Show Mi B B l THE FREE TRADERS TRADERS' JIM Lee Lee Anderson Anderaon noal no- no i al 1 Canadian Mounted Police i set ur- r li Is sent tent to lo Slon Stony ran range rang e to arrest a man named Pen Pelly for murder He Ue U Is also alia Instructed to lo look after afUr Jim reputed head of the Free Fre Traders Trader Illicit liquor runners runner At Little Lillie Falls Falli he h. find Pell Pelly U Is credited with having found a cold gold mine and andla andle le la missing mining At Al the hotel a girl obviously out of place In Inthe inthe the rough surroundings A half bait breed Pierre and ancS a companion Short Shorty anno annoy the girl Irl An- An Anderson derion derson Interferes In her behalf The girl leta ete out for Slaton SIlon Lake which In la Also Anderson live tive He U. overtakes overtake her and the two men with whom he had troubie trouble trou ble bie the nl night ht before She U Ie nu sue lue- of him and the two men are hostile Pierre and Shorty Short rId ride on Anderson Anderaon and the girl following In the hills hili the roa road Is le blown up before and behind the two Anderson with Ms hi horse horle Is le hurled burle down the moun moon mountain tam lain side aide consciousness Anderson fines the th girl has hal disappeared but he be concludes she Is alive and probably probably ably In the power of Pierre PI err an and Shorty On foot fool he ha makes makee his bli wa way to lo aleton Lake CHAPTER V Continued V-Continued 4 Satisfying himself lt that there was no nowa noway noway wa way of ot approach except by water venter unless unless un less there thero t existed some somo trait trail across the swamps which them was no time Ume to find Lee waded Into the lake then swam The current run ran strong the shock of ot the Icy water at first numbed then Invigorated him It cleared the doubts and end t fears of ot night from his brain Swimming diagonally against the the current curr current cur cur- r rent t In R R a few v minutes Lee had reached the flat terrain at the base bOle of ot the promontory He lIe waded d ashore shaking himself like a dog On the terrain were h heaped ped great reat mounds of ot waste and garbage from the encampment above piles plies of ot I disintegrating cans cons rotting cases Innumerable Innumerable Innumerable In In- numerable bottles partly portlY covered with II the silt slit and end protruding from tram It 11 the ac accumulation of ot n a long period Looking through th the mist Lee Lea Lt e per- per a small email York boat of or tho the kind need universally between Hudsons Hudson's bay and the Mackenzie riding moored against the rocky edge of ot the promontory promontory promontory tory some dl distance tance away The TIle elevation long low logy and flat nat formed an Ideal fortress ss the only approach apparently was wa evident Ident that It would b be a formidable able proposition toe for any Y body b dy ot t police to attack In ln In the event event o of dip dip- fence tf Lee began to mn make Up trl Ms dam t across the terrain keeping under tile shelter of ot the cliff to escape C ob observation from the huts buts above It wa was was' growing Ing light now and he could could- ie the surroundIngs surroundings surround surround- ings Inga clearly II 1141 r reached the time end of ot the patch of ot ground without coming upon any place by which it t might be possible to ascend to o the summit of ot the promontory He ne hurried back doubling on his tracks examining the cliff c In the other direction He reached the other alde of ot the flat terrain only to t nl that the Ule elevation presented tle same Insurmountable mountable flank nank to hIm everywhere tI Hut But then of ot a sudden Ilet realized that th the York boat must be drawn up at the point of entrance And It was wad with this title that he roust must make his flight with the girl beaching the hoot boat across the water somewhere taking to the tore forests t And without hesitation be Ie took to the water again and swam with shod steady strokes toward It In two or three minutes he had hod gal gained ed Its side aIde The kidnapers must have left lett their horses horse at ot some refuge or rendezvous In the tho forest and brought the girl by boat to lake And It was evident that they could not Dot have e arrived so much as tn to hour before The York boot boat was moored opposite a eleCt deft In the great dome of ot the promontory promontory prom prom- which offered easy access acres to the summit Lee Iee waded ashore once more Rut Bat before attempting the ascent ascent as cent he drew his bis automatic from Its Ita holster bolster and examined It The holster was lined with waterproof and only a few tew drop drops glistened upon upun the surface of ot the weapon Scrambling up the acclivity Lee saw BOW the two t huts among the tho trees Im immediately im- im Immediately mediately overhead o lie He scrambled up the low wall of ot rocks and was about abort to step on tn to the Ihl elevation ele when of ot a sudden n II man came come out nut of ot the farther hut lint and made Ids his way toward the nearer one I. I Lee Ioe lucked ducked I his lils head down Just In time to escape detection and through the Interstices between the he watched the man until he be Il bad and d t entered entered en en- n. n tt red the hut huh Immediately