Show I r. r I fl 1 Vanished Men Me o J t G Penn Rv By GEORGE MARSH MARm h n. n c Co ii o iQ hc It h ct c T THE E STORY SO FAR Bound for the gold countr country six sli sl men lost IC their lives fives on the river Red Malone Garrett Finlay brother of one of or the sl six and Blaise half breed guide 1 L Larrive arrive at posing as s. s surveyors s back I dont don't think you'll come coe y VJ Vj Constable Malone good man as you i re e Its It's too bad too bad too bad Poor PoorS S H HIr istle rustIe McNab said Ir Il I I wanted to be honest with you nd d tell you myself Isadore's canoe was out of sight c when Blaise and the fretting do dog g stood beside the loaded Peterboro r rear ear them Finlay talked with Mc- Mc r ab of the message leaving for the 1111 teel in the morning Then the stock- stock lade de gate opened and Red and Thistle asked slowly toward the shore McNab McNab Mc- Mc Tl Nab turned his head winking hard i St at t the sudden moisture in his eyes 0 Q What a pair said Garry B lovely girl McNab Ive I've worked I. I 1 1 c. c n d A it h mm for lur five live years n. n now an emu lies lie's es e's a man every inch of that six b et three f Mf What a pity Sergeant If you'd only wait for help only help only wait Finlay Finlay smiled and shook his head Walking Walking slowly Red and Thistle approached ap- ap She was laughing now laughing ing up at him through misty r yes eyes Just like him thought Finlay II They stopped near the canoe and andRed Red ed had her two hands She i flung ung ack back her red-gold red head and gazed 1 hungrily into his face while he heI I talked I I Come now they heard him say Chase Chase the clouds out of those blue blueeyes blueyes blueyes yes eyes I I want to see you ou smile again l before I go Show your our dimples Lady a Laugh just dust once more for Red ea r. r She caught her breath as she shel l up at him oblivious of them tall allt then flung her arms about his rr eck I cant can't let you go Red I J the he sobbed never come comeback comeback back back They'll never let you come comeback comeback back to me a P The others turned away as she 1 clung to him Later until the post buildings faded from the sight of those in the canoe a flutter of white min tin i the clearing marked where a waved her farewell CHAPTER XIV I t Two days lat later the the canoe had pas passed ed through Lake Olga of the chain of large lakes and was on the Quiet Water below the Camp tramp on the island Theres the stick lop-stick spruce DaI DaA Da- Da I A t 1 l d t 1 1 k f I 1 d o us U nj u o 00 AV or announce Finlay Td hah Ah David say dat chain of lake lie a mile sout lout of here said 1 Blaise We Ve portage to de lake and pass round de Indian on de deriviere riviere den f follow outlet of las' las lake to Waswanipi j 1 In the morning they started pack- pack rt ring ing the canoe and provisions through the spruce tamarack and pine Jack-pine spotted with hardwood to Davids David's chain h of f lakes Blazing a trail as ne he traveled 1 Blaise had reached the first lake I with a and was returning l to tO pack the canoe through with Finlay Finlay Finlay Fin- Fin lay when he met the sweating Red bowed under three bags of flour Red went on and shortly saw Water water wa wa- J ter shimmering through the trees I He was close to the shore when he heard a movement ahead of him himin himin himin in hardwood scrub Porcupine likely he thought and kept on Then dry twigs snapped in front of him him- He lifted his head and looked Taking deliberate aim with il his is rifle stood an Indian Malone pivoted on his heels With a twist s j of his head and lift IUt of his shoulders tie ne dropped his as ns the Indian Indian In- In dian fired There was a thud as r the bullet struck the rolling top bag r With a lunge Red was buried deep i In in a clump of small fir The windless forest vibrated with silence The Indian who had fired on n him could not be far but the 3 brush was wa so sn think thick HP he could see co coo yno D hing So Re So Red decided to stalk k him him- With his heavy pistol in his teeth he hunched foot by foot on elbows until his range of vision had increased to twenty yards Around him lances of sunlight thrust through the treetops splashing splash splash- ing g the underbrush with gold Still the bush was v as soundless as a vacuum vacuum Then a squirrel chattered from somewhere in front and Red Smiled Ah there you are I He wormed along in the direction of the sound Then he stiffened suddenly sud- sud denly where he lay lay- Back in the therose forest forest rose the guttural of the northern raven Reds Red's eyes snapped as he nodded his hist t head Shortly the croaking was followed followed fol fol- lowed by a dismal I IJ J I f Monta 1 sa say y your prayers chuckled Malone Theres