Show men marooned X V wo by GEORGE MARSH copyright by the penn publishing co seri ice CHAPTER XI continued 17 halfway across the dusk dush from akl moved out to meet tile the travelers soon to look upon in the lie berths of the schooner death in all horror of 0 plague stricken men or to meet n treachery us its guthrie believed too tile lie for the uses of a fighting man like laughing mcdonald hut but the canny halfbreed half halt breed would not te be con coil vinced and the knife shifted to his bis capote sash and the uncased title barrel thrusting front from his robe were bi nister witnesses to his distrust of the arm the barrens of the island purpled then fused with the dusk stars glittered above the moving tennis at last in the starlight the black masses of the hills flanking seal cove loomed ahead the indian stopped his fits logs dogs let ket eos ees bovair avnir dere dere lie he pointed to the invisible shore ordering the disarmed cree to remain with his dogs etienne called garth for a whispered council of war de schooner ees not far we stop an tie up tie de husky pen den you an shot go one way an I 1 tak dees fetter feller wid do gun een hees bees back an ana we circle roun tie de boat all right I 1 if either sees or hears anything two long lon whistles will they hear our dogs do s it if they no beet ees ces too tog far shot trained to silence would be invaluable in a fight but the yelping would betray them eo BO they were lashed to the sleds ref let we don see nodin I 1 diak dis feller holler boiler to de ship den we wait I 1 tell heem he Is de first een de bunt boat wid de gun een hees ribs he tell ver scare so meting bad here warned etienne Et lenne iles hes afraid of the dells suggested garth un casing his rifle find regretting that his army automatic hung neglected in its holster on the rack at elkman tills this stalk of the slip had much of the color of 0 a trench raid a fight in the dark if allenne wits ans right and lie he missed the feel of hia hl pl alst tal on his belt the drag on the shoulder strap of a bag of shills bombs As they separated etienne gripped barths hand 1 I meet you at de boat keep behin de ice wen I 1 mak heem holler eef beef dey shoot the idea of stalking dead men MCD was grotesque but as garth find and shot made their way slowly toward the shore for the stars were dim the possibility lity that rt lennes suspicions were not unfounded grew in tile the mind of guthrie suppose the lie indian bad seen a dead man mail there might have been a fight aboard while title the rest iest were temporarily ashore after fur true mcdonald McDo might be dead but with the leader gone breault Il desp deserate des prate sick possibly perhaps insane might have evolved this his scheme to lure some of the kapleau kapiskau Kapi Kapl skau kau people across arross the ice fee for the indian was bound toe for kapis kau when they met him that the ruse was mcdonald guthrie put aside but stran strange gettings tl ings had happened before among a snips company coni pany wintering in the lie tee ice and who could guess what had fallen out on the ghost when in the taint faint light of ibe alie stars lie he made out the ice sheathed poles of the schooner garth patted excited dog stand to the airedale al stIffe stiffened ried sniffing the wind then side by side jawand cog clog cautiously anade their approach i artan Irti in behind a pressure ridge a hundred yards from tha frozen frozell ln in craft drifted with snow to her low rolls rall guthrie stopped there under tile the dini stars silent sinister lay the ship was it the sepulcher of luckless s dead de ador or two whistles aiom the of the ship started guthorle swiftly over the tee ice behind his silent dg circling the stern tie lie found behind a etienne and the g crea what to a i ul 1 I he hem arne oun on dit cinat 11 ret net ees de spirit whispered the cree we go up art an leesten le fe esten said etienne Et lenne prodding the reluctant indian forward standing with fill rifles leveled an on the plank deckhouse deck house they boy valt rait ed presently to the straining ears of the men caine a a an of a creature in agony to culminate in a crescendo of 0 groans the two men peered into each others fores faces at their tl ier side uie the trembled in a frenzy of excitement slake alake him cull call to them muttered antu guthrie Gu thrle with a nod cod at en circe the steel muzzle of 0 savanne Savani ies a rifle found the Ind indians lans ribs la act a voice shattered by terror tile the cree called Requa 1 I allor cut but oo ao answer trout from within arr bre e the heavy tl if lence tence they waited again low moaning drifted from tile deckhouse ra ila going aboard said thrig and calling shot leaped the roll rail followed by etienne Ct lenne A floor door behind the sheathing opened to his hand and with the dog in front they made their way down to the blackness of the cabin the odor of spilled whisky food and the stench of corpses struck them like a blow in ID the face striking a match etienne lit the stub of a candle lie he took from his pocket in its flickering light the two gazed in horror at tile the chaos around them on the table the floor chicky bottles empty halt half full lay iny tc it a litter of meat and biscuit tins ting dishes and scattered food sitting jammed grotesquely