Show wa h w GROW N R ow R E 1 l no JT JM CHAPTER XIII continued 13 ten days after the kessler affair the vanguard representatives a lawyer and three geologists reached the bay to close the gold lode deal craigs interview with them was a painful and humiliating hall half hour on his personal assurance they had hac made an expensive winter trip to tc the arctic and now he had to in form them that the lode belonged to wellington parkes lovett why in hell the lawyer demanded you wireless us at edmonton or waterways and save us this wild goose chase 1 I tried to craig explained but bu the wireless station here was out oi of order im sorry about this debit debacle cle sorrier than you men can possibly be with you its a disappointment and expense but with me it stands fair to be a catastrophe he went bent on now that youre here let me make a suggestion which may turn this wild goose chase of yours into a highly profitable trip about 50 miles southeast of the bay theres a pitchblende lense lying under a shallow upland lake ive had my eye on it for a year im working over my da data ta on it and the thing looks promising n g the stuff runs from 15 to 30 P per e r cent uranium oxide according to my rough survey prize radium ore worth shipping out by plane if need be worth more than this gold deposit that we got euchred out of I 1 carried some specimens of that pitchblende in my pack for a day last summer and they ruined all my photograph films the that strong now heres my suggestion I 1 want to make a quick trip back the there re explore the deposit and see how extensive that lense is take me only two or three weeks wont you men stay here till I 1 can do that if the deposit turns out the lawyer interrupted curtly tarlton youve got some personal chestnuts in the fire here and youre trying to use our company to pull lern em out for you go ahead and make your survey if the lense is extensive and if the ore is as rich as you say an and d if you stake it and file in your name why then bring your figures and claim papers down to us at winnipeg and we may talk business with you the four of them left that same afternoon for the south and craig went back to his fight at the den desperate for time he made a last plea to the prospectors calling them all together in the big room that evening he told them I 1 about his radium lake his plans to survey it and raise money on it therell be no slip up this time he swore to them im going to stake those claims in my own name be my claims to bargain with that means be your claims are you going to give me a chance or not if you are say so bowl I 1 dont dare waste time like im doing mcdougle is already gone up resurrection every day is precious if you men are to keep your holdings here im wasting day after day plugging to keep you fellows in line and keep you from selling your fortunes to lovett for a song and a plane ride give me a chance agree to stick till the tenth of may they agreed halfheartedly half heartedly to wait till he got back from his field trip As craig thanked them and walked toward the entranceway entrance way he glanced over at patriciaa Patri cias tiny office and saw her there leaning wearily against the door she looked so lonely and discouraged instinctively t without thinking he started toward her to say goodby good by to give her a last word of encouragement but then he thought of that injunction and stopped short and his arms fell to his side after a moment he slowly lifted his hand in soldierly salute to her and hurried out into the darkness it was after midnight in craigs cabin up the hollow he and were hastily packing a or dog sled for their trip to the pitchblende lake he was taking only with him on this secret journey for was the only man whom lie he could trust as he would trust his own self over the three windows of the cabin he had hung up blankets to shut out any view since his fight with the up resurrection he had blanketed the windows every evening at dusk to guard against a rifle bullet from the dark outside a light wind was stirring and a fluffy april snow was falling the night was ideal for him and to slip away the wind and snow would blot out their trail almost instantly and keep the chi waugh imis from following on the long pliant sled borrowed from sam honeywell they were lashing grub and camping outfit dog feed for three weeks tent and sleeping pokes a hand drill for boring through ice and six full cases of dynamite on their job dynamite would do quick and effective work and they were taking a lot of it in lieu of man power well bring sams pups in here and harness em up craig directed carefully lifting a case of the earthquake sticks onto the sled and lashing lash irig it in place when we finish loading this sled you sneak by whelam byron mowery 0 william byron 21 mowery service out and get the team while I 1 pack my instruments kr li ii angl from the snowy darkness outside came the sharp bark of a rifle not two dozen steps from the cabin in the north window a pane of glass shattered to bits and clattered noisily to the floor the blanket that covered the window gave a little jerk the dynamite box near craigs work table spun half around as a heavy bullet smashed squarely into it and splintered one of its pine boards dropped the sack of dog feed he was carrying wat in hell he