Show by william byron mowery by arron bowery bor alca THE STORY six bandits hold up the steam r midnight sun on the mackenzie kill jimmy montgomery and escape with gold dust and furs at the mounted police post at fort endurance sergt alan baker disputes with hla incompetent inspector haskell regarding plans for the capture of the bandits daker start out la the police launch with five men at the macmullan trading post joyce macmullan Is thrilled at the arrival of the police launch she bad expected to marry baker and had been tanned at the news that he was to marry elizabeth stolen furs are found on the mac alllan place and evidence points to joycea joyces father joyce defends him alan leads his expedition up the alc and catches sight of the bandits compelled by foolish orders to divided the party alah falls to capture the bandits and returns to fort endurance hackell blames him tor the failure and alan Is allowed to buy out of the mounted on condition that ha absolve haskell from blame CHAPTER V continued 11 thinking in bard practical terms alan saw that so long as hasten had power over him he could not stir a hand if he was ever to get those criminals he had to be tree several paths lay open to him one by one he studied and rejected them till only the last remained i for minutes he weighed that pos elble act its cost to him was a terrible cost it would wipe out his brilliant reputation his whole police record it would kiy his last chance of ever bringing haskell to account it would uproot him and take him for bood and all out of this north country tom by doubt and indecision he wavered the price seemed too stag cering presently he heard some one come up the terrace and glide past him and go on toward his cabin the figure was merely a moving blur in the mist but alan recognized that light footstep he called softly joyce I 1 you wanted to see me alan I 1 ive been wondering where you your cabin was all dark and I 1 find you in eager hope she asked him alan what did say about dad lies going to release dad on ball as you thought alan shook his head sorry for her borry for all the heartache that lay ahead for her now joyce haskell can bo brutal and inhuman lie consent even to letting your flad remain here he intends to send him outside to edmonton it was on his lips to add your fa ther Is being sacrificed to IIa beed of a victim but he could not bring himself to tell joyce that the news had stricken her cruelly enough if only she could be near her father it only she could visit him the ordeal might be lightened for her the lonely waiting weeks of suspense would be agony it her father was a thousand miles away among strangers with no one to lift a hand for him he offered gently joyce if you want to go along and be near him III pay III see to it that you can be best for you and tor him too it you would joyce did not answer at once As he looked down at her alan was struck by the sense of how young and innocent a girl joyce was and with bitter self reproach he remembered those long months of the winter past when he had left her alone to her battle because elizabeth protected sheltered kept in case here at endurance had demanded it of him lie realized that in her desperate plight she needed his strength and protection far more than elizabeth did except for him joyce was alone in the world without friends relatives money and with her father in the of the gallows presently with the spirited courage he had always loved an fn her joyce as barted alan fm going back home the are bringing in their furs next week ril send several of their men en to the hares and foucheux ux and get their furs too sacrifice all our trade goods and raise money for dia defense mi he a true way of fighting for dad it I 1 go back home I 1 dont mind being alone I 1 can take care of myself it 11 be lone eoma but all the time ril be knowing that im doing the right thing and being a real help to dad alan acquiesced reluctantly against his better judgment A slender girl like her scarcely out of her teens going back to that isolated post A white girl winsome pretty of alls bome body alone there with indians coming and going with halt breeds coming and going joyce asked him what happened between you and alan briefly alan told her what had taken place down there in the cabin ills account left joyce speechless in a silent fury her little fists clenched her lips parted in astonishment but he can t demote you alan t she cried lie cant blame you for his mistake he cant lies already done itt it I 1 try to fight him if I 1 make the slightest insubordinate move hes actually got the power to jail me 1 but the inconnu patrol hell let you go on tant ainu and capture those men and get the credit not haskell I 1 he a too wise getting those comes second with him so long as he saves his face he really care whether he gets them or not that inconnu patrol Is dead it was our best hope but now it cant ever be I 1 could stir up trouble for him I 1 could bring on an investigation but that would take months ltd be too late then those be gone she repeated brokenly gone gone yes be too late then alan that means means dad will be found guilty and sent to prison or worse for the second time in the years he bad known her joyce broke down and cried it hurt alan as few things in his life bad ever done As he felt her sobbing against him as he thought of this tragedy looming her his last hesitancy about his plan was swept away with those bandits safe in the watery wilderness of the thal amzah dave macmillian would be convicted he would be sent up for life it would break joyce break her spirited courage her wild born nature when he thought of the terrible stigma upon a girl so innocent and brave he swore silently ill never see her brought