Show o A By Br GEORGE a MARSH 11 e Men Penn Y l Pullet Il lc Ca f rJ TH STORT TORY STORY SO FAR FAn Bound for the tte Chibougamau gold rold country sU six men lost their Lives on the river Red Malone Garrett Finlay brother of one of the six sir and malse balf breed balf-breed breed snide guide arrive at posing as surveyors As the approaching canoe neared t the e Peterboro Garry said Its a as you ou said BlaIse Well We'll stop for a talk Ask them If they ever saw any of the white men who have nave passed through here bound for Chibougamau The in the distance nce moved in an uncertain course toward to ward the Peterboro the matter with those birds demanded Red Never saw Indians travel in a zig-zag zig like that They're always too saving of their elbow grease Nor I agreed the curious Fin- Fin lay yawing all over the lake As he be paddled Blaise was slowly nodding his black blackhead head at the airedale airedale airedale aire- aire dale who lay at his knees Flame he said with a chuckle wat you tink de matter win wid dose comIn comin cornin com corn in in th dat cano ch eh The airedale looked into Brassards Brassard's Brassards Brassard's Brassards Brassard's Bras Bras- sard's swart face with its twinkling eyes If U you keep your mout shut I Itell Itell Itell tell you Flame laughed Blaise Now dont don't say noUn noon to Garry and andRed Red Dose comin in dat Cano cano cano ca Ca- no no bin up to have a look at ISadore and he give dem dat come in a bottle By golly Youre You're right Blaise Garry threw back from the bow It uIt looks like Isadore's fire fire water The canoes were soon within halling han hall ing distance and Blaise called The and Cree salutation He was answered by a chorus of from the In which sat two men a squaw and a child The eyes of the men were bloodshot and swollen As the canoes stopped alongside of each other Blaise began gan a rapid questioning Shortly he turned a 3 face black with anger and disgust and announced to the curious Garry and Red Dey are Matagami hunter but dey go to Isadore to trade dere winter winter winter win win- ter hunt for fur instead of de Hudson Hudson Hudson Hud Hud- son Bay he sell dem whiskey But only half hail dey trade for flour sugar and tea dey will need De Derest Derest Derest rest dey trade for whiskey The muscles of Finlay's face tightened tightened tight tight- ened as he asked Did they see any of the men who went through bound for Chibougamau No answered Blaise dey see no white man pass tru de lake last two year Brassard talked rapidly for some sometime sometime sometime time while the grew excited excited excited ex ex- cited often orten interrupting him What is It demanded Garry Dey say dere Is moch mock talk at Waswanipi Dere Is between Chief and a shaman by byname byname byname name of Dis is fren of Tete Tete Blanche Chief Wab Wab- fight wid Tete Blanche Tete-Blanche Blanche at the trade whiskey he give to In In- jun Dey say dat de Injun like de whiskey and are scare of Tete Tete- Blanche He is ver ver bad fallar Dey are scare of Isadore al also Dey are scare of de dc big bird from de dc sout Big bird from the south Ah hah Ah It come tru de sky from de sout each summer Dey are ver vcr moch moth scare of it Airplane eh So he has a plane come from the south every summer summer summer sum sum- mer That Red is the way he brings in his whiskey Sure as you live boss Have these people ever seen the plane Blaise No but oders have and dey tell strange story Ask them If it Batoche with the thc scarred face and Flambeau have reached Isadore's post Blaise put the question and after a lengthy answer from the talkative replied Dey say dat Bato Batoche and Flambeau reach Waswanipi Was wile dey trade de fur Wan nip Batoche Batoche he get drunk and he hes Tree Trec man wid dog leave de sa s say steel for Chibougamau Trail but de deLong deLong deLong Long Sault of de swallow dem he say he saw de big bigwood bigwood bigwood wood cano cano of white man all stove below rapid and wan drown man manon manon manon up on shore Blaise grinned widely as he co continued continued con con- But dis here herein in de bow his name is 15 Mahigan de dewolf dewolf dewolf wolf say dat we are tree free men with dog in wooden cano cano and wan wid bullet mark on hees head and he ask me if lf we run de Long Sault I l Isay Isay say we did for sure and are live man al also Den DeI he say dat Batoche Is ver ver damn liar I tell him dat da t Batoche Is worse dan liar He is dead man if I evair put my hand handon on him Mahigan say dere is too many man at Isadore for tree free man manto manto to fight fight- We go home What was your answer demanded demanded de de- de Garry I say dat we hear dat Waswanipi is ver fine lake and Isadore ver vcr fine man and we go take a look at dem bot Okay laughed Garry Well lets let's so Z C CHAPTER AI TER V 1 Flanked Flanked by