| OCR Text |
Show _ f : . w THERIWRof SKULLSw SKULLSTHE THE RIVER f SKULLS . f " , of ; f xs ' ; y by George Marsh MarshWNU ff : ; : ! 0 O PENN PUBLlSIIUsG PUBLlSUUO PUBLISIIIhG , CO coWNU CoM M , . " < > WNU SERVICE SERVICEN SERVICEx N . , " x APIEB l'TER lTER rTER ' xn-Conhnued xn Conhnued yjl-Continued yjl Continued xnConhnuedIS yjlContinued18 xn - - Continued -IS- IS -18- 18 - ISthree 18three 18 18Ihree - - Ihree three days the two mci mcn men mcned mened mcid ed > d with the pan from dayhgheo daylightp daylight \\h h while e Heather did didDOl didooll dieook ! t-vil t vil t\11 11 evil " \ ' - eht ght ghth , , \ p and then thcn joined them to tobreeches tobreeches t tbreeches < DOl ooll . ng rag breeches roUed rolled above her herIn herm he ; , m In the cold water rotat ngjng ng ngg ngg g pan filled with wltb gravel andto and andw andto w to add her hcr share to the ining In Ing ing g we ght of dust coarse goldimaU gold goldmall man mall nuggets in m one of thecaribou the thecariboU thecaribou cariboU hide bags they bad had badfor hadfor hador For the mo moIn moall mo,11 mo11 for ( the purpose In all , thought of the future was wasthe wasthe wasa the des11"1 des111 desire " to see the first first , , , skin bag filled with gold goldee goldee goldthree ee days Noel and Napayo Napayoed Napayoied ed carrying carrymg long faces faccs They Theyaveled Theyaveled Theyraveled aveled far back on the baro bara bar a o the west \ est and had not seen a.There aThere a aThere trails trailsIn trailsIn trailsin ( . There were many old In the caribou canboU moss but theFhad the thehad thebad had bad not started south A bear bearJey beartheY bearthey theY had worked hard to get getpped getlipped getpped Jey lipped pped them diem In a creek bot hot botAt hotAt hotIt At the camp the gill nets sete set but butill but1 had taken nothing nothmg .t t . e river ill river rlver trout and the dogs were wereart wereort wereiort art ort rat ons oils Xt If the first run runa runx a trout and salmon d d not apshortly ap apshortly apshortly shortly it would vould v . : auld be serioushey serIOus serIOuslIbey seriousey lIbey ey could not feed fecd the dogstheir dogs dogsttheir thell ' small stock of dried dned canand can care careF careand t tand ttheir F and the emergency rationste ra rations rationst hons honsI ( I t be held for the trip tnp home homenght n a ght over the fire tor for the thegs thegs thengs gs were al vays cool the pros prosrs prosrs prosirs rs held a council of war ware ware e can t go on this way and andI andt andto I t to luck said Alan gold or or,0Jd orold orold ,0Jd 0Jd , old . . We Weve ve ye got to get fish or orou orion , ou t1 shortly or starve The dogsHi dogs dogst I t had bad a square meal in 111 ui a aIk aI Ik ; I suggest suggesl that Napayo Isoelpack Jl.oel Jloel noel noelpack . 1 pack the canoe past the gorgetravel gorge gorgeItravel gorgetravel Itravel travel up the river nver then cut cutthe cuthe the e tundra It If we strike stnke deer deeran deeraa " : ; an load the boat down withII withLt with withnd II Lt and * nd skins skIDs skms and run down downf1I11 downNl downim downimeck f1I11 Nl leck eck Drummond told me the thesalmon thesalmon thelalmon salmon run in m August object objectMcCord objectMcCord objectIcCord McCord We 11 ll only have to1 tot to t a . few days tor for the first runnot run runnot runnot not drop down don do\\ do \ n to the Koksoaklet Koksoakset Koksoak let set the nets7 nets7I nets ? ' ocl oel I thook shook his head Napayoonlee Napayo NapayoanIee Napayoonlee anIee onlee small sman feesh een h.oksoak hoksoak Koksoak Koksoakhere . KoksoakH here bere ontil ontll salmon and sea seacome seacome seacome come epn een from de salt water waterie watere e dogs need almost twenty twenty3s ids twentyids ds ot of fish a day to keep fit and andInot andnot Inot ot going gomg to see them grow poor poorlabb poorlabb poort labb > b t , t , if I can help It I m gomg going gomgthe goingthe goingthe the barrens John Jolm ' The salmonbe salmon salmonr r be a aeek week \\eek eek seek \ or more latele late lateL'he latethe L'he Lhe the ' berr es 11 Il be ripe soonnd soon soonoed soonned oed ned in Heather I was up onbarren on onbarren onbarren barren today We 11 have bake bakeIe bakeIe bakee Ie ! e and bluebernes blueberries soon and I Ibushels Ibushels Ibushels bushels of cranberr es We cane can e terry berry bannock . . . Won t that bei bei be bei i i ' v 1P . vo 1Po o that thats s where you were ! Andpromised Andpromised And Andpromised promised never to leave camp campe e sa d Alan sternly sternlyl sternlyhad l [ . had my rifle nfle she answered answeredd d I always carry this She Shebed Shehed Shehed bed hed Anydoes the p stol stolon on her belt Any does it make much d fferencel fferencea fference 0 a ' I told you I ve ye given up allght allght all allht ght ht of our ever getting gettmg back backt backe e look took her roughly by the elbowslooked elbowslooked elbows elbowslooked looked into mto her defiant blue blues s Stop that kind kIDd of talk ' You Youht Youbt Youht ht bt to W be ashamed of yourself yourselfs ! sa sad d sharply What Whats s got Intoanyway intoanyway into intoanyway anyway ' ? Why you were wonhd won wontul wontel tul , tel . , Heather most of the wayT v.ayrn wayra v.ay vay way . rn ra the Koksoak - never cornned-took cornned took corn com cornnedtook comnedtook ned-took ned took nedtookeverything - everything as it came carne cameh h ' a * sm em smie Ie le and It was hard , hardMy hardhty hty hard But lately you seem seemtve seemave seemave tve ave lost your nerve Brace upuddenly up up"idenly "idenly idenly udden1y uddenly " the courageous eyes that thatmet thatmet thatmet defiantly'If defiantlyw met . hn b.ts bts his so frankly frkly fr Pkly defiantly deeph deepath 'If If w ' tott soft nusty misty With a deep ath athshe h the she released her arms as assaid assaid "id id said " as it 11 if to herself Yes Ip I Ias as s I x ve ye lost my nerve and and-ev and ev - evthing andevthJng andevthing thJng thing else elsee elseIe Ie | ! e watch watchpd watched d her as she walked walkedI walkedy I ! y ) ' hairdean hairclean the glory of o ( the golden hair hair"can haircan dean clean " lines IIDes of her shoulders 1D in in'patched 'patched patched ' inWitched atched blouse the strength and andhmetry theM metry of her lithe f fgure gure in m the thewlupcords theWhipcords andInto whipcords wlupcords and leggings and Into " hn hIs memory flashed a pic F picF of piCof ofa " a * girl standing on a sand sandat sandat sandth sandh h at ttr the water , , ii , . . . ? . .a- .a . .ae - . s edge Un e g f Ung Unf by b ) ' the conflicting Confuctmg cone ctmg emotionswred emotJons emotions 'brred brred stirred emotJons'brred emotionsstirred ' whered him he be turned to wherew where d " Was busy fashioning fashlonmg a en aen .hovel hovel shovel . with axe and draw e bacon"is baconis baconans baconerns can t touch our flour bacon . ans erns " now John We save that that"ovember thatovember " Ovember Noel and I win will take takea'o takeayo aroundgorge a'o ao ayo ' ) ' and ant * carry the ( be canoe around aroundt caribout gorge . ? l I m eoms gOing on a caribou t .E E _ Via and miis i i- i iS S . may nol not be - back - - for . . . a aeCord - cCord eCord cCordshook eCordshook rd . .hook hook shook his head Need Nced Ncedhere Needhere here re Alani Alan ! he objected objectedve . _ , ' ve rc not not c scratched 'T T ' " * * > i--j i j - - Ai- Ai Ai,1 - ,1 1 this shore yet look lookwhat havee what dust we already have havean e bag bagan bagan mg an a . glance met Hea Heather ther s I In m g heated On en .n n . a hunt hunt "nt nt " , , up the river he ated ' stood stand girlstood girlstand . . " . his 'eyes eyes ' eyes tt st 11 on the girl lISten ng I m takmg taking the I a We 11 feed them on Arct e c hare str.Itee strlcee Ptarmigan harePtarmigan 1f it we don t str.Ite strIte strlce . : . e ' "Kys6 Kys6 foror Don t expect " 111 us " ' back ' " ' for or " six