Show J I 1 Vanished Men MeR MeRD D e d N Cd Ca hoa hoaC A C 1 By Br GEORGE MARSH W HU Service c TIlE THE STORY SO FAR FAH Bound for lor the gold cold old country six fix men lost lives l on the river Red Malone Garrett Inlay Finlay brother of 01 ont one on of the six and half breed hall breed guide ulde urine arrhe at posing as s surveyors lur a I A AThe The trader led his guests into a alaree large laree living room the floor of which was as strewn with moose caribou t and bearskin skin rugs Two hundred miles mites from the railroad the trader lived in in comfort So 50 youre you're sur sur- surveying surveying the lakes he began beean I sup suppose pose that will take you all sum sum- summer mer Almost Garry answered his thoughts with the girl But we have the lower to finish before joining our party at Rupert the Lucky youre you're not mapping big rivers that feed this chain of lakes You'd need canoe men men men-In- In We left the best white water man manin manIn manin in Canada out there on the Island but wed we'd need more than Indians said Finlay Fi pointedly wed need luck Oh you have bave a man with you Yes So 50 you thought Blaise was killed on the river did you sur sur- surmised surmised surmised Finlay Then he said I Judge from the buoys you use planes here There was a shadow of annoyance in the others other's baffling eyes I have havee e to hire a plane from Quebec to bring the girls in and out They dont don't like the river I cant can't get them to winter here It makes it pretty lonely Shortly a girl ap ap- appeared appeared ap- ap appeared at the door and nodded There was laughter outside and Isa Isa- Isadore's Isadore's dores dore's wife and stepdaughter step en en- entered entered the large room at one end of which a table was set seL Hope you wont won't mind if we dolled up and powdered our noses bub bub- bubbled bubbled bubbled bled Corinne Isadore Its an event to have guests and such and such guests Isadore disappeared and returned with a cocktail pitcher and glasses The close close- closely closely closely two guests watched him ly as he filled the glasses with mar mar- martinis martinis martinis tinis and passed them Finlay gave the Okay signal to the question question- questioning ing ine eyes of Malone as he lifted his glass To our charming hostess he said sUd holding holdine his glass at his lips until Isadore and CorInne had start start- started started started ed to io drink He watched Lise close close- closely ly as she placed her half emptied glass on the table C making her so nervous he wondered On the surface she Iii seems too decent to be be- bethe the step step- stepdaughter stepdaughter daughter of this buccaneer Garry caught the trader studying the bulge in n Reds Red's coat caused by bythe bythe the 45 in his hip holster as he heI I bent over the effervescent Corinne hats sudden death Isadore he hey y reflected if youre you're so foolish as to try to pull anything tonight tonight sudden sudden death Watch your step There was red fleshed sturgeon r and roast ptarmigan and the hun 4 hun hun- hungry t gry men did honor to the half breed I I cook When the girl brought In n bottles of red Bordeaux Garry gave Malone the okay sig signal nal by rubbing his left ear So 50 far so good mine host Garry men- men mentally tolly tally applauded The wine may make your ladies ladles talk It was evident that Corinne Isa Isadore IsaBore dore Bore was making a night of it She l. l was mercilessly flashing her black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes at the russet haired giant blow blow- blowIng blowing Ing mg cigarette smoke in his face and greeting his pitched low conversa conversa- conversation conversation tion with bursts of laughter while he casually filled and refilled her glass As he talked with Garry Isa Isa- Isadore's Isadore's dores dore's cold eyes constantly wan wan- wandered wandered dered to his wife's flushed face inch inch- inching lug ing closer to Reds It was differ differ- different different different I ent with Lise She lit and snuffed out smoked half cigarette after cig cig- t arette The hand holding her fork was unsteady It was evident that Lise Use Dema Dema- Demarais Demarais rais was either excited or worried Your home is in Calgary Lise asked Yes he lied So your y r work has been in the west mke ke in b Isadore Yes Finlay was on his guard There were questions he wished to avoid I suppose youre you're a Provo Pray Province ince bee of Quebec man he countered Isadore laughed You think Im I'm French No my father was Span Span- Spanish 1 ish Finlay saw Corinne Isadore an an- answer Iwer what must have been a signal by raising her black brows She I turned to Red with When youve you've I finished the map of the lake you'll let me see it- it Could it be