Show THE nl RIVER RIVE w X h of 0 f SKULLS S M W U ir LL kv by george marsh 0 PENN publishing CO SERVICE I 1 CHAPTER X 14 on the following morning it was decided that noel should hunt bunt the barrens across the river for deer and alan take the country behind the camp certain that they had put at least forty miles between themselves and the hills where they had seen tha signal smoke they felt reasonably safe in separating to hunt leaving the spruce and tam arack scrub of the sheltered valley alan with rough at heel where he had been trained to follow at command came out on the shoulder of the barren here alan hitched rough to a tree by a thong for the sight and scent of caribou would make him too excited to control taking a deeply worn caribou path alan traveled inland from a depression some rock ptarmigan now in their mottled summer plumage rose with a cackle for their short flight A curious arctic fox watched him tor for a space from a rise shortly to disappear from a lift in the barren he saw what he had come for four caribou stood in the breeze of a neighboring hill below them feeding on low deer bush were three others sweeping the country with his glasses alan saw scattered groups they were the last stragglers of the migration drifting north to spend the summer on the cool barrens away from the fly pest alan circled to bring his stalk 0 of f the feeding deer directly up wind and made a careful approach behind some lichen covered boulders he was within short rifle shot when the deer became excited they bunched bim ched and two young bucks began to dance and rear on their hind legs firing rapidly before they disappeared over the rise the surprised hunter brought down two of the stampeded caribou As he approached pro ached the deer his eyes swept the tundra to windward but he saw only an empty reach of boulder strewn barren gray with caribou moss he wound unwound the leather tump line irom from his waist and rapidly skinned the two deer when the best of the meat was rolled in a hide and lashed with his line alan followed the deer path over which he had come back into a small swale where sheltered from the wind stunted spruce and deer bush fought lor for life As he reached a huge lichen covered boulder he heard a noise behind him pivoting with a side throw head hetreed he freed hibb hii bl ack of cf the heavy load to take a stunning blow on the forehead followed by another his gun auh slipped from nerveless fingers as the light slowly faded he lurched forward stumbled a few steps then crumpled on the deer path the chatter of strange high pitched voices greeted his returning consciousness somebody talking indians the whining voices again reached his ears cars as he lay dazed on themous the moss not Montag nals but like it this talk who were they what was the matter anyway then to the partially stunned hunter came the slow realization of what had bad happened hed been struck from behind he was lying on his arms they ached and he endeavored to move them but they were tied behind his back his feet also were fastened with deer thongs rapidly now his senses became more acute he rolled on his side and squinted in the direction of the voices beside a fire squatted tour four skin clad figures nas kapil kapi he had been caught hunting in their country the jales ales of the old men of the Montag nals flashed through his consciousness no man had ever returned from the land of the Nas kapL kapi in a surge of desperation alan strained at the thongs binding his wrists behind his back but the pain that split his head at the effort stopped him he managed to change to a sitting position and somewhat lessen the torture from the mosquitoes which swarmed about him the eldest of the four indians roasting meat on sticks turned to him with a snarl your head Is hard white mant tie he exclaimed in a peculiar shrill voice alan who spoke Montag nals fluently thrilled to the realization that tha t he understood the indian for the tongues are are similar I 1 where do you come from no strangers hunt in the land of the Nas kapl kapi the indian continued while one of the younger men rose and picked up 30 30 which lay almost within his reach As he did so he spat at the man who sat oat on the moss with hands lashed behind his back 1 I pass through your country man alan answered in Montag nals 1 I was hungry and needed meat you go to the fort near the big water in the country of the raw meal Eaters the huskies Hu yest 11 you iou will not see the fort by the big water you will feed the ra vens and the foxes cried the older man fiercely his small evil eyes glittering as he scowled at his prisoner when brain became clearer and his strength returned he started some rapid thinking thi aHng the four indians who had ambushed him were lean and hard but lacked weight and power if he had half a chance if he could