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Show 1 14I " 1J , - e ( w wo ' o f fr fij r ' \ij ij \ 1 1W W NU . . ! 6lRVIC -CHAPTER CHAPTER - 1 1CHAPTER VuContinuedi ' , : CHAPTER VII-Continued VII Continued Vu-Continued Vu VII - Continued ContinuedL VIIContinued11 VuContinued11 i ; L --11-- 11 -11- - 11Instead 11Instead 11-- 11 11Instead - - - t : tCHAPTER Instead of or taking out hts his water water- waterproof waterproof waterproof - proof match case Garth Gnrtb took up hispaddl-s hispaddl s his hispaddl hispaddy paddl paddy - ' "The The 'The " ' rule Is never . ' burnI burnyour burn 1 I ' 170ur jour 70ur your last match until you have to " " ' Hnxby Huxby dipped his own paddle paddle"Come paddle"Coroo paddleCoroo "Come Come ' " ome on Mr . , Ramlll llam11l Ramill By his 0\\ 0 0n own 0account ownaccount ownaccount \ n account . , , . three t.hree hours more " will "Ill Ill rIdns ridus rid ridi I IHuxby i as ns us of him and hfs hrs Insolence " ' ? "Walt Walt " , " sild s'1Id s1Id said ' Llllth LIlIth She pOinted pOintedto pointed'to pointedto ' to the bank where the pleasant pleasantcreen pleasantgreen pleasantp-een pleasantp een - showedamong showed showedamong creen green of ot young spruces iamong showediamong ( among the weathered white trunhs trunks trunksof trunksof \ of t fire killed k1I1ed birch treci treeq trees "If If "It It " w " we wei e eihare ehate ihare i haye hate so much time we'll well ' ' land there thereand thereand thereand and clean " up t t"ButwIth "But-wIth "But But wIth "But--with "But But " - - - with the post so near . , my mydear mydear my'dear mydear ' dear LUllthI Lllllth Lillithl I " IIusbv IIuxbv Iluxbv protested"That protested"That protested protestedTiat Tiat "That That " " * ! fellow Tobin had any amount amountot amountof amountof ot of soapto soap to " "All All 'All " ' the more reison re'lson relson reason ' HI rn I'll Ill ' not nothae notKatie nothave ha\e ha e Katie \ even a common nay na\vy na vy navy \ , vy see me meIn mein meIn In this condition The rags c'1n't c1nt can't cant c'1n'tbe can'tbe cin'tbe cintbe ' ' ' be helped But the dirt dirt- dirt dirtOut ' , _ - It " ItOut Outburst Out Outt.burst Outburst t.burst tburst , . burst her suppressed loathing for for1aIl forall forall 1aIl all the greise gre'lse grelse grease ' and grime that1 thatI that thatIsmirched Ismirched I ( smirched herself and the men menJ"Mud men"Mud1 menE"Mudl menEMudl J"Mud JMud "Mud1 Mud1 " " I sUme slime fillmel I ! rancid fat fall I ! spoiled spoiledmeat spoiledleat spoiled"meati spoiledmeati meat : " leat I ! Alan Garth , I know that I 1 lbnve thnve have to go In dressed like lIhe a squawBut squawBut squaw squawBut But thIs-this thIs this - this filth fiUh fiUhIt ' , " It " S * He surged the canoe aroundt aroundhorew'lrd aroundshoreward around t } Bhorewird horew'lrd horewlrd shoreward ' " with "ith ith a powerful sweep.of sweepdof sweep sweepOf .of of dof ( . Of his piddle p'1ddle p1ddle paddle ' . . . ( , t . "Not Not " necessary nececsary ; , Miss Ramlll flamUl Ramill Ascouring Ascouring A Ascouring scouring with hardwood ashes and nnl1 nnl1sand and'sand andcand \sand sand 'sand \ ' sand1I1 cand will \\1I1 1I1 \ do the woik wOlk work of soap Weenn Wecan We Wecan can enn eo go In sweet . " ; . " ' * ' They landed hnded where "here here " an Ice jam jamof jamof jam'of jamof ' of some spring sprmg break breal . up had gouged gougedthrough gougedthrough gougedthrough through the muclegmud muskeg mucleg- mucleg ; , - mud at the end endof endof endof of the rI ridge ge and left a clear beach beachof beachof beachof of gliclal ghclal glacial sind s'1nd s1nd sand ' and gr'l\ gr'l grl grate gri\el gri el gr'lel ' \ el ] Up 0\ 0 0er otter ottertthe o\erthe o erthe \ er erthe tthe the ten foot cut bank banh , , Garth started starteda started8 \ \8 8 a fire with one of his two remain remainlng remainIng remainIng lng Ing matches " ' \ ho 1\0 1 0 cleaning could be done unUl until unUlthe untilthe untilthe the fires burned