above abate him lie He looked about forty years of at age ago He lie Heas was as shorter than Lee Iee but hut apparently apparently of ot great strength lie Ho had an on black lock beard he walked with hunched 1 shoulders and aud there thero was a 11 look luok of ot singular ferocity uni and cunning on un his bis face A dangerous treacherous customer Lee Iee thou thought ht uy Halh I When he had hod disappeared within the hut but Lee stood up Craning over the rocks roka he could just catch cotch a glimpse of ot the Interior lie He saw eow th the theman theman man standing o over o er what looked Ilk IlkA like A camp bed on which he be could dle- dle the heed head and shoulders of ot a girl trl lying perfectly still L Lees Lee's 8 heart fart h art leaped He lie gripped hi his automatic levelled It Ita a single shot from where he stood atoo w call lt h aimed would uld be sufficient nt And at that moment Instinct and desire desire de- de sire Ire struggled with discipline as never before with the maxim inculcated dur- dur lag ng his bis eight years lean of ot service never neTer to o take life lite except when life lite Is 1 In Immediate immediate im mediate danger Then discipline won Lee let the muzzle drop And at that moment he be beard heard the growling voice of ot the man and the answer anwer an- an Iwer of ot a third person inside the huta buta hut hut- a woman The words were inaudible and now hesitating no longer Lee scrambled over ver the Ule rock rocky ridge a and d made bade his wa way toward oward the door obliquely so as II to remain remain remain re re- re- re main concealed from the sight eight of ot those within The mans man's voice rose In a falsetto snarl narl What do I mean menn to do with her ber What would I t d do with her her She's Shei mine aint she And And what about me mer Low as II the voice olce was restrained d yet passionate something about It sent a sudden shiver through Lee and for tor a few tew moments mo mo- ments he could only remain a helpless help help- less ess listener You he laughed You can con sta stay stayn on n heres here's long as you want to I guess There's Theres Pierre and Shorty If It you want wanta a man man man- You coward I Her voice was vibrant vi vl- brunt brant runt with Indignation I tell you youve you've made a mistake In tn bringing that girl here You'll regret It That mine doesn't exist And when ben she Bhe finds youve you've fooled her what are you OU going to o do do So were we're jealous are we we Well Ive I've been tired of ot you for tor a long time he e Jeered Jim JIm There was desperate plead plead- Ing ng In the womans woman's tones I tones I gave up upal all al altor 11 for tor you Let Iet her go Dont Don't cast me off I love you lOU Jim Jim Jim- And now Lee knew v A A. mist trembled before his hie eyes and ond gripping his auto auto- automatic automatic matic he sprang forward to the door He lie must must have shouted though lIe be was unconscious of ot everything but the desire to get by the throat Wheeling swore and then heedless of ot L Lees Lee's ea pistol leaped Rut But In the moment before they dosed closed Lee saw the womans woman's face toce and knew knew her ber for tor his lute de dead d love who had broken his hIli life Ute and changed it Utterly Estelle Le Lee did slot not shoot Instinctively he obeyed that t unwritten law of ot the police poke po po- po lice ke lice tradition not td tl take ke life Ute save e a in ID inbe inthe the be last extremity nut the sight of ot this sinister figure he the wholly Incredible presence presence there thereof thereof of Estelle the woman who had bad wrecked his 1113 life Ute and the girl lying unconscious un un- conscious on the bed In this mans mane power lower arouse aroused to Jo n Lees Lee's e he heart lt a steep sleep Ing ng devil of ot whose hose existence he be had haQ hardly lordly been aware at any time In his his' life Ife before I He lIe was was conscious us only of a mad desire desire de do- sire titre to kill kill but to kill with natures nature's own weapons w weapons apons In obedience to mans man's law la Clubbing his Jt e leaped to o meet pathways pathway's charge and breast to o breast they y inet in met t re like rubber ll hand nd shot out and end grasped Lees Lee's wrist before b the thew w weapon av n descended Then rhen Interlocked they stood tood almost motionlesS matched lio eo so evenly that neither budged an Inch before the other for tor a full min te vaa Hath sneering face tace was upturned upturned up up- turned to Leos Malice antI and hate gleamed from hU his bloodshot eyes eye Be- Be elde them stood Estelle with her ber hands bands 1 I I i C i I t A Single Shot From Where He Ha Stood Well Aimed Would Ba Be Sufficient still clasped In the gesture that she rhe had made at the moment of ot Lees Lee's Inter struck dumb and motionless with lerr terror r and amazement Hathway vay was proving ln himself lt the stronger Malice MaUce and hate bote became triumph trl tri derision Lees Lee's pistol was bt being bent back Lee Iee adapted himself with quick Instinct to the discovery ry that he lie was the weaker III In arm orro and und shoulder muscles As body slowly ly as assumed a tor forward artl tilt shifting n his center of ot gravity Lee Ile suddenly y Adrove A drove his knee e Into the hot back k of