a cara- cara Iou jou hunting you youl That was no raven That was Blaise's signal r jil Again Red inched his way through young fir and hardwood But he saw nothing Once more the of who the raven startled the forest much forest much nearer now and followed by a metallic me- me w klunk raj But Red could not answer He Heas 0 was as too close to deceive Indian ears c They re growing nervous I They don't jj i don t like that old raven moving Inon in eon on their rear Hes He's got them guessing guess- guess I ing If I could only get a shot Id I'd start a stampede But Reds Red's eyes INSTALLMENT FOURTEEN to ro Investigate Murder cr Is suspected It ItIs ItIs Itis Is thought that Isadore rich fur man has made a gold strike and aims alms to ro keep prospectors out On the way rothe to ro the Hudsons Hudson's Bay post they visit Isadore Isadore Isa Isa- dore dor In his bis s pal palatial home ome and nd meet 7 lancing the undergrowth found no target Then from deep in the forest drifted the familiar yelp of the airedale airedale airedale aire- aire dale on a rabbit trail Flame and Garry Sweat burst from Reds Red's brow They must be warned There was a sudden movement in inthe inthe inthe the bush Red lifted lifted his head to catch the fluttering of young fir tops as a dark shape moved through Once twice the 45 roared Two rifles crashed back in reply Twigs flew from the saplings where Malone had knelt But he was already yards away under new cover Thank God That will stop Gar- Gar 1 1 fyi cy J he ne panted a. a There J. J mere nelt re rt three ua-tt ua U ui of them at least but they're worried When Flame shows up therell there'll be a circus Again the of the raven bludgeoned the silence Nearer Near Near- er now For a space the stillness be beat qt t painfully on Malones Malone's eardrums as he ne a lay nursing his pistol Then in the soundless forest lifted lilted a scream that was cut off short as if steel jaws had clamped on a throat Red heard a movement in the brush and rising saw a disappearing disappear disappear- ing shape He fired fired again There was the brang of a Lee- Lee Enfield the savage challenge of Flame then the muffled snarls of a dog closing with his enemy frightened frightened frightened fright fright- ened cries mingling with Garry's commands No Flame Let him up Let go Flame Malone thrashed back int into the bush to find Finlay holding the mad- mad J ti 1 i ac- ac rr S i iSi Si t I 1 Hi- Hi tit f 1 I u n 11 I j. j can can cuni t let let yuu gu go Red J. I airedale away from a young I Indian sprawled on the ground Youre all right Red They did hit you cried Garry Flame had this boy down when I reached him Nursing his bitten arm the young lifted frightened eyes to the giant who glared down at him Its all right soothed Garry We Ve wont won't hurt you Wheres Blaise demanded Red I uI didn't get a clean shot but butI I was afraid you'd walk into them so fired anyway to warn you How many were there This one and two others I think replied Finlay lashing Flame to a tree and starting to examine examine examine ex ex- amine the shaking boy who watched him with the eyes of a dog Where are you Blaise called Malone What was that yell Red found Blaise beside a limp shape in the brush hah Ah Brassard Brassard was st study study- ing the grimacing face from which glazed eyes stared at the sunlit tree treetops tops Recognize him hah Ah We Ve see heem at de isIan islan islan is- is lan Ian at head of lake Hell drink no more of Tete- Tete Blanches Blanche's whiskey What was that scream Brassard opened and closed his steel fingers in a significant ture Dat fallar run into de old raven The slits of eyes in his granite face glittered De uDe raven squeeze him wid his claw I Pity it wasn't Batoche or Tete- Tete Blanche Some day Garry bandaged the boys boy's lacerated ed arm while Blaise assured him in Cree that he was v safe Slowly recovering recovering recovering re re- re- re covering from his terror the fifteen year old lad told Brassard his story in He had been forced by his older brothers to join the party Tete-Blanche Tete had sent to block the Quiet Water They had decided that it was a bank beaver they had heard the night they fired on the Peterboro but Isadore had returned from Matagami the day before and had doubled the night guard on the river river He Joe Pa- Pa tarnish and the two men lying there therein in the scrub had packed the canoe to the lake that morning to hunt moose When they saw freshlY cut birch on the shore they had landed and found Brassards Brassard's bags and foot foot- prints So thoy they had AAd decided to am- am Use Lise his stepdaughter Answering an appeal appeal appeal ap ap- ap- ap peal from Lise Finlay is ambushed It develops that they are arc Mounted Police officers