swore jerkily heyt heyl somebody he shot trough dat winner craig who de devil is out dere craig who had grabbed instinctively for his rifle reached out with the barrel of it and knocked over the two nearest candles dimming the interior of the cabin its lupe but but wy he shoot trough dat winner for ile he couldn coulden see us he wouldn jus take a pot shot to hit us hein he trying to hit us he was shooting at that dynamite box fellow Po leons tousled hair stood on end H hells b bells he gasped debbe lie he shoot agin and N 1 I W dat carcajou ile he gritted gritter Grit ted lie ile aay meat dat stuff he jumped over the sled made a flying leap for the dynamite case and dragged it back out of range craig laughed at him you have bothered I 1 born yesterday especially when im dealing with anybody as crafty as lupe I 1 noticed lupe eying that box once when he came in here and that was warning enough I 1 took the dynamite out of it two two months ago kr ii ng ring ng three more of those sharp barks so fast they sounded like one shot three more bullets z zinged hinged murderously through the window and into the east wall low down where the dynamite case had sat seized his heavy caribou rifle clipped in a magazine and whirled for the door his face was grim he could be dangerous the big sunny hearted fellow when when he got angered dat carcajou he gritted gritter grit ted he my meat aliens I 1 les get de devil craig hold on craig tried to stop him dont go out there we dont dare get mixed up in a shooting scrape too much depends on you and me on our trip lupe cant see us or touch us in here dat dont make no damn nobody shoot trough a winner at me and me not do plenty bout it allons angry enough himself craig gave in less than a week ago lie he had sa saved ved the life of himi lupes younger brother when reeste lay at the point of death with pneumonia he had felt that by this act he had wiped out the blood score of baltus death and that the would bury their feud against him but now lupe was trying to blow him to atoms easing through the door into the snow and dark he and crept around the west side of the cabin and started worming up the little slope toward the place where they figured the shots had come from the night was very dark the snow was swirling and crawling and in the blackness under the pines they could scarcely see two rifle lengths ahead of them more by guess than by sight craig headed up slope toward a big pine with a nest of boulders beside it from there ho he believed lupe must have fired those four shots when he could dimly see the pine and boulders he pointed them out to separating one to each side they flattened themselves on the snow circled around and closed in on the place edging up inch by cautious inch i the little ambush was empty behind a granite boulder at the foot of the pine craig found a scooped out hole in the snow where a man had just been lying and feeling around with his hand discovered an empty cartridge that was still warm to the touch craig he can be far away les comb trough dis hois boig and ferret heem beem out craig stood up and brushed the snow from his clothes forget about him I 1 tell you hes probably clear across resurrection by this time man weve got to get away from the bay tonight come on they went back to the cabin and finished packing slipped out returned with sams five huskies when the team was hitched up craig instructed you take the outfit and head up resurrection ill dog along a few minutes behind you to cover our back trail and make sure were not being followed ill catch up with you at goose headland CHAPTER XIV one afternoon half a month after and craig had slipped away on their secret trip warren appeared at the den office where patricia P a was at work he looked nervous ner v worried and patricia surmised that he had got bad news of some sort a mail plane had come from smith that morning care to go for a little walk dear he suggested theres a sun today and no raw wind for a change patricia readily agreed besides wanting a breath of fresh air she was curious to know what warrens bad news from chicago was and also his manner hinted that lie he had something of especial importance to say to her they left the den passed the hudson bay station and the government buildings and headed on north along the lake shore the sun had broken through that day after a solid month of dismal weather and it was beating down in a glaring dazzle on the white snow there was power to it now for it stood high in the sky and the days were lengthening swiftly twilight twili came at eight dawn at four and in another month there would be no night at all snow still covered the land the waters were all ice locked as at midwinter but the breakup break up was not far off when it did come it would come with a leap and a roar that would sweep win winter away almost overnight daily and with growing anxiety patricia was expecting craig and to return she was not worried about their safety they had given the the complete slip and the half breeds were glumly hanging around the bay but she did worry about craigs radium lake plans the pitchblende deposit might not be large enough or rich enough for him to raise money on their battle all hinged on that lake now their whole nine months of struggle was rush rushing ing to a head as swiftly