down to that I 1 II 11 get those men bring the truth into court he realized fully that he was starting on a long trail a trail never to be retraced he was committing himself to a staggering self sacrifice but he had to traverse that path in honor he could do nothing else he rose abruptly brushing away his last trace of hesitancy and gave joyce his hand to rise joyce theres something ive got to do now ive got to go you stay here come he took her arm and as they went down the slope he asked 1 I want to see you again before I 1 some final arrangements with you wont you be down at the wharf in half an hour wondering at his odd tones his stern purposive manner joyce promised him at mrs drummonds house he left her and started out along the terrace to haskells cabin across the desk he demanded with no preliminaries 1 I want to buy out tonight I 1 herel now I 1 haskells eyes narrowed in suspicion he could hardly believe it he knew how deeply baker was rooted in his work and friendships and life in this northern country and he could scarcely conceive of a man deliberately throwing away a long brilliant police record at one irremediable step but there was no doubting bakers words no doubting his grim manner baker was demanding to buy out to get out for good As he studied the sergeant haskell drew back warily baker might be laying some trap for him he refused I 1 m too short handed here as it Is now 1 I dont give a d n about that fm buying out haskells confidence was returning as he saw that alan intended no physical violence if you buy out your record ends you 11 have to start all over tm buying out for good there 11 be no starting over again I 1 m getting out of the mounted out bt the country I 1 haskell debated swiftly he was not averse to baker cutting bis own head off and be saw now there was no trap laid for him but there were other things to be considered his sober judgment casting back over the last nine months recalled the score of times baler had corrected bad mis takes of his and kept the post running smoothly wisdom whispered to him that he needed the man needed him desperately and ellzabeth dang was she going away with baler was baler taking her with him it she went bis act in busting the sergeant would prove a boomerang against himself he tried to tern porlee 1 I the authority to let you have to make out application and wait tor permission from headquarters that s the rule for close in detach ments down north here where a communication would take several months it s understood that an officer can accept a buy out on his own lecog nl zance but its not the official rule un der the circumstances I 1 don t choose to accept your papers you will choose I 1 III make you choose I 1 you ve busted me all right youve saddled the blame and shame of that patrol on me youve mouthed your lie and youve got a stool pigeon there to back you up but I 1 can bring on an investigation just the same theres things happened last winter that you cant lie out of Is coming down here next month ne chasn t got any too much use for you now it im here when he comes what tell him wont help your standing much haslell lit a cigarette to hide alq nervousness he asked where are you going if you get out of service not be your affair thank god I 1 im leaving here tonight that all you need to know haskell started a little tonight no boat coming past it meant baker was going by himself 1 meant ediza both would not go with him but would stay here at endurance I 1 very thoughtful he looked away debating bakers motives his reasons for this precipitate move were dark and puzzling but he saw no way in which they could possibly harm him hardstock an experienced northern man would still be available a reliable veteran to turn to especially if baited by the hope of this vacated would be easier to manage too since elizabeth was going to stay here at least temporarily why he let baker go the farther away he was the better 1 the more he studied the situation the more 1 seemed too good to be true that baker was deliberately cutting his head off buying out getting out of the country leaving elizabeth here alone killing any possibility of the investigation that he secretly dreaded I 1 U consent on one condition to your buying out otherwise you II 11 have to wait tor official and regular approval the condition there seems haskell said steadily with the ability to look alan squarely in the eyes to be a difference of opinion between us about the responsibility of this aloiska patrol it you 11 sign a statement to the effect that you had complete charge of the detail and split your party on your own initiative it you 11 do that you can buy out otherwise you cant alan wavered signing a brazen lie taking all the stinging disgrace upon himself strengthening haskells HasL ells guilty hand but then his thoughts leaped to jimmy and larry and dave macmullan and to joyce pinning her last hope to him what did it matter his signing a ue would it change one jot or tittle of gods truth what did a rag of paper mat ter on his long free flung hunt for those murderers avenging his partners shielding joyce ue said sign load it as heavy as you like but don t knock hard sock or or lounge haskell wrote out the declaration of responsibility alan read it ag he wrote his name he sneered it I 1 were you id frame that in and hang it on the wall ita a certificate of your dishonor not answering haskell went on looking up the remaining enlistment period and figuring the amount whipple brought over the forms and filled in the data both alan and has lell with the constable as witness signed the numerous official sheets of the procedure folding his copy of it alan walked out of the door out of service out of the mounted police TO DE CONTINUED |