Show 0 d M by GEORGE MARSH penn wad publish co THE STORY SO FAR bound tor for the gold cold country six men lost their lives on the nottoway Nott away river red bi malone alone garrett finlay brother of one of 0 the six alx lx and blaise halfbreed half hall breed guide arrive at nottoway Nott away posing as surveyors when blaise had finished finlay looked hard at malone across the fire how does that strike you he asked so far as im m concerned said red driving a fist like stone into his cupped hand id like to get this white haired beauty now set a trap for him and finish him right berei here its got to be sometime why no not tonight finlay shook his head not yet red you forget its isadore were after I 1 want to talk to waswanipi indians first who must have met bob and later seen his smashed canoe were leaving now for the head of the lake 1 I guess youre right boss we want that evidence first your idea blaise asked garry brassard drew deeply on his pipe before he answered at bishin camp at head of de lake is dat treaty chief dey call pierre Wa bistan de injun on matagami Ma tell us about dose fallar here tonight say he have moch trouble at de spring trade wid tecc blanche we have talk wid him our man redl red cried garry did you ask these indians about the men lost on the waswanipi river blaise ah hahl hah dey say pierre stan have story to tell about dat they knew nothing themselves no dey say talk wid pierre you bet we willi will all right lets go well we leave a nice fire for tote tete blanche to warm his hands on through the night the rhythmical churn swish churn swish of three maple blades drove the peter boro up the lake at last when the eastern hills were rimmed with fire the canoe headed inshore and the tired crew cooked a meal and slept far in the distance like battleships at anchor the islands off the mouth of the waswanipi hung above the windless mirror reflecting the green ridges of the shores CHAPTER VI camped on the islands the who in winter hunted the hinterlands lived through the short summer on their gill nets and sturgeon spears where did they say pierre wa bistan is camped blaise asked garry on the following afternoon as the peterboro Peter boro approached the maze of islands on islan isian wid big boulder As the canoe passed the fishing camps where lines of ripples thrusting from points of shore marked the wood floats of gill nets set for pike dore and whitefish it wa was hailed by men sprawled in the warm sun in front of caribou skin tepees an indian with the eyes and hooked beak of an eagle waited with three young men as the canoe slid in to the stony beach of an island marked by a huge boulder Ke kway greeted blaise shaking hands with the four where is chief Wa bistan he asked in cree the old man replied in english you look in his face his darting eyes covered blaise garry and red in turn from hair to moccasins we come to make picture of de lake for de faders in ottawa said blaise we wish to make talk wid you Wa bistan nodded measuring finlay in a long stare as if probing for his thoughts then he said you are brave man to come here why do you say that demanded garry manee white man die on was manip river the man im after thought garry then he said let us smoke and take council chief Wa bistan we need two cano emen will your sons go with us the young looked doubtfully at their fathers impassive face garry glanced at blaise but brassards Brass ards features were as immutable as stone he handed each ot of the indians a plug of hudsons Hud sons bay head and they squatted on their heels and filled their pipes finlay struck a match lit stans pipe then his own and after an interval of puffing asked what killed the white men you say died stans narrowed eyes focused on a distant island in his face was no trace of humor as he said ver strange bug keel dem finlay caught reds surprised look as the indian continued act fly more quick dan duck hawk and it sting more deep dan otje wok de deer fly the old mans gaze hung to the island the faces of his sons were glazed with awe and it starts to fly with a loud noise added finlay gazing straight before him yes as the ice splits wid cold you saw the white men who died last summer fearing to break the spell F inlay finlay still avoided stans eyes two bodies I 1 saw below de frying pan on de waswanipi 11 the year before that there were installment SIX finlay receives an anonymous letter suggesting that the six men were not drowned as reported suspicion prevails prevail that isadore Isa dorc rich fur far man has made a gold bold strike and alms aims to keep prospectors out of the country at any cost the three 0 four our who died did you see them no those you saw last year were yo young ung ap 4 too young to die they were shot dey were shot den broken by rocks wen dey pass tru whitewater finlay sucked in a deep breath with a pain that searched his heart reading the face of his friend blaise addressed Wa bistan in cree on the chance that the old man might answer the bold question more frankly in his native tongue why does docs this tete tele blanche shoot white men from their canoe stans face reflected no surprise tete tele blanche tells the people white men who hunt gold shall come to this country he replied in Montag nals it is the indians country and the indians gold why does he say that because he fears that the white men will go away and tell what they see blaise interpreted the startling reply ask him if its gold on the sandbars of the river isadore wishes to hide from the white man suggested garry 1 I have never seen gold demurred the old man garry met reds incredulous eyes then ask him blaise what it is au an indian with the eyes and hooked beak of an aag eagle le waited that isadore hides from the white men he prompted he say interpreted blaise if we wait here antil de moon when de bird fly altair de moult we see strange ving fing more he will not say 11 now august said finlay we will wait he rose and gripped stan stans s bony hand you hate isadore and tete tele blanche the eyes of the indian glittered