t hills somber with the theolic olive oli green of spruce splashed by bythe bythe bythe the lighter hardwoods the the great Waswanipi Lake blazed like a floor of fire in the afternoon sun The Peterboro Pe Pe- rounded a along long point and the maple blades trailed INSTALLMENT FOUR FOURThey FOURThey FOURThey They find the settlement people peo pie strangely averse to discussing the tragedies The name rume of Isadore rich tar fur man when brought by Finlay causes canses an Immediate cessation of further farther furth er conversation along that line Une Isadore t t H- H There It is IsI exclaimed Finlay Lets have a n look at Monsieur Isadare's Isadore's Isa Isa- dores dore's outfit He raised his binoculars binoculars binoculars lars and gazed curiously at the group of buildings on the distant shore Why Red hes he's got living quarters fit for lor a king Have a squint Malone took the proffered glasses and studied the fur post miles across the burnished lake at the foot of a ridge of black spruce Fanciest log job Ive I've seen east of the muttered Red Shortly Blaise returned the glasses with a grunt hah Ah Big place Some day fox bark in dat and howl nest In de chimney They will agreed Finlay if it were we're worth our salt See that group of islands about a mile offshore Well We'll camp right there leave Blaise and Flame and like polite surveyors survey survey- ors in the bush pay a call on Isa Isa- dore Come on urged Red making the water boil boll behind his paddle This job begins to look interest Interest- ing After a clean up and shave Finlay and Malone left Blaise at their camp campon on the island and started for the post less than a mile mlle distant As they approached the shore the log residence residence residence resi resi- dence of the trader compelled their admiration The stir of people in the post clearing clear ing indicated that the approach of the Peterboro was creating unusual Interest In front of the big log house a group of three were leveling leveling leveling level level- ing glasses on the approaching boat T 1 i t I. I a f r rHes Hes got living quarters fit for a king Down at the landing men were evidently evidently evi evi- dently discussing the strangers Garry Garry Gar Gar- ry raised his binoculars Two women women women wom wom- en In sporting togs Red giving us the once over The man with them must be his highness Czar Isadore of Waswanipi A bird just left the landing exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed Malone and called Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore away from rom the women By the way hes he's waving his arms hes he's having having hav hay ing lag an argument Now hes he's gone back Did you notice it Do you know who that was No That was Batoche I I f spotted him by his walk The scar-faced scar rat raU Well check up before we land said Finlay casing his glasses Youve got extra shells In your pocket and the spare gun on your hip kay O 0 kay No identifying papers Not a scrap to show who we arc are Check Our orders are to map this chain of big lakes then the lower Notta Notta- way joining the main party in Sep Sep- Right Now we haven't scratched the surface of this situation So far its it's been pure guesswork We believe were we're dealing with a killer and a clever one When we land here today to buy flour and bacon bacon ba ba- ba I con what is he going to do Batoche has told him that he wiped us out in the Long Sault So our appearance appearance appear appear- ance nee has whipsawed him That was probably the cause of the argument we noticed just now on the shore Isadore's a worried man for hes he's hesto In to a jam with Ottawa if it any of us get out alive Ill say hes he's worried agreed Red If Batoche tells him what happened happened happened hap hap- at the railroad he knows well we'll suspect that scar faced crook Although we cant can't tie Isadore up personally with that ambush he realizes we can make it hot for him for Batoche is his man Red nodded d gravely as he studied his freckled fist To save his bacon bacon ba ba- ba con he said three more men have got to disappear on the Chibougamau Chi Chi- Chibougamau Trail the picture Red Hell ask us to supper that's certain Hell He'll want to look us over before he makes his plans Well do some our our- It Is thought has bu made a gold cold strike and alms aims to keep prospectors out out- Finlay Finlay Fin Fin- lay and are wounded In an ambush am am- ambush bush on the Proceeding the they saw a band of Indians approaching In their canoes z selves Then after tonight Its It's a case of wolf eat wolf wol our brains and our luck against his Finlay's face grew bitter as he stared across the miles of quiet water to a blue ridge He got Bob Im I'm going to get him himl The Peterboro slid in to the stony beach where two men now awaIt awaited d its coming Up at the trade