Show e s v WW w. w i CHAPTER I II I The Ch 1 nTH knelt upon the planks of ot othe he be small mall floating wharf to fasE fas- fas E pitch smeared pitch patch on theof the thep p of his bis upturned ET la In the tho midst of ot his bis work beto he be heto j to listen A faraway tarawa drone fust list audible above the ting tang and anil andt of t f Insects He lIe turned to peer L southerly sky above the vast of the Mackenzie The drone fee e more distinct lane was WIlS coming down river Eds tie ds the emer emergency enc refueling En n at the lie old abandoned trad trade lust st St. Yet the re regular lar schedule Ee e line did not call for the bound for lev several ral ralIn B In all probability the ComI Com Com- Enl I Airways had bad sent lent out Its It ency plane from Fort Ellberta Iberta ugh his bis thoughts lingered on plane his eyes an and E turned to the patching of ot the B. B The craft must be made for or the weeks of ot uprIver pad pad- E There would be none too E time for tor the thousand relic nd put ut tit before the winter Ehe he finished the patch the loud B of the motor swelled Into ccato roar He lIe turned to watch bite monoplane swoop If down lake ake the water like a squatter squatter- luck tick lick it pilot started to taxi tul shore shore- K Garth again set about patch- patch he small leak A sudden siE sl si- E told that the motor had bad been W. W Across the hush came a curt I lo Jack fend off ort and snub her ber Kill lh Ih leisurely twisted around toe to toDie Die e Incoming craft cratt She was a medium sIzed medium sized plane withIn with withIn Kiln In behind the semi enclosed Bit It Between her ber headway and m er leer her current she was was driving Ed l d the upstream m side of the theat them m at a speed that promised to Hi the pontoons K neither of the two helmeted ins us ns In the cockpit made a move mb down In readiness to ward warde Be e shock Nor did either work to veer the craft clear were hastily putting on headland head land and gloves to protect them- them p from the swarms swarm and bulldog tIles flies I seemed to take for tor granted Uhe he worker on the wharf would B to give them service the North men are sed to watt walt upon themselves I the pilots pilot's tone had been that I master commanding an on InGarth In In- v. v Garth Oarth stayed motionless Big g for the crackup with cool Ity tty tr that the smaller person crIeda cried E a sharp almost shrill voice Ek k I you jou Ou gawping dumm dummy I 1 m fact that one of ot the pair wa waman wu was man made a vast difference m caught taught the end of the moor moor- line the Ine flung b by the pilot and pied led up a long Its Ita out out- It point met the tip of ot the near- near Bed ed by a slight alight swerve In theat the Int nt at be he was able to walk theto theto the E to the outer end of ot the wharf a the nearer pontoon could hIt bit oat logs As the aircraft glided be he made the line fast fust to a oil olt and returned to his canoe hat the devil devill 1 snapped the pi- pi Come ome back bock you rou fool tooL Take la In n Hack moor ark moor us th tb swung his canoe Into the theand theand and stepped aboard to test st patch The airplane hay bar rifted rifled downstream to the end endeline ende Be e eline line swung around and In lay g the current Neither theor theor the lor or the woman made a move move- until Garth drove hIs bis canoe e and lifted It atop the aton stony the he climbed to the front of ot the vest oat ost store above the base bue of ot hart harf he saw law the pilot at last K down to haul on the line H the big log lo cabin he crossed fee e of the rear rooms and put ht bt hand band on the forehead of ot snoring noting man In a the nearest fern rn out Tobin Visitors le grizzle bearded station statton tender rl up to blink bUnk and peer Youre You're not ln It Ir lr Garth Ip Rover nover plane pin In slipped on OD his bis moccasins moccasin J out Into the storeroom B Pilot had bl moored his plane plant I and taU tall to the lower side aide of Banding anding stage lIe He was Will handIs handS hand his Is woman companion down I the cockpit Both Doth had replaced I leather flying Eying helmets with land and mosquito nets net ft ey 11 went ent In under the overhang overhang- ing to the screened screen d door of lit bin It a opened to the out out- ft t I of a portly man mall In city clothes Assisted by the pilot he managed to get down upon the wharf by menu means means' of steps lowered from Inside the cabin After Afton hurriedly duo bur putting on a ani anti anil gloves be he started Inshore between his two companions lIe He limped as ea asIf asIt It If slightly crippled Hut nut the lameness lame lame- n ness ess might have bave been due to cramp from long sitting Garth Guth spoke to the supply tender Im only a stray prospector TobIn Understand Aye Are sir grunted TobIn Without With With- o out ut a word of greeting he be hobbled hack a s few steps as th the pilot anti and his passengers stepped In over the r rough ough threshold The portly man opened a gold gold- mounted cigar case The