Show ma VER of S U L L S by george marsh 0 PENN publishing CO SERVICE SYNOPSIS alan cameron Carn cron young trapper noel his hi indian indian partner and rough husky sled led dog look in vain tor for the Mont gnal agnal trappers camp in the desolate big river country of northern canada their sup plies piles destroyed by wolverines rines they are ar forced to subsist on wolf meat until they jhc thc come amazed to a substantial log house in the of talking river CHAPTER I 1 continued Z tonight well eat noel tonight well eat dizzy from weakness alan started for the cabin reaching the slab door he struck it with his mitten cd hand and called out hello hello there in inside sidel for answer the door slowly swung in and the two pinched faces in in the hoods stared into the black muzzle of an automatic pistol hunched behind the pistol stood a bearded giant of a man whose ice blue eyes glittered hostilely beneath a livid scar that gouged his forehead in all the wide north starving men were not greeted in this fashion alan camerons hollow eyes flamed with anger as he met the cold stare that probed his you dont need that gun he rasped were starved out our trap lines are up on the mad river we trade at fort george A wolverine got into our cache and destroyed every bit of fish and flour we had the threat slowly faded from the cold eyes and the gun went back to its holster starved out eh you look it we were on our way to the sinking lakes to find the well have been out of luck if you struck this place there are no hunters on the sinking lakes this winter alan and noel exchanged perplexed glances now boys continued the giant ive got some caribou stew in the kettle wipe that hungry look off your faces come in my dog here said alan give him something too theres plenty of stew for you all unhitch him and bring him in dropping to his knees beside rough as he threw off his collar ard and bellyband belly band alan whispered into a hairy ear you hear that no more tough wolff wolf stew deer stew for the big dog drop your coats and moccasins and make yourselves epry boys said their host as the two starved men sucked in the appetizing odors emanating from a huge copper kettle perched on a sheet iron folding stove which stood at the side of the clay plastered fireplace the giant filled two aluminum cups and a pan from the kettle get just one cup apiece now knock you out if you hog it in your condition I 1 guess the dog can stand a the speaker placed a dish cooled with a handful of snow before the ravenous husky dropped some snow into the cups and handed them to alan and noel steady boys not all at oncel he warned as the two feverishly drank the nourishing and palatable broth weve been living on wolf the last week what there was of it said alan 1 I got two but they were like rawhide no strength in them timber wolves no white arctic wolves that explains it hunting south for the caribou and most of the deer have moved east out of this country why the did not winter on the sinking lakes nodded alan seated on a chair made of split spruce slabs alan threw curious glances about the interior of the cabin while the big yellow haired man offered noel a plug of smoking tobacco and cut fillings for the huge pipe he held in his hand the spruce log walls were carefully chinked with moss plastered with mud two small windows made of caribou parchment through which the last rays of the sun dimly entered were aided in lighting the room by a large candle set in a horn stick on a wall a pair of caribou antlers anglers held three rifles while from their brow tines hung two belts with sheathed skinning knives built into a corner of the room was a double decked bunk mattresses mat with spruce boughs and covered with hudsons Hud sons bay blankets and dressed caribou and bear skins near the bunk a ladder of spruce poles readied reached to a trapdoor in the loft over the main room and at the end of the room tor for the cimney was on the side of the building a closed slab door hung on rawhide hinges communicated with a second room these details the quick eyes of alan covered with a glance the ila gla moring of his stomach was forgotten in his amazement at finding a permanent camp which no man could build alone on the headwaters of the big river on the frontiers of the unknown interior of who was this man and where were the others for what were they here As the giant turned to him when he had bad lit noels pipe and his own alan pleaded just one more cup of that no more now was the answer im boss herel here lie down you two and get some rest like the dog there lies hes asleep already onlee wan more drink teased noel no not a mouth mouthful fult the bearded man lifted a big hand in a gesture of refusal in an hour have mo more re then when you get some strength well talk youre weak as rabbits now so alan and noel stretched upon the lower section of the slab and almost immediately the warmth of the cabin and the food in their stomachs brought sleep CHAPTER 11 II an hour later alan and noel rose from the bunk their drawn faces beaming at the thought of food smacking their cracked lips they you know where you are asked alan on the edge of 0 an unknown wilderness no hunter knows what lies beyond the sinking lakes the will not cross the divide the bearded man threw back his head with a great laugh 1 I suppose there are evil spirits there too and giant windigo who eat men alive into the dark eyes of noel stole a look of among his people belief in the supernatural was universal and to them the unknown heart of had for generations been a tabooed land the h home ome of demons its simply a question of grub I 1 alan replied to go far into this country a man would have to win winter there and find the caribou or starve the big man nodded that I 1 s it its always a matter of grub in the bush ever hear of the river of skulls riviere Rl viere of skull gasped noel his small eyes wide with fear de 7 I hello lello dad where did this sled and dog harness come from drank the nourishing liquid and asked for more no not yett refused their host it wont do to eat too fast when did you lose your grub we left our camp ten days ago with three rabbits the cold eyes softened tough then alan suddenly demanded rough lies hes out by the sled call him in alan opened the door and the husky