Show N D J t f I 1 1 if I By ARTHUR STRINGER h THE TUE STORY SO FAR To help his partner Cruger keep Norland Airway Airways In business Alan Slade agrees to fly a scientist named Frayne and his assistant as Karnell garnell to the river In search of the trumpeter swan With the proceeds Cruger has bought a new plane a Lockheed which Is stolen while Slade Is away The plane must be found or Norland Airways Is through When he returns Slade starts out a again with only two meager clues to recover the plane The first clue Is the devil bird the eskimo believes comes from Echo Harbor The second Is Slades Slade's hunch bunch that the lost plane and the swan hunter Frayne are somehow connected He files flies back to where be he left Frayne only to find that Frayne Is apparently Just lust hunting swans There Is no sign of the lost plane Now continue with the stor story CHAPTER X He would be glad he knew to hear the roar of that engine again He even quickened his pace as he recognized d the cove where his ship was anchored Then his gladness vanished and a tingle of apprehension went through his body For as he glanced down at the waterfront he saw that his mooring lines had been cast off and his plane was adrift He could see it moving in the freshening breeze circling slowly about until the pontoons pontoons pontoons pon pon- grounded on a gravel His response to that discovery was both immediate and unreasoned He went sliding down the ridge side and splashing through the shallows as he rounded the cove end The intruder er aboard the plane must have seen him as he went Slade could make out a wide- wide shouldered figure clambering down to a float a figure that hesitated for only a moment and then leaped into the shallow Water water water wa wa- ter and waded ashore Once ashore he slipped away into the spruce slopes and was lost to sight Slades Slade's first impulse was to race after him But the most important thing he remembered was his plane He went splashing out and climbed aboard There his quick eye inventoried his instrument board assessed engine and controls and discovered no damage to his ship His smile was grim as he replaced the breaker assembly which was essential essential essential es es- es- es to the life of his motor Its absence he suspected had kept that wide-shouldered wide intruder from taking off and disappearing into the unknown And that wide dered he had every reason to believe was Frayne's man Kar Kar- nell Indignation was still burning through Slades Slade's body as he gunned the motor and rose into the air He circled twice over the lakeside spruce slopes searching without reward reward reward re re- re- re ward for any sign of life there Then I he veered back and circled twice over the studded island-studded water where he knew Frayne's observation post to be But the only sign of life he caught from that quarter was the sudden 11 n win g flutter nf n of a r h u ma 1 4 ge e- e trumpeter who interrupted his watchful to lift his long neck and fling a cry of defiance up at the cloud-cleaving cloud wings of his rival Slade caught the sound of that trumpeted challenge even through his engine roar as he turned south and headed for the camp at the mouth of the Slade had the feeling of being in more friendly territory when he saw Lake A once more under his floats But no welcoming figures emerged from the shack as he circled circled circled cir cir- cir cir- cled over it in the evening light No kindly old voice called out to him as he moored beside the landing landing landing land land- ing stage That left him both puzzled and depressed depressed depressed de de- de- de pressed until his ear caught the sound of a distant detonation He knew well enough the meaning of that blast It meant that Zeke and Minty had foregone their usual supper supper supper sup sup- per hour to keep on with their mine work delving like badgers along some new dr drift t or pounding rock at atthe atthe the bottom of some new test pit Slade standing back between the shadowy ore piles could see Zeke crimp a mercury cap with his teeth and stick it into a dynamite cartridge cartridge cartridge car car- before disappearing in the pit mouth It was that old sourdoughs sourdough's fixed rule he remembered never to use powder until down to hard rock Their methods may have been those of a passing generation but they had found something worth orth while For after a second detonation detonation detona detona- tion and a second scrambling down the me Lilt pit pH mouth mourn blade Slade could hear Minty's Minty's Min Min- tys ty's cackle of triumph as he inspected inspect inspect- ed a fragment of blue quartz which Zekes Zeke's tremulous fingers held just under his nose uShe's S rich all right cried Min- Min ty sty You You can see her with the naked eye uShe's the best yet Zeke agreed ash as he e continued to squint at the ragged quartz slab And now we know she's there you old thimble- thimble ribber its it's about time to call it a day It was then than that Slade called out to th them m. m That call through the long hour ed evening light caused Minty to wheel about with a startled startled star star- grunt at the same moment that Zekes Zeke's eke s long arm swung out to catch up nS a a rifle u that had rested unseen the against windlass frame Put it down you old quartz chip per put it down was Slades Slade's s 's cry i as he advanced toward them t The two taut figures relaxed The Ther r k U i d r a t at r 1 f t tn n l I 10 10 A figure that hesitated for only a moment and then leaped into the I I shallow water hostility went out of their f faces ces But Zekes Zeke's eyes remained troubled You mustn't do things like that Lindy I might've given you a air hole through the esophagus Id rather you gave me a meal said the new-comer new as they shook hands and headed toward the shack Youre too old to keep to a sixteen- sixteen hour day like this Minty pointed an accusatory finger finger finger fin fin- ger at the flyer So uSo youre you're givin us the go-by go these days he questioned What does that mean asked Slade as they trudged you OU in this neighborhood two nights ago Slade stopped in his tracks Why do you ask that U Cause I heard you when you came down to pick up them gas drums And I heard you the day before over the hills Minty asserted Wait a minute cried Slade You dont don't mean my gas is gone You know its it's gone you night- night puddle But why in heck did you tote off them two dozen old ore bags Slade studied the two old faces