Show b rA sv i Lamp n in tb I ak r. r N f J BY ARTHUR STRINGER W. W N. N U. U Service w w woo J Sidney Lander mining engineer Is en en- 1 to Barbara Trumbull but w tty loves Carol Coburn I School hool hoot teacher Salaria Bryson a big out door girl also loves him Carols Carol's father died with an unproven claim Salaria didn't come back that night By the following noon her father became alarmed He even appeared at the Administration Building and asked for help And it seemed the most natural thing in inthe inthe inthe the world that Lander and his lean- lean nosed Sandy should be among those who hurriedly made ready and trailed railed out into the surrounding hills hillsm in m search of her Why Lander headed headed headed head- head ed out past the Happy Day I dont don't know But I r do happen to know I that when Barbara Trumbull intercepted intercepted inter inter- him on the outer trail and I offered to join him in what she termed his gesture of gallantry he promptly and firmly declined her companionship This apparently piqued the lady from the superintendents superintendent's superintendents superintendent's superintendents superintendent's lodge for she later visited visited visited visit visit- ed Katies Katie's tent office and made in inquiries inquiries inquiries in- in as to the character and appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap of the missing Artemis And it obviously didn't add to her questioners questioner's happiness when Katie informed her visitor that Salaria Bryson was the most superb specimen specimen specimen spec spec- imen of vital and lawless womanhood womanhood womanhood woman woman- hood shed she'd ever clapped eyes on It was unfortunate I suppose that Lander should have been the searcher search search- er who eventually found Salaria He succeeded in locating her late the second evening half way up the slope of Big Indian Mountain in an I impromptu camp behind a wind wind- break For she was woodsman enough to take care of herself in the open When Sandy nosed her out in fact she was quietly broiling bear steaks over a campfire But she had been unable apparently to resume her homeward journey because of a hurt ankle incurred when she had hada a to hand-to-hand encounter with a wounded black bear There may have been some question as to the extent of her injury but the bear carcass was there to substantiate her story of the encounter They had to rest and make camp campon on the way which took up a night and a day The ankle I gathered grew worse and for some of the distance Salaria surrendered her independence in independence independence in- in dependence of spirit to the extent of permitting her rescuer to carry her At other times by clinging to his shoulder she was able to hobble along at Landers Lander's side And I could imagine how the forlornly primitive heart of that dusky Artemis went pit-a-pat pit against her ribs when she felt those sustaining arms about her But the final portion of that safari wasn't as harmonious as it might have been For it happened to be John Trumbulls Trumbull's car that picked Salaria Salaria Salaria Sa Sa- laria up just beyond the Happy Day and carried her to her fathers father's door Lander for quite discernible reasons reasons reasons rea rea- sons declined to ride in that car with his charge And Trumbulls Trumbull's openly expressed view of the adventure adventure adventure ad ad- venture in no way added to Sam Bryson's peace of mind The first thing I r suggested is isto isto isto to have Doctor Ruddock look at that ankle of yours Salaria however promptly declined declined declined de de- the services of Doctor Rud Rud- dock She agreed in the end to let me bring Katie and her first-aid first kit kitto kitto kitto to the shack And it wasn't long before that expeditious nurse had the ailing member looked over and strapped up Will she be all right I asked as Katies Katie's Black Maria went lurching lurching lurch lurch- ing tog back to Palmer Katies Katie's Celtic gray eyes met mine Its not her ankle that needed I strapping up announced the Red RedCross RedCross RedCross Cross nurse Its that many hun gry heart of hers that needs atten atten- tion Katie smiled at my small and meditative Oh it a bad sprain I inquired Theres something there allright all allright allright right conceded Katie But Ive I've seen girls dance half a night on a afoot afoot afoot foot worse than that This gave me something to think about abit r Vou mean I suggested that II i na wasn't as helpless as she Katies Katie's laugh was slightly enig epig- matte matic Such things she observed have been known to happen She probably saw him coming and thumped herself with a stone When I stopped at the post office for my mail I saw Landers Lander's truck there A moment later Inter Lander himself himself himself him him- self came out with an open letter in his hand He looked harried and haggard Just then the Trumbull car swerved in and shuddered to a stop close beside the