traced f Id I'd love a map of Waswanipi his first move thought J. J lj Garry lie He lie doesn't believe were we're r engineers E I. I Of course Ill I'll trace one for j you youl replied Red beaming into 4 Corinne's challenging eyes Thata fine finel applauded Isadore Wed appreciate it IL Well gentle gentle- gentlemen g r men lets let drink to a successful sum sum- summer summer mer for us all But your glasses arc are empty Ill I'll open another bottle Finlay noticed that the glasses of Isadore and the girls were full That be accident Hed He'd watch la ha s the trader half halt turned to unco un un- una tco co k a fresh bottle held at his side Garry Goury aw taw his hla left hand grasping the neck move hove over the mouth mou as ashe ashe he took the bottle In tn his right and I sing fill the th- th glasses of his hla gusts cu INSTALLMENT FIVE Finlay Is II told that the thi six men were not drowned as reported Suspicion pre prevails prea vails that Isadore rich fur lur man has hal made a gold cold old strike and alms to keep prospectors out of the country at any cost The three men start out on the J k w w inlays Kinlay's eyes found and held Ma Ma- Malones MaTones lones Tones His right hand lazily moved to the back of his neck Red caught the warning and turned to Corinne In British Columbia he laughed we always exchange glasses for fora a toast Isadore coughed couched sharply The Thc veins in his forehead swelled Cor Corinne CorInne CorInne inne Not another drop Youve You've had too much already His voice split the silence as an axe splits oak Blood flooded the girls girl's olive skin Her eyes kindled kIndle Im no child to tobe tobe tobe be told what to drink she shot at atthe atthe atthe the man who sat rigid watching her then drained the th glass in her hand On the hush that followed broke i an idle tapping on the spruce ta ta- ta ble As he watched the Infuriated Corinne Malones Malone's straining ears caught the dots and dashes in Morse code of Finlay's signalling fingers New bottle drugged Isadore's pitched high voice now under control broke the tension Im sorry gentlemen You'll ex excuse ex- ex excuse cuse Corinne She's not used to much wine Corinne drew deeply on her ciga cIga- cigarette cIgarette cigarette rette blew a cloud of smoke into Reds Red's face as she lounged round arms on the table Do you Ive I've had too much wine beeg boy she whispered Of course not Beautiful Red returned from the corner of hIs bis bismouth mouth watching her fast drooping eyelids Weve forgotten our toast In Insisted in in- insisted the tight faced Isadore rais rais- raisOn ralsOn raisE I E I b 11 a c. c cOn W r On the surface she seems too loo decent to be the stepdaughter of this buccaneer ing his glass A successful sum summer mer to us all With a Pardon me Finlay reached past the surprised girl be be- beside beside side him and lifting her glass turned to his host hosL To a success success- successful successful ful summer His voice carried the ring of splintering ice Eyes locked the three men drank Lise turned on Finlay Why did you do that It was Just as if if- if Lisel There was bottled fury in Isadore's Isadore s 's tone Will you help Corinne Elbows sprawled on the table chin cupped in one hand a plume of hair hairlike hairlike hairlike like a drooping crows crow's wing mask masking ing an eye Corinne sighed to Ma Ma- Malone Malone lone What has come over me I feel so drowsy Did Old you hear me Lise Isa Isa- Isadore's Isadore's Isadore's dores dore's voice was as brittle as March crust But Lise Use Demarais sat frozen to her chair her frightened eyes rivet riveted ed on something across the room Finlay followed fol owed the direction of her gaze Through a opened hall door peered a hideously grotesque face framed by yellowish white hair Blanche Tele Finlay muttered Lise But the girls girl's obsessed eyes were still anchored to the closed door across the room Lise She rose and went to her step stepmother mother followed by Isadore while Finlay waited with folded arms fin tin gers glued to the stock of his hidden pistol Excuse me for a moment gen gen- said the trader He raised his half conscious wife to her feet teet and took her from the room fol followed lowed by Lise At the door she turned a bloodless b face tace toward the I two men at the table then Red Malones Malone's puzzled eyes clung to his bis chiefs As he caught the meaning of the folded arms he stiff stiffened ened right hand on hip and pivot pivoted ed swiftly in his chair But the thedoor thedoor thedoor door Finlay was watching remained closed cl sed On the silence of the room broke the tapped message from the middle of his left hand finger Tete Fete Blanche was at the door behind you youIt It scared List t If Isadore doesn't re return re- re return I I turn