Show r Z r r y Y i S St t I f r e j i iw y coral q t g w CHAPTER XI Continued XI-Continued Continued 16 16 He smiled banteringly Well Wen I wouldn't say that A handy cook Isn't altogether a a nuisance The pot Is beginning to simmer You might drop In ID a pinch of ot tea Hows How's your ankle Ever so much better Ive I've exercised exercised exercised exer exer- S It a little tittle every time I went outside And Ive I've halt half finished Dl my parka But how how bow she Interrupted herself how herself how can you win If It you JOI dont don't kill kUI them Wh Why for a starter Miss S Cook well we'll let them stew In their own juice for a R few days That will tend r to soften their bonds of at mutual aid No bedding bedlIn and a diet of meat will help those three placer Jacks to consider the desirability of that five he thousand dollar reward I offered for their boss bosSo Alan Garth youre you're marvelous I 1 INot INot Not at all It Just happens I know this game ame and I told you ou before be before eore e- e fore ore that Is only a commonplace common commonplace place wolf If he were a wolverine Id I'd have to look sharp By Ry noon the next t day Eskimo suit was finished Her ankle ankle an kle though weak weal was no lon longer er sore or swollen Garth bandaged It firmly with a strip of ot skin and md had ha haher her begin practicing on her webs Not being hurried or excited she soon caught the knack of ot the snowshoe snowshoe snow snow- shoe stride Their heir last climb took them up around the bend In the great cleft Before they turned back Garth had the girl f fire r the pistol She neither shut her aiming eye ee nor flinched as she pulled the trigger Each time the bullet struck within a n foot of the nearby mark that Garth set up Not half bad he approved Ill 11 let you ou go down with me tomorrow morning Though h the temperature h had bad d be become become come milder It remained below freezing point As on the other occasion oc oc- oc casion caslon Garth started two hours before dawn This time Lil- Lil LilIth Ith Rh trailed trolled with him had hall moved mo his camp to the lake shore opposite the stranded cabin plane The engineer and two of ot his miners lay asleep huddled bud led ledIn In nests of at spruce sprays spra's and dry moss The fourth man sat on a log beside beside beside be be- side the tire fire his rifle between his knees He yawned drowsily The he first slight tinge of dawn had begun to gray gru the east But among the trees the night was still black A sudden flicker of light In the darkness dark dark- ness behind the leanto brought the sleepy watchers watcher's head up with a Jerk Beside Reside the skin clad man with the lI lighted match he saw a second man squinting at him along the barrel barrel bar bar- rel rei of ot a R pistol Garth put his fingers to his lips for tor silence and held a wrapped fuse stick of dynamite close to his match mutch The miner let go of ot his rifle and straightened upon his feet reet his hands high above his head The match ma flickered out Garth dropped the dynamite and darted forward He was none too quick The rh slight thud thud of ot the fallen Canen rifle Had Dna wakened enea As Garth paused behind the corner of ot the leanto the tile engineer peered out with his pistol thrust forward I As Garth Jumped he be struck with the butt of at his belt nL It cracked f down on wrist The engl engl- i neer's peers pistol dropped With a curse grasped at the weapon but Garth was quicker As he caught It up clutched at nt his throat 1 Garth felled him with a tap of the t. t ax as butt on the temple 4 i Wakened by the sudden sud en flurry the F r two miners In the lean leanto to were graspIng grasp grasp- E Ing at the pair of at rifles on which had lain Garth whirled the pistol to cover them I Hands up and get out beside besl e t. t your mate he ordered We want wantonly wantonly only onty the murderer But well we'll shoot you down like dogs s If It you Inter Interfere fere One of the pair Jerked up his hands The other man hesitated The miner outside called warningly ly The IThe jl jigs jig's s 's up Lane Laney The other feller teller has hns got the drop on us too ton Laney lifted his hands and stared out after his bed was sta staggering up still dazed from rom the thc blow that had felled him Wild with desperate rn rage e. e he struck out furl furi Garth stepped side-stepped and thrust In a tripping foot The en engineer pitched down face on the hard hard crusted crusted snow Before he be could spring sprIn up again oguin Garth Jumped upon his back The blow knocked d him breathless It was then thenan an easy matter to click Constable Dillon's Dillons handcuffs on the wrists of ot the murderer Stop turl that cursing or Ill I'll gag bag you Jou ou Garth said Theres eres ere's a lady present All rl right ht Miss Mss Join its liS us fell teU silent to gape like the miners at the skin clad form that came forward out of ot the black shadows Into the firelight tIll 1 Tour 1 You on 1 Yes Its It's me you cowardly sneak killer 1 I I came after you with Alan Atan and he be has hns let me catch you Jou The murderer twisted around with his back to her and the fire His head hend sagged forward With a sudden sudden sud sud- den return of alertness Lilith turned her gaze away from his shadowy shadow profile to watch the three