Show I Vanished Men 1 By GEORGE MARSH Penn WH U. U v Publishing Service u hm Co THE ST STORY ttY 80 S FAR Bound for the c gold sold c country six men lost th their lives on the he river Red Malone Garrett Finlay brother of f one of or the six and half breed guide arrive at posing as surveyors H- H Malone flashed his pocket torch on the face of ot his friend swollen beyond beyond be be- yond recognition By the father of all the moose Blaise Elaise look at him BY B By y gar ear boss were you get dem dens bite You mean to sa say say you two didn't hear the thc 45 a few hours back demanded demanded demanded de de- Garr Garry Not a shot I saw through the glasses that you and Lise were sitting sitting sit sit- ting ting pretty pretty retty cozy on the beach and everything looked all right so Blaise and I took a paddle up the lake We came back around five couldn't find you so turned Flame loose Then we lost him Yes laughed Garr Garry everything every thing was all right except that Tete- Tete Blanche and his mob jumped me mc after she left But I got three or four before they cracked me from behind with a club I came to lashed to a tree in a small bog back in the bush Flame bless im took their trail and found me Then chewed the thongs on my wrists OJ I told you Garry burst out Red flourishing his bis long arms in his anger Blaise and I warned you you The little Wait till you hear bear the story Red Its It's a queer one I As they paddled back to camp Finlay told the story in detail Well tOWell what do you think Consta Constable ble Malone It looks like wolf eat wolf now Sergeant Finlay II U we dont don't get this Tete Tete Blanche Blanche hes he's bound to get getus getus getus us After Alter today it'll be no quarter Well what's your idea Blaise asked Finlay We get dat white head quick or we leave de lake Dey go goi goin in t to hunt us like starve wolf Some night we go straight to Isadore's Isadore's Isadore's Isa- Isa dores dore's place I put a knife knie Into Tete Tete- Blanche in bees hees bed and we take Isadore to de railroad Steady Not so bloodthirsty objected objected objected ob ob- ob- ob Finlay splashing water on his tortured face and chest We happen to be police you know My orders are to investigate the disappearance disappearance disappearance of six men Until we can show that Isadore has a vital reason for keeping white men out of this country weve we've got no motive for his having them shot I thought of course it was placer er gold somewhere on the river Is Isadore Isadore Isadore Is- Is adore was covering said Red but never seen them working working working work work- ing the bars just it We cant can't show a plausible motive for murdering these men Until we find one were we're licked We haven't scratched the surface of ol this case yet Red Youre right chief And if it he succeeds in turning the against us well we'll never get out of this country swarm on us If U we have bave to disclose the fact that were we're police police police po po- lice Isa Isadore lore will blame the Indians Indians Indians Indi Indi- ans stand pat and were we're licked Exactly and hell he'll bring charges against me for firing on his men without cause Red snorted in disgust Why you had to fight em Garry Garryl You knew they'd wipe you out If it they took you and there'd be no proof of what happened Of course its it's regulations regulations regulations regula regula- but after what we know and what they tried to do to you what are you going to call it when Blaise and I meet up with this Tete- Tete Blanche Self defense Red Redl Garry chuck chuck- led Thanks Sergeant Finlay Do you know this is the toughest assignment assignment assignment assign assign- ment you and I ever had You asked for it and got It because you were a trained surveyor before you joined the force CHAPTER XI H The returning Peterboro was met metat metat metat at the camp by and his two sons Beneath his thatch of grizzled grizzled grizzled griz griz- and nd nd seamed forehead the theold theold theold old mans man's eyes were beady with ex ex- ex- ex Ver bad time at head of lake he announced geeve de whiskey an antell antell tell dem white man make de chU chil sick an an more will die if it de Evil Eye on Three Leg stay on Was Was- The startled Indian peered into Garry's caricature of ot a face as asbe ashe ashe he be took his hand How you come dis way he demanded Finlay attempted a twisted smile Your friend Tete-Blanche Tete tied me up and left me to the bugs The muscles in Blaise Brassards Brassard's jaw bulged When we leave Waswanipi Waswanipi Waswanipi Was- Was he rasped in jn Cree we leave Tete-Blanche Tete in the ground and ond take Isadore with us He has broken the law and given the Mon Mon- tagnais tagnais s whiskey Take Isadore with you Are you police sent by the Fathers at Ottavia Ottawa Otta wa via excitedly demanded the thc old man Blaise shook his head No but we are sent by the Fathers to make a picture of the lakes He repeated