Show u THE FREE TRADERS TRADER J AND YOU Lee SYNOPSIS SYNOPSIS Lee Anderson Roy Roy- Royal n ill Hoy-ill y- y yAI al AI Canadian l Mounted d Police ser ser ser- sergeant leant ge geant la Is BOnt to to- to Stony ranee range to arrest a man roan named amed Pelly for tor murder lie JIll Is also abo Instructed to look after Jim Hathway reputed head of ot the Free Traders Illicit liquor runners runner At At- Little Little- fAils balls he ands is 19 credited with having hn found n a gold cold old mine and andIs andis andI Is peeing missing At the hotel rs l R a girl eirl Irl obviously out of or place In Inthe Inthe Inthe the rouKh rough A halt half halfbreed half breed breed Pierre and a companion Shorty anno annoy the girl An- An Anderson Anderson derson An-derson derson Interferes In her behalf CHAPTER Continued II-Continued II Continued 2 2 lie He took look refuge c in Irony Well hadra tInh of II Irma lII boys lie de dp demanded mand 1 again n of the men who bud formed a close circle around the Ille paIr Ile He don tight fight nn on lie got de nerve to say ay dat II 11 be lie a all II to Pierre Xo No by by gar g-ar 1 I guess uess you yon O 1 know better hetter dan dnn to fight 11 he lie continued adding n a afoul foul epithet and ond grinning he he lurched Insolently past toward the bar f shouldering shouldering dering Lee ns os he passel passed lie looked back bick for an un Instant to toFee tofee tee Fee whether tile the other oilier would accept the provocation pro and anil seeing that he showed no signs of or doing so he went wenton wenton on Ills his wa way with Shorty The crowd gave C Lee tile the over once contemptuously contemptuously It had no love lore for the bully hut but an nn Individual without the fighting instinct Is not supposed to pose ns as alady's s a slad's lads lad's champion ani and then n back down The minds mind of ot the prospectors were too obtuse to see that Lee had hod simply been Ien satisfied Ith Ith gaining his Ills point find and enabling the girl to get ct away un- un unmolested un unmolested molested Lee paced the stoop for tor n a while finished a pipe and ond went early to his blankets lie Ho Interested himself In speculating who theIrl the girl Irl was She was almost certainly going to the mission there could he be no other oilier destination tie lie would see her ago again In lie thought of the possibility quite without emo emo- emotion emotion emotion tion lIe He ceased to think of ot her and tired after atler the days day's ride began to II doze lIeas He lIe was as awakened when the the men be- be began be began gan Ian to stagger stu Into the lie parlor Nearly Keady all of ot them were drunk some were toiling drunk and after sporadic noisy altercations tile they were soon out like logs all nil over o the floor foor and snoring loudly Several Se times Leo was obliged d to remove remo bends arms and anti feet from various arlous portions of his Ills anatomy lie He was just falling failing asleep again when the lie soun sound of a n name whispered perell almost In his Ills car ear startled him Into Instant wakefulness Lee recognized th voice olce as ns that of the breed Pierre Cauchon Couchon for n a moment or two lie he could not Imagine from from flom where the lie man was speaking Then rhen he lie discovered red that the voice olce came from the other oilier side of ot the large e empty stove ston which stood at his head had n a little out nut from the lie wall Ills face am and Pierres Pierre's were ere separated therefore b by no more than the cir clr circumference of ot the mt metal tal container though of course did not guess that Lee lay Iny on the other side of ot It nor that he lie would lie he likely to han Ii vi any particular Interest In n what he lie was saying But Bul the name acme that Ihal had Lee Into wakefulness was that of ot Telly Ills alert through dumber had lind caught It and communicated the warning Before Lee Ie had quite attuned his ears ars to catch remark Shorty the other man broke In You fool Pierre Plene you n nearly give I e the gauze game away tonight fer shore You got ot no sense at nt all buttin In like that and her lier away You dl didn't nt spose shied got ol our phot- phot grafts grafts In her lier pocket did yn o Tile The trouble with you OU Is you Ol hold Jer liquor Pierre growled I didn't Ill nt have no 10 han t to sa say n 0 word before that four four flusher butted In I 1 wish I Id I'd beat hIm up now Mel he Ill I'll git the lie In the Well Well seli anI and I why didn't yn n Ill I'll tell yn wh why you OU saw lie Ill no nn four lies lie's tough that fel- fel feller ler Ir Is 5 an nn lie lae was y ya n like a acut emit Ht Dont Don't yn yu 11 rake make no nn mistake ml about That And Its It's lucky ludy u didn't get ct noc no c n I t to spill what yn n trims gon goin to tn or you'd shore have hn tile the girl awa away You foil listen here he be continued you keep out nut of oC tills this to tn to-moner mm till hes hie s 's gone and then lien we cn co ride hard and ketch au up II Ii h tier her at nt sundown and that WIC were we're friends of hero hern Their voices became inarticulate Lee Ip trained strained its his cars NUS to catch tie Ihl hn- hn lin-i lin part rt of their conversation but he heI I Could hear bear nothing but the low u whis whisper I per r of their uie