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Show i Vaniihed Men 3 yCtCRCE MARSH fefSfeCa f4 t INSTALLMENT SEVEN Flnlay receives an anonymous letter suggesting that the six men were not drowned as reported. Suspicion prevails that Isadore, rich ur man, has made a fold strike and alms to keep prospectors out ot the country at any coit. The three The beast plunged on, followed by the alredale, 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 Wabistan had just arrived with the rumor that Klnebik was secretly making medicine again and the Montagnais were growing restless. rest-less. "Where does he pitch his medicine medi-cine tent?" asked Blaise. "It is a secret for he fears my father." "What are the spirits telling the Montagnais?" "The spirits say that the 'Eye with Three Legs' you look through to mike the picture of the lake is th -of Matchi-Manitou, the Evil Si Kinebik warns that the spirits spir-its iLil him many Montagnais will die this Long Snows because the Eye has come to Waswanipi." Blaise's face was shadowed with foreboding as he interpreted the reply re-ply to his friends. "Dat look bad for us! Kinebik make plentee trou- Bound lor the riU men lost ' f. brother of one si lurveyors. i yi cano! H fmto shore and I . bullet h Ttof evidence, ne 6 a!i Malone. While fj .bared heads J, fa what had once T Ibrotherwhomhe I imr. with whom ri hi. bed. "Iff Bob .1 muttered. "They iil :it but the eyes he r . di were dry and rfa- ;,ring of hammered would treasure it j :,(jnger of the right I :(d over the grave. 4 ,onel" . . ;4 1 m Blaise's eye and 1 Blanche is a thief! , se steals." 'V :;bby!' Finlay's grief 'f 'i outward sign. i weeks! It may be f ' be years. Isadore! ,. , 'pu'll pay to me for " therel" - Ud been under way If i Two of Wabistan's T 1 .m tor Finlay as 7 2 ; the old Indian often I ' 'imp with news of his Y larTete-Blanche, Tetu f ' But Isadore's private it medicine man had y it river mist before 'tu' idisomewherelnthe n will say they have ley have fear," an-: an-: :: :.4an to Blaise as his . .to the beach one day 1 "Your ears must be ;!or he Is waiting for i . ,fAt" tsats, we will fill him ::ghed Finlay. scowled. "Like otta- fowl, he will move in :hen he strikes there i mapped the head of I :ind was working west -surs before dawn of a : Finlay had taken the .'tars and moon were drift. With Flame "" jhim Garry sat, back I ; rifle across knees, in i v rt thick that it seemed t guard it could be tjU i knife. I ght for a stalk, Mon--ache!" muttered Gar- f know where we are, I 1 trick, my friend, j J', too bad if this sev- 1 dynamite smells one 1 . sd bops on him. You 1 1 but he'll reach you Hame, old partner!" ' :,! aed a hand to the wire-if wire-if the sleeping dog be- i punted with content-" content-" 1 space, lay sprawled 'legs while the man he ;ed into a hairy ear. f j, n, the iron muscles f :'i his spine and the to lifted. ' Jomething!" Finlay '" r'Ji 1 quick tug on the -Mg to the sleeping :ii.s '''Me shapes moved to !. e aroused dog split ;e with his brittle "fJ 'em!" muttered '"in their tracks! Hear ! Flame winded "letter stiffen up the Jise and I listen here." silenUy away while the I charged deeper into ;, keeP them guessing, " ed Finlay. "He'll r: .w," the first one he 1 Ya have no chance to :' 'wife on him tonight." : 8e(1 returned. "The They're hot for a tything?" , 'orWng this way, now! unmistakable sound Moving through thick , lsome of U.cm out and i i L whisPered Malone. lei and don't know straigiit for us!" ... 7?" asked Finlay. ,w 38 not beside them. ' ' " Ca see in the dark! mt Flame! You 3 0,6 bys while 1 0 0 '!h? roaring aire- Zr traiI in the nieht- ,ed Finlay, "they . much noise! From , avel they must be -t 1 Uy there was a ', 'rnt of him. He a' L Then a heavy body ! cked gun dropped vUlt I.a0or. In hi. matnlflcnt home. rrv. ttl'tmtn Bob Finlay. or died accldpnuily. ZlV".? remai"Pd by his boat while the men back at the smudge fires rose. "Eo'-jo'l" returned Blaise. Joining "e young Indian whose nervous eyes watched Brassard's crag-like lace as if be feared an assault "What's this, Red?" queried Garry Gar-ry as they followed Blaise to the beach. "A trick of Isadore's?" "Sure! Wonder how he found us! We must be over forty miles from the post. Look! He's got a message wrapped in that skin he's handing to Blaise." "He come from Isadore's place," explained Blaise. "Moise say, now. he see him at de trade. He carry dis lettair 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 the folded sheets of blue note paper it contained. A faint fragrance met his nostrils. Red grinned widely at the scowling scowl-ing Blaise. "Is this lad a fast worker?" work-er?" he chuckled. "I'll tell the world he is." With mixed feelings of 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 to find the survey party? Again he saw her velvet-black eyes mock him, then furtively fur-tively study