once get his hands tree free and reach them before they shot him down he would show these wild how a white man could fight for his life one against f four our many moons ago went on the leader of the indians white men came down this river the husky call it Kok soak big river the call it the river of the Nas kapl the white men fed the foxes suddenly alan had an inspiration the river of skulls he suddenly asked is it far the mink like eyes of the tour four met in looks of stark terror their dark faces went gray alan watched the hands of one holding a chunk of roasted meat shake as he dropped the meat into the fire you seek the river of skulls he cried shrilly yes cried alan blindly following up his advantage 1 I go to talk with hatchl manitou Man itou fain I 1 am a white Z y 1 I a his gun slipped from nerveless fingers shaman this summer the spirits make medicine at the river of I 1 skulls the instinctively started and moved back as if tearing fearing the man on the ground would at once se set in motion some supernatural power A shama shamane nl gasped one of the younger men he says he goes to talk with the spirits at the river of skulls why leered the leader it 11 you are a talker with spirits did you fall when we hit you why did you go to sleep when I 1 slept I 1 talked with spirits countered alan playing tor for time while he worked the blood into his hands behind his back they are angry with the Nas kapi but the indians were gradually shaking off of the panic into which they had been thrown oh shaman one cried show us you are a jess ikid a maker of medicine white men do not talk with the spirits of the indian lose my hands and feet and I 1 will show you if you are a talker with spirits you will break the thongs thong sl I 1 derided the leader hut but alan saw they were ill III at aas ease e it if he could only keep them uncertain of what to do only gain a little more time while he worked at the thongs on his swollen wrists the withdrew beyond earshot and argued excitedly willie while they ceased to watch him he sucked in long breaths and with all the strength of his arms and shoulders strained at the deer thongs binding his wrists slowly he felt them ease the tour four men evidently decided on their course returned rapidly they trimmed with their knives a stun stunted t ed spruce standing near to a height of six feet above the ground then they gathered a pile of dry twigs and branches what was the meaning of this move alan wondered in the meantime the thongs holding Ws his aching arms were stretching the circulation was flowing in his hands and their strength had returned he moved his toes and feet they were all right then his twisting right hand contacted something hard bard in the hip pocket below his belt his jack knitel knifel but what was the idea of the trimmed spruce the fire wood then the realization of the sinister purpose of the reached the bound man who watched them they were taking him at his word had decided to test his powers as a sorcerer eror his claims were to be put to the proof by fire the indians were approaching him to surprise the leader bent and cut the thongs binding tits his feet keening his small eyes avert ed cd rise sorcerer eror handstand and stand by the spruce if you speak with a double tongue the fire will eat you if you are a friend of spirits it will not burn youl A surge of hope speeded his heart as alan scrambled to his feet and stretched his cramped legs but his hopes suddenly tell fen when he reached the spruce and one of the indians wound a deer thong twice around his neck and made him fast to the tree if your medicine Is strong the fire alre will not burril make your magle magic oh Sh Shama amaril nl instead of lifting a burning ember from the cooking fire and starting the kind lings at feet the young indian took the flint steel and dry most tinder from his fire b bag a g struck the flint with the steel sending a spark into the tinder held in his cupped hands which he blew into a flame and placed under the shredded bark and kin clings alan looked long at the sun his last sun his tormented eyes now swollen almost shut dropped to the barrens toward the river and back to the caribou path he had followed from the fringe of the timber then his heart checked to leap wildly as the blood pounded in his throat there on a rise silhouetted against the sky stood a black animal with lifted nose scenting the air then it disappeared time aimel he must have aimel he forgot the agony of the myriad flies that had spotted his face and hands with blood he burst into a wild singsong sing song in imitation of a conjuror he had once heard at the lake of the snows the indians chattered twenty feet away evidently disturbed then as the kind lings failed to catch from the tinder he cried pil the spirita he has answered s see he has ordered the spruce