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Show JQfTrffiRIVERof SKULLS limW 'h George Marsh t ft 9 PENN PUBLISHING CO. WNU SERVICE 6. ' mmmm---'----mimmmmmmmmm the desk behind the counter where he busied himself with an account book. So she's been here, surmised Cameron. Berthe knows Mrs. Han-bury Han-bury came to my house. Rivard's lost no time telling her mother some wild lie about that call. There's little lit-tle chance (or me now. with Berthe Finishing with the Indian. Gabriel Dessane approached Alan and gave him a hearty handshake. "How are you, Alan? They tell me vou got the dogs you were after. Come outside where I can talk to you." In the empty clearing Dessane began: be-gan: "You start with the police this week McQueen tells me. That is good!" "Good?" protested Alan. "I can't help myself, can I?" "No, but your going to Whale put yourself in a bad light here, Alan. Everyone thinks you met this Mc-Cord." Mc-Cord." "Do you?" Alan looked hard at the kindly Frenchman. "You say you did not. For me that is sufficient." The other smiled inscrutably into Cameron's level "Just what did you come to Fort George for?" he countered. "Are you here with McQueen on this man hunt, or is there something else?" She laughed boisterously at his question, and totally unfamiliar though he was with women of the world, he caught a ring of hardness, hard-ness, of callousness, in her voice. "I'm a special agent of the government govern-ment at Ottawa," she went on and her voice suddenly softened with suggestion, "but I'd swap secrets with a man as as handsome as Alan Cameron." She rose from her chair and stood in front of him, her knee touching his, as she looked down at him possessively. "Now if you'll tell me where you left Mc-Cord, Mc-Cord, I'll tell you just why I happen to be here." As he watched her, hoping that, In her brazen self-confidence, she would carelessly say too much, she suddenly placed both hands on his shoulders, and gazed triumphantly trium-phantly down at him as if already she had won. But he smiled inwardly in-wardly at her easy assumption of victory. So the rude hunter of fur was now supposed to tell all he knew when the perfumed lady from '. SYNOPSIS vounB trappr. Noel. d R"h' husky ' look in vain for the . L? ca iP in the deso- - of Northern Can-:S Can-:S :verScs destroyed by wol-! wol-! 1 Z forced to subsist on V "eyHi he come, amaz-ed, to a ! t S in the wilderness !: 1 'L where they are greeted ,H man with a gun. Intro- - AfSw John McCord. hunter. t?Ju Alan if he dares go ' "J ye" to the River of S the Sinking Lakes, where P, Mufi to have been before IVord the daughter, who had 1 to the wilderness wins devotion of Rough. On ( Alan's departure for Fort ' ' 7rf Suddenly tells him to i: some dogs, and to keep ,S to questions. He gives warning him not to show ' rJoree and promises to ex-E ex-E ,7 Returned to Fort George. , , McQueen and Slade. Pro--L with Arsene Rivard, clerk. , rival for Berthe Dessane. ' he ii In love. The two police " , for l KUide to the Big River Accidentally Alan drops one s bills arid wnpn questioned, jd eot It from Neil Campbell. had saved at Whale River Selore. He realizes he must Hi! lie by going north and 'riiell before anyone else has te to talk to him. Berthe's Alan the police are after a ' for murder, and have hired J Dessane stood for a time with knit brows, seemingly groping deep in his memory. "I recall, now, an old Naskapi once told me about a River of Skulls where there had been a battle between the Huskies and the Indians," he answered. "They exterminated each other. And their spirits now moan in the gorge near which the fight took place. He said some of the bones and skulls are still found along the shore. But the Indians were afraid of this moaning gorge, Manitou Gorge, the Gorge of the Spirits, as they called it, and most of them avoided it." "Was this river far in the interior, south of Chimo?" "Oh, yes, deep In the caribou barrens. bar-rens. He said it was a branch of the Koksoak, but no white man has ever been there. It's a country where even the Indians starve when they miss the deer migrations." Alan bade the trader good-by, then, braving the stony face of Madame Ma-dame Dessane, went dejectedly to say his farewell to Berthe. At the door where once he had been welcome wel-come he was kept waiting by what, judging from the sound, appeared to be a heated argument, punctured by the shrill voice of his friend, little Manon. At last the door was opened by Berthe. "I am leaving In a few days," he said, probing her dark eyes in an attempt to read her thoughts. "I've come to say good-by, Berthe." "Come