| Show I IVER ER 1 hr 1 II II I I IA M q M I I I I r I j I I I 11 I I I WILLIAM BYRON MOWERY MOWER e SERVICE I ts s t It ft XIII 14 u 14 Las as very dark the snow Bad and crawling Brawling and inS in s und under r the pines they y 1 t see two rifle lengths More by guess than Ig headed up slope slope- toine to to- ine tae with a nest of boul boul- it iL From there he bej be be- j must have fired those auld ld dimly see the tho pine ibe he be pointed them out to tobra bra ting one to each Battened themselves on clod cled around and closed ace ce cc edging up inch by ph ambush was empty I granite boulder at the j pine Craig found a abole abole abole bole in the snow where Bust been lying and Po- Po around with his hand 1 in n a empty cartridge that Jim nn to the touch r can ean be far away Les Le's LesII Lesa a gh II h dis dJs bois and ferret d up and brushed the tho his clothes Forget I tell you youl lies He's probably this k I Resurrection by weve we've got to get away lay ay tonight Come on I It t back to the cabin and andt I t ing slipped out ith th Sams Sam's five huskies team was hitched up acted cled the outfit and Ill I'll dog along tes es behind you to cover coverall coveri i all 11 and make sure were we're t followed allowed Ill I'll catch up Goose Headland I AFTER XIV sl toon oon half halt a month month after I Craig had slipped away way eret cret trip Warren ape ap ap- fee e Den office where Pah Pa Fa Fait h it t work He lIe looked nerv nerv- b u and Patricia surmised I got bad news of some II plane had come from fromI I I morning go for tor a little walk J j suggested Theres a ar r and no ao raw wind for a readily agreed Besides 1 breath of fresh air she sheI shet t I to know what Warrens Warren's tram from Chicago was and ander inner er hinted that he had hadt f t especial Importance to the Den passed the tho Hud Hud- J laUon and the govern govern- gs i and headed on north northY northe Y e shore ad 1 broken through that thata s a i solid month of dismal pd d it was beating down in we on the white snow I power to it now for it t In fa the sky and the days ening swiftly Twilight i dawn at four and ands s I month there would be beI beall I all Snow still sUU covered e a i waters were all aU Ice Ice- p j at t midwinter but the theas as not far of off When it would come with a leap 1 t f that would sweep wint win win- oat ost overnight d I with growing anxiety s expecting Craig and turn She was not wor- wor t their safety they safety they had bad the com corn nd ad l the half breeds were g Sing gang around the Bay W d worry about Craigs Craig's e Plans The pitchblende it not be large enough nigh gh for him to raise Their battle all aU hinged enow now Their whole nine I struggle was rushing to td 1 swiftly as spring was f ard the break up marked with a wry f s a north shore is a 8 bit om our North Shore Ink Patricia He lie gese e frozen granite swells k Pines winced a little as she I North Shore drive and I In n estate at this May ring toe was beauteous there w. w The trees were soft e cherries were in bios bios- I Inlands were lovely with I and n i violets violets Here Here were and l Ice tee and rock Was coming oming to like this I It held a challenge which nd to In n her experience had bad hadA a A d its us I very harshness come p. p contrast to the t theand e ands and she was as bei be be- look WIth i disdain on the led d life 1 of f the city coun town ed on With War Warren n- n Ii d. ore city J began Water Rater f edge ed Inc and n they ey u uPon the level vel lake keep I ing bog close to the foot of the rock rockwalL rockwalL walL You might be interested to know Warren informed that Rosalie Rosalle Tarlton is at Fort Smith on her way here She dawdled around in Edmonton for weeks but now she she's s coming In Pilot Odron who's at Waterways is to pick her up when he comes north Patricia was not interested Just Justa a few weeks ago the mere mention of Rosalie's name had suffused her with shame and made her feel like a 8 in some dirty triangle triangle tri trl angle mess But not now Rosalie was too insignificant Rosalie was Just a bit of froth on the stormy waters Three miles north of Resurrection mouth they stopped at a promontory promontory tory where a stark blackish cliff rearing up feet high had been wave-eroded wave at its Us base Into fantastic fan tan caverns and grottoes At the mouth of a big cave she and Warren War ren took look off oft their snowshoes and sat down on them for a short rest before starting back As she noticed Warren poking nervously at the snow with his cane Pat surmised that he was badly troubles troubled by news from Chicago and she believed that she sh was somehow involved lIe He was going to make some adroit move some brainy play play play-of of that she was certain i Though she had no idea what his trouble was or what play he would make she felt very sure of herself very positive that he could say or ordo ordo ordo do nothing that would faze taze her Patricia he said laid presently I with a directness unusual to him I Im needed in Chicago and I ought i ito to get back there at once Why Warren The company is facing a serious federal investigation some investigation some stock and aDd securities deals made in 30 and 31 But Mr Parkes Farkes and father are on the Job sob Parkes doesn't know enough about the matter