The party visits McNab nud sons Ions Bay trader Red falls in love with Thistle McNab's daughter 7 bush the next man over the trail had no gun They had brought him to help carry the meat and the canoe anoe He had nothing against these white men and wanted to run away But his companions companio s shad had threatened to shoot him if he didn't stay When the firing began he had started to run but the dog had pulled him down Ask him if he believes weve we've sickened the children with the evil eye as says suggested Garry The boys boy's black eyes glanced at athis athis athis his carefully bandaged arm then Il L 1 I L lifted iu w the me Ule faces laces 01 of the me Ine white wane men men lUtU and his keen face lighted in a smile No he said to Blaise this white man saved me from his dog and bound my arm arm- He would not sicken children the lad Joe applauded Finlay There are brains under that mop of hair Tell him Blaise hes he's going with us but until were we're sure he wont won't run away well we'll have to tie him up This kid kidis kidis kidis is going to be useful Hell be very useful he added Now lets let's get the canoe and the rest of our stuff across this carry But the boy had not finished his story As he talked the furrows cut deep into Blaise's face He made a clicking sound with his tongue as he gravely shook his head What does he say demanded G r arry Dere was big fight at de islan J 1 Chief kech and Tete-Blanche Tete wid whiskey for Mon Mon- tagnais Michel and two was shot Der is moch moth trou- trou bl for Chief Poor Michel Michell said Finlay He was a good boy Well Vell Mr Isadore youre you're rolling up the score against yourself I Joe say so al-so continued continued continued con con- Blaise dat make big medicine wen de August moon is round Red well we'll be there Now men lets let's get going Through the following night three silent men pushed the Peterboro up Waswanipi bound for their rendezvous rendezvous rendezvous with Chief M 1 1 1 b t. t le le U a LUL one b n os e optimism tolerated no thought of defeat was deep in dreams of a red-gold red head and a pair of laughing eyes back at Matagami But as their maple blades put mile after mile of the sleeping lake behind them in the harassed brains of Finlay and Blaise there was small hope of winning out as only through some miracle of chance could they hope to checkmate the red hunters inflamed by Tete-Blanche's Tete whiskey and magic Joe had told them that most of the young men had left the fishing camps and joined crusade to save the children Only a handful of relatives and friends had rallied around the chief And Finlay realized bitterly that if he should manage to hang on until the arrival of the police plane he would be no nearer his goal He had come to find the men responsible ble for the disappearance of Bob Finlay and the others He had found them but he still had no legal proof of their guilt And how with the out of control could he hope to arrest and hold Isadore and Tete-Blanche Tete even for breach of the Indian whiskey law They'd laugh at him wipe out his party and disappear disappear disappear dis dis- dis- dis appear as McNab said into the muskeg of the Bitter Water In his message to headquarters he had asked for a police plane by September Septem Septem- ber first to carry his prisoners south That Diane plane would arrive too 1 late t Sergeant Gar Garrett GarFi Fi Finlay I- I y and nd- nd Constable Consta o i ble Malone would then be beyond need of help And Lise What would happen to the thc girl he had promised to see safe at Matagami who Matagami-who who had stormed into his heart that day on the beach He choked back a n groan as he thought of the love that had come so strangely into his l life e. e What would become of Lise They slept all day hidden in the timber of the point where stan was to meet them That night nighta a canoe slid into the beach Finlay took the old mans man's bony hand You have lost your son I am sad Garry said My son and my people have left me The heart of is sick Now his knife is sharp like an eagle eagles eagle's eagles eagle's ea ea- ea- ea gle gle's s beak His gun is loaded You must eat first said Finlay Fin Fin- lay then let us talk over our pipes beside the fire which is hidden from the lake As they ate Moise anu anti his father gave to Blaise in their native tongue the story of their finding finding finding find find- ing Tete-Blanche Tete and at a camp and of the fight that followed I Dey say interpreted I de was drunk and would not listen wen dey tell dem was a false shaman and work for Isadore De ole chief start for wid his knife Tete- Tete Blanche shoot Michel and dere was ver bad t time me Dere was too many man for and his fren frento to fight and dey leave TO BF BP CONTINUED |