tes quely between boxes in a corner a rigid liand hand gripping a glass the can dle lit the staring eyes and gaping mouth of a dead man black breault Breaul tl muttered guthrie guthorle Gu thrle died drunk I 1 iut but that groan I 1 where are the rest turning I ing nauseated from the air and the loathsome spectacle they found a stateroom in two berths lay the dead bodies of the bearded binate guthrie had met on the beach and a sailor then a muttered groan anda curse led them to the adjoining room guthrie stood in tile low door holding tile the candle above his head in a bunk a gigantic gantic pl figure lay its iti a sleeping ting thrle bent forward thrusting thrust irig ills his arm with the light into the room the heavy breathing of the bull bulk in the berth pulsed through the small town room mcdonald I 1 etienne crowded beside his chief curious to see the man whose fame had biad swept sept jain james bay tile the face was turned from the door and guthrie entered the room to stumble over a bottle which rolled away spilling its contents then lie he held a light over the mutilated face As the alie candle lit the russet hair find and unseeing ees laming flaming with fever above the he shattered face with its red beard garth guthrie girthrie stared motionless slowly ills his jaw dropped As if in the spell orsome strange fa fascination cl the grimacing face in tte the candle candie light held unwavering ey eyes es bewilderment profound shifted sloay to amazement to recognition craig he gasped then swiftly turning black back the robes exposed at the base of the corded neck nea a jagged sear bear craig galbralth I 1 lap laughing bing mcdonald lc I 1 god abat fron irony I 1 turning to th perplexed etienne eilenne Et lenne guthrie rapidly explained its as lie he felt for the pulse in a hume huge wt etienne Kt lenne you and I 1 have work ahead I 1 this Is flu or 1 pneumonia lie he needs some nourishment nouri may have starved starred for days the bag has saved him kept alra him warm with that ce feer er but you nurse heem dis mcdonal hal I 1 la un hit demanded the surprised halfbreed half breed nurse him garth laughed rawly why this man took me on its ills back through hell itself brought roe me through it a barrage with one of Ms 11 arras s broken andis shot in the chest chesl ile he was my friend my pal understand saved my life we wore were brothers in francel france light the galley lamp tin and heat some broth soup quick I 1 name not SIc alc Donal asked the bewildered etienne dazed by the swift reversal of the situation no I 1 I 1 never suspected never dreamed who SI al cDonald was ile he was wag shot in the face while I 1 was in the hospital I 1 know how bad it was never saw him again with a quick glance of admiration at the gigantic frame of the man deep in delirium went to lind the galley and start a tire fire guthrie Gut lirie found and lit a lamp daml then poured some whisky in a gacs and propping up the alie head of th unconscious man got it down his tY trat A rapid inspection of the boat discovered a fourth corpse the cree known to be with the schooner and another man had evidently deserted the dying the absence of rash on tile bodies arid and faces lid did away with will the possibility of measles or smallpox pox it was doubtless influenza conti contracted acted from art an indian or eskimo Us klino for a warning had hron been received it at albany from noose that influenza was again loose on the bay finding the cr cree waiting out on the ice gurth garth sent him for the dog teams and lea flIg tile the efficient etisone watching B r kettle of canned soup soul 1 arid a cole colace pot fin it an oll oil stove return returned ef tri to captain craig galbraith alla allas s mc ale lonald lionald ha flat hal flat lighting a bitle to combat the odor of spilled whisky gurth garth sat down chiq w a stool to consider his problem once after his return howe lie he had bid heard from the he man loan who mho had brought hint him unconscious through that hall of gas and lead and steel and whom lit lie had never seen since the day galbralth left the same hospital to rejoin ills his command in his letter from hall biall fax craig hod had refused an invitation to visit pleading business but unknown to garth the giant at whom the women of france were wont to turn torn admiring eyes had come honie wearing the grin of a gargoyle then like a rifle ride shot struck home the realization that the man wanted in halifax for killing ills his cifes lover wits wag the man in the lie hunk bunk lie ile pictured the agony of him once called handsome galbraith bringing that twisted grimace hack back to the wife he had loved the blind rage born of despair and shame that heated his blood on finding her faithless ns AS a woman and as a heros wife tor for the broad chest of craig galbraith famous to in the canadian n co corps aps for his trench raids wore the bronze badge of the elect the victoria cross if lie he died it did not matter but it 11 lie he lived if he lived lie was a hunted man cameron camaron would send a party to seal cove on hearing from guthrie of his discovery the ship and fur would he be held for government fiction action in the meantime what of the man in delirium etienne entered with soup which galbraith mechanically swallowed Is the cree hack back