ot Rath way causing the man to stumble foi tOI ward wald The Impetus of ot the body projected pro pro- j against him sent the pistol flyIng fly Ing Ilag out of ot Lees Lee's hand band i but Lee IPe In la the moment of ot loss of ot equipoise drove e his fist home Into his face tace splitting split ting his lips and sending him reeling In an Instant they were together 1 I delivering and receiving a IW BOO BOO- I By Victor Rousseau abt b br W W. 0 O. Chapman of pile driver blows blow that tell fell like Ike flails upon each others other's faces and nd bodies bodle Tile They clinched rebounded clinched again then of or a 11 sudden Hath Bath wa way got rot home a furious kick to the groin that sent tent Lee stumbling For Forth the Or tint t time Ume Us Estelle tells screamed and Dd nd that aroused Lee to the conscious conscious- ness fleas ess that he must finish his enem enemy almost Immediately before aid arrived lie He e s1 shook ook away the film Olm that was creep creep- lag Ing ng over his hla eyes and anti sick lIck and nau- nau seated from the kick he be closed dosed with Vay again They went to the floor ot of f the hut hat together and ond struggled there like two dogs doge In the dirt There was no longer lODger attempt any at O fi fisticuffs The primitive Instinct to rend end and tear possessed both of ot them equally They scrambled about the floor noor of ot the hut but clawing at each others other's oth oth- ers era r's rs throats Lee got beard lu u hIs bis right hand band and with his bIll left lett began smashing at his nose and lips bellowed his hands handa closed on onLee's onLee's onLee's Lees Lee's throat clung there worrying him ilm like a bulldog Lee felt that he be I Iwas was wee fainting lIe He was slowly forced I over Rath ways way's fingers fingen closed on his his' neck eck The two tightened and the walls of ot oftie the tie hut but began to waver Lees Lee's trachea flattened his lungs lunge felt as If It they would burst grinned dIabolically diabolically dia dla- Into his face tace his beard like some lome foul fungus swept It Lee flung Oung his its arms out Instinctively to breathe One ne of ot his bis hands encountered some some- thIng It was the pistol Lees Lee's fingers closed on It And as asIf asIt It If f he lie concentrated all that was left of himself In his left lett hand he raised the weapon and brought It crashing down upon Hath ways way's skull Instantly clutch relaxed his hla eyes glazed as chickens chicken's eyes elIs glaze at the moment of ot death The mans man's head end dropped foolishly forward on onLee's onLee's Lees Lee's breast A stream of ot curses was wal cut off In foolish Lee struggled to his feet teet and stood gasping for tor breath while mumbling stupidly swayed to and fro tro upon ULlon his knees on the floor of ot the hut Suddenly Estelle appeared to b be galvanized Into life Ute With a Jow low cry the she ran to side aide knelt down downy b by y him and put her ber arms about him She Sho drew his head bead down on her knees and began cba chafing nr his hands bands She looked at Lee Iee In ID bitter hate hato you done me wrong enough I In n the past that you should I to tb o kill my man man sl she cried Do Vo you think you can arrest him You Yon C couldn't get a mile from here before y you roti would be he captured Rut nut L lie Lee e- e without paying any attention atten atten- iori tion to her hurried to the nd looked down at af tb the captured girl She lay tay there ere an an ulc unconscious ns s lo but dad j heap one knee bent under her lice Her face race was deathly white and there was wasa a scalp wound tit fit the back of othero her head which had hod been bl bleeding freely She breathed faintly Her Iter hair was cut short and jagged about her her er head bend making her ber look more than ever like Uke a bo boy stelle Estelle laid gently down and came toward Lee with sudden Budden comprehension Its for tor her hert she ahe whispered earnestly laying her hand upon his arm You came here to rescue her hert She read the answer In his eyes Oh Ill I'll help you Ill I'll help you then I i she cried wildly take her a way away I Trust me then and listen to me me Theres There's no time for tor explanations explanations explanations now now Its It's only a miracle of ot luck you you found him alone Some men are due at any moment In the motor motorboat boot boat Two more have bave gone to meet them with a a message They're com coming In from down the tho lake There mo may be Just time to escape them You must take the York boat boot You cant can't pull It alone against the stream Keep to the left channel past the Island then run ashore and ond you'll be safe In the forest wherever you are going Hurry hurry 1 I ILee Lee made no audible reply but his mind automatically registered Es Estelles Estelle's I E telles telle's Instructions He lie bent over the girl again alaIn raised raided her In his hla arms arma so that her face tae rested against his shoulder and carried her out of ot the hut but As he turned at the entrance he saw that had bad risen to his knees again Blood was dripping from the wound In his scalp and he was staring storing about him In the eager effort to remember Lee IPe crossed the open space ellace at a arun arun arun run scrambled down the descent placed the girl In the |