| Show 1 Vanished Men j Penn Ca c. J By Br GEORGE MARSH MARS W V Service 2 INSTALLMENT SEVEN THE TUE STORY SO FAR Bound for the Finlay receives recel an anonymous letter men men start out on the for the sold gold country six tx men lost suggesting SUI that the six men were not flay Day post Finlay and Malone i their lives on the river Red lied drowned as AI reported Suspicion prevails visit Isadore In his magnificent home bome Malone 1 Garrett Gurett Finlay brother of one that Isadore rich fur man has bas made a agold The three men located Bob Dob of the six six and half breed guide cuIde gold cold strike and alms aims to keep prospectors crave grave to discover If U he be had bad been shot shotor arrive at The three or died accidentally posing as surveyors out ont of the country at any cost M 11 1 w r sf t Heres a piece of their canoe found on the shore and buried burled with them Theres There's a bullet hole holc In It it Garry took the shattered cedar Well keep kc that for evidence he t said then followed Malone While the others stood with bared heads he gazed into the shallow grave at atthe atthe atthe the havoc a year had bad wrought Bobby Finlay dropped to his knees and md gazed at what had bad once been the younger brother whom he had carried in his arms with whom he hc had shared his bed Its Bob Boband Boband Boband and Andrewl Andrew he muttered They shot them through the head He Hc swallowed repeatedly at the tighten tighten- tightening ing mg in his throat but the eyes he lifted to his friends were dry and hard bard He wore a ring of hammered gold His mother would mother would treasure it Its It's on the little finger anger of ot the thc right hand Red Malone leaned over the grave The Thc finger Is Is gone gonel caught Blaise's eye and nodded Tete Blanche Blanche is a thief When he kills he steals Good by Bobby Finlay's grief I was too deep for outward sign t a It may be weeks It may be months It may be years Isadore i But some day you'll pay to me for fortha that tha t dead boy there I The survey had been under way for two weeks Two of ot sons were working for Finlay Fi lay as and the old Indian often came to the camp with news of ot his secret Tetu search for Blanche Tete and ond But Isadore's private assassin and the medicine man had disappeared like river mist before the sun Tete Blanche is somewhere in the Islands but none will say they have seen him They have fear an an- announced announced pounced to Blaise as his canoe slid in to the thc beach one day in early July Your ears must be beever beever beever ever listening for he Is waiting for tor fora torB a B chance to strike When he comes we will fill him with lead laughed Finlay The Indian scowled Like otta otta- wok the gray owl he will move in inthe Inthe inthe the night and when he strikes there will be no sound Finlay had mapped the head of f the great lake and was working west toward the post It was two hours before dawn of ot a morning when Finlay had taken the thelast thelast thelast last watch Stars and moon were blanketed by drift With Flame sleeping beside him Garry sat back against against-a a birch rifle across knees in gloom so velvet thick that it seemed to the man on guard it could be sliced with a knife What a night for tor a stalk Mon Mon- Monsieur Tete Tete-BIanche muttered Gar Gar- ry If It you know where we are arc J youre you're missing a trick my friend S r But it'll be just jus too bad if It this sev sev- seventy seventy enty pounds of ot dynamite smells one of you hops on him You wont won't see sec him but hell he'll reach you you you- plenty Eh Flame old partner Finlay reached a hand to the wire wire- wirehaired haired back of the sleeping dog be be- beside beside beside side him The airedale grunted with content content- contentment contentment contentment ment and for a space lay sprawled over Garry's legs while the man he worshiped crooned into a hairy car ear Then of a sudden the iron muscles hardened h along his spine and the coarse back hair lifted Hes winded something Finlay muttered with a quick tug on the rawhide raw running to the tho sleeping Reds Red's wrist As two Invisible shapes moved to Finlay's side the aroused dog split the thick silence with his brittle I challenge worry em cm muttered Red Stop cm em in their tracks Hear anything Not a thing Flame winded them You'd better stiffen up the boys while Blaise and I listen here Red mowed mo ed silently away while the IDS g charged deeper into the th tho o forest os s keep them guessing Blaise muttered Finlay Hell rip chunks out of the first one he noses out They'll have no chance to him tonight to shoot or use a knife on Presently