as spring was rushing toward the breakup break up warren remarked with a wry smile this north shore is a bit different from our north shore dont you think patricia he gestured at the frozen granite swells and the stark pines patricia winced a little as she pictured the north shore drive and the wellington estate at this may season spring was beauteous there at home now the trees were soft with buds the cherries were in blossom the woodlands were lovely with white sorrel and violets here were only snow and ice and rock yet she was coming to like this stern land it held a challenge which no other land in her experience had ever offered its very harshness was a welcome contrast to the warm south lands and she was beginning to look with disdain on the soft pampered life of the city country she walked on with warren silent A shore cliff began rising from the water edge and they veered out upon the level lake keeping close to the foot of the rock wall you might be interested to know warren informed that rosalie tarlton is at fort smith on her way wak here she dawdled around in E edmonton for weeks but now ashes coming in pilot odron chos at waterways is to pick her up when he comes north patricia was not interested just a few weeks ago the mere mention of name had suffused her with shame and made her feel like a in some dirty triangle mess but not now rosalie was too insignificant rosalie was just a bit of froth on the stormy waters three miles north of resurrection mouth they stopped at a promontory where a stark blackish cliff rearing up feet high had been wave eroded at its base into fantastic caverns and grottoes at the mouth of a big cave she and warren took off their snowshoes and sat down on them for a short rest before starting back As rhe fhe noticed warren poking nervously at the snow with his cane pat surmised that he was badly I 1 troubled by news from chicago and she believed that she was somehow involved he was going to make some adroit move some brainy play of that she was certain though she had no idea what his trouble was or what play he would make she felt very sure of herself very positive that he could say or do nothing that would faze her patricia he said presently with a directness unusual to him im needed in chicago and I 1 ought to get back there at once why warren the company is facing a serious federal investigation some stock and securities deals made in 30 and 31 but mr parkes and father are on the job parkes know enough about the matter and moreover hes on the wrong side of the political fence your father thinks that this investigation can be bought off or else embalmed embalm ed and buried in court technicalities like former investigations hes mistaken these federal men mean business I 1 believe that I 1 can pull the firm through all right if I 1 dont delay then by all means patricia suggested you should leave here immediately my leaving this place depends on you warren answered he stopped poking patterns in the snow and looked at her squarely ive got a proposal to make patricia A bargain if you like to be blunt and forthright here it is tomorrow morning you and I 1 will get into a plane and go back to chicago we will both completely forget dynamite bay and everything connected with it ill give up my plans to buy this field the claims I 1 own already including the kessler hill lode will eventually make several millions for the company I 1 promise that I 1 will not buy another claim but will leave this field to tarlton and these men on your part you will give up your plans and your work here and cut free from dynamite bay without reservation that by the way does not mean that you need resume your engagement to me unless and until you yourself wish his startling proposition was vas like a thunder yelp out of a clear sky to patricia after fighting all winter for this field after setting his heart on this immensely rich prize he was suddenly willing to abandon it ordinarily she did not trust his statements but now he plainly meant every word he was saying the terms of his bargain were clear enough in return for his giving up the field he was asking her to give up her work give up craig and go back home though he was not asking her to resume their engagement ga he undoubtedly was believing 1 that in time he could win her around she knew that this federal investigation though a serious matter was not the real motive behind his proffer his actual reasons lay deeper and as usual lie he was concealing them for one thing he was wilf willing to pay almost any price to separate her from craig and then he was badly afraid that in the battle over this field craig was going to whip him at any day craig might return with a thunderbolt that would blast the company out of the arctic and warren w wanted anted to bargain now lest in a few days more he might have no bar bargaining gainin 9 power at all but his chief motive was the fact that in his absence the control of the firm was rapidly slipping out of his grasp russell park parkes ies biad had come back to chicago last las t win winter er and resumed an active partnership and was shouldering warren out warren had far more brains than he was a better man in every way but parkes had powerful financial backing in the east to even up the struggle if warren should return at once |