with a look as feral as a wolverines rines his face worked with his wrath 1 tete blanche and Wa bistan are like wolf and carca carcajou joul some day de wolf will feel de claw good thought garry we need him but what can it be isadore want seen by white men that night the water around the islands seemed alive with giant glowworms glow worms as the torches of the flared and faded while their canoes patrolled the bars where the sturgeon lay to add to the food supply the peterboro Peter boro joined the birch barks five of the great fish lay in the canoe when their last torch sputtered and died finlay was easing the boat toward camp while red and blaise smoked when from the shadows the wraith of a canoe moved across their bows and a torch held by a short crouching figure burst into flame in the stern paddled a man with white hair the canoe moved on and as a sponge wipes a slate the murk blotted out the white haired hes on our trail whispered malone yes answered garry tete blanche and his wolves are on our trail why not go after him and settle it nol no weve got other work to do first CHAPTER VII at daylight finlay was at stans skin tepee the bedlam of his yelping dogs brought the treaty chief from his blanket tete blanche is herel here announced blaise some somewhere where in the islands he has followed you how do you know I 1 last night we saw him when a torch flared in a canoe men start out on the nottoway Nott away despite warnings they escape an ambush prepared tor for them and continue toward the hudsons Und Hud soni sons hay bay post finlay and hI malone aLlone visit isadore they later learn that laa isa dores cores lenwill soon attempt to kill them A little man held the torch in the bow yes a small man ro it was tetu his shadow who obeys him like a dog even t to killing those he hates Wa bistan kicked at a pebble with his moccasin then he lifted a face seamed with the hate that glowed in his eyes aste iste tete tele blanche is hunting you he said in and ho he comes here to find kine bik the wabeno who is my enemy he is a conjuror this Kine bik the old indian laughed kine bik the serpent is a false shaman tete blanche uses him to put fear into the hearts of the foolish ones who listen to his medicine he tells my people he talks with spirits j blaise interpreted stans remarks to his friends but stan is treaty chief and the will not listen to Kine bik demurred finlay Wa bistan turned to fin finlay lay and his breath hissed through his teeth there are many who will listen there is trouble among my deop people I 1 e lot where is this wabeno Kine bik now asked blaise in cree he hides somewhere in the islands from my sons you are hunting him anh eahl yes the old indian glared savagely into brassards Brass ards square face this tete blanche will ruin bruin the he gives them whiskey to steal their fur he has come to the head of the lake to find you he is Is adores iwed nib killer brassards Brass ards slits of eyes glittered his moment had come tete blanche will not return to isadore he seized stans bony hand he is your enemy he is is our enemy we are brothers you and your sons will lead us to the grave of the white men who you say were shot on the river last year then we will hunt tete blanche and Kine bik when we find them Wa bistan will again be happy with growing wonder finlay and malone watched blaise draw his knife facing the chief he stiffened raised the knife and touched the steel hilt to his forehead str straight acht as a spruce his burning eyes on brassards Brass ards solemn face Wa bistan drew his own knife and repeated the ceremony then the hands of the two joined over their crossed knife blades in consummation of the oath of brotherhood in a common cause blaise rapidly interpreted his talk with Wa bistan and the two white men took the oath with the old chief and his sons the following day a peterboro Peter boro and two birch barks entered the mouth of the waswanipi river in their rear on either shore traveled a son of the chief to watch for following canoes and a possible ambush three days of poling tracking and carrying around rapids brought them to the roaring mile of falls chutes and boiling reaches climaxing in the frying pan the white chaos which gave the rapids its name after a search in the birch scrub of the high shore Wa bistan raised his hand it is here he called the gravel grave red glanced at Fin lays bitter face it will be hard gar garry ry to see him now better leave it to BI blaise hise and me you cant identify him want to know back home that I 1 saw him ive got to see the evidence that he was shot red nodded and finlay joined B laise blaise and Wa bistan beside a heap of small boulders the carcajou let dem sleep said the indian de rock too heavy to move while they removed the boulders protecting the shallow grave finlay was tortured with memories of the younger brother who had come so far to die the year previous lie he had received a letter from bob that he had decided to join the mau gold rush with a partner the following summer that was all bob had left north bay an and d the family had had a post card from nottoway Nott away announcing that they had decided to take the waswanipi trail that had been the last of bob finlay the ruthless north had swallowed him no word of his fate had reached the waiting father and mother at north bay until there had come tile the anonymous letter garry carried in his wallet with its sinister final sentence 1 I dont believe these six men were drowned the man who had written that letter had guessed only too well following this it had taken weeks of wire pulling for finlay to obtain from his superiors the nottoway Nott away assignment sign ment for himself and malone but in the end the letter from the unknown writer had brought it about and they had received their orders shortly malone stood beside the man whose brooding eyes were on the rock scarred rapids below him garry carry yes they shot them the change in him its going to be hard for you garry ive got to see dimill him tto TO BE CONTINUED |