him; later to fill with dread of the sinister face of Tete-Blanche Tete-Blanche peering through the doorway. door-way. He read: "Dear Mr. Finlay: "Louis, whose Indian name is Mi-kisis, Mi-kisis, Little Eagle, is carrying this to you. He is absolutely trustworthy and devoted to me. I saved his life last year in the 'flu' epidemic. No one here knows that he is searching for your camp. He is supposed to be away sturgeon fishing. "Of course, I know, after what you saw and did with my glass that night, that you suspect Jules Isadore. Isa-dore. Just why you are here on tha lake I do not know. Jules thinks you are prospectors who have heard that he has struck rich placer bars on the Waswanipi and are going to investigate under cover of a survey of the lake. "However that may be, I have got to make you trust and believe in me for without your help I am lost. First, I believe in you that you're a gentleman and a brave man. Behind Be-hind your banter there was something some-thing in your eyes, something staunch and unafraid. That is why 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. He's playing a desperate game for high stakes. He has ordered Tete-Blanche, Tete-Blanche, the half breed you saw that night in the doorway, to follow your party until the chance offers to murder you every man. Then he will send word to the railroad that you were drowned. But he can't let the Montagnais see this have any proof. What has saved you, thus far, is the presence, with you, of Wabistan's sons. He doesn't wish to attack the treaty-chiefs sons. He is waiting until the boys are away. Keep Wabistan's sons with you! But I beg of you il you value your lives. leave this country before August "I've got to go with you. It's my only chance. If you'll take me to the Hudson's Bay post at Matagami, I can get out from there. Jules doesn't dare make trouble with the Hudson's Bay people. "I realize to the full that you will suspect treachery-think 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-eive me-eive me a chance to tell my story-just story-just one chance. I know this sounds wild, but I'm desperate. Just te Louis the reply is: -Yes! ' Tha w.l be sufficient. And I'll be at the white sand beach, behmd the lop-stick lop-stick point two miles east of the cost early Friday afternoon. I Sear to you I'll not be followed for it is Corinne's and my private swim-ming swim-ming beach. We go often and Isa-?ore Isa-?ore has told them he'd shoot any Ln who was caught following us. "Bring your men as a guard U vou doubt me but I implore you. Garry Finlay, to meet me for I m Z, chBstly trouble and you are my nlv hope. What I know will aid Jo? getting out of this country 8l"Corinne knows nothing of this letter let-ter She hates Jules Isadore but te trust her. Louis cannot daId Engl h so is ignorant of its re , 7, if you say. 'Yes!' and any-rTcre any-rTcre ents you; reaching there leave note under the white QU . - when you will come ano StaUngwiU get it For God's sake. L0U'S FinlS don't think this noU Garry isadore trick and I'm such, iS '"h sf I'" kill myself rathe-Tn rathe-Tn 25 here through the summer ?vae g toet out- I've got to get ,! I've got to get out! out! i'c' -Lise Demarais. (TO BE COSTlSVEDi The beast plunged on. bl' wid dat story," he said ominously. omi-nously. "The transit an evil eye!" Garry exclaimed. "Don't they see that Tete-Blanche is behind that?" Blaise asked the question of the worried Moise, then turned to Finlay. Fin-lay. "He say dat a child who watch you look through the 'Eye with Three Legs' has died. Kinebik tells them it was the Evil Eye that sickened sick-ened him." "Blaise," said Garry, nursing his chin with a hand, "I guess we'll have to put the fear of Matchi-Marji-tou into this medicine man or he'll soon have some of the Montagnais knifing us in our sleep. Isadore and Tete-Blanche are about all we can handle at present." Brassard was doing some intensive inten-sive thinking. At last he asked young Wabistan in Cree: "Have you heard when Kinebik makes his medicine "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 Wabistan." Moise and his brother, Michel nervously found each other s eyes as B!aise repeated the conversation to the white men. . Later, they sat smoking inside the rlmoMhe shore aldersbes.de smal smudge fires, for the mosqu.toe. were ravenous. Blaise slowly removed his pipe and squinted into the west. At ength he announced: "Cano' comm ! The others followed Bras.ard. pointing finger while Finlay w to 5aSghom from the shifting : course i . a aiai ev dent that tne na 9 w s searching the shores. 3 disaSeared to enter bays. 0Tn7etohPpearaand continue his ""He5' hunt for something." said Blafse when finally the canoe turned Tint somet ing is camp. Da;tMoi.e" said Fin- .ay'SnVotre, -Do y Vo8 ,oked m Sore'," ob- serVed Red. beach and The canoe sW to to the the swart paddler. ute , boy. hepped out with |
