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Show Tlore! Are yon her, F"lorT Hm heard LeBlond call In French; thaa. "Mon Dieul What's thlsr Jim and Omar looked Into each other's itartled eyes, as the trader appeared ap-peared In the door. "Come In here ! There'i something wrong " With a bound Jim was In the house, Omar at his heels. "What can It be? What's happened?" ha gasped, suddenly sud-denly cold with a great fear. "Look !" commanded LeBlond. On the floor of the large living room, bound and gagged, lay an Indian woman, wom-an, unconscious, a red welt smearing her forehead. Overturned chairs bore evidence of a struggle. "I've searched the house!" he cried In his desperation. "She's not here; she's gone! They took her when they bound Flore, here!" The brutal swiftness of the blow left Jim dazed, Incapable of thought "Aurore! Aurore!" he groaned, "what have they done to you?" Then his brain cleared. There was no time to lose! He must think act I "You're sure she's not In the house?" "She's not here! She's not here!" cried the shattered father. "Omar, circle the house and stockade stock-ade for tracks! LeBlond, tell your people ! We must bring this woman to, and get her story. Get some whisky ! Quick !" Jim slashed the rawhide thongs binding, the unconscious Ojibwa, removed re-moved the gag, and forcing whisky down her throat, got a weak pulse from her wrist as Omar burst Into the room. "Trail of dog-team from behind stockade to lak'. He got her w'en dey fight de fire at trade-house! Para-dees!" Para-dees!" Paradls had come for his revenge! "Aurore! Aurore!" groaned Jim In his agony. Then he straightened where he knelt at the side of the Indian, and the face which met Omar's pitying eyes was flint-hard with a savage ruth-lessness. ruth-lessness. "We'll trail him, Omar, night and day until his dogs die on their feet! If you get him first, he's mine ! Bring him to me alive! He's mine!" "I breeng heem. He weel die slow. I breeng heem." As the hurt Ojibwa revived under the stimulant, the half-crazed LeBlond appeared with Renault. "We've found his trail on the lake! .He's headed for the outlet ! Jules and I are starting now I No one would be mad enough for this but Paradls!" "Yes, it's Paradls," said the tortured Jim. "I'm crossing the lake for two six-dog teams. Look here I You can't hold his tracks In a night like this, man. You're worn out. Get some rest, start at daylight and wait for me at the Nipigon trail. If he hasn't turned south, there, he'll take the Albany, the Pipestone, or the Deer Lodge trail north, and we'll separate and get him." Renault nodded. "Dat ees right t'ing to do." "He'll have hours the start of us, LeBlond." Jim rose to his feet and rested his hand on the shoulder of the other. "But if he's ahead of me, I'll get him. If he goes to the Winisk barren-grounds 1" LeBlond gripped Jim's hand as he murmured his gratitude. Then Flore found her voice and, kneeling beside her, the two drawn-faced drawn-faced men got her story. When the cries of fire, outside, drew LeBlond from his supper table, Aurore had watched from a window while she slipped into her heavy moccasins and fur coat. Suddenly there was a noise in the kitchen, a rush of moccasined feet, and, as Flore turned to recognize recog-nize Paradis, a blow on the head shut from the Ojibwa all knowledge of what followed. "He set that fire to get' me out of the house, then gagged and tied her and carried her to the sled behind the stockade," groaned the trader. "But she fought him she fought him ! Look at' this room !" "One moment, before we start," Jim gazed pitilessly Into LeBlond's begrimed be-grimed and tortured face. "I want to clear up something. You sent him, as you agreed, to Nipigon?" "Yes, and he never reported there; he deserted us." "You didn't send him to the Sturgeon?" Stur-geon?" The blood showed In LeBlond's smudged cheeks as his haggard eyes glittered. "You accuse-me " He choked back his anger and went on. "I gave you my word. I keep my word, Stuart! He deserted us !" "I'm glad to hear it. I met him at Sturgeon lake In September. (TO BE CONTINUED. |