Red returned The all aU right They're hot for a alight boys are tight light Hear anything Flames Flame's working this way now Hear ilear that There was the unmistakable sound of something moving through thick brush hrush Hes nosed some of ot them out and turned them to whispered Malone Maone worried and dont don't know they're headed straight for us Wheres Blaise asked Finlay But Blaise Blase was not beside them The cat He can see In the dark darld Hes He's gong gone to meet Flame You move over near the boys while I take the shore hore Nearer worked the roaring aire aire- airedale airedale dale nosing out the trail In the night Strange muttered Finlay they should make so much noise From Abe be way they travel they must be M tt portly there was a 8 crash 1 nt of him He heavy body dy rats aa a o f. f ff f dropped l gun iv H to 01 Y f I t It Wi w n w it The beast plunged on on followed by the airedale and his hoofs clopped on the stones as he took the lake shore There was a laugh from the gloom By gar Boss chuckled Blaise We need dat moose meat bad CHAPTER VIII The survey party were squatted on their heels around their supper fire screened from observation by shore alders and scrub Young Moise had Just arrived with the rumor that was secretly making medicine again and the were growing rest rest- less Where docs does he pitch his medi medicine medicine cine tent asked Blaise Balse It is a secret for he fears my father What are the spirits telling the The spirits say that the th Eye with Three Legs' Legs you look through to make the picture of the lake is th tb of Manitou the Evil EvilS e Si S warns that the spir spir- spirits spirits spirits its tell teU him many will willdie willdie die this Long Snows because the Eye has come to Waswanipi Blaise's face was shadowed with I foreboding as he interpreted the re re- reply reply re- re reply I ply to his friends Dat look bad for us make trou- trou I I I 1 l lI I a. a I IT I 1 I 1 II r 1 The beast plunged on on bl wid dat story he said omi omi- The transit an evil eye Garry exclaimed Dont they see that Tete-BIanche Tete Tete Blanche is behind that Blaise asked the question of the worried Moise then turned to Fin- Fin lay Iny He say dat a child chUd who watch you look through the Eye with Three Legs' Legs has bas died tells them it was the Evil Eye that sick sick- sickened sickened ened him I Blaise said Garry nursing his chin with a hand I guess well we'll have to put the fear of Mani tou into this medicine man or hell he'll soon have some some of ot the knifing us in our sleep Isadore and Blanche Tete-Blanche are about all we can handle at present Brassard was doing some intensive intensive sive thinking At last he asked young in Cree Have you heard when makes his medicine again Some say when the moon Is again round My father will know when the secret word passes His knife is already sharp Blaise nodded I will go with Chief Moise and his brother Michel nervously found each others other's eyes as Blaise repeated repealed the conversation to the white men Later they sat smoking inside the rim of ot the shore alders beside small smudge fires for the mosquitoes were ravenous Blaise slowly removed his pipe and squinted into the west At length he announced Cano comin com In The others followed Brassards Brassard's pointing finger while Finlay went to the tent for his binoculars returned and the adjusted adjusted adjusted- the Ule focus In the dis dis- distance distance dis- dis distance tance the dripping paddle of ot the flashed red blood from the water Later La ter from the shifting course of the boat it was evident that the was searching s the shores Twice he disappeared to enter bays only to reappear and continue his course He hunt for said Blaise when finally the canoe turned abruptly and headed straight for the camp Dat is us Have a look Moise said Fin Fin- Finlay Io Finlay in lay Iny handing over ov the glasses Do you recognize nize him Young looked through the binoculars and shook his bis head Hes coming from Isadore's ob observed served Red Now what The be canoe slid in to the beach bench and the swart little more than thana I a boy stepped ped out with a I I 4 r a aa a away way He remained by his boat while the men back at the smudge fires rose Bo Bo Jol jo returned Blaise joining the young Indian whose nervous eyes watched Brassards Brassard's like crag face as If It he feared an assault this Red queried Gar Gar- Garry Garry Garry ry as they followed Blaise to the beach A UA trick of Isadore's Sure I Wonder how he found us We must be over forty miles from the post Look Hes He's got a message wrapped in that skin hes he's handing to