsieur HP lip turned turnell to her his puzzled look shifting to a smile Pardon me your our gentians are beautiful but beautiful but we should hurry or we shall be late hate at atthe atthe the post and your our fattier father will won wonder der he said and started up the trail followed b by the bewildered girl He lie had bad walked but a few yards when n a scream stopped him With the hunch basket hasket at her feet fallen tallen from hands Charlotte swayed In Inthe inthe inthe the path behind them 1 her face gra gray with terror Oh what lint Is It Charlotte cried Dens Denise St One Onge On e as Steele strode past post i v- v vI vY I Y wV I y yf f Then I Found More Staying Here Than You Did Down the River lier and seizing the palsied OJIbwa h by the arm 1 half halt carried her forward to her mIstress please mademoiselle he insisted hurr hurry alon along Ill I'll take car care of Char Char- Charlotte Charlotte lotte Its It's nothing She thinks she sees something but Its It's only imagination imagination tion Uon And hE be started with the lie moan moan- moan lug lag Indian numb with fright NIa Nta In Nii 11 walled the ay findIng her feet De trail I see He trail Hun Run Hun And with f feet et spurred b by ft fear nr Charlotte led the wn way back to the lost post What hat was It that you ou tried to tilde ilde from from me roe demanded Denise os as she walked rapidly at his side I saw your our face There was It was as nothing It looked III n a nIH abear IH bear nr trail only n a hear bar trail Charlotte Charlottes Is s full of Koules Tete-Boule's Boules Boule's myths ruths and ond was She's been uneasy nil all allday allday dt day The doubting eyes eys of the girl his as ns the they walked It It Is kind of you ou monsieur she he salt said but hut you must not deceive rue me I have P hav to face tilts this thin thing You are ure not afraid you afraid 3 do not believe bellee In- In In Afraid she he cried passionately yes I r am afraid of oil oh oh so n any things 8 You do not Dot It realize realize It Is so hopeless He lie was walking close to 10 her over over- over conscious conscious of ot her nearness lIEr iler shoulder touched his Ills his and ond his Ills pulse I leaped at nt the contact A loose looe strand ot of her hair brushed his che cheek nail he felt Ithe the blood bloot In his bis face Ill Ile was perilously near rash action but buth buthe h he coveted co tier her good gond will-and will will and he feared the mystery In her and her and the dignity hut But Is s there no way out nut he managed man managed aged abed to sa say fighting 1 for r mastery ot of himself Way out she he repeated In a aI aI strained voice There Tb re Is no 0 way out I for for tile the lie lost lost and as 9 site she ane her pace the heightened color of her fare face betrayed her Like the strings s ot of her lier violin she slie had vibrated to hla hie emotion lle Beyond ond the mystery and the despair there was the woman and he followed her swift feet over the trail with an elation he tie had never before known with the resolve to fl fight ht through to the root of ot this thia mystery It if It meant n a winter on the lie snow No 0 way out the lost lost she she- had said and he smiled as IS he repeated to himself nut But the lost has been found the lost has been hen found Mys- Mys Mystery Mys Mystery ys- ys ter tery Intrigue ue at Albany were ns as nothing now that he had seen the bloo blood leap to her face at his touch He lie did not follow up tip her strange words wor s It would have profited little and Ills his mind was full of what hat he had harl seen beside the lie trail unmistakable able tracks in the clue mud mammoth mammoth and strange be beyond ond his experience Shaped they we were 1 somewhat rev re- re lIn bear henr tracks with deep dep In- In Indentations indentations In Indentations of daw claws hut but the weIght was not distributed as ns In the track or of a n bear an nail and there were separated td pad marks like the track of felines Yet no I lynx or cougar ever owned feet so 10 misshapen find and huge hug lIe He would reo re- return re return turn at ut daylight all ami follow tollow them up here lIere at nt last was something tangible to work on In the meantime lotto Char Char Char- Charlotte Charlotte lotte would have