truck of battleship- battleship gray A Atone Alone one in the drivers driver's seat was Barbara Trumbull with her face pale rale and her eyes flashing fire Ive just seen the heroine of your mountain adventure she said She seems less ashamed of the situation than you do She was in fact barbarously barbarously barbarously bar bar- frank about it all Lander stiffened Then theres there's nothing much for forme forme forme me to say That brought a vibrata of passion and hurt pride into Barbara Trumbull's Trumbulls Trumbulls Trumbull's Trum- Trum bulls bull's voice when she spoke I suppose not she cried Especially Especially Es Especially as it isn't the first time THE TilE STORY SO FAR FAB which Trumbull Is contesting Lander quits his employ becomes field manager for the governments government's Valley project But all Is not smooth In the great valley alley experiment Eric Erie the Red makes an Inflammatory INSTALLMENT XVI youve you've indulged your penchant for tor nocturnal romance I made no response to that oblique thrust But Landers Lander's movement as ashe ashe asle he le stepped between us seemed almost almost almost al al- al- al most a sheltering one about enough he said in n a voice as hard as nails Ill say it is cried the lady to whom life must have brought very few frustrations And it was all so futile and foolish that I felt vaguely vague- vague ly y sorry for her For with a shaking right hand she drew a ring from her finger and with a little gasp of anger flung it at Lander She flung it badly It went past the he tight-lipped tight man and landed inthe inthe in the he road dust a dozen paces away But Lander disregarded it He merely merely merey mere- mere ly y stood there rather gray of face studying the woman in inthe the drivers driver's seat who so abruptly threw in her clutch and roared off down the long- long shadowed roadway I picked up the ring and held it out to Lander better keep this I said all straighten out in time But Lander didn't seem to hear me His eyes remained on the vanishing vanishing van- van shing car even when I forced the ring into his hand Then he looked at me like a sleepwalker suddenly awakened Do you believe that rot he challenged I tried quite without success to laugh augh the tragedy out of his is face I I e. e c N I I t His nis eyes remained on the vanishing car went through much the same thing without any apparent peril I reminded reminded reminded re re- re- re minded him Ive always rather banked on your honesty Then you trust me he asked in ina a disturbingly lowered voice I tried to keep my heartbeats steady under the questioning gaze that rested on my face The barriers I felt were finally down between us It was only my womans woman's pride I suppose that made me fight back the impulse to comfort him in his unhappiness Of course I answered Then you'll youIl have to keep on at atit atit atit it he grimly asserted Why I asked with a creeping sense of disappointment That sense of disappointment sharpened as he reached for the letter letter letter let let- ter which he had thrust into his coat pocket Because Ive I've just had word Trumbulls Trumbull's putting through his cancellation cancellation cancellation can can- of your claim Hes He's to head through to the mines there as soon as ns a plane can pick him up It failed to stir me as it should have There was a cloud on my heart I remembered more important important important tant than mine claims But men I also remembered too often preferred preferred preferred pre pre- facing a hard fight to uttering uttering uttering utter utter- ing soft words Its not easy to understand he patiently explained But your fa fathers father's fathers father's fathers father's fa- fa ther's patent was granted and re re- re- re corded Theres There's no dispute about that But the Territory has a large area of land land remote remote remote re re- re- re mote from any center of population tion The falls falIs under that heading So the field notes of a survey survey survey sur sur- vey for any claim there where the survey is not tied to a corner of the public survey has to be tied to a I location or what they call a mineraI mineral mineral min min- I eral monument something showing definite to some recognizable recognizable recognizable landmark such as a creek or ora ora ora a river or a mountain Is that clear I think so I dubiously respond respond- ed In the case of the claim he proceeded the anchoring anchoring anchoring anchor anchor- ing landmark is the Big Squaw Creek But the Trumbull plat shows the Big Squaw to be where he wants it and not where your father first found it And Trumbulls Trumbull's intention is to fly in with the Registrar of Mines and a couple of official sur- sur speech Carol also speaks up and Eric stops her A shot rings out and Sock Eye an old sourdough friend of the thea a burns pistol In hand orders Eric to dance Sock Sock Eye Eye Is ordered arrested but vanishes Salaria Salada also has bas gone and have his plat