voices Vell I guess uess youre you're oure right Shorty sal hi Pierre Plene after oCter a while hi lied e s 's got gul to In too I o she he dont don't give us Ul de dc slip though Shorty snickered and whispered to which tine tile other uther clucked ducked Sh Sid She neither in r he lie sa said Theres heres only one wn way Into Inlo tile the range no an n when we got her there we got ot her hr where we se e want her o No o more was said and anti sot soon n the noring liei-noring i from from the oilier side of thE e stove to Indicated hat tile the pair had suc sue succumbed to sleep But Kut nil all desire for sleep was banished honl from rota Lees Lee's brain There Thre was the alternative of ot two of or action he lie could warn worn the girl Irl in the Hie morning placing himself lit III lither her Ills disposition posit 1011 or he could keep kepp her more or nr less Is In sight during his Jour jour- Journey fey ney r y the ollo IU day a view to By VICTOR VI ROUSSEAU SEAU r r Copyright by W Service 0 protecting h tier lier r from froni rani the pair of ruf ruf- ruf whenever er they made mado their ap ap- appearance appearance But Hut lie hue could not afford to take toke any action which would give the clue to his statu status and activities and ond apart from that that he lie wanted to keep In touch with th the two men In case they could furnish any clue to Felly's Tellys where where- whereabouts If If he lie were alive 6 Some time early In the morning he befell fell Into n a restless slumber from which lie he was partly aroused by the sound of or a horses horse's hoofs 1009 clattering In Inthe Inthe the yard lie won wondered erell sleepily whether this was suns an early curly departure or some somo belated arrival and then turning o over er managed to lose con consciousness for lin nn an hour or two longer At last whEn further sleep had be- be be become come Impossible he tie sat up struck a match and looking at his watch dis- dis dis- dis discovered dis discovered covered ered that It was teas nearly six o'clock He lie threw thren his Ills blankets over o his arm stepped over the lie sprawling limbs ot of the sleepers sl and went out to the stable where he watered his horsE afterward kicking his heels about the place until In the first glimpse lImp e a of time the dawn the squaw came shuffling Into the Ule kitchen Lee Iee went In Get me a n cup of cof- cof coffee cof coffee fee and und a piece of ot bread he said putting a n fifty cent piece Into her lier hand I be he enough for me toe Ive I've got to tobe tobe tobe be moving The woman filled the kettle from a apall apall apall pall of water on the kitchen table Lee Iee asked You know that girl who came last night ile Me Ie not Dot know um the squaw grunted as she slie set the tho kettle keltIe on thE stove Dont know what time she's leav leaving leav- leav tag ing I suppose Girl um gone Jone Gone at ot tour four o'clock grunted the squaw Lee whistled softly That flint was her horse that he lie had heard then She was losing no time whatever her busl busi business ness and destination might be Lee fidgeted while the coffee came come to the boll and had Just gulped down a 0 cup cup- cupful cupful cupful ful and ond taken a few tew blues bites s at ot the bread and butter Lutter which the woman gave him when hell the landlord came sleepily In and Lee took tool the opportunity of set set set- thing his bill Well Vell youre you're shore of ofT off earl early time the Cn fat t proprietor Sa Say she heat bent you rou to It though Who Sho Is she Leo Lee Inquired cf of I know Nobody here here- hereabouts hereabouts hereabouts seems to know her lier But ut shucks Little LIllie Falls Fans aint moron three ee or four year ear old I Guess she's the ga gal of one of the timers old back bad fro rota school or college collee Or shell she'll be goin up to the lie Moravian Mora mission like ns as not Yes sir that Hint shore must be It She wouldn't be goin to any Iny of them thelo runners runners hooch up to SIston lake Joint Isn't It So the they say A cunning look came Into his eyes I guess we ve l b our heads beads none about that Free Trader Tro er outfit e they're there there thereto thereto to stay No 5 sir ii it dont don't do to know too ton 1 much couch about Captain now no that Illat the police Is In with him him Lee almost betrayed himself as Ol lie he struggled not nol to display his Ills Indignation tion You mean the It 11 It C 51 31 1 ls l's been Leen bought by that scum In Mont Mont- Montreal real T lie he demanded what hat they're there aln In these hc here re parts See here stranger sl ef of that aint so wll why dont don't the they git after that Carcajou astr as they tr trey ey calls him You heer begird what he did to that ramp of Indians last summer lImmer Shore I Well WellI I aint sayin anti and I aint speak speak- In In for you OU understand Im I'm only s1 sayin ln what other folks sa say h w Vh lucres lucre's two of Hallways Hallway's grm gang In this here hotel You mean the bl big br breed e nail and the headed reil than man Shore I do The landlord nt al runners Hooch rs from Siston lake S the they doln doing here asked Lee ee I l guess luesO t they he aint here ter 11 no good flats That's wily why h I was US you'll you'd had the sand lo to up to vm lm lu lust last night Lop hoyl I CHAPTER III