up lined miners Garth did not smile at the girls girl's needless caution She had bad earned the right to think herself an Invaluable invaluable able helper He allowed her to stand guard while he gathered up the three rifles rilles and unloaded them o flight Miss Garth said Sit down Its It's all u over oer now but the talking She lowered the pistol but drew back where she could watch Husby as well wen as the he miners Garth looked soberly at the menH men If It you know Kipling you'll youn bear bearIn In mind that the female of at the species species cies cles Is more deadly than the male I dare say though you can safely venture to lower your our hands bands and sit down with t us At the welcome permission the three dropped their arms Two of ot otHe sA t tl tr l r i w 1 t 1 S I 1 He Kissed Her Red Lips and Scarlet Scarlet Scar Scar- let Cheeks and Tightly Closed Eyelids them at once squatted on a log Laney lingered for a surly question before following suit Wha ts t's the play 1 All we came for was to arrest Help with the cabin plane and there will be no mention of ot any shooting other than his murder warder war mur der d r of the constable What wages wa es did he promise you Jou Double the usual Tole us he be had to get In his assessment work before the freeze The uThe claim belongs to me Garth replied I will pay you the double wages Ugh growled Laney You outplayed the d n d-n n Its It's a deal Youre You're boss Were We're working for tor you ou Garth walked back Into th the blackness of the spruce trees He lIe returned with the pack pack- bag his own and Lilith's buckskin suits and a hindquarter of ot fat tat caribou earl carl bou meat At his Invitation the men ea eagerly erly went at the frozen meat with an ax and put the big teapot full fun of snow on the fire continued to sit In morose silence with his back to the Ore fire The feasters paid no heed to him film After a time Lilith began egan to stir uneasily At last she had to act She handed her pistol to Garth and went to put a piece of ot meat on a spit When It was broiled she took It and a cup of ot tea te-a to Husby He stared up at her as If It dumfounded dum dam founded then shook his head sul sul- lenly She put down the cup and plate beside him and returned to to Garth At his look of at cool InQ Inquiry her eyes flashed with defiance I OIl dont don't care I l Its It's not right to starve starve anyone He lIe replied In a noncommittal tone Youre a n woman The murderer took up his cup of ot hot tea In his manacled hands and drank He ie be began an to eat the tile meat When da daylight lI ht came Garth ordered ordered or or- dered dere everyone out to the cabin plane The rhe hard frozen slush Ice gave solid footing tooting over o the bog It also gave a solid foundation out at the plane upon which were based the engineers engineer's lifting operations The Ice had hod been chopped from tram around the floats and a crib built under the Inner end of ot Mach each wing By y hoisting first on tho tin outer acter ter end endot of ot one wing and then the other uther the tbt i cribs had been heigh heightened until the floats were level le with the top of tho the Ice A glance Inside the cabin showed Garth Harth the body of Constable Dillon 1 lying where ho lie had left It Lane Laney explained with a n Jerk of ot a mil mil- thumb to He lIe first sa says s 's wed we'd chuck the stiff sure under the Ice Then rhen he says no to wait an nn an heave hen It out when we was flying over o the muskegs Well wait walt still sUll longer Garth said That brave bra constable Is goIng go goIng Ing lag to receive an honorable burial Now get to work with those sapling levers ers Another pair of logs on the cribs will raise the floats high e enough ou h to roller her clear LIlIth had stood oft off a little to toone toone toone one side ilde watching the lie work with wondering admiration A shriek from LIlIth whirled Garth face about was rushing rushing rush rush- ing at him with an ax lifted high In his manacled hands Lilith flew at the attacker as If frenzied She sought to block his charge He gave gue her his shoulder with the skill of ot a football player It caught her on the chin and sent her spinning But the slight check allowed Garth time for a leap In to under the theas ax as before the blade could whirl down do on his head His left fist appeared to punch deep Into the pit of Dux ys y's stomach His Ells right drove e up under the chin of ot the gasping murderer The uppercut lifted the lie killer oft off his feet teet and dropped him on his face Cace clean knocked Cd out With no more than a glance at athis athis athis his fallen attacker Garth sprang to help dazed effort to sit upWell up Well played he be said Not hurt burt are you ou didn't 1 l she No you No I you he cried and burst Into tears Garth gave her a pat on the head and turned away embar embar- No wonder youre you're overcome over over- come Its It's been too much for Cor a n girl Well We'll hop out of ot here at once He lashed the unconscious killers killers killer's kill kIIl ers er's wrists to his belt tied his ankles together and climbed Into the cockpit of the plane After replacing replacing re reo re- re placing the breaker brenker points he had the men take turns spinning the propeller He then tried the self starter The engine roared Pulled by