sticks not to burnt burn my spirit Is strong he is overhead there in the seyl the followed eyes to where a raven circled low to the earth above them with a desperate heave alan freed his hands and still keeping his elbows stiff against his side got the knife from his pocket and opine opened d it ari back A little longell if tie he could delay the starting of the fire again until he was ready ready to make his fight tor for life I 1 while the uneasy indians till talked a aked with awed voices as they watched the circling raven alan continued in the whine of a coast medicine man pi my brother Is here he has heard my call he comes as a raven to make the spruce sticks smoke but ut not burnt burn the tour four stood swart faces twisted with apprehension watching the circling raven when with a roar a great dog bounded boundo into the told fold in the tundra hyl come on get em boyl boy shouted the half deairl ous cameron slashing the thongs at his neck and aid rushing headlong at the startled group of Nas kapl shrieked the leader picking up his gun and firing wildly from the hip at the bounding husk husky y as alan reached them from the rear and drove his short bladed knife deep into the back of the nearest man As he turned a rifle roared in his face and half blinded he dove headlong at the knees of the indian holding the smoking gun hurling him to the ground but the impact drove the knife from his hand desperate with the thought that his wound would sap his last ounce of strength alan tore his arm free from the grip of the writhing indian pinioned the others knife hand to his side and found h his s throat with th the e s strength th ofa of a madman the fought to free his neck from the white mans fingers that closed on his windpipe like a vise but the hunter who fought against time the instant his wound would suddenly slow his heart would not be denied holding his enemy with the grip of a bear he choked him into insensibility behind alan raging like a fury the husky escaping the two shots from the muzzle loaders leaped and slashed at the two retreating indians indian s who fought tho the frenzied dog with their empty guns and their knives avoiding by a side leap the clubbed gun of one rough catapulted into the older man who slashed the air in a wild thrust as the canny again dodged then as the indian stumbled backward the dog leaped in and struck w with un his long tusk at the exposed throat tipping ripping the flesh like paper As the made a side spring away from his enemy a gun butt crashed on his skull with a roar 0 of rage the great dog staggered shook his head then leaped back as the gun butt again arched through the air but as the clubbed gun missed its mark rough leaped carrying the indian beneath him to the moss A knife flashed in the sun as the maddened husky a tusks snapped and tore struck again and again the thrashing shape beneath the dog suddenly relaxed mad with rage the shook the with a ripped jugular lu gular like a rabbit near him the panting alan lay across the limp body of the indian still pinning his throat with his closed fingers the swollen tongue and bulging eyes told their story but in the face of the man who had won there was a look of blank amazement he was till strong he felt no pain he sat up and ran his hand over tits his chest chesl there was no bloode then he found a tear in his powder burned shirt close to his ribs missell with a glad yelp the husky left the enemy he was worrying and sprang to nuzzle his rn masters asters face alan opened his arms to elide the blood smeared mane of his whining dog hyl you chewed the leash and came looking for alanl bless your shaggy old heart you were just in time 1 hv y just barely in timet the love snuffle of the white muzzle in face merged into a low rhirie as arm rubbed the slashed shoulder of his dog why they got youl alan care fillyo exam ined achet knife thrust throat in the shoulder from which blood oozed 1 I knew they missed you with the guns for or you kept right after them it was too sudden for them that rush of yours I 1 this cut Is not so bad boy but we must get back to camp before it stiffens and cripples you toward evening down on the river shore two men and a girl waited tor for the return of the man and dog who had gone into the barrens he ha must have found the deer observed mccord or hed have up before this plentie Pl entee tarn tam he pack de beeg back load of meat said noel who had wandered all day on the tundra to th west without seeing a caribou im wondering it anything has happened suggested heather rocking nervously back and forth on the gravel beach and hugging her knees ive been feeling sort of spooky all day as if something was wrong she rose running her fingers through her mass of tumbled hair and turned to gaze long at the shoulder of the barren above the valley TO M UE BE CONTINUED |