in, Alan," she said, with a faint smile. "Berthe," he began, "I can't go, with you feeling this way! It's all Rivard and this woman, I know. You don't understand what she's up to." "I understand this much," the girl retorted bitterly. "She was at your house. She boasted to Madame Martin, Mar-tin, at the Northern Trading Company, Com-pany, that she had twisted you round her little finger," Berthe flung back caustically, her black eyes snapping as blood flushed her dark face. There were tears in his eyes as he watched her wrestle with pride and doubt and the loyalty of years. "Oh, it's not that! You're wrong! It's not this woman!" she protested. "It's your suddenly going up the coast when ynu'd been away so I long! You went to see Neil Camp-! Camp-! bell! You know you did! Everyone believes it! It's that you went away and did not tell me the truth. You couldn't care so much for me and do that. It's that I've lost faith in you that's all!" With a sob and a faint "Good-by, Alan!" Berthe ran from the room. CHAPTER VI There were only a few friends to bid Alan and Noel good-by on the beach at the Hudson's Bay Company Com-pany when they loaded their canoe for the long trip to the headwaters. But, at the Revillon Freres, the entire en-tire population watched Trudeau and Goyette, McQueen's helpers, with two hired Montagnais canoe-men, canoe-men, stow the outfit in the two police po-lice canoes. Near them, Dessane and Rivard talked to McQueen, Slade and Mrs. Hanbury. Shortly, the police and the woman who had turned Fort George into a hotbed of gossip withdrew from the ' eyes. "I came to say good-by to Berthe but she's turned against me. The other night she heard I had talked to Mrs. Hanbury and was jealous. 1 Madame Dessane, Rivard, they've been working on her." Gabriel Dessane raised both arms to the skies in an eloquent gesture. ges-ture. "Mon Dieu. what that Madame Ma-dame Hanbury has done at Fort George! My wife to me will speak hardly at all. Tiens! Alan, it is terrible!" Alan smiled at the older man's vehemence. "She tried to get information the night I was here and, three nights ago, she came to my house and and-" "And what, Alan?" Gabriel Dessane Des-sane was interested. "Well, she may be a government agent but" "Go on, Alan." "She tried her best to make me talk. I had nothing to say." Dessane seemed disappointed. He frowned at the distant hills across the great river. "She has been at me to attempt to learn from you if you met this McCord and to find out where. She is a pretty woman, yes a pretty woman," he said with a sigh. "She has made much trouble trou-ble for me." "Now about Rivard," demanded Alan, immersed in his own problem. "You know how I feel toward Berthe. Do do you object to my hoping that some day" The older man placed his hand kindly on Alan's shoulder. "There is much time yet, Alan. You are both young too young. You have your way to make" "But Rivard, he's wasting no time," Alan demurred, vehemently. "Are you his friend or mine?" Dessane's face sobered. "Rivard is sent here by the company. His family has influence. I am helpless. help-less. And there is Madame Dessane! Des-sane! She is very difficult" "I see," replied Cameron, with a shrug. "I'm a poor man a hunter, without a decent home to give her. Rivard will go up in the Company. I see! Well, I'll go and say good-by 'heck Alan s story at Whale a, beats the police to Whale route to Richmond to get his i returns to Fort George. An-eminent An-eminent afient, a seductive jjry, srrlves by plane, tries nth Wm to tell her the where-McCord where-McCord and his daughter, t.tcome Is Berthe's Jealousy, wer Berthe's coolness, Alan turd of poisoning her mind. I ITER V Continued -7- i t to talk with you, Cam-id Cam-id McQueen. ; Noel with the dogs, Alan cQueen and entered his e policeman took the chair f ed and leisurely filled and m, then asked abruptly, I i we start up river?" I evident that McQueen in-I in-I ignore the matter of the J iale River, was satisfied, lost of Fort George, that net McCord. For a space I the youth met the other's stare. s irting in about a week," "Are your men strong- iiey're good river men. I were brought up in a ling for you. There's some I water on this river." "hen you're ready to start, cw," said McQueen. M be a month reaching the J, and you'll need three I ruti for you might miss ' w," said Alan, hoping to tiier the police intended n the interior or to return ice. sonths?" laughed the oth-"We're oth-"We're traveling in two Hi flour for six months." watched McQueen walk ' Hudson's Bay store he "No, you won't get John What a mess he'd make 1 Slade if you ever met n pride and the desire to, Alan sat in his cabin if when the afterglow had ! 