Show J a Men b 1 4 0 r Penn Pu Publishing Ca B By r GEORGE MARSH Y U. U Service Service TILE rE STORY STORT SO FAR Bound for the J- J CI maa gold coon country try s six sir ix m men en lost I es o on a th the e ees river Red ne nc- nc Garrett Finlay brother of one 01 of t the inc e six sU and half breed guide ani e at posing as surveyors t I I if- if ifa i I H heres here's ere s a piece of their canoe i VI found o on n the shore and burl burIe purled ed with them Theres There's a bullet hole in it I Garry rry took the thc shattered cedar Well We'll e 11 ke keip kep that for or evidence he I said then followed Malone While te the others stood with bared heads he be gazed into the shallow grave at atthe atthe th the havoc a year had wrought Bobby Finlay dropped to his knees and gazed at what had once been the younger brother whom he had carried in his arms arms' with whom he had shared his bed bed Its Bob Boband Boband Boband and Andrew he muttered They shot them through the head He swallowed repeatedly at the tightening tightening tighten tighten- ing g in fn his throat but the eyes he lifted to his friends were dry and hard He wore a ring of hammered gold His mother would mother would treasure it Its It's on the little finger of ot the right hand Red Malone leaned over the grave The finger is gone is-gone gone caught Blaise's e eye e and I nodded Blanche Tete is a thief When en he kills he steals Good by Bobby Finlay's grief was too deep for outward sign It It may be weeks It may be months It ma may be years Isadore But some day you'll pay to me for tor that dea dea'S deaS boy there S e e e e e eThe The survey had been under way for two weeks Two of sons were working for tor Finlay as and the old Indian often oUen came to the camp with news of his secret search for Blanche Tete-Blanche Tetu and But Isadore's private as assassin assin and the medicine man had disappeared like river mist before the sun Tote Blanche Is somewhere in the islands but none will say they have seen him bim They have fear tear announced announced an an- to Blaise as his canoe slid in to the beach one day in early July Your ears must be beever beever beever ever listening for he is waiting for fora a chance to strike tt When he comes we will fill him with lead laughed Finlay The Indian scowled Like otta- otta wok the gray owl he will move in inthe inthe inthe the night and when he strikes there will be no sound Finlay had mapped the head of the great lake and was working west toward the post It was two hours before dawn of a morning when Finlay had taken the thelast thelast thelast last watch Stars and moon were blanketed by drift With Flame sleeping beside him Garry sat back against a birch rifle across knees in gloom so velvet thick that it seemed to the man on guard it could be sliced with a knife What a night for tor a stalk Monsieur Mon Mon- Blanche Tete-Blanche muttered Gar Gar- ry If you know where we are youre you're missing a trick my friend But it'll be just too bad if this seventy seventy sev seve enty pounds of dynamite smells one of you out and hops on him You wont won't see him but hell he'll reach you you you- plenty Eh Flame old partner Finlay reached a hand to the wirehaired wirehaired wirehaired wire- wire haired back of the thc sleeping dog beside beside beside be be- side him The airedale grunted with contentment contentment content content- ment and for a space lay sprawled over Garry's legs while the man he worshiped crooned into a hairy ear Then of a sudden the iron muscles hardened along his spine and the coarse back hair bair lifted Hes winded something Finla Finlay muttered with a quick tug on the raw hide running to the sleeping Reds Red's wrist As two invisible shapes moved to Finlay's side the aroused dog split the thick silence with his brittle challenge worry em muttered Red Stop cm em in their tracks Hear anything Not a thing Flame winded them You'd better stiffen up the thc boys while Blaise and I listen here Red moved silently away while the enraged dog charged deeper into the forest Fl mell keep them guessing Blaise muttered Finlay Hell rip chunks out of the first one he henos nos noses s out They'll have no chance to tosho sho shoot sho t or use a knife on him tonight Presently Red returned The boys are all right They're hot for a fight Hear anything Flames working this way now Hear that There was the unmistakable sound of something moving through thick brush Hes nosed some of them out and turned them whispered Malone worried and dont don't know they're headed beaded straight for us Wheres Blaise asked Finlay But Blaise was not beside them The cat He can see sec in the thc dark Hes He's gone to meet Flame