the post people maud maud- maudlin lin with fear It Il would be a ball bad night for Wollin Waning River As the they entered the clearing Steel Steele saw a knot of men gathered before the trade house With a n swift swI t byo It bye Denise hurried to her kitchen while Steele joined the factor who announced Good evening monsieur It seems our OUI friends have returned From the head hend of the porta portage e moved mo a n canoe above the thc familiar le legs s of ot David Da Fol- Fol Fol Following lowing loving him came Michel doubled un- un under under un under der n 1 heavy Y load lond slung from his lump tump line tump-line line What have ha th they y got queried St St Onge Give GI It up maybe mabe some of ot the fur hazarded Steele We e shall never see that again muttered the factor Near them the post people discussed the lie safe sate return of ot the lie search party In awed whispers Then as as 55 Michel lIchel ap- ap approached ap approached Steele grinned Meat I he announced Good we need It added SL St Onge with a sigh of or relief relict relief Swinging the lie canoe from hIs shoulders David ld wiped his Ills brow with his sleeve and grinned Into Steeles Steele's questioning face as the lie latter grIpped his hand Back safe and sound Round David Steele looked hooked hard Into the snapping e eyes es of or his Ills friend Ah hali Safe an soon soun 1 I jo no-jo Bo SL St Onge I and the OJibway tool took the proffered hand of ot St Onge Well Michel lIchel you O found moose It you didn't didn't strike any anything thin else Steele said to the tle Inscrutable Iroquois Dont see ee any signs of t teeth on you you must have run too fast for the Win Win- I Alto he Ile su suggested but the head man glanced significantly at the post In Indians In- In Indians Indians and ma made e no reply Steele drew David from the group roup congratulating Michel lIchel on his escape from from a hideous death droth down river and asked An Any luck David We Ve fin On of canoe hut but we wesee wesee see some sign Ver Yer strange sign Lo boss What was It Val Wal nl we fin de do las has camp of ot fur fur- fur cano cano hut but no sign of ot cano or men mn menDen Den we follow river rl shore an there Den we circle back from de decamp decamp camp an two hen smokes Into de we David stopped short to scowl past Steele into the face of ot a hovering Indian who quickly nd- nd advanced ad advanced with extended hand Jo Bo Po JoI I jo bo eed Daveed greeted Tete-Boole Tete ns fiS David seized his proto prof proffered hand jo no Tete Bode i and the Iron rIp grip which was as known from on Nepion to Lac Lae Seal closed on the tho lie unsuspecting unsuspecting ct- ct ing interloper r Ought Ou h Ough cried Tete Tete HoL i doubling with pain over r his Ills crushed fingers t WilY Why you ou slink de dc han ban so hoard The brood broad face of David wrinkled In amusement as he lie surveyed sun 1 the the- writhing victim victim of his handshake 11 at de trouble wid you ou Tete- Tete Wen l I ver er glad in to see you I 1 give I e de he good 1 As Tete left lert them thern nursing his fingers finers Steele muttered lIe He wont won't forget that 80 soon Trying to hear hoar what you are un saying was sr-as lie he Ali hali hah De Dc nex tarn tam weep eel be behe's hes he's n neck l But Pui 1101 what was teas It you ou found In the thi muskeg In the muskeg we fin On ver er bee beeg track of We see such strange sign before The he OJibway OJIbway Wa way shook his heat head But dc Ile rain VIp wipe et e-et ant It Th nee a found more staying here than you rou did dill rl down wn the rivet river Wat ut you Ou see Well ell David DaId I Ive I've seen ell the of the II and Ive I've made another little er discovery Weve We've got JOl a Waben at the lie pos post and I let you ou guess uel'S It Is s A WaLe Wabeno echoed Cd th the ti a I al ta to with a grimace ho he hoU U etl J 1 tink dat clat got n fi sore hum han now but de o were trail trail you OU tin Un et Ct Ill ril tell you OU and Michel what w at i f know lifter after supper r th they are aro culling calling me now not And Ane the lie l two lo o friends partE parted Evidently tho the Is Ic cull cull- real to make a hideous nO noise e and leave lea a 1 huge tra trace trac What What Is I the thing TiDE TO BE Dr CONTINUED |