and moreover hes he's on the wrong side of the political political po po- fence Your father thinks that this investigation can be bought off or else embalmed and buried burled Incourt in incourt court technicalities like former in in- lIes lIe's mistaken These federal men mean business I believe be lieve leeve that I can pull the firm through all right 1 if it I dont don't delay Then by all means Patricia suggested you should leave here immediately tely My leaving this place depends on you Warren answered He lie stopped poking patterns in the snow and looked at her squarely Ive got a 8 proposal to make Patricia A bargain 1 if you like To be blunt and forthright here it is Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomor Tomor- row morning you and I will get into a plane and go back ck b ck to Chicago We will both completely forget Dynamite Dynamite Dy Dy- Bay and everything connected connected con con- with it Ill I'll give up my plans to buy this field The claims I own already including the Kessler Hill lode will eventually make several millions for the company I promise promise prom prom- ise that I will not buy another claim but will leave this field to Tarlton and these menOn menOn menOn men On your part you will give up your plans and your work here and cut tree free from Dynamite Bay without reservation That by the way does not mean that you need resume your engagement to me unless and until you yourself wish His startling proposition was like a yelp thunder yelp out of a clear sky to Patricia After fighting all winter win win- ter for this field after setting his heart on this immensely rich prize he was suddenly willing to abandon it Ordinarily she did not trust his statements but now he plainly meant every word he was saying I The terms of his bargain were clear enough In return for his giving I ing up the field he was asking her herto herto herto to give up her work give up Craig and go back home Though he was not asking her to resume their engagement en en- engagement he undoubtedly was believing believing be be- lieving that in time he could win her around She knew that this federal investigation investigation gation gatlon though a serious matter was not the real motive behind his proffer His Ilis actual reasons lay deep deep- deeper er and as usual he was concealing them For one thing he was willing willing will will- ing to pay almost any price to separate sep separate sep sep- arate her from Craig And then he was waa badly afraid that in the battle battle bat bat- tle tie over this field Craig was going I to whip him hint At any day Craig might return with a thunder bolt that would blast the company out of the Arctic and Warren wanted to bargain now lest in a few days more he might have no bargaining power at alLBut alLBut all allBut But his chief motive was the fact that in his absence the control of rapidly slipping out of the firm was his grasp Russell Kussell Parkes had come ume back to Chicago last winter and resumed an active partnership I end was shouldering 1 Warren out Warren had far more brains than he he V was a better lter man In ta but Parkes every very w way y had P powerful w ful financial h backing In the East to even up the struggle It If Warren should hould return at et once take ke up P W his hla work again beat that Investigation and put the company's company affairs In order he probably could whip hP Parkes Parke Especially 1 If he be mar mar- rigid Jasper Wellington's daughter How narrow and Ind el selfish sh and Ind grasping he was was Patricia thought lIb Ills proposal generous at first sight light was in to reality a shrewd bold play for his own personal advantage She wanted to tell him that leav ing Craig living without Craig was unthinkable to her but she knew that this would hurt him and so 0 she said as gently as she could No Warren I cant can't take your offer Its It's Impossible 1 if for no o other ber reason than the fact that Ive I've al already already ale al- ready cut myse myself of oft off from homeI home home- I can manage that Ill I'll smooth that out But Dut dont don't you see see Warren that I cant can't desert Craig and these Resurrection Res lies men I must say no Is that final Yes When Warren spoke again after several moments his voice had turned cold and his tones were edged with threat My Idy dear youre you're making a bad mistake You'll bitterly regret it likely before before be be- fore the week is out Your refusal forces me to stay here If It I have to do that Im I'm going to fight Tarlton Tarl Tail ton with every weapon Ive I've got Im I'm going to smash him and have this field in my brief case when I Ido Ido Ido do go back to Chicago Youve already used every possible pos pos- possible sible weapon against Craig Maybe I I stopped him once with that Injunction I stopped him again when I took the Kessler hill lode away But those two times were Just skirmishing compared to what I can do to him if Im I'm forced to After its it's done after its it's too late you'll remember what I offered you today If It Tarlton gets smashed and these men lose everything the guilt will lie with you You will be wholly and solely responsible for whatever happens durin during this coming week Back at her cabin Patricia made tea read her mall mail and then sat on the cot by her window thinking with