Show rhe V a I 1 ey 0 f V r II GEORGE MARSH By Author of Toilers of the Trail The The Whelps of th the I CW W N U S Service r Copyright by Y the P Penn nD Publishing c Co CHAPTER VIII-Continued VIII VIII Continued 13 13 Is tills this tIle the same sanie one we heard ut Walling Wailing Ie be one way Jib a way sa say plent plenty ov dern een valley olley o 0 rdo o-rdo de Walling Wailing But what do you ou think Michel demanded Steele Sterle tele hotl hotly Here 1 I am with David Da giving 1 up m my time lime to help you 1 0 ru run thin thing down dawn und and if pos pos- possible sible Ible sa sae tune the post for St Onge One anti and you ou dout dont trust rust me um Why Wh dont don't you Ou open open your our heart to me mime Michel straightened and going to the small sumall lire David U l hl had hail built bull t on the thebe be beach calmly examined his Ills tattered shirt girt and trousers tr as he lie dried out ui You are good man roan Steele ne Il tell me ine but I haIll have ha dc Ill eye eC to see Wen Ilen rou come back bad on de snow r I tell you sounding That ThOl was ns all nil and Steele understood It was teas evident e that had to secrecy hut But why had he told In the morning we must hunt for fora for a 0 trail Steele said bowing to the lie Inevitable Ine Now well we'll have ha to do what we can to quiet those poor squa squaws 15 As the c canoe landed on the bench below below the silent one by on one dark darl shapes s of Indian dogs g slunk from the adjacent tails between het legs to to whimper at the feet of themen the themen theto to men en Scared stiff said Steele And Anti from rom the sound the squaws arc worse Go and talk to them Michel lIchel fell Tell them It was IS a n mad mael wolverine toh erine or lynx and e weve we've hunted It out of ot the countr Ill I'll get n a fire ire going oin while David ld hrIn brings s some SOIne tea ta front from rom the Island It will cheer them up time up ten nut But both hoth his Ills patience and ond Ills his of the woods I Indians Indian's he- he belief be belief lief in the supernatural were taxed to othe the uttermost before Michel lIchel succeed succeed- succeeded od ed in cO convincing the women that the the they had heard on the rIde Was not now lulin luring them to their doom with the lie assumed voice of the headman leadman of ln Walling River lU In the time end nil th they crept from the tipi to the tile friendly lI light ht of the lire tire horror In their sit sini c eyes e gray faced ra facell chil children dren clutching b f ir skirts there Ther c by lIv the U-A U rb L h tt 1 II by the pretence presence pre ence of o the three men mn who kept a 1 huge hu e fire going the circle ot of stricken women omen passed pas eI the night nl ht In the opinion of or Stele who I ept iril 1 ii with his Ills pipe beside the snoring and Michel rolled In their r cf ts the com coming In the beast to Hi Big feather before the freeze up r up was the gravest Imet which h Hie Ilse Ih for for- fortune fortunes fortunes tune tunes of Walling flo post t and the girl trl who ho had given n him him until spring tf to accomplish the he impossible hurl yet t as ns n forest lire r ns r In dry timber r so rumors of the I of the Windigo 0 at t HI Big Feath Feath- Feather Feather er fr would travel from from hunter to hunter drought h the lie upper valley of the lie Wall ins In- In InThe The tale tole would spread gather gather- ering EIn ering horror m as It went ns os n a gathers nua until In time tune the whole region learned that n a wn was loose i o e in the valley alle of time the lie Walling I a i Mend fiend fierce beyond he belief and und hun bun hungry Kry gry r for the flesh fi h of or t the lie he OJIbway rny then would follow unless the beast w were Ie 11 and md the terror ended swift exodus XOI from time tIll valley of the families still trading at nt the post po t the resurrection lion tion and ranel revival of hatI the ghastly trul traditions lions surrounding the the and the river the helot helot- the end nel of the St t Ones and tile the lie post at lit W Wailing llIn er Steel Steeles Steele's s 's teeth hit lilt u st savagely savagely AP I Into the stem of or hIs Ills pipe This This ml might ht before the freeze up until time the snot made It possible ihle to follow a trail there was ras small chance of If solving sol tho do Kif the night walling wallin Now Steele roused when the men returned from their hunt to hear ot of the In tile lie nl night ht from the circle of half ha If demented women nonien cowering there the lie fire the tale f ral bt travel tra to o the four and n ll hardy Indeed ed would lie II the hunter win willi would drive his dog ilog team leant t am tills this Christina s down the th white valley ally of time the to trude trade at fit tte the Ill II III-fated III post With nn no Christmas and ond little prospect 01 a I sprin spring trade unless the I were ivere solved sohl d bv lIv till the running down of ot tills this boast beast t with the miraculous u- u lous luus vocal Walling I H Wile