the whirling propeller the plane slid sUlI forward oft off the log rollers After cutting th the gun Garth ordered ordered or or- dered two of the men to heave Hux Hux- by Into the cabin The third man he sent for the rifles I want the one with which he shot Constable Dil Di Dilion l lon ion n But you may as well bring the others others also also a lot of that bear fat He himself went to pick up the weeping still girl and help hell her to the second seat scat In n the cockpit He made sure of the supply of f gasoline gasoline gasoline gaso gaso- line and climbed down again nin to see that the lie men gave ga the bottom of ot the tile floats a thorough greasing with the lie bear fat After that when all were aboard and the rifles In Ln keeping kC he started the engine The plane at first moved mo s slowly The floats drag dragged ed on the rough surface of the frozen slush But when wIlen the they glided out on the streak of glare Ice the friction became less than that of a water takeoff take Within a half mile the speed had halt so Increased that lint an easy pull on the Joystick jo sent the plane skim ming up off ocr the glassy lassy surface Garth banked In a Ion long curve to the left listening to the lie roar of the warmed mot motor r. r Every cylinder was waa hitting sweet CHAPTER XII Squaw Lilith T THE HE cross-country cross flight brought the plane to the Mackenzie at the great bend below helow the Liard But Garth did lIld not come down at Fort Simpson He flew on up the vast river to Great SIn Slave ve lake and east across the lake to Fort Resolution Some time before sunset he set the cabin plane down at the lan landing land land- ing Int of oC tle tile Airways s base by the mouth of the Slave river rl After handing Lilith ashore he left her standing while he went to speak to the Airways superintendent That courteous gentleman hastened to tell teU the girl that his wife would he delighted If the dau daughter of ot Mr Ir Burton would honor their hospitality Garth was not Invited He Be turned awa away to meet t the ie red coated d sergeant sergeant ser ser- geant of at police pollee for whom he had bad sent Lilith did riot t see him again until the next morning Told lold by her hostess that Mr Garth wished to speak with her she made mode a hurried effort to adjust her borrowed dress She went hesitatingly hesitatingly In ly Into the room where Garth waited alone for her Her dress though more stylish than the one loaned to her on the steamer by bythe bythe bythe the Fort Norman missionary's wife was not cut for Cor her lithe figure Sight of him In his caribou parka brought her to a startled halt Her lIer eyes widened Oh still In your skin suit I You You youre youre you're going back 1 What difference does It make to you 1 he asked uy soon be In lu Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton-ancl and civilization She he stepped suddenly close to him her hands held out In appeal No I I Alan I-Alan Alan take me back with you I I IBack IBack Back there Dont Don't tell me you like that squaw life liCe Those da days s 's sIn In the theall valley all y and the trip out must have ha been a n h I h 1 of torment to you dIrt dirt rags mosquito dope flies Olea I starvation And now Ice snow bitter bitter bit bit- ter cold Anything Anything anything Just to be with you ou Alan dear Alan dear 1 I He lle put his arms about her He kissed her red lips and s scarlet cheeks and tightly closed eyelids e My Iy girl he said you IOU are goIng go go- goIng Ing lag with me wherever I go Get on your our parka Her arms were clasped tight about his neck She lingered a moment moment moment mo mo- ment to return his kiss Then her blue eyes aglow she ran to obey him When she came hastening back In her Eskimo costume she ventured ventured ven yen an appeal Cant I have a acomb acomb acomb comb and brush and and and-and and soap Alan He looked soberly past her ber shoulder shoulder der at the amuse amused face of ot her host host- ess Well yes Well yes es I dare say you can cnn Were We're going first to r Edmonton Your father Is there I sent him a message message message mes mes- sage that we were coming He took her Into his arms regardless regardless re re- regardless re- re of the lady lad My IMy girl we are back In civilization We Weare Weare Weare are first going to be properly mar clod ried But these caribou suits Best of flying costumes Were We're taking a two The suits will come In han handy again this winter when I teach Mrs Garth how v to drive a dog team Until that it its it's to be silks for my girl Irl I must first testify at the tile trial After fter that tint well we'll hop over o to Victoria and take n a steamer to Japan for our honey honey- moon Oh Alan how how how-how how delightful I 1 But Japan Wh Why I never dreamt a prospector like you O J would care to travel In the Orient So If If-If If If you'd rather go back to the valley mIley dear dear dear- Her hostess could no longer keep silent Prospector Miss lIss Is that all you know about Mr Ir Garth His father Is one of ot the heads of ot the lie Hudsons Hudson's nay Bay company He le himself Is a member of at our parliament a fellow rellow of the Royal noyal Geographical society a noted explorer explorer- And the winner of the gamest girl rl I ever knew Garth cut InCome InCome inCome In Come on on Squaw |