young woman produced a long amber amber- stemmed cigarette holder bolder This was promptly filled b by the pilot who paused only to slap asap a mosquito on onis h his hll is shaven clean-shaven cheek before striking stet ing lag a ma match Out went Garth's hand In 10 a swift clutch that caught the flaming match motch In Ids hIs calloused palm The pilot who was as 81 tall taU as Garth ant ani heavier built turned to stare down at him In cold anger You Insolent roughneck I Clear out of ot here Garth smiled TobIn did the answerIng answering an an- Huh crazy loon loon light light lighting l ing ag matches In here bere Cant Can't you rou read the sign No smoking Bounce him lad The pilot thrust a hand Inside his leather Jacket Try It Ill I'll drill both of ot you How flow frightful saId Garth You Ton must imagine this Is a Wild West Vest show Please lease dont don't sh shoot ot until the lady can get outside Shots are even more apt than matches to explode explode ex all aU this gasoline The portly man snapped shut stint his cigar case fIse sol sot You have no cause to be ruffled rattled Vivian The fellow y seems to have acted on a well well-la- tended impulse The pilots pilot's hand came out empty from Inside the Jacket Why couldn't the fool have spoken a warning Garth had sized up the man He lIe expected neither an so apology for tor the abuse nor thanks for saving the vis via vIsItors visitors hors from possible annihilation With an on Indifferent smile he shifted the gaze of his gray eyes yes to examine the woman woman member woman member of ot the part party A first glance had bad led him to think her older than the pilot Under Under Under Un Un- der her rouge and powder ponder her face was thin and drawn Its lines might have belonged to a woman In the mid Her lIer blue eyes looked more than bored and cynical Their tiredness matched the lined face Her d was thin almost to ness Yet upon examination Garth saw site she could not be even In 10 the toe mid Traces of girlish freshness still lingered In 10 her ber painter paint paint- el er face under the blemishes of ot dissipation dis dia and disillusionment As AI she faced awa away from him the pilot spoke to TobIn Get bus busy Truck down I sixty gallons gal Ions lons of gas and five of oil oil and and be bd quick about It While your Jour helper Is II refueling the plane you'll cook cookus us u. the best meal you rou can throw together to to- gether Down came TobIn's shaggy eye ere brows Who drou think youre you're bossia Shove along to a post for yer grub an an gas This here bere cache Is the tile emer emergency The portly visitor took a billfold from his coat and a paper Take a look at this order my man It authorizes me to requisition any I of ot the Airways Airways' stations for whatever whatever what what- ever supplies I wish Tobin rend the order and thrust It back with DO no lessening of ot his hi dourness So o youre you're Hurt Burton on Ka Ua Kami mi mill II are you Looks like a straight order All the same acme you'll sign sl the book bok before you'll get et a drop He lIe turned about to open an en oily account book on one of the stacks of ot gasoline cases cues Mr dreA drew drewa A fountain pen from his vest Yest pocket with plump white while fingers and limped forward to write Theres your receipt said IBId the pilot Now ow have this dumb helper of ot yours rush out our gas and get your pans pan on 00 the fire We want service Yuh ruh Well youre you're welcome to want It till doomsday That compo order calls for supplies Dont Don't la say about cookin nor service Mr Interposed All tight right man I J see youre you're stilt stiff from rheu I will pay this young fellow fellow fel low lo loto to refuel the plane Garth turned his cool gaze upon Ullon the pilot Why not give this bird bin of ot yours fOurs the tho chance to earn a little littlemore littlemore more pay Because Sir Mr has flown m my plane all the way from Chicago with only short stop stopovers Also he heIs heIs heIs Is my lilY partner not a mechanic Well hes he's not the only party present who's not a Garth I pulled a n small ISmall poke from Inside his buckskin shirt hefted betted it as It if considerIng considering con coo I aldering and put It back Nor or do doI doI doJ I J need your pay supercilious eyes eres glistened guts glis with sudden keen Interest that Youre You're from the tile new gold fields No But not your Jour gold lIa Gold Garth muttered He lIe drew out his poke again an and opened It to shake a few small nodules of metal Into his palm Both and Mr stepped II I I I IJ J I M P Th The Girl Drew Her Hand Away as II asIf asIf If He Had Smirched It IL close to peer at the grayish silvery hits bits The TIle older man looked pu o- o oto The Tho younger took a nodule Into his own palm eyed It a moment moment mo mo- ment meat and handed It back In an Indifferent In different manner manner Galena Im I'm a mining engineer Youre You're out of ot luck not making agold a agold agold gold strike Never before In history has haa silver been so lowGarth low Garth looked disappointed