11 the sky and the rose e river surface had re-fore re-fore the purple dusk. But remained now before his Net John McCord and Wxm would he again see eand the girl who doubt- "I can't help myself, can 11" Ottawa flashed her teeth, threw back her head and looked at him through her long lashes? Well, he also had some teeth to show. Calmly Calm-ly brushing aside her detaining hands, he rose from his chair and, while her brain fought with her offended of-fended pride as wave after wave of blood stained her face, he calmly lit his pipe. "You you " she choked. "You what, Mrs. Special Agent?" he asked, coolly. Suddenly recovering her poise she stood staring at him in amazement. "You blockhead!" she finally managed to say. She turned to find Rough standing at her elbow, hair erect, his throat swelling in a muffled growl. "That beast! Take that beast away from me!" she cried. "Here, Rough!" commanded Alan. Al-an. "You're scaring the lady. Did you think she was going to bite me? I did. Good-night, Mrs. Hanbury!". Han-bury!". he opened the door. "So that's the way a special agent from Ottawa handles the men!" Standing in the doorway he laughed bitterly into the night. He if she'll see me." "You must not forget that you are under a cloud here the police may make serious trouble for you. But Berthe will see you. She is not happy. hap-py. She does not know what to think." Alan started to move away, then turned to the older man. "Oh, I want to ask you a question. When you were at Fort Chimo did you ever hear of the River of Skulls?" group and talked, heads together, in low tones. Then, after hurried good-bys, good-bys, the two boats headed for the far shore where Alan, with his four Ungavas running the beach, was riding the flood tide. Later, in front of the Northern Trading Company, a sea-plane taxied tax-ied up the river, lifted, then in a long loop returned and passed over the police canoes. (TO BE COSTIM'ED) knew, now, that he could not make his peace with Berthe Dessane before be-fore he left Fort George. It was July, the Montagnais "Moon When the Birds Moult," and the trade was at its height at Fort George. Gradually the coast Crees were taking their families to summer sum-mer fishing camps on the coast islands, is-lands, where the Hearne's salmon, sea-trout and whitefish were schooling school-ing before ascending the rivers to their spawning grounds, and where the Canada geese, pintail and black duck would flock with their new broods. Remnants of the great icefloe ice-floe from Hudson's Straits, Fox Channel and the Bay of God's Mercy Mer-cy which had besieged the coast in the spring, now drifted far in the great bay, slowly vanishing under the sun and thrvarm rain winds. The remaining days of his stay were busy ones for Alan. There were supplies to be carefully checked, all of which he bought with his credit at the posts. The money McCord had given him he hid carefully care-fully under the floor of his cabin The extra flour, beans and sugar Noel got through Montagnais. as well as the extra gill-net which might some day, in the heart of the unknown country, save their lives. Fearing the havoc which the tongue of Mrs. Hanbury had undoubtedly un-doubtedly created at the Revillon Freres through the oily Rivard, for days Alan avoided the parting with Berthe. B it at last, hungering for the sight of her face, driven by the desire to defend himself, he went to the Revillon Freres. Gabriel Dessane and Pierre were busy with Indians, so Alan waited until the factor was free. As he lounged against the counter. Arsene Rivard entered the room, saw ai-an. ai-an. flushed and went at once to "smng at a Montagnais Jan smoked, alone with "ere had been a list of be bought for Heather the Montagnais girls, 'Noel, to avoid suspi-wre suspi-wre was extra flour and n and tea, that McCord ; cacne somewhere before ,7 the unknown tun-f tun-f e cache to which they V the caribou failed. fepin thought when the f in the stockade !JSh from his sleep. He f dof. listened, sniffed. fere! Alan Cameron! I re of your dog! I e .Vou!" i fch, throaty voice that r"h Alan the night be-French be-French Company's Wsdnrk brows met -2 e S('nt Roug" to i Z Pe"f1 the door. ?""! Win you come i2inlhow soon m u mhe with the I, H;"ibury had been !; and yet hoping. - as Lm a government id.rnore of John and ft" ,andle and P'aced I i'311"- She smiled fio!;m Whl,e e leaned jh young man, Mr. ted' you real'ze that l.p,our Putation at iard ,n Hanbury J, . elbows on knees. iZr1 graceful, well 4h I as she watched 4V?ishux-hMel hl ' but you're in j ' w" the govern- j it I. |