well we'll we shoot oot stir our way vay to It the a a. a a noel nod I I I despite warnings On the third day out they are arc ambushed from shore They escape serious Injury and start for the Hudson's Hudsons nay Day post Finlay and Malone lalone visit Isadore and meet Use Lise his bis pretty stepdaughter J Red Re nodded no ed Action I There was I Ithe the glint of sun on young ice In his blue eyes Stiff Still In is their chairs the themen themen themen men waited Then the trader re re- turned It is most embarrassing gentle gentle- gentlemen gentlemen men he coolly apologized v Mrs Isadore took more than she's ac accustomed C to I hope you'll under under- stand Garry rose Of course coursel he be said Will you thank her and your daugh daugh- daughter ter for a most delicious dinner and Interesting evening But youre you're not going The night Is young Finlay admired Isadore's callous nerve Its late he be replied Well say good night Well if U you Insist Ill I'll give you a light to your canoe Outside the night was black as a spruce swamp Isadore produced an nn electric torch and walked to the shore beside Finlay Close on the heels of the trader followed Ma Ma- lone As he pushed off oil the canoe Fin Fin- Finlay Finlay lay said The evening was most pleasant Mr Isadore and and tive Uv I Finlay and Malone paddled in si silence sl si- silence lence until they were well offshore Now what do you think of that for a dinner party Think snorted Red My fin fin- fingers fingers gers ached to drown him in front of his place Drugged his own wife Some joke on the slick sUck Jules Isa- Isa Isadore dorel dore And was he be sore sorel That was clever headwork beadwork of yours Red when I signalled that hed he'd drugged the wine That strange western custom of switching glasses had him stopped dead Nothing like an Irish Imagination Red chuckled Thought you'd like it Say the girls couldn't have been wise to his plan No it didn't look so But what was his plan when he had us doped I he be wanted to search us Hed He'd H d let us sleep it off then off then hed he'd apologize for his strong wine we couldn't handle Our showing up here must have staggered him But hes he's got nerve What interests me most is this Tete Tete Blanche He seems to be a bogey man at and Lise looked as If shed she'd shed seen seen a ghost when she spotted him in the doorway She must know hes he's Isadore's private killer I wonder how much those gals do know Get out anything out of Corinne She threw a wicked eye at you Red I 1 was worried worried thought thought shed she'd kiss you right before King Isadore Red laughed What a doll to trot on your knee kneel She's right up my alley for looks But she didn't ask aska a suspicious question How about Lise She puzzled me She started off of with a rush rush was gay and flippant then suddenly grew absent absentminded Drank hardly anything Didn't hear half what I said f I She was sure easy on the eyes In those whipcords And easier ill iti that white dress at dinner Skin sort of transparent The distinct impression I got was that she wants to leave Waswanipi She didn't say so of course But I sensed it She's worried The approach of the canoe to the island where Blaise had a bright fire burning as a beacon was announced by the barking airedale Well Blaise what do you think of it asked Finlay when he had bad finished his story We leave here quick You mean tonight Brassard nodded Why Wily tonight Two M fallar come here after dark I give dem and taste of whiskey Den dey talk We move out now Onles you wish to fight Well what's it all about Blaise demanded Red Blaise told told his story That after atter afternoon afternoon noon the two hunters had brought a canoe load of sturgeon to Isadore's place to be traded for supplies They were in the trade room when the Peterboro was first sighted far down the lake Labelle rushed in and called the thc man with the scarred face outside where Isadore was watch watch- watching watchIng ing ing- the distant canoe through glasses Curious the thc two Indians moved to the door and listened The trader was wild with rage You liar he said to Batoche Here come de men you said drown in de deLong deLong deLong Long Saulle of de dc The trader struck Batoche In the face but Labelle stepped between them Then they moved away out of ot earshot of the eavesdroppers Later the were start start- starting starting ing with their supplies for their fish fish- fishing Ing tag camp when they heard an angry voice up the shore Wat good are you Now Isadore send me to dat island tonight to finish your job They looked and saw savy the man with white hair the called the Killer with a I little man Tetu talking to Batoche So 50 after dark the hunters had come cometo to the island with the Ule warning I TO BE RE CONTINUED |