Too bad Isn't It tt In He lIe picked out a nodule that had bad been rubbed to a rather bright pol pot ish The girl was leaning with he her r left hand on one of the lower plies piles s of ot gasoline cases A ring with a large blue diamond banded the engagement engagement engagement en finger Garib GarCh thrust t the nodule up close beside the ring Yes Yea he be said sold I always did think gold looked prettier than galena ga 11 ga- ga lena even lena even white gold The The girl drew her hand band awa away a af as 81 asIf s If It f he be had smirched It My 11 ring Is not DOt gold You pretend to be a prospector pros pros- yet Iet you rou do not know platinum plat lawn from gold I Platinum Garth questioned But not your friend here calls caUs It ga ra ga- ga lena Mr lIre Interposed Permit me Young man I am largely large large- ly Interested In mines mine s If It you yon hue have located a lode of galena galens ga lena lens the lead might pa pay for tor development development devel devel- of the prospect That depends If put In ID Wheres Where the place pIncer Three weeks paddle weeks paddle and port portage portage age Garth answered Slow travel But Dut by airplane The bird distance cant can't Interest you Neither lead Irad nor silver lIver would pay 11 for airplane freighting Nor would packing I 1 lost ten pounds of or this galena Canoe upset running one of ot the rapids As Garth spoke he put up a hand to cover corer a yawn lawn If It you rou dont don't mind Tobin Ill I'll roll In Its It's a Ion long to Great e Slave The portly Investor In mines mInI caught the eye eIe of ot his engineer partner part part- ncr ner He lie spoke to Garth You rou are going outside Perhaps Well a da day or no so should make mok no difference to you rOIL Is there a alake alake alake lake or pond near your prospect cn One about four tour miles Ion long ballas half hair as wide repeated his question It could be reached how soon 1000 b by air The fish were no longer nibbling they were hooked Garth had only to haul In on his hll line But he took his time about It lie He paused to consider Not ot all nil fish prove to be desirable catches Neither Mr Ir nor looked like a crook They Thel had the appearance of ot reputable business busInessmen men On the other hand neither looked ea easy 1 broke In on Garth's Gartha weighing of ot the chances Well Jock Jack lets let's have It it IL Two or three hours Garth re re- plied I dont don't know the speed of your plane Fastest type of ot cabin cruiser Call Cat It six lz hours bours to go and return and the same lame to Inspect your prospect pros pros- Its It's possible there may be a trace of ot gold In your ore Ill I'll test It while you rou get your sleep The girl spoke to Mr I 1 shall take a nap myself Dad Ten hours ot of flying with no chance to dance oft off the Scotch Is enough to kill a horse In the act of handing a nodule to Garth paused to stare at It atthe atthe the gIrL girt So that was the answer answer- liquor tobacco paint and all the rest ret of the Jazz flapper Jazz rot rott She stiffened and stared back at him haughtily lie dropped dropped the nodule Into cupped palm and crossed Into the rear room to stretch out on one of ot the bunks A tug at his shoulder roused Garth from his hour six sleep TobIn's To To- Tobin's bIns bIn's hoarse voice croaked In to his ear Roll Roil out oot sir Suns Sans up op The pair pale of ot em are keen to be awing a Looks like their tests of your nu nug aug nugget get livened em up Grubs Grub's on Garth pulled on his buckskins and moccasins moccasinS' and stepped Into the storeroom Miss was com corn coming ing lag In at the front door She paused aused to remove her Hux b by and Mr Jr were already putting down a heart hearty brenk breakfast fast of bacon sourdough bread brend and oatmeal oat meal porridge Garth Oarth crowded past them and TobIn to the end of ot the little tittle shelf table The girl stopped stepped In the entrance to pe peer peer i- i around th the cubbyhole kitchen kitch en her smeared scarlet lips curled with disgust Though soap clean everything In the place looked crude The air was choky from the smell of ot cheap bacon sprang up to place the chair at the near end of ot the the- table He lie lifted the bolling boiling teapot from rem the stove and started to fill a tincup tin tincup tincup cup with the black brew Pardon our not waiting he apologized I J did not wish to waken you ou with the refueling Planned to do It while you break fasted Quite thoughtful of you darling But Dut you rou need not think Ill I'll drink this lye Ire or eat an any of th these se beastly messes Not for me You can have your steerage garbage Ill I'll keep to cabin fare She faced about and went back through the passage stood hesitating Air Mr motioned him to sit alt down You Ton stocked the cabin with enough wines and delicatessen to last several days dars Finish your our meal meat The mining engineer shot a glance at Garth Ive had hod enough eats to founder a Scotch cow lIa May as wellsee well wellsee wellsee see to the refueling TO DE CONTINUED |