days dayseCord dayscCord eCord cCord eCordWas cCordwas y11 wa Was ! ! Eo so immersed with withold witholg old ofU olg olgWashing Washing and the bUlldmg building of U ce Ce box that r canr conr the he refused to can con U if threatenedU threatenedif danger tha that I threatened the sea salmon were too tooAll All AllrlghU Allright rlghU right ! he aJreed agreed agreedY : Y " Heather and 111 IU hve live on the nets netsunt netstint netunt unt tint 1 I you show up with a boat load loadof loadof loa loaof of meat meatWe We may not get meat Then Thenwhat Thenwhat Thenwhat bagsdo what good will that di dl st at in m the bags do us ' ? If I ! we re going to get back backwe backwe backwe we ve ye got to ha\ ha hae hate \ e a b g cache of ofgrub ofgrub olgrub grub stored up upThen upThcn upThen Then Thcn we 11 eat our dust laughedthe laughed laughedthe laughedthe the miner The salmon will \ III showsoon show showsoon showsoon soon anyway anywayBut anywayBut anywayBut But even it 1f if their thclr fish racks above abovethe abovethe abovethe the smoke fires 1 ad been heavy With Withfat withfat withtat fat fat , , sea run salmon Alan Cameron Camerona Cameronwould a \ ould ha\ ha ha\e ha e hae have \ e gone into the barrens barrensafter barrensafter barrensafter after deer For that morning as ashe ashe ashe he talked talkQd to Heather he had made madea a discovery He had le-irned le irned le"lrned lelrned le " - imed what whathe whathe whathe he had felt vaguely tor for weeks weeks-that weeks that weeksthatBerthe weeksthatBerthe - thatBcrthe Berthe was v . sas as fast becoming becommg a shadow shad shadow shadow ow something unreal and that thisgirl this thisgirl girl toward whom he had once feltas felt feltas feltas suddenlybecome as an older brother had suddenly become a magnet to hl hi-s hi s hie - senses The TheI Thetouch Thetouch Thetouch I touch of her arms that mornmg morning mornmgthe morningthe morningthe the nearness of her as she had saidI said saidI I guess I ve ye lost my neri nen nerve e and- and andeverythIDg andeverything and andeverything - everything everythIDg else bad had touched toucheddepths toucheddepths toucheddepths depths within wlthm him of . which v.hlch vhlch he had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been unconscious It had left him himdazed himdazed himdazed dazed dazed at his calm acceptance accept acceptance acceptance ance of the fact that Bertbe Berthe seemed - - - - - - - - , . . / N 6N 6 6All All/ All AllJ / J ' 1 Jft 1Jft , Jfti i II , c > , And you promised never to toleave toleave toleave leave camp alone ' . very tar far away as unsubstantial as asa asa asa a dream that morning mornmg when heheld he hehellj heheld hellj held Heather s arms and . watchedher watched watchedher watchedher her shining shmlng eyes grow dark darkThe darkThe darkThe The realization of her appeal confused con confused confused fused him He must get away getaway get getaway getaway away Into the barrens have a achance achance achance chance to think thmk She was hardly a awoman \ \ + oman it seemed unfairThe unfairThe unfair unfairThe The following followmg morning mornmg Alan and andNoel andNoel ! Noel took the Peterboro on their theirshoulders theirshoulders theirshoulders shoulders and carried carned past the gorge gorgeh gorgeeh gorgewh \\h h eh \ Ie le Napayo to avoid the wrath of ofthe ofthe ofthe the spirits made a wide circle andmet and andmet andmet met them above Before they started start started started ed Heather drew Alan to one side sideFather sIdeFather sideFather Father Is mad about the goldhe gold goldhe goldhe he s getting Those nuggets he got goton goton goton on that sand bar almost drove him himcrazy himcrazy himcrazy crazy He refuses to think thmk of the thefood thefood thefood food supply I do dol ! I know you re reworried reworried reworried worried Alan she saidIt saidIt said saidIt It is serious Heather The ml mi mlgrat migrat migrat grat on may pass fifty miles beyond beyondus us Then