with tile dogs or did lie he leave us no ho lie he come back I 1 tole heem I 1 would follow heem oil an cut hees bees it if lie run away said savanne dryly eilenne Et lenne we cant stay bete well pick up tills this flu or something worse the ship is a morgue and I 1 wont leave the man who leave me for a space guthrie Gul lirie pulled puffed N 1 0 I 1 1 it lets go slow here furiously at ills his pipe suddenly lie slapped ills lits knee ive got listen 1 ills his heart Is strong and the fever as near as I 1 can call tell Is not as bad as it might be its fifty miles to elkman with the crees dogs you can make it by dai light well wrapped up and bound so lie cant roll out or hurt himself hell maae it it cold and cold air Is better than this stink lug fog ship 1 etienne listened as it if lie he thought guthrie had find suddenly gone mad but you were you go lie broke in guthrie smiled smile im going to take our dogs to albany to Alha Al baneer neeT yes its my lily duty to report this to cameron at once ue de uree cree cun can go no boull need deed his help ill pay him well hut but etienne sensed that something lay behind it all we tak ills dis min man to kihwan an de police come den witt wat etienne also had guessed at albany smiled guthrie ill tell catherall Came Cath roii eroll that you shot yourself f accidentally ci bad wound awl ami I 1 am going to bring aiss quarrier up the coast tomorrow to nurse you she knows all nebout wounds and I 1 think shell boino added guthrie quietly by garl the halfbreed half breed stared at his chief in unqualified admiration its ins his only chance for life hero he be would die the place Is infested with germs gerins ought to be br you understand you start as soon eoon as you can im on iia my illy way now ill be in elkman tomorrow if shell hell come with tier medicine ined leffie kit anil I 1 think she will for ashes at soldier god bless herl after forcing more soup down tin the throat if f the faick ick nian mail lie was given a stilt drink of whisky bundled in fur bound with strips of blanket find with great difficulty carried to tile sled fortunately for or guthries plan the hie delirium ac had not taken a lelent form for the enormous strength of galbralth galbraith would hae baffled them with A grip of the hand hadd guthrie Gul lirie bade his staunch head imin goodby good by and whistling to shot started with his tired team for albany already that day the loss dogs had done sixty miles aim the forty miles before them over tile tough sea ice even with the light bled would it if pushed bring them into albany tle sore footed stiff legged cripples so it was not until the sky grayed with the dawn daun that guthrie drove up to the tra debouse at fort albany arid and feeding Us his ared team put them in an empty chack where they might sleep through tile the morning undisturbed by the hec if of the post dogs later walking in on the camerons tit at their breakfast he told of the stalking of the schooner of the dead well the wildest tole tale I 1 have heard in forty years on this coast ejaculated ejaculate the factor while his wife and children sat with awed faces not a soul alive on the ship not a soul alive repeated garth flu and probably the whisky they carried help any the schooner reeked with it poor devils devil they must liae haie stayed slaved drunk to ease their misery and the fur two bears i ears trade did you see it no but etienne said there was a lot of it on board alu alit n somehow in casing his rille rifle lie he shot himself shot himself yes in the hap why im here guthrie took the bit in his teeth as his gray eyes squarely met camerons im going to ask miss quarrier to come to elkman with her ber medicine kit kil slie she knows wounds im fin afraid of blood poisoning but you put him on the sled ant and bring him here site she can take care of him better at albany and then guthrie shook his fits lead lie he come cameron Cai neron ile he thinks hes going to ele die and wanted to be with his fife wife and children oh but how can you ask asic that girl to go to bikwan shea needed here swanell raise a devil of a row has already over your seeing her lit in the narrowing eyes yes of guthrie lurked a glint which cameron recognized ile he had seen it before in the look of men indomitable desperate it startled him made him wonder about the affair between joan quartier and the factor of elkman of course we dont want anything to happen to etienne Ct lenne he temporized but why you bring him here Is beyond me ive elmeady told you why cameron the gray eyes of the speaker were black as they bored coldly into those of the lie kindly scotsman ill III at ease case mrs mm cameron went to the kitchen to digest the startling announcement yes I 1 know they always want their family around when scared well it if shell hell go its her business raise a rumpus though and I 1 hate to have har burl guthrie was on his feet scowling down at the other oilier one minute 1 lets go slow herel here youre my superior and I 1 had hoped my friend but youre on dangerous ground cameron what do you m mean can by hurt there there now my lad keep cool ex postulated the older man im your friend and im proud to be now youve brought it up ive got to talk from the shoulder you dont realize what that skunk of a quarrier tattled about you oil I 1 |