an uneasiness deepening upon her like the gathering twilight out side She had thought it S r 1 1 t a as s I. I t r A. A I Craig Crall I Guess We Ve Keep on OD Eating hem Heln ble for Warren to touch her but buthe buthe buthe he had cruelly Just when she had achieved a little calm and certainty certain certain- ty he had upset her again planted doubt and confusion contusion in her While the dark crept into her lonely cabin she sat by the window brooding over the dilemma that Warren had put her In If It only she could feel sure that Craigs Craig's radium radium- lake plan would go through But she was torn with doubt Even 1 if I the pitchblende deposit did prove valuable Warren might unloose catastrophe catastrophe ca ca- I against Craig as in the I Kessler hill affair His Ills words that afternoon hinted that he had lomeI some lome I definite scheme in mind some I weapon more crushing than any he had hitherto used I If Craig and these Resurrection I men went under end and if Craigs Craig's great I project was destroyed The destroyed The guilt I will wal lie with you She could not 1 escape this truth She could not notI deny that if she refused Warrens Warren's I offer she would be gambling with Craig and these men and Craigs Craig's huge undertaking A few hours ago she would have laughed at the very notion of her ever leaving Craig Now she did not laugh The same sam convictions of righteousness and duty which had led her into this Resurrection fight were now ironically ironi cally tally pointing her down across the wilderness latitudes to her Chicago home With a Jolt she remembered Warrens Warren's War War- Warrenl Warrens Warren's rens ren's engagement ring lying over there in that little plush box waiting wait walt ing lag for her CHAPTER MER X XV In their tent at the edge of 01 the pitchblende nde lake Craig and were testing samples of the ore which they had blasted out that morning Using an empty dynamite case as asa asa asa a work table Craig was Wal making the tests with a crude 1 title Ittle Instrument which he had bad rigged up at the Bay Day I and which in lieu of precise labors labor tory tort tor methods gave him a rough Idea of the ores ore's radium content For three weeks now he and Po Po- leon had been driving themselves to the limit 15 13 15 18 18 even 20 hours a day Ever Every morning the they were out on the lake at It the earliest gray of dawn At noon they came In for a hasty mug up then hurried back to their work kept at It till Ull dusk and Ind finally ally trudged in to camp at t nine or ten in the evening so I weary that the they hardly paused for supper before crawling into their pokes At any other season Beason of the year the Job that they were doing prospecting pros petting the bed of the lake would have been impossible because of I the water but at It the end of 01 winter winter win win- winI I t ter the little plover pond shallow j i as 81 a teaspoon was frozen to th the i bottom and at any p point int they chose chosa they could blast a hole down through the ice and take samples from the lake bed Itself Their Job fob now was nearly over Two more holes and they would be ba done Craig was hurrying through his hla assay work at this noon mug mug- up In hopes that they could finish that afternoon He Ite picked up a hunk of the blackish black black- ish mineral laid it on the dynamite dynamite dyna dyna- I mite case and touched the two poles of his apparatus to the specimen On the Instruments Instrument's dial the needle I moved up to 15 13 indicating only a 8 trace of radioactivity I Here he Here he handed tJ yie e fragment fragment stick a label on this Mark it Content 15 is Boring No 62 62 fifty yards out from west bank Then put It in our box While was doing that he tested a sample from Boring Doring No 63 two hundred and fifty yards out in the lake The needle flipped up to and quivered there Thirty times as much radium as from No 62 came back and looked at atthe atthe atthe the needle he exulted Wit Wita a of dat stuff in our pocket Craig I guess we keep on eating heln Hope so 10 Craig grunted absorbed absorbed ab ab- ab orbed in his testing Yes I guess that you and I and Patricia and Sam and Ind the whole beggarly outfit of us will keep on eating pro provided vided I can find some lome mining company company com com- pany that'll believe belleve my figures about this deposit and advance us some hard cash But you hurry up with those labels Weve We've got to finish this swallow our tea and Jerky and get back out to our work His III next specimen came from Boring No 64 five hundred yards out in the lake When he touched it with the poles the needle Jumped violently whipped back and forth and quivered around stopped his labeling and craned his head to see what the I needle registered I Nom de he swore Sept un He lIe thumped Craig on the shoulder and gave a little Jig dance Hey how much dollar a ton is sept un un stun stuff wort A devil of a lot loll I haven't figured it out exactly myself You quiet down and keep busy on those la la la- labels bels My Falcon remonstrated remon I don you ever get excited ed feller Die stuff she run tree free dollar a 8 ton and you youdon youdon youdon don say Whoop I or bat eye or We counted our chickens once and they didn't hatch Craig re- re minded When Ive I've pried a hundred hun bun dred |