house others watched while the girls In front of the house laughed as they talked Welcome to Waswanipi gentlemen gentle gentle- men A man of medium height with a black moustache and hair graying at the temples of a hawk hawk- like face advanced with outstretched hand as Garry and Red left the canoe We uWe see so few white men here that your visit is an event I Iam Iam Iam am Jules Isadore This is my head headman headman headman man Pierre Labelle Im Finlay in n charge of the survey survey survey sur sur- vey said Garry shaking hands with the two men My assistant Neil Malone We need flour and bacon bacon ba ba- ba con Mr Isadore I suppose you youcan youcan youcan can sell us some The eyes of the two clashed in hi a alook alook alook look of mutual appraisement Delighted Delighted Delighted De lighted to Mr Finlay and you'll join us at dinner It will be a treat to my wife and daughter to talk to two handsome young men from the outside Garry laughed If the ladies will pardon our woolen shirts and bush clothes well we'll be glad to accept your hospitality Mr Isadore You have havea a magnificent place here he ob ob- ob- ob served The marten and black fox did it Isadore answered We beat the Hudsons Hudson's Bay at their own game Its It's been a gold mine A gold mine Garry's blood heated heated heat heat- ed with his sudden anger Was Isadore Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore fishing trying fishing trying to draw him out so early He watched from the thc tail of his c eye e the thc wooden face of Isadore's Isadore's Isadore's Isa Isa- dores dore's head man as he threw out Speaking of gold they tell me theres there's a big rush on for the But Labelle's face was vacant vacant vacant va va- va- va cant of expression So I hear replied Isadore Last year and the year before some poor fellows tried to get in by the Waswanipi Waswanipi Was Was- but were drowned Bad river river river riv riv- er that Youre a cool proposition Isadore Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore thought Garry Then he said Yes so your man Batoche told me meat meat meat at the railroad As Garry limped beside him Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore commented Hurt your leg Yes slipped on a rock and twisted twisted twisted twist twist- ed my knee kneel Too bad Then Isadore's face lit as they reached the waiting girls Well heres here's what makes life lie possible possible pos pOSe sible at Waswanipi Corinne this is Mr Finlay and Mr Malone on the government survey My wife gentlemen and my daughter Lise Garrett Finlay was startled by the dark beauty of the two girls Welcome to Waswanipi and what what was it Malone said the elder and smaller of the two with a slight accent accent ac ac- ac cent as she extended her hand with witha a thrust of smoldering eyes Red Malone beamed like a boy with a new toy into Corinne Isadore's Isadore's Isa Isa- dores dore's vivacious face framed by a I blue black bob What a break for two bored fe females females females fe- fe males As Lise gave him her firm hand Finlay felt that he had never looked into a lovelier face or one more baffling Corinne and I were about ready to call it a summer inthis inthis in inthis this infested fly bush and scram if Jules would send us Her short upper lip Up curled as she archly added added added add add- ed But if ff youre you're going to survey the lake we might might- Might stay awhile if you prove as nice as you look There was frank challenge in her brilliant eyes I like your smile Mr Surveyor Miss Isadore surprised him with Your teeth are flawless arent aren't they And how you know it You have cute crinkly hair and swell shoulders and doubtless leave a trail of wailing women behind wherever you operate But But But- Buther her eyes suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly clouded Id have you know that my name Is not Isadore He married my mother when I was very young My name is Lise Demarais Garry raised a hand in protest Instead of an engineer who spends most of his time in the bush he laughed you suggest Im I'm a lounge lizard I object to the title But Ill I'll forgive you Lise Demarais he repeated studying her vivid face race with its warm undertone of color Its somehow like you Suddenly she grew silent while his eyes furtively sought the ripples of her dusky hair the short nose with its delicate nostrils and the sensitive lipped full mouth He had a feeling reeling that her gaiety had been forced- forced that thai she was under a strain Had he and Red walked into a trap and 1 did Lise know it 1 They reached the house and with witha a wave of the hand Lise Joined Corinne Isadore Finlay watched the lithe figure of or the girl disappear through the door Had his judgment been wrong Was Jules Isadore planning something for lor that evening and did she know it TO ITO BE RF CONTINUED |