out When Mr MrRamIB MrRamill MrEarolll RamIB Ramill took oft off the spits of coohed cooked coohedmeat cookedmeat cookedmeat meat , all squatted down as USH'l1 USHl1 usual USH'l1to usualto usinito ' to share the meal Garth smiled hIs hIsthanhs histhanks histhanks thanhs thanks as fiS he took the slib shb slab of hot hotJl1eat hotmeat hotBleat Jl1eat meat handed to him by the mllllon million mllllonalre millionacre millionaire alre acre . . . The smile smne hardenedQ hardened Q A sudden change had fallen faBen uponhis uponhis upon Ihis his three companions He could couldeasily couldkeasily couldeasily easily keasily ( guess the cause . . . They real realzed reallied realIzed zed lied ! that this was the last me'll mell meal mealthey meilithey ' they ey ' \ were ere to share as fellow yoy coy yoy'Iageurs coyyageurs voy"ageurs voyageurs 'Iageurs Iageurs yageurs " ' with him himr himf r ! , The moment they stepped from fromtthe fromtthe fromithe tthe ; canoe onto the wharf wbarf at the theiemer theiemer theemertency iemer ; , ; ency refueling post , , their their.forced theirforced their.forced theirforced .forced forced . . companionship companIonsblp with him bim In inthe Inithe the lost valley and on all the long longtrip trip Ip Ipould \ would \\ould ould be at a az an , , end Instead Insteadot Insteadof Insteadof ot of a trio dependent upon their opeonent oponent op opJnent onent for food and guidance-for guidance for guidanceforfe guidance - - fore I Iot eonent fe Itself-they Itself they itself - they would be a trIo trioof trioi ot of t only independent of , but hostlIe hostile hostilehim Ito hostileIto Jnent hIm and his Interests InterestsTbat interestsThat InterestsThat Tbat That was at least true of ot the theo theo o men . . And e\ e even een \ en Llllth LUltb Lilith betrayed betrayedher betrayedher betrayediin her look and manner mannpr a vivid conclousness conclousness con I Iclousness clousness of the Impending changet changef change | J t f relationship As AB for Huxbv Huxby , the theold thepold old ld gloating In his stare showed showedow showedow showedpow ow he was anticipating the rob robery robry robgery ) ery ry and ruin of the man who wbo had hado hadgo o far outpla3 outplayed ed tbem them themp'Mr thempMr ' Mr bar : . , . Ramlll Ramill had bad reacted In his hisWn hiswn hisl hislwn > wn way . His temporary frIendll friendli frIendlless friendliess friendllyess ess had disappeared dlsappeared He was wasgain wasgain wasagain gain the bland , adroit Investor In InInes inInes InWines presentd Ines who so generously present fad d " viorthy "orthy orthy worthy prospectors with a thouand thouand thou thouland land and , and In return took over claimsorth claimsortb claims claimsorth orth ortb many thousands Huxbytad Huxby Huxbyad Huxbyad ad been a hopeless case But Butarth Butarth ButSarth arth had fancied tancJed th these there e were pos posIbllltlea posIbHltles posabilities IbHltles abilities pirateLlllth In the older oIder pIratet piraterLlllth pirate Llllth LUlth rLlllth t Ramlll flamm Ramill , however howeer howe\ howe \ er , ' \ was as the theal theal theeal al diB-ippoIntment diB ippoIntment dlq'lppolntment dlqlppolntment dinappointment ' - . Though shead shead she shead > ad done nothing so far aa as Garth Garthould Garthould Garthould [ ould tell , to disprove her declared declaredfitred declaredatred declaredintred fitred atred of him , she had Beemed seemed BeemedorE seemedore seemednore spiritt spiritf orE ' and more to show a spirit > t f fair play . . it had led him Into Intohinking IntoInkIng spiritt InkIng she possessed a true spIrit spIritsportsmanship spiritsportsmanship sportsmanship sportsmanship'By sportsmanshipBy 'By By ' } By the time Garth finished bls his blswn hiswa hiswn wn wa managedIBO managedso half halt balf spoiled spolled meat , he managed so to swallow 8waUow his bitterness After After11 AfterI 1 , I . , what else could he have ex- ex excted excted ex-eeted ex eeted - - cted ? The girl was the daugh