so wrinkled with concern You say you heard a plane he questioned We sure did said Minty And heard it more n once What's more I seen it This said Slade is going to need a little looking into Zeke agreed with him We dont don't want no strangers round this territory he proclaimed How about that nincompoop in specks who's out swans' swans nests questioned Minty Hes the only outsider within a crow flight o 0 this camp But he has no plane said Slade And no need for one Well hed he'd better keep clear o 0 othis othis this claim croaked the embattled Minty But two can play at that game Minty Slade pointed out And theres there's something going on between here and Echo Harbor that needs a bit of looking into I III seen a plane all right maintained maintained maintained main main- the scowling Minty But I cant can't figger out why hed he'd be across empty country Or what in heck hed he'd swipe two dozen ore bags for added Zeke Minty's apprehensive eye rested on the young flyer Looks to me son as though you was the bird to do some needed round here That Snow-Ball Snow Baby o 0 yours could cover the whole Barrens while Minty and me was it through fifteen miles o 0 muskeg Youre right Zeke Slade ac ac- AI And after I swing south tomorrow Im I'm coming back to todo todo todo do a little investigating along the Slade hightailing it for his home port on the headed southward with a sense of something unfinished unfinished unfinished un un- un- un finished a contradiction cUed a problem unsolved His first move after landing and having a afew afew afew few hurried words with the redoubtable redoubtable redoubtable redoubt redoubt- able Cassidy was to hurry over to Cruger and his plain-boarded plain administration administration administration ad ad- ministration building Vh t h e un ou n up wa u c s th h. h a t T nULl a y J n. n Q officials official's curt demand Stolen gas said Slade Theres somebody robbing our emergency caches Cruger at that announcement wheeled about on himAt himAt him At what stations At Wolf Lake And later at Avi Avi- kaka The pilot could see his chiefs chief's mouth harden with exasperation So were we're getting it from all sides exclaimed Cruger You know of course we haven't spotted a trace of that lost Lockheed Slade nodded I HI talked with Cassidy down at atthe atthe atthe the dock Id I'd a question or two I wanted to ask him It didn't help much Nothing from Cassidy has helped much said his partner But a plane cant can't be carried earned off oft like a snatched pocketbook It cant can't be hidden away and it cant can't be sold and it cant can't be passed on to others Then uThen what's the answer asked Slade something still ahead of us said Cruger Every ship inthis in inthis inthis this Dominion has to pass governmental governmental governmental govern govern- mental inspection and carry a li li- li cense It cant can't make a move without without without with with- out being checked and counter- counter checked It couldn't land across the theLine theLine theLine Line without customs permits and it couldn't stay there without being being being be be- ing reported Its a pretty big country was Slades Slade's altogether unsatisfactory re re- re- re ply Not to a dodger cloud-dodger who can cango cango cango go from here to Aklavik in fourteen hours contended Cruger who added added added add add- ed not without acerbity And keep his eyes open Slade was willing to let that pass Did you ever stop to think about motives he asked in uin the swiping swiping swiping ing of that Lockheed Im not a reader mind-reader retorted the older man But I know this much a pot crack-pot who'd jack high-jack a plane like that would always be ready to take chances in the air He must have known how to fly Crugers Cruger's eye became meditative as it went up to the wall map You mentioned the he said well on toward the isn't it Slade acknowledged that it was About as empty country as youve you've got on your run Its not on my run But its it's empty all right Mostly bird life and barrens Its It's the district I 1 dropped your swan-hunter swan in Crugers Cruger's gaze became reflective Oh yes the swan He told us he wanted to stay anchored there until after the freeze And perhaps later said Slade I Ul saw him on my way south All he seems to want just now is to tobe tobe tobe be left alone It just doesn't add up said Cr Cruger ger Slade tried to make his smile a casual one How about me trying to make it add up he suggested He had as ashe ashe ashe he stood there been doing a bit bitof bitof bitof of rough and ready mathematics of his own What could you do After dropping my pay load at Conjurors Conjuror's Bay Slade suggested T I nh ht ro t 1 d nh h I T f 41 It 4 L mfg 0 V 4 a roun cV ere J. J Leu e eit Ik I it would do the most good I 1 mean scout around in earnest Crugers Cruger's glance went up to the wall map again The fields field's too big he said no one man could fine-comb fine that territory And in a couple of weeks wed we'd have you to look for Id take a chance on that said the man with the Viking eyes But you wouldn't even know what you were looking for Dont be t too o sure of that was the delusively casual reply Ive Ivea a hunch or two Id I'd rather like to sound out About what First about that coun coun- try This company cant can't operate on hunches Cruger averred in a voice that was less friendly than his gaze And that's a fine country to get lost in I dont don't think Id I'd get lost Slade said I know the out lay-out there a little better than most bush hawks And if I went in Id I'd go with camp equipment and extra fuel and ra ra- ra- ra And grow whiskers and go native native native na na- na- na tive observed Cruger and leave us with two planes out of service Slade ignored the note of mock mock- ery I usually get back he an an- Crugers Cruger's face lost its frown You do he acknowledged But Buta a trip like that would mean two- two way radio to keep in touch with us I wouldn't want radio said Slade That would be spilling the beans to everyone between Edmonton Edmon Edmon- ton and Point Barrow What Id I'd rather have would be a belt ax and an air mattress and perhaps a fish fishnet net And a magazine rifle And an extra mosquito bar The flies are bad in that section these days I Sounds to me Lindy as though you wanted to follow up that looney- looney lover bird-lover and look for swans I No I wont won't be looking for swans said Slade It will be for something bigger than a trumpet trumpet- er TO BE CONTINUED |