his talk with to his friends Hes right Blaise said Garry They've shown their hand After today they've got to get rid of us to save their skins And they'll use and this evil eye mumbo mumbo- jumbo to do it It I l INSTALLMENT TEN Finlay receives an anonymous letter letur suggesting that the six men were not net drowned as reported Suspicion prevails that Isadore rich fur ur man has made a agold agold agold gold strike and alms aims to keep prospectors out of the country at any cost The three Well what's our next move chief chic demanded Red fidgeting like a bear on a chain After what they tried today Im I'm not sleeping sound until I get my hooks on this white head Dont underestimate that bird Red warned Garry as he sat stripped to the waist by the fire rubbing his tormented body with the soda solution Hes quick as an ot ot- ot ter I was sure I had him today He wasn't ten yards ards away and coming coming coming com com- ing in head on when I threw the gun on him I never made a worse miss You dont don't make many Garry Now what are the orders Im going to Matagami to have bave havea a report for headquarters relayed by canoe to the railroad Its It's my alibi and last will and testament said the blinded man nursing his puffed face With these wild Mon Mon- tagnais crazy with Isadore's whiskey whiskey whiskey whis whis- key and fed up with the idea that weve we've sickened their children weve we've got the chance a rabbit has with a snowy owl Malone stopped his pacing bent and peered anxiously into the lit fire-lit face of his friend Then he faltered Youre Youre you're youre you're not sending sending for for help An effigy of a smile touched Finlay's Finlay's Fin Fin- lays lay's distorted features Do you think I am Red Not the Sergeant Garrett Finlay I I wintered on the Liard River with with with- I not the man I saw bluff those miners 1 at Fort McLeod I No well we'll play this through the four of us as we started said Fin Fin- t t Jd r rs s ll I s 1 i 1 5 d 4 4 i 1 c a ss Dont underestimate that bird Red fled lay ay Im going to report that weve we've found the bodies of two men who had been shot not drowned and were ourselves fired on on the Not Not- that I was ambushed and finally that were we're going to stick sUck until unil until un- un til il the arrival in August of ot a mysterious mysterious mysterious mys mys- plane from the Bay when If it we live that long therell there'll be a showdown Because of the gravity of this Indian situation I am advising advising advising advis advis- ing the dispatch of a police plane In September to view our graves and clean up the case This looks to tome tome tome me like the Waterloo of Sergeant Finlay and Constable Malone Malorie A look of incredulity lay on Malones Malone's Malone's Malones Malones Malone's Ma- Ma lones lone's freckled face He squinted curiously at his chief Youre not talking like your old self sell Garry Youve You've taken a tough lacing from those bugs Youre You're in misery And youre you're naturally sore ore over the thc scurvy scurvy vy trick that Jane played on you But when the poisons poison's worked out of your system youre you're going to feel better bet bet- ter about this jam were we're In I tell you were we're going to bust Isadore wide open and if it those start to hunt us therell there'll be bc plenty of red widows in these parts You may be right Red Finlay raised his face with its closed eyes to his friend But If 11 were we're licked well we'll go down with our colors flyIng flying fly fly- Ing In the morning left for forthe forthe forthe the head of the lake to carry carryon on his losing fight against the medicine man For two days Garry's physical physical physical cal condition kept him in camp then the thc swelling began to leave his eyes and he could see The afternoon of the third day on his return from the gill nets gill nets with Moise Blaise announced Cano Cann movin up de deshore deshore deshore shore Red got his glasses from the tent Well Weil Ill I'll be whipsawed If that double crossing Jane hasn't had the gall to send that boy hunting for us again snorted Malone Sure its it's the one who brought that message asked Finlay alive aliveto to the sudden tightening of his throat the jump of his pulse Absolutely and hes he's scared Into a cold coid sweat said Red his binoculars binoculars binoculars lars at his eyes Got to hand it to that kid Hes He's game to show chow up here after what happened A hundred yards from shore the held his paddle with men start out on the and visit Isadore in to his magnificent home Finlay meets Lise Isadore's stepdaughter ter In response to an appeal to save her He lie Is ambushed and knocked un conscious Malone and Blaise find him a oJ F spread hands above his head hend the gesture of friendliness Then he drew something white from his shirt and waved it it Hes shaking like a bush in the wind commented Malone Tell him to come in Moise Hes He's safe The canoe moved in to the beach Well heres