Flamel You move over near the boys while I take the shore hore I Nearer worked the roaring airedale airedale aire alre dale nosing rosing out the thc trail in the night Strange muttered Finlay they should mal make e so much noise From the way they travel they must be stampeded Shortly there was a crash of ot brush in front of him He raised his pistol Then a heavy body floundered past Hell The cocked gun dropped to Finlay's side a f fI I I INSTALLMENT SEVEN Finlay receives an anonymous letter suggesting that the thc s six men were not drowned as ns reported Suspicion prevails that Isadore rich fur for man has made a agold agold gold strike and alms aims to keep prospectors out of the thc country at any cost The three P. The beast plunged on followed by the airedale and his hoofs clopped on the stones as he took the lake shore There was a laugh from the gloom By gar Boss chuckled Blaise We need dat moose meat bad CHAPTER VIII The survey party were squatted on their heels beels around their supper fire screened from observation by shore alders and scrub Young Moise had just arrived with the rumor that was secretly making medicine again and the were growing rest rest- less ess Where does he pitch his medicine medicine medi medi- medicine cine tent asked Blaise se It is a secret for he fears my father What are the spirits telling the The spirits say that the Eye with Three Legs' Legs you look through to n mike ke the picture of the lake is th tt of of Manitou Manitou the Evil EvilS S Si warns that the spirits spirits spirits spir spir- its tell him many willdie willdie will willdie die this Long Snows because the Eye has come to Waswanipi Blaise's face was shadowed with foreboding as he interpreted the reply reply reply re re- re- re ply to his friends Dat look bad for lor us K make trou- trou E I I II III r I I Ir r I 1 The beast plunged on bl bI wid dat story he said omi omi- The transit an evil eye Garry exclaimed Dont they see that Blanche Tete-Blanche is behind that Blaise asked the question of the worried Moise then turned to Fin- Fin lay He say dat a child who watch you look through the Eye with Three Legs' Legs has died tells them it was the Evil Eye that sickened sickened sick sick- ened him bim Blaise said Garry nursing his chin with a hand I guess well we'll have to put the fear of Mani Manitou Mani- Mani tou into this medicine man or hell he'll soon have some of the knifing us in our sleep Isadore and Tete-Blanche Tete are about all we can handle at present Brassard was doing some Intensive iten sive thinking At last he asked young in Cree Have you heard when makes his medicine again Some say when the moon is again round My father will know when the secret word passes His knife Is already sharp Blaise nodded I will go with Chief Moise and his brother Michel nervously found each others other's eyes as Blaise repeated the conversation to the white men Later they sat smoking inside the rim of the shore alders beside small smudge fires for or the mosquitoes were ravenous Blaise slowly removed his pipe and squinted Into the west At length he be announced Cano comin The others followed Brassards Brassard's pointing finger while Finlay went to the tent for his binoculars returned and adjusted the focus In the distance distance dis dis- tance the dripping paddle of the flashed blood red blood red from the water Later from the shifting course of the boat it was evident that the was searching the shores Twice he disappeared to enter bays only to reappear and continue his course He hunt for said Blaise when finally the canoe turned abruptly and headed straight for the camp Dat is us Have a look Moise said Finlay Finlay Fin Fin- lay handing over the glasses Do you recognize him Young looked through the binoculars and shook his head Hes coming from Isadore's observed observed ob ob- ob served Red Now what The canoe slid in to the beach and the swart swam little more than thana a boy stepped out with a Kek men start out ont on thc the for thc the Hudsons Hudson's Bay post Finlay and Malone visit Isadore In his magnificent home The three men located Bob nob Finlay's grave grae to discover over If he be had bad been shot shotor or died accidentally t way 1 He remained by his boat while the men back at the smudge fires rose Bo joI returned Blaise joining the young Indian whose nervous eyes watched Brassards Brassard's like crag face as J If he be feared an assault this Red queried Garry Garry Gar Gar- ry as they followed Blaise to the beach A trick of Isadore's Sure Wonder how bow he found us We must be ov over r forty miles from the post Look Hes He's got a message wrapped in that skin hes he's handing banding to Blaise