wi Even E if It Denise e married Ja Las Las- cellos celles eIles In the slun- slun sting sprin the post not Le be continued under n a taboo True St One Onge had sworn that she should never ne make the sacrifice lilt hat the factor was at nt hi Ills his ropes rope's end amid she Ehe would override him She would not Dot tee ree him dl disgraced per Her pride drive l her to It hint It fierce fierre pride of 01 race She was OS II a tho Ou thoroughbred anti nn would go to lo her lIer spiritual death with witha n a high head helel In ht the spring I In m the morning Michel would go o In search of tile the caribou hunters for tor aftEr that night nl lIt the woven women would world not re remain rp- rp remain main alone at lug Big Feather thEr Davit would cross to Portage lake luke to learn It if the had 1181 been heard on the Little Current He lie himself lf would cover the llie country back backof ft of the ridge e fora for forn fora n a trail which lie he hod little hope of picking up ulI nod endeavor or to hold the women at their camp until thell men returned On th the return of David thy they Would at lit once start for tor r lea leay- leav-l leav In ing n Michel l to 10 meet the canoe St Oll e was ro rn sear With Michel would go 0 two letters explaining his change e of plans The sole hope of holding the Indians now was In scotch scotching In the lie Windigo indigo terror curly in the lie he winter by tracking down the bens beast on an the first snow and so strongly as Ills hIs heart drew him toward post the post he made his decision CHAPTER IX For Por three 11 lays dayH Steele tele searched the ridge and back bad country count for or trades racks hut but success David ld rr turned from take lake with the good oot news that the fishing camps were were Ie taking tl n lar large e catches ol ot of pike and antI whitefish amid there was no o gossip So In do spite of the th shrill protests and I Indig Indignant In H nant refutation of their squaws Steele h by his Ills men assured the s l tint that what the women had Iad heard on the burnt hUlDt ridge was the cat cat- cat of a n lynx an and 1 at once start stort- starter start started ed etl with David Davill for O lae and antI the It was on a n windless day In the heart of the northern Indian summer s that the canoe bound hound south for the on approached the 1 Islands Ing In Ing the cast east en end 11 of ot Like sil- sil silhouettes sil sll silhouettes of anchored battle fleets tile they role rode the lie sleeping lake their fighting tops and stacks of black spruce their armored hulls of ot worn age rocks Where here Is the post David asked Steele Four Four five uve hour paddle yet t I lie Ile on long spruce point You see sec to today ay vcr yer far off You realize that you cant can't start anything n at It Laflamme's place now Ilont dont you Repeatedly Davids David's square shoulders shoulders ders leaned to the stroke as us his Ills arms arias swept swept the blade hlade through before he turned turnell his ills black head to his chief ehler David has waited ten year ear he lie can walt wait tam tarn lon longer er We got ot plent plenty a vJ It Looks as If the Whole Outfit Is Out to Meet Us troubles lees dees de s long long- snow on do dc eed Walling Dt Da teed ed wait you ou not worry orlY for tor I T 1 knew you ou wouldn't do anything when c rte have hn tills this work worl down river ahead ad of us hut but I realize that It will willbe he hurel hard If we WC stay sta stat a t or two for you ou to keep Ipp your our hands bands off on of or film III ills gang an would get Jel you OU anyway if you ou did square It with la and that thai would put lut rne 1110 In a n hole hule ns as well had di- di divulged di III divulged The reticent David hl never ne ul ld even to II the lie cause of the ancient grudge grude 11 lie he bore hore thE fl trader free free lie hail had said simp simply that lie he wished to meet Inept him-hail him him twice Journeyed ed far n r for that purpose wo once sins missing him the P ond time ante finding hint him with hl Ills his fur canoes canoE'S As A David had no 1111 quarrel with frith La men omen who silo have hl romE come oate pr n at to the e aid alii of their chief he lie hail hided billed Ills his hl time In some come way n years 1 IS I'S before I Injured the 1 That was the extent of Steeles Steele's knowledge Iwo Gradually u 11 us they they- approached the clearing opened up tip up and the of the time fur post tool shape lIa Ie So o hl Ills curiosity hint Steele l ceased I paddling to examine I them hem through hl Ills binocular Here Irl lived 1 the llie I h nisin who uhn was waiting until tin the Sill snow 1 flew fie for forSt forSt forSt St loges loge's n pR answer r to in his olT I of ot II a I In the lie trade trudl for or the ih th price I o of Denise Denise- th the man who was UI luring the for hundreds hundred of miles Ills bits whisky Although h the imp freeze tr WI was little more amore than ilium a 3 fortnight 11 I here lnore and there on thin thC lie past clearing This of or Itself