daugb daughr daugbr daughs s ' -r r - r of ot Burton flamUl-the flamUl the Ramill-the Ramill Ramlll - the sclfish selfish sclfishoncd selfishoiled selfishpolled oncd oiled daughter of an unscrupu unscrupu- - . unscrupu.ins unscrupuins unscrupuus us business sharper sharper.iHe sharperiHe . , rubbingE rubbIngthe He broke In upon her rubbIng the begrimed diamond " Ik : "May May I k you for the salt saU and tea bags . , bagsIBS [ 188 iss Ram Ramlll 111 ? They're Theyre ' as good as aspty as"pty aspty 1 ; " pty . , I see But I can refill themr them valley"SShe valleySShe r my JDY return rcturn to the vaUey valley " She stared at him , wlde-e wlde e wide-eyed wide eyed - - \ ed edalley wlde-e\edgalley wlde e edgalley wideeyedalley alley 1 J ! You-you're You you're youre You - you're youre ' going back backere backere backicrc ere 7 ? " " "To To " " ' "To To " be sure Burc . , Why not not ? ? You Youn't Youn't Youin't Youint n't nt ' ' suppose ' I'll Ill I'il Iil ' ' abandon all that thatllllon thatiUlon thatiUion iUlon iUion In my plitlnum phtlnum platinum placer " " blankIs Huxby's Huxbys placer"Huxby's placerHuxbys ' ' face had hnd gone blank blanks s agate eyes stared with all their theirld theirId > ld Id rancor . But Mr . . Ramlll lll1mUl Ramill chuck chuckd I deartheI d "Of Of "or or " course , my dear-the dear the dearthecer dear - theacer cer ne lIe He will w1l1 be going back to tos tos tos s spring"The springThe placer next sprIng " . " The girl did not turn her aston astoned ' astonbed led ed " gaze 3Ze away from Garth . , 'Dad Dad 'Dad.e ' Dade Dad .e e . e not understand I do 1"01 101 lot " Youcan . . ean can nowl nowt now I You planned plauned It from frome e first first t . . nr AH All AU that caribou meat meatid meatc1 meatd c1 d th the- the the e--- e - " - + Good 'Good ' guess , , " he broke In "It It "Ithas "Ithas "Ithas Ithas " has taken n a bit longer than I ex- ex expected ex- ex expected ex expected - - pected to get you out . . But In my mylight mylight mylight light birch bark , , I fancy I can makethe make makethe makethe the head of canoe water before beforethe beforethe beforethe the freeze up After that , frost and andsnow andsnow andsnow snow will w1Il mike m'l.he ml.he mlhe make ' . no difference I'U IU I'll Ill I'UIJae I'llhave ' I'llhave Illhave ' ' IJae have , a pair of webs-snov.shoes webssnov.shoes webs snov.shoes snovshoes webssnov.shoesto webs-snowshoes snowshoes webs - snow . shoes to " toThe The millionaire spoke In place of ofbls ofhis ofhis bls his blslIdeyed \\lIdeyed lIdeyed ' \ wild eyed daughter : tlBut "But But " , , , man , jthe the coldi cold ? " Girth G'lrth Glrth Garth ' sml1edtlRn smiled sml1ed "Have Have tlRne "Hare Hare tlRn\ tlRn " \ e you yon forgot forgot- forgotten forgotten forgotten - ten I told you that I wintered with withthe withthe withthe the : Eskimos Cshlm09 at Coronation Gulf1 Gulf ? ' ' "They They " have baye dog clog teams " "Some Some " of those teams were werere'lred werereared werercired re'lred relred reared ' from wolf wolt pups I might ex- ex experIment experiment ex experiment - periment There are several wolt wolf woltfamilies wolffamilies wolffamilies families In the valley " 'You You ' You re stark mad I If you thlnh think thlnhrou thinkyou thinkyou you . rou : can-It can It can - " " \ Mr 1\Ir 1 Ir Ramlll HamUl ltanill paused He llstened listened llstenedto listenedto listenedto to what Huxby IIu\by IIu by Husby " \ : was WfiS muttering In Inhis Inhis Inhis his car ear His IIis frown smoothed out outand , and he again favored fayored Garth withthe withthe with , the smile sm1le that did not go up as asblrh ashigh ashlfb blrh high as his Shl shield shrewd e " d eyes"Oh eyes"Oh eyes eyes"Oh " "Oh Oh " , ' \ well ell , my bov boy . , If you're youre you'rebound you'rebound you'rebound yourebound ' bound to risk risl . your life 11fe In fool foolhardy foolhardy foolhardy hardy adventuring , , that s none of ofour ofour ofour our buslDcssto business buslDcss to " to'Quite