here's where she tries to alibi herself hersel out of it it His freckled I face sour with disgust Red handed Finlay a skin wrapper containing a aletter letter What a nerve that little de- de duck packs in that swell shape of hers She's as tough as raw-hide raw but who'd guess it with that face Finlay ignored his friends friend's characterization characterization char char- tion of Lise Demarais He began to read After Ater what has happened you have good reason never to trust me again The very thought drives me frantic But I had to write you I swear I did not know they had bad followed followed fol fol- lowed me If U I had could I have acted that way before those breeds Could I have lost my head head done done what I did Do you think me as I cheap as that But Im I'm not sorry Im I'm terribly glad Believe it or not notI I was honest I was carried far out to sea Ive I've never met a B man manlike manlike manlike like you Garry Finlay 1 That night Labelle rushed in and I called Jules from the table When he returned I knew by his face something awful had bad happened You met Finlay this afternoon damn you he roared Now three men are dead and another hurt But this fake surveyor paid for it to tonight tonight tonight to- to night Then he struck me in in- inthe the face 1 It was all so sudden sudden sudden-so so ghastly I He wouldn't tell us what had hap hap- I didn't know whether you were alive or dead He accused me of ot trying to betray him When I asked him what there was to betray he started towards me and I ran to tomy tomy I my room tt get my pistoL Hell He'll never strike me again never again never I Oh I beg you to believe me I knew nothing nothing nothing-nothing nothing about those men They saw my canoe leave for forthe forthe forthe the swimming beach and followed They never had done it before I Iwas Iwas Iwas was sick not knowing what I had done to you And I was so terribly alone alone so so helpless I I didn't dire dare 1 trust Corinne She talks too much Finally I found Louis l my messenger and he listened outside Tete Blanches Tete-Blanche's Blanches Blanche's cabin and learned that you had been left to die in a swamp If U I had known where you were Garry Finlay I would have found you that night But I could only suffer and pray In the morning I saw Tete- Tete Blanche and Tetu returning in a canoe to the post Jules met them themon on the shore and acted like a wild man Later Louis told me that you had escaped I 1 went to my room and cried You were alive alive alive-alive alive and free Last night Jules was In the trade trade- room with Tete-Blanche Tete Tetu and Labelle I listened at the open win win- dow They are going to set a guard at the outlet of the lake the Quiet Water They'll try to ambush you Your lives depend on your leaving leaving leaving leav leav- ing at once I r implore you Garry Finlay trust me and send an answer by Louis If U you wish to reach me later later lat lat- lat lat- er er leave a note under the big rock on the bathing beach Louis will get it Please oh please believe that I 1 Iwas Iwas was honest that d day y that I that I-that that youre you're my only hope Lise Finlay's brown hands bands were unsteady unsteady unsteady un un- steady as he be finished the letter As wind driven surf Burt pounds a n beach wave on wave of emotion had beaten through him as he read He read the letter again while the waiting Malone and Blaise scowled Finlay handed the letter to the disturbed Malone MaJone We were wrong Red This letter is honest and explains explains explains ex ex- plains the whole thing It couldn't have bave been faked and besides they know it wouldn't work the second time Theres There's news here that'll in interest interest interest in- in terest you When you read it you'll agree that Isadore couldn't have had hada a hand in this Its It's too damned straight Malone slowly wagged his head as ashe ashe ashe he took the letter What the women women women wom wom- en will do to a good man he be sighed But gradually as he read the sneer on his incredulous face tace smoothed outWell out outWell Well Ill I'll be shot at sunrise if it I dont don't think the kid is on the level exploded Malone returning the letter letter letter let let- ter to Garry Ive handed her hersome hersome hersome some pretty raw compliments Garry Garry Gar Gar- ry but Im I'm gob gain to take them allback allback all allback back right here and now never play It this way if he was behind behind be be- hind this That girl can sure write letter Jetter and boy boyl is she a weak on Sergeant Garrett Finlay Some medicine man chief chic The blood drifted up over Finlay's Finlay's Fin Fin- lays lay's brown neck and cheeks as he hemet hemet hemet met Malones Malone's grin grm Red were we're going going going go go- ing to take care of ot her herl he said quietly Malone thrust out a B big hand and gripped Garry's We are chief and so is Blaise Arent Aren't you Blaise you old sour face TO ITO DE BE CONTINUED |