meant but hili butone I tile thins thing in mo the man elan win 1111 held the gln whisky sp whisky For th rOIl rOIl- ifill I the wide north north September r finds the lip erx hunt er era on 10 their winter trapping preparing for time the corning of thE lOll long snows Wal nl Cal wat you lU Ink ov 0 o tint dat luice asked David ld as Steele put his Ills g s sin l in their case lie Ile must have ha n a lot of ot people there then big big 1 lull din gs too Yes ees s hee c place As they approached approached- the long Ions Ion point Steele was vas ls l at the number of people moving moving- about the buildings On the beach the post dogs already await await- awaited awaited ed cd the lie strau strange e craft while a n group ot of oti i post people formed formE behind them The file I canoe was close In shore when two I men left the massive will drifted ell to the log lo landing handing stage off which a 0 York boat rode at Its moor moor- mooring mooring ing Itt It looks ns as If the he whole outfit Is out outto outto outto to meet N IJ us David turned turner a prim grim face to his strange e here I They Thy may think were we're a 11 police canoe suggested Steele Ah All Is that Laflamme talking to the big fellow on the landing l hali Ah Ah hah lIe He don talk Ink lak deadman lead dead leadman man nann So low were the sinister Inister words 3 spoken that Steele In ht doubt asked What that The fhe Ojibway turned turnell to his chief n a afaro fare face twisted ll with liate hate lIe He don I know know-ho know now now-hc lie dead ees-dead e ees s deadman mou Some day you can settle with him hut but hut not not now no not now We have a ajob aJob ajob job on the you o Walling you and Michel and I hast l hastily objected Steele fear fear- fearing ear ear- ing Imig hi this meeting with the man lie he hated had hall Jarred David oil off his mental balance The set features featurE'S of the Ojibway re- re re relaxed Ills His narrow eyes e es plowed glowed aslie as ashe ashe he reassured the man who tho trusted him Daveed promise to meet Michel on de November r snow We have ho de bee beeg you jolt you an an eed Daveed I Imal malt mal no trouble here liere boss Under the he Inspection of ot many pairs ot of curious eyes ees the canoe slid Into the beach Lea ln Leaving David Id to keep the dogs off the time canoe Steele walked through h the silent huskies who In-I In in- in In Instinctively drew hack from his ap- ap api approach ap approach i and anI closed in behind him walkIng on stiff legs barely out of reach rench of ot the paddle he lie carried awed yet et threatening The bulky halt half halfbreed half breed breed whose sinister face wore the red rell gash a h of a scar from chin chinto to ear Steele dismissed with a glance tut nothing from the heavily lIy headed bended moccasins of at tanned smoke moose moose- moosehide moose hide hide to the lip wide brimmed stetson ot of 1 the trader free escaped his eye To his Ills also the dark which met tact him with a look Both surly and questioning were un undeniably un- un deniably handsome Good day gentlemen said Steele affably Ignoring tithe ithe the coolness of his receptIon Good day returned coldly probing the smiling face of ot the stranger er with a sharp 1001 look In which doubt douht and concern patently intently mingled I am mended headed for from fromI I Fort FOlt and need some went on Steele Can Cnn you OU sell fell me some ome stuff a n curl of or the lip Laflamme re- re replied re replied plied That Thit depends on what your hu Is on tills lake take The tawny haired American laughed In the face nce of t the speaker Business on Ihl tills limbs lake hake Are you joking You seem t In to have hn all the business here My r lushness business Is to get et hack to New ew York before Im I'm frozen In and report to the American Mu Mu- Museum III seum of Natural History tor Ive I've spent pent the last t live P months month on the Albany collecting Now f Im I'm bound for Igon Nep- Nep NepIon Ion igon and the th The Tile breed Half l and his chief ex- ex 11 looks s Steele realized that he was vas suspected or of being a n govern Jo government government ment ant agent In dis amse II e so as ns he need need- needed needed ed pel supplies and ani wished to study Ja La n while David On circulated omon among the post poor If people lip Ito 11 desired desire to relieve the mind of the free trader at it once You say siy lY youre you're Prom from thE States States- States tIte doing coiled among the tt Indians i 1 he be glad to see 8 some Conte orne of lit your s1 n if Laflamme was taking no chances and Steele welcomed time the to 10 establish h hs identity Yes y Ive I've Iwo two picks In the canoe Mi 1 name Is Steele tc lp T Ive teen on 1111 Albany two left yeam's vears left a n so 1111 pound this till year at nt Fort Io t Albany toen to toen en out nut bv h by gnat boat Then he hazarded har You 1011 now l-now Lascelles the HI man mines mine's to the th remark wits ln Ir Ills His face dark dark- with nn anger Ir l ITI-l up nr r-n r 1 I |