limped stiffly inside emptied the pan offered him and sprawled on the floor with a contented grunt mind telling me where you got th that t dog asked mccord 1 I got him as a pup from a north coast eskimo lies hes a beauty said the man with the scar admiring the massive head with its black and white markings the great frame with white chest and socks since were going to see something of each other before you head for home went on the giant your name alan cameron my father was factor at fort george my partners name is noel leloup the big man extended a calloused hand to each of the boys my name is is john mccord welcome to castle mccord dl he added with a laugh mind was busy with the mystery of how this yellow haired giant had found his way to the talking river whose headwater lakes lie on the frontier of an unknown country who was he why did he come where were his men and dogs the cups and pan were shortly filled again then lighting his pipe mccord observed worst tangle of lakes I 1 ever saw the head water country of these big river sl how did you get here the gray eyes of cameron met the sudden scrutiny in the cold stare of his host 41 a fair air question admitted the latter afrew an interval the glitter slowly fading from his ice blue eyes 1 I came in from rupert house with two canoes and six indians some of my dogs were drowned in october on the young ice my men took the rest and went to east main tor for more from rupert house alan and noel exchanged puzzled looks yes it took all summer we were lost half the time but we finally picked up a who knew the portages por to the sinking lakes so here I 1 am suspicions aroused by their hostile reception were fast fading under mccords accords Mc Cords seeming frankness but whom had mccord feared when he opened the door whom did he expect to meet here in the solitudes of the talking river country from the appearance of the cache he had plenty of supplies and men working tor for him 7 spirit riviere far een de lan ian of de caribou people 1 the old have many tales of this unknown country explained alan this river of skulls is supposed to be haunted by spirits no one has ever been there it is old mens talk the man with the livid scar looked hard at the speaker as he said how do you know no on one e has ever been there alan answered coolly no one from fort george has ever been there guess youre right lad and its supposed to flow into the this river of skulls 1 I dont know it may flow into the Kok soak gabriel deshane Des sane at fort george says that all the rivers northeast of here must flow north in into to hudsons Hud sons straits he was once trader for the freres at fort chimo on the Kok soak the eyes of the giant burned with sudden interest on the Kok soak eh at chimo and hes now at fort george by glory interesting te the sudden rising of rough who moved to the door a low rumble in his throat checked the speaker someone is coming announced alan watching the face of the big man slowly expand into a smile mccord threw open the heavy slab door of the shack hello dad where on earth did this sled and dog harness come from I 1 noticed the trail on the river beside the boys sled with a 22 caliber rifle in one hand the other holding three snowshoe rabbits stood a slender hooded figure clothed in white hudsons Hud sons bay duffel W weve e ve got some visitors replied the man in the doorway hang those rabbits up and come in before these boys eat up all of your supper then he closed the door and turned to his bewildered guests 1 I tell you I 1 had a partner wintering with me he explained with a chuckle in tact fact I 1 have known what to do without her I 1 see from your face you think im crazy to bring a girl into this country he added to alan who shook his head doubtfully but she let me come alone I 1 know I 1 was wrong but what could I 1 do ashes as strong and able as a boy good shot handy in a canoe and can walk me off my feet well here she is the door opened and the girl closed it behind her and stood leaning against it with a t toss oss of her head she threw back the hood of her parka her face browned by sun and wind was framed in a tumbled mass of gold heather said the giant with a wave ave of the hand as the questioning eyes of the girl sought his then curiously met the embarrassed gaze of the boys alan cameron here of fort george with noel and rough walked in today starved out gosh too bad ashes john mccords accords Mc Cords daughter thought alan as he noted the tall symmetrical build of the girl which even the parka coat and the heavy duffel leggins failed to conceal she has it all the blue of his eyes and the yellow hair the girl gave her hand to each of the boys then as rough nosed tentatively tat ively forward ears pricked brown eyes watching her closely she cried what a beautiful dog dad if we only had a team like what did you say his name was she turned to alan painfully aware of his ten days growth of beard and his winter worn clothes rough come girl get off your coat and those heavy moccasins and socks and have some supper bro broke ke in in the giant it will soon be dark and we have no candles to waste the girl left the m men e n and went into the connecting room while her father started a batch of corn bread and filled filed a teapot tea pot then he set a small slab table with aluminum plates and cups and moved it to the center of the room embarrassed alan and noel heated water from the river and did their best to make themselves more presentable but without marked success when heather mccord appeared alan refused a seat at the table where he could not eat and placed his stool back in the shadows of the room lit by the single candle and the fire im sorry she said to alan that you cannot eat with us im living high on this deer broth thanks in a day or two noel and ill make up for lost time she seemed to alan hardly more than seventeen or eighteen but she was a head taller than berthe des sane down at fort george and the sweater she wore accentuated the clean lines of her shoulders and bust and well developed arms still he told himself as he watched the candlelight candle light pick up the deep gold in the unruly hair bobbed at the nape of her round neck lovely as was the picture she made she was not lovelier than the raven haired berthe TO BE CONTINUED |