He come from Isadore's place explained Blaise Moise say now he see sec him at de trade He carry dis to you Blaise handed Garry the skin wrapper the boy had given him What do you suppose this is Garry asked Red He opened the e wrapper and stared in surprise at atthe atthe atthe the folded sheets of blue note paper it contained A faint fragrance met methis methis methis his nostrils I Red grinned widely at the scowling scowling scowling scowl scowl- ing Blaise Is this lad a fast worker work work- I er he be chuckled Ill tell the world he be is With mixed feelings of elation clation and suspicion Garry turned the closely written sheets and saw at the foot of the last page the name Lise Demarais Why had she written him What was behind the sending of this boy forty miles to find the survey party Again he saw her vel vel- vet black eyes mock him then furtively furtively fur fur- study him later to fill with dread of the sinister face of Tete Tete- Blanche peering through the door door- way He read I IDear Dear Mr Finlay Louis whose Indian name is Mi- Mi kisis Little Eagle is carrying this to you He is absolutely trustworthy and devoted to me I saved his life last year in the flu fiu epidemic No Noone Noone Noone one here knows that he is searching for your camp He is supposed tobe to tobe tobe be away sturgeon fishing Of course I know after what you saw and did with my glass that night that you suspect Jules Isa Isa- Isa dore Just why you are here on th the lake I do not know Jules thinks you are arc prospectors who have heard beard that he has struck rich placer bars barson on the Waswanipi and are going to investigate under cover of a survey of the lake However that may be I have got gotto gotto gotto to make you trust and believe in me for without your help I am lost First I believe in you you that that youre you're a gentleman and a brave man Behind Behind Behind Be Be- hind your banter there was something something something some some- thing in your eyes something staunch and unafraid That is why Im I'm sending this strange letter for tor your our life and my future are at stake Jules Isadore fears ears that you may know and report to the authorities Hes He's playing a desperate game for high stakes He has ordered Tete Tete- Blanche the half hal breed you saw that night in the doorway to follow your party until the chance offers to murder you you every every man Then he will send word to the railroad that you were drowned But he cant can't let lct the see this thIs have have any proof What has saved you thus far is the presence with you of sons He doesn't wish to attack the treaty chiefs sons He Heis Heis Heis is waiting until the boys are away Keep sons with you But ButI I beg of you if you value your lives leave this country before AugustIve AugustIve August AugustIve Ive got to go with you Its It's my only chance If you'll take me to the Hudsons Hudson's Bay post at Matagami I 1 can get out from there Jules doesn't dare make trouble with the Hudsons Hudson's Bay people I 1 realize to the full that t you will suspect treachery treachery think think Im I'm doing this for tor Jules and am a callous creature who would lure you Into an ambush But I beg you to trust me me- me give me a chance to tell my story- story just one chance I know this sounds wild but Im I'm desperate Just tell teU Louis the thc reply is Yes That willbe will willbe willbe be sufficient And Ill I'll be at the white sand beach behind the lop lop- stick point two miles east of ot the post early carly Friday afternoon I swear to you Ill I'll not be followed for forIt forIt forit It is Corinne's and my private swimming swim ming beach We go often and Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore has told wId them hed he'd shoot any man who was caught following us Bring your men as a guard if it you doubt mo me but I implore you Garry Finlay to meet me for Im I'm Imin Imin Imin in ghastly trouble and you are my only hope What I know will aid you in getting out of this country alive Corinne knows nothing of this let let- ter She hates Jules Isadore but I 1 dare not trust her Louis cannot read English so is ignorant of ot its contents I If you say Yes and anything anything any any- thing prevents your reaching there Friday leave a note under the white quartz rock on the edge of the beach sta stating ting when you will come and Louis will get it For Gods God's sake Garry Finlay dont don't think this note Isadore trick and Im I'm is an such a alow alow alow low beast Ill I'll kill myself rather than stay here herc through the summer Ive I've got to get out Ive I've got to get out Ive I've got to get out Lise Demarais 10 TO BE BC CONTINUED |