Quite 'Quite ' so , " Garth agreed "If If "Ifour "Ifour "Ifour Ifour " our sixtv sI'th sIth shty ' forty deal had not fallen fallenthrough fallenthrough fallenthrough through , It " would "ould ould have bae bate ba\ ba \ e been your yourbusIness yourbusiness yourbusiness busIness to do the legal asses assess assessment assessment ment " v\ork v ork "orh orh work \ on the claim But as asthings asthings asthings things stand , I may m'ly mly m'ty mty ' ' as well weU put In Inthe inthe Inthe the " winter "Inter Inter doing the work worh myself myselfl'Ihe myselfThe myselfThe The ' metal I sled out " with "lth lth mv my wolf wolfteam wolfteam l'Ihe lIhe team should pav pay enough enoubh to bUj buy bu me mea mea mea a fair sized sI7ed sued freight pline pl'lne pllne phne ' ' The millfon millionaire mlJ1on'lire mlJ1onlire ] ' tire beamed "Yesahtrue "Yes- "Yes Yes "Yesahtrue "Yes Yes "Yesah " - ah-true ah true ah - truel 1 ' Gal Gaith Garth th smiled bick b'lch blch back ' at him "By By "Bythe "Bythe "Bythe Bythe " the " way "ay ay . , I meant to let you dls dis dlscover discover discover cover for yourselves at Fort Smith Smiththe Smiththe Smiththe the happy h'lppy hlppy ' surprise surpllse I ve ye had nll all nllalong allalong allalong along for"ou for \ " vou \"ou "ou ou you But since you're youre ' so sopleased sopleased sopleased pleased already alre'ldy alreldy alre'idy alreidy ' ' over m3- m3 my m3prospects m\ m mprospectsI'll - \ prospects prospectsI'll prospectsIll , I'll Ill ' ' let you Into the secret rIgbt right rIgbtnow rightnow rightnow " now 'Secret-at 'Secret Secret at Secret-at ' Secret - at Fort rort Smith i ? ' "les les "lcs lcs " I forwarded my papers by bythe bythe bythe the southbound Bellanca Belianca before I Ilmd Ihad Ihad lmd had the pleasure of meeting meeUng you youand youand youand and Miss Ramill namill My claim cIalm has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been on record for tor the past pat ' ) four fourweeks fourweeks weeks ' \ eehs or so " Huxby Hu'tby Hutby ' glared with a sudden suddench'lnge suddench suddenchange ch'lnge chlnge ch ' tnge from gloating to cold rage rag-e rag e - : 'You You ' You lIe llel I ! You were going out In Inyour inyour Inyour to " toHe your canoeto canoe He was on his bls feet almost as assoon assoon assoon soon as Garth His fists swung in inblows inblows Inblows blows driven by all the force torce of ofhls ofhis ofhis hls his furious anger . Garth sIde sIdestepped sidestepped sidestopped stepped both , and clipped cUpped in a ahooh ahook ahook hooh hook to the jaw . Huxbv Huxby dropped as asif asif asIf if hit bit by a sledge . . . Yet It " was "as as not a acomplete acomplete acomplete complete knockout knochout . . After three or orfour orfour orfour four seconds , be he sat up , bllnhlng blinking bllnhlnglU.e blinkinglike blinkinglike lU.e lUe like . a dazed owlGarth owlGarth owl owlGarth Garth had stepped back . . . He HesaId Hesaid Hesaid saId : "Apologize Apologize " , or get up and andtake andtake andtake take what Is t.s ts . coming to you . . " Huxby Hu.by Huby Husby . stopped blinking Tbe The Tbedaze Thedaze Thedaze daze cleared from his eyes They Theytook Theytook Theytook took on their usual calculating calculatinglook calculatinglook calculatinglook look . . He felt the beard be'lrd belrd ' on his sore sorejaw sorejaw sorejaw jaw , and replied with cold deliber delIber- delIberatIon deliberatlon deliberation - - ation atlon : "I I " \ withdraw lthdraw the termto term to " toArrogant Arrogant as was the tone , the thewords thewords thewords words were an unqualified apology apologyGarth apologyGarth apologyGarth Garth turned to Llllth LIlIth , who stood stoodgazing stoodgazing stoodgazing gazing at nt him with a peculiar hard hardglow hardglow hardglow glow in her blue eyes . . . He spoke spokeas spokeas spokeas as If It nothing had happened : Some "Some " of the ashes are now cool coolenough coolenough coolenough enough for tor you to use . , Miss llam1Jl Ramill |