everyth ng will Win depend onthe on onthe onthe the salmon Don t touch the emergency emer emergency emergency gency flour and other stuff We vegot ve ye vegot yegot got to save it tor for the trip home homeI I won t ' Take care of yourselfAlan yourself yourselfAlan yourselfAlan Alan she almost whispered Good Goodluck Goodluck Goodluck luck ' With the dogs running the shore shorethe shorethe shorethe the canoe made good time up upstream upstream upstream stream They camped far above abovethe abovethe abovethe the gorge and in the morning mornmg went wentback wentback wentback back on the tundra The white moss mosshills mosshills mosshiUs hills were etched and lined with theold the theold theold old paths of caribou but althoughthey although althoughthey althoughthey they traveled all day they saw nodeer no nodeer nodeer deer Patches ot of cloud berries bernes blueberries blue bluebernes blueberries bernes berries and moss berries were beginning be begmnmg beginning gmnmg ginning to ripen and the excited exciteddogs exciteddogs exciteddogs dogs soon found where barren barrenground barrenground barrenground ground bear had already tested testedthem testedthem testedthem them From small clumps of deer deerbush deerbush deerbush bush and dwarf spruce Lapland Laplandlongspur Laplandlongspur Laplandlongspur longspur rose before their approach approachWith approachwith approachwith With their theirmerry merry Chee chupsi ehups ! Cu Cunous Curious Cunous nous rious ravens followed them deep intothe mto into mtothe intothe the barrens from the river Farinto Far FarInto Farinto Into the tundra traveled the hunt hunt- hunters hunters - . ers with the dogs on leashes torthey for forthey forthey they hoped to see and stop a bear bearbut bearbut bearbut but no game except the ever present presentptarmigan presentptarmigan presentptarmigan ptarmigan an occasional lopmg loping lopmghare lopinghare lopinghare hare or a curious fox met the thesweep thesweep thesweep sweep of Alan s blnocul binoculars rs : . On up the river pushed me the canoe canoefor canoefor canoetor for three days while wh1e ! Napayo kept keptabreast keptabreast keptabreast abreast ot of them on the high shorewatching shore shorewatchmg shorewatching watchmg watching for game At the thirdcamp third thirdcamp thirdcamp camp when again agam the search of thebarrens the thebarrens thebarrens barrens tor for deer had been fruitless frUit frUitless fruitless less Alan began to have misgivings mlsglv misgrv mlsglvings misgrvings ings about the man and the girl he hehad hehad hehad had left at the camp below the thegorge thegorge thegorge gorge Suppose the Naskapi had hadfollowed hadfollowed hadfollowed followed the Peterboro down the theKoksoak theKoksoak theKoksoah Koksoak from the rapids Still they theywould theywould theywould would not know tho the canoe had hadascended hadascended ascended the River of Skulls and andprobably andprobably probably would have feared to enter en enter enter ter it But a feel ng of impendingcalamity Impendmg impending Impendmgcalamity impendingcalamity calamity depressed him If theymissed they theymissed theymissed missed the deer on their Ihelr way souththey south souththey souththey they would lack proper clothes aswell as aswell .ell ell well . as food The salmon would wouldsurely wouldsurely wouldsurely surely reach the river sometime In InAugust inAugust inAugust August . . Salmon would keep them and the dogs alive but they needed neededrawhide neededrawhide neede neederawhide < rawhide tor for snowshoes and skins skinsfor skinsfor skinsfor for clothing clothmg clothmgOn clothingOn clothingOn On the next day they thcy made a last lasthunt lasthunt lasthunt hunt into mto the barrens At a fold in inthe inthe Inthe the tundra where scrub spruce deer sprucedeer bush and berry heath had hadmade hadmade hadmade made a stand against the fiercewinds fierce fierceIDds fiercewinds \\IDds IDds winds \ of winter Napayo suddenlystopped sUddenly sUddenlystopped |