An Unwelcome Guardian Lee pe rode oil off hot lint wll with h indignation at the landlords landlord's Innuendo about It C CM M I 1 1 u lut this ibis soon onn yielded it II Anxiety about the lie girl 1111 The disclosure that the lie two men lien were from Siston lake and the recollection of the lie versa con eon on versa ersa lion I Ion he lie had Ill I'll con hint him lint were re planning to kill kid kid nap and co convey 0 h her lier r there Such lIdl a plan would s seem em inroad ly Inconceivable able aille but hUI Lee knew that them th rang hp- hp bp ln their nr rutty en n entrenched t trenched in PO power fir WI II would III SIO n at I 1 very little Other Oilier thin equally hind tn-ni tn done Ilone by them II 0 l ever I Lee r e han began to 10 1 morl amore freely tely when h n he lie had left the little town to behind him lIt lie walked or trotted trolled his horse till neon on gradually ascending toward the lie nut nut- skirls out skirts of ot the range ranc through n a fairly f I open Olen count country rr The snows might hold off for fur I lint n tl or three weeks yet PI and Lee Iee fell feat confident that well within that period lie he would be h able to bring ring back If the Hie In lat latter t- t ter were In the region unless lie he took look 1110 alarm 1111 In which event ent of c course urse Lee Lc have hn e to bring his horse hack hak ha k to I LeeI idle ralla Fulls l and prepare fur for n 0 Ion long longwInter's longwinter's winters winter's 1111 clias 0 The new dominion force carries on the tradition of ot the tile old North West It tt does docs not return with with- without out Its Ils man SIston lake was admirably adapted Cor or the time n needs ds of ot the Free Freo Traders It was at the extreme northern limits of the range or n a little beyond and lh time head of at a n lake and ond river system h by which communication could be lind hy by bywater bywater water north to Fort Churchill or York Factory or west as far us as Lake Atha- Atha Athabasca bt basca a York boat bont laden to tIle the gunwale with will supplies of liquor could push puh along the thousands of lake lakes and ond streams acting ns as mother boat In turn turn to the he canoe conoe with One De or more cases cases- And over all nil this vi vm t 2 t ill ill- de fined de-fined district the hw h runner had hod unlimited sway proving pro a 0 serious rival to thE lie legitimate trading Interests Interest since he lie carrh carried his poison polson Into Inlo tile the Indians Indian's camping grounds ground and took his pick of the tho choicest furs Ills His trade embraced n a viler one All AIl along alons- the fringe e of white settlement It ItS was S active It had sprung up like a fungus overnight during the disorganization of the police In consequence of the war and the readjustment Time The gang were steadily embittering the re re- relations lations between whites und and reds which lind had he been licen lI almost since the advent nd of ot the first pioneer Whichever er district the girl was bound for It was ns Impossible to mis mis- mistake mistake take time the course that she would could initially III II In front of Lee lay a n long of mountain with only a single le pass poss Into the Interior over o II a range of ninny many miles Scanning the carefully Lee Iee saw ow about n a mile 11 beyond ond the time pass n a athin thin curl of sl smoke ole rising Into the still air al r Satisfied that lie he had hall time the girl I In Insight Insight Insight sight Lee Iee hesitated for a while un- un undecided un undecided decided whether to ride up to her or orto orto orto to camp comp where he was keeping a look look- lookout lookout lookout out for Pierre and Short Shorty In the end he decided ed that the better course would be to make himself known and accordingly he descended the slope and followed the trail along the bonk bank of the Hie river rl until he reached the camp Tho girl had alread already set up her lier tent her horse was tethered near the stream and she was cooking her din din- dinner dinner ner at nt a lire fire w she had made She looked very el trim and business business- I r I a r k l o tr ro K She Looked Very Trim and Business Business- Businesslike Businesslike Businesslike like With Hr Her Sleeves Rolled Up to Her Elbows and Her Air of Being Completely at Home In These Sur Sur- Surroundings Surroundings like lile willi whim sleeves slee rolled up to her elbows mind lint her tr air nir of being completely nt nl home III hese surroundings As Lee Ie Jumped from his horse hOle she Ihl then n looked nt ot him him with nn an of lIlIu which Wll was an nn attempt at- at at 1 tempt to conceal a lr very wery obvious IlIs trepidation dation linn n Good evening e lie Ill oiled called 1111 Ira travelling your n way and saw your OUr r l lire rl so Sf look the liberty of ot II lug Son Oil If t t theres there's no nn objection She Slie he stared hard at him ns us if his nd ad- ad nt M emit 11 weid e sonic some Ions Inn expected 1 blow III I hall had suddenly fallen Fur n a few moments she he seemed under hailer the r lie he In Influence 11 fluence of a nn an n a possessing nil lIpo fear Then IL It she slie ans answered with the same sallie of or Indifference You Yon cnn can C camp lUP where you oU like ot 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