Blaise He come from Isadore's place explained Blaise Moise say now he see sec him at de dc trade He carry dis to you Blaise handed Garry the skin wrapper the boy had given him What do you suppose this is Garry asked Red He opened the wrapper and stared In surprise at atthe atthe atthe the folded sheets of blue note paper it contained A faint fragrance met methis methis methis his nostrils Red grinned widely at the scowl scowl- scowling scowling scowling ing Blaise Is this lad a n fast work work- worker er he chuckled Ill tell the world he is With mixed feelings of ot elation and suspicion Garry turned the closely written sheets and saw at the foot of the last page the name Lise Demarais Why had she written him What was behind the sending of this boy forty miles mUes to find the survey party Again he saw her vel vel- velvet vet black vet black eyes mock him then fur fur- furtively furtively furtively study him later to fill with dread of the sinister face of Tete Tete- Blanche BIanche peering through the door door- doorway way He read Dear Mr Finlay Louis whose Indian name is MI- MI kisis Little Eagle is carrying this to you He is absolutely trustworthy and devoted to me I saved his life lite last year in the flu epidemic No Noone Noone Noone one here knows that he is searching for your camp He is supposed to tobe tobe tobe be away sturgeon fishing Of course I know after what you saw and did with my glass that night that you suspect Jules Isa dore Just why you are here on the tha lake I do not know Jules thinks you are prospectors who have heard that he has struck rich placer bars barson on the Waswanipi and are going to investigate under cover of a survey of the lake lak-e- However that may be be I have got gotto gotto gotto to make you trust and believe in me for without your help I am lost First I believe In you you that that youre you're a gentleman and a brave man Be Be- Behind Behind Behind hind your banter there was some something thing in your eyes something staunch and unafraid That is why Im I'm sending this strange letter for your life and my future are at stake Jules Isadore fears that you may know and report to the authorities Hes He's playing a desperate game for high stakes He has ordered Tete- Tete Blanche BIanche the half hal breed you saw that night in the doorway to follow your party until the chance offers to murder you you every every man Then he will send word to the railroad that you were drowned But he cant can't let the see this this have have any proof What has saved you thus far is the presence with you of ot sons He doesn't wish to attack the treaty chiefs sons He HeIs HeIs Heis Is waiting until the boys are away Keep sons with you youl But ButI I beg of you if It you value your lives leave this country before August AugustIve AugustIve Ive got to go with you Its It's my only chance If you'll take me to the Hudsons Hudson's Bay post at Matagami I can get out from there Jules doesn't dare make trouble with the Hudsons Hudson's Bay people I realize to the full that you will suspect treachery treachery think think Im I'm doing this for Jules and am a callous creature who would lure you into an ambush But I beg you to trust me me- me give me a chance to tell my story- story just one chance I know this sounds wild but Im I'm desperate Just tell I I Louis the reply Is Yes That will willbe willbe be sufficient And Ill I'll be at the white sand beach behind the lop lop- stick point two miles mUes east of the post early Friday afternoon I swear to you Ill I'll not be followed for fol forit it ft is Corinne's and my private swim swimming swimming ming beach We go often and Isa Isadore dore dorc has told them hed he'd shoot an nn any man who was caught following us Bring your men as a guard if 11 you doubt me but I implore you Garry Finlay to meet me for forIm Im I'm Imin Imin Imin in ghastly trouble and you are my only hope What I know will aid ald aid you getting in-getting in hi getting out of ot this country alive Corinne knows nothing of this let let- ter She hates Jules Isadore but I dare not trust her Louis cannot read English so is ignorant of its contents If you say Yes and any any- anything anything thing prevents your reaching there Friday leave a note under the white whitt quartz rock on the edge of the beach stating when you will come ana ano Louis will get it For Gods God's sake Garry Finlay dont don't think this not note notis is an Isadore trick and Im I'm such a alow low beast Ill I'll kill myself rather rathel than stay here through the summer Ive I've got to get out Ive I've got to gc ee out Ive I've got to get out Lise Demarais TO BE DE CONTINUED |