reading confirmed Then what are we to do I asked I want you there as owner was his answer when that official survey survey survey sur sur- vey is made But how I asked trying to speak calmly Well go by plane he explained as soon as I can get one in here hereto to pick us up I found something consoling in my thoughts during the tumult of packing packing packing pack pack- ing and making ready and saying an abrupt good-by good to my schoolchildren schoolchildren schoolchildren dren who faced their midsummer vacation a few days earlier than they had expected I hurried on to explain to Katie But Katie when I r found her in Doctor Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- tor Ruddock's new surgery surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded by crates and boxes didn't seem greatly interested Why the sudden grandeur I asked that tight-lipped tight lady as I watched her hanging curtains in the windowed wide-windowed living room that still smelled of fresh paint Then you haven't heard queried queried queried que que- ried Katie Its that boss of mine getting the nest ready for the new ladybird You dont don't I demanded mean the nurse nurs from Seattle Of course I r mean the nurse from Seattle was Katies Katie's toned even-toned re- re ply Sh s 's sent up her silver and linen inen And the lady herself lands at Seward on Friday Katie adjusted adjusted ad- ad a curtain pin and stepped down iown from her chair tobe tobe to tose be se married on Saturday at Anchorage Anchor Anchor- age And Ruddy wants everything shipshape when they swing back to Palmer on Sunday Katie endured my stare without flinching I studied the line of Katies Katie's brawny shoulders dark against the window light She smiled a little at my gasp of protest but deep in those Celtic eyes of f hers I could see the light of tragedy CHAPTER Its It's odd how destiny can hinge on small and unforeseen things In this case it was nothing bigger than a safety pin that proved the god from the machine For our flight in to the wasn't as prompt as Lander had ex ex- ex- ex I cant can't get a plane in today he explained ClEery ship within flying flying flying fly fly- ing distance seems either chartered or spoken for And in that I detect Trumbulls Trumbull's fine Italian hand So having no choice in the matter matter matter mat mat- ter I waited The Project was like a prospectors prospector's pan what seemed like foolish agitation was really a sorting out of the true metal with the weaklings and the rubbish slowly washed out over the rim of the North Week by week the real workers were taking root and making their half-finished half homes a little more livable livable livable liv liv- able or building fences and sheds or clearing and draining and seeding seeding seeding seed seed- ing more land land and and discovering it tobe tobe to tobe be incredibly rich land land that could grow thirty pound cabbage- cabbage I heads and Climax oats that would i run sixty five bushels to the acre The twenty twenty hour hour summer day breathed warmth into that black bowl touching the dead silt into life steaming abundant explosive life It brought growth that one could almost almost al almost al- al most see with the naked eye hay that could hide a team of horses a tropical prodigality of growth rank and arrogant gargantuan vegetables vegetables vegetables bles grain as high as a mans man's head too rank with straw peas and vetch that smothered themselves in their own luxuriance sweet-peas sweet that could run over-run a cabin and smother it in bloom before frost cut the mad growth short brambles berry-brambles that became a forest surfaces muskeg-surfaces that turned into a choked tangle of grass and alder and cranberry tilled gardens where potatoes grew as big as footballs where carrots were like war war clubs clubs where one strawberry could fill a teacup The tillers of that soil may have wondered where their ultimate markets markets markets mar mar- were to be But they tapped its richness and were stunned by its rewards And much of the glory I also knew went to the women who ho worked at their side They had waited so long to get into homes of their own that there was some excuse for the noisy and foolish way they kept celebrating every escape from tent life Each one of those rough and rough ready ready housewarmings housewarmings housewarmings house- house had meant an night all party with mouth organs and accordions accordions accordions ac ac- ac- ac and much to eat cat and drink Yet now and then a more gracious note had struck through the rougher noise When the Saari family sedate sedate sedate se se- se- se date Finns from Wisconsin commemorated commemorated com com- their accession to their five room five room bungalow of spruce logs they first sprinkled salt on the doorstep doorstep doorstep door door- step and then conducted a service of ot prayer in the living room where the carpenters' carpenters shavings still littered the floor TO BE CONTINUED |