| Show va vanished ih d M men en opp E i A by GEORGE MARSH penn ca W IL U bervic THE TEM STORY SO FAR bound lor for the gold fold country six fix men lost their lives uve on tho the nottoway Nott away river red ned malone alone bl garrett malay finlay brother ot of one of the six iz and biasse halfbreed half hau breed guide arrive at nottoway posing as surveyors A ill bet his liquor comes in by bir air said red exactly so he tried to wipe you out tried to stop a government survey party now I 1 wonder just why back of 0 it all of course they roust must have decided that we were only prospectors posing as sarv surveyors byors shooting prospectors is not so dangerous as firing on government men but its still murder aint it snorted mcnab true laughed finlay trading winks with red behind the back of the outraged mcnab the traders hatred of isadore would be useful he knew much about waswanipi which they would learn for the evening would be long if youve heard he hies flies stuff in from somewhere south in the province possibly youve heard about th the august plane from the bay suggested garry prom from the bay demurred mcnab now what in thunder would he be wait a minute minu tel 1 the trader scratched his jaw as his half shut eyes squinted at a gun rack in a seeming effort to recapture a vague memory ive got it he exploded CU north at rupert house two summers back they were talking about a strange schooner some traveling crees had told of seeing off the mouth of the the indians said a seaplane sea plane was lying in the lee of an anchored ship later the plane headed south and disappeared over the muskeg of the mainland been trying to figure that out at rupert ever since finlay glanced triumphantly at malone aises story was corroborated was it spring summer or fall they saw it mcnab nursed his chin why lets see I 1 was at rupert in early september it must have been in the summer Fin lays face brightened with satisfaction is mcnab that plane was bound for waswanipi every august a plane from the north stops there then heads south waswanipi blurted the puzzled trader the reason for it what could it carry finlay leaned toward the scotchman chewing nervously on his pipe stem mcnab just what constable malone and I 1 would like to know 0 0 0 atter after a cleanup clean up and shave finlay and red joined the trader at his house for supper A shy woman whose face wore lines etched by a life of isolation and worry and an excited girl with an unruly red gold bob and the height and vitality of her father welcomed them mary this is mr finlay and mr malone said the trader gentlemen my daughter thistle the quick violet eyes of the girl swept Fin lays erect figure and clean cut faatu features es with a passing glance of approval but it was to reds freckled face with its infectious grin which bared his regular teeth that the girls dancing eyes clung As she laughed at malones sallies dimples dented her brown cheeks what a pairl pair thought garry carry if I 1 know the signs ashes fallen for the devil already far into the night three men sat in a cloud of smoke in the trade room sergeant demurred mcnab its flat suicide for you to go back there now I 1 tell you y you ou a chance but if you do hang on until that plane shows up from the bay how are you going to learn if she carries gold south with that indian mob of Is adores watching her man its ridiculous malone laughed youve never aseen seen sergeant finlay operate 1 i mcnab said finlay quietly 1 t lif if were there when that plane ari I 1 drives rives were going to learn what all j this erys about j mcnabb blue eyes snapped yes jil 1 I 1 think just what you two two jl 1 would start to do in the face of phem them all youve got the nerve all 41 1 right but have you ever seen what whiskey will do to bush indians I 1 tete blanche and that crewel wipe you out then hide up in the bitter water swamps f between muskeg and water and swamp theres fifty miles of it its absolutely impassable except for an indian trail or two never be found there sergeant I 1 dont want you to go back until you have help the gray irises of Fin lays eyes were rings of steel circling the pupils our hard luck then its our job to get this crook well start someone else may have to finish iff it mcnab stubbornly wagged his sandy head 1 I know sergeant I 1 knowl know but think of the odds mani man its fifty to one up there now with the indians against youl red grinned at the grave face of his chief at fort mcleod it was a hundred miners to one Moun mountie tle eh sergeant what happened asked mcnab sergeant finlay elbowed his way into that mob of drunks and took his man mr mcnabb installment TWELVE suspicion prevails that isadore rich fur iu man has made a gold strike and ana alms to keep prospectors out ont of the country at any ally cost en ED route to the Hud hudsons sons day bay post they visit isadore la in nil his palatial home meet his wile wife and use lise face lit with admiration what do you know about this tete tele blanche ever seen him 1 I saw him once at the steel he looked uglier than a starved wolf never saw such a face they say isadore brought him here from the west up gods lake way he was probably wanted there and had to leave two years ago after those four men were reported drowned he went up river to nottoway Nott away and hung around making a lot of veiled threats he had everybody uneasy the nottoway Nott away people know isadore is rich and think he has government pull of some kind afraid of him nobody but the station agent has dared open his mouth and he hes s be been en threatened finlay handed the letter he carried in his wallet to the tra trader der mcleod did more than talk he wrote mcnab returned the letter what they all think up there pretty state of affairs in a tree f ree coun tryl snorted red about tete blanche Fin lays dark face was bitter Is he half crazy the night they trussed me up I 1 had a good look at his eyes the pupils dilated like those of of an eskimo gone mcnab squinted hard at the speaker you know I 1 believe he is A 1 this is my daughter thistle just that blood crazy ive talked to Montag nals who dhove ve drifted here from waswanipi they say the indians are afraid of him they think hes got some mysterious power talks with the spirits but its this medicine man Kine bik that he works through Is adores whiskey and Kine biks medicine making have turned the young bucks against us said finlay by the way mcnab why did isadore build such an elaborate outfit 1 1 I 1 cant account for it it must be sheer vanity hes certainly made big money in fur but there must be something else hes got a partner in montreal blondell who flies here every summer and im sure carries the liquor they say he lives like a prince in the city what my people are wondering is what blondell does in montreal besides handle the fur and they cant find out no its a mystery how about placer gold asked red what suspected flake gold and nuggets would be easy to transport secretly in a plane he may have struck some rich sandbars in the upper waswanipi that may be the answer but sergeant the trader rested his hand on fin lays shoulder as they parted for the night 1 I wish have that police plane sent here and wait for it they fly to Is adores place and arrest him I 1 like you two boys I 1 dont don it want you to go back to was with the indians loose and isadore not knowing youre police its deliberate suicide finlay took the traders big bia hand the shadow of the pain which lanced his heart crossed his face as he thought of the boy in his grave beside the thundering waswanipi As yet ive nothing tangible on isadore except this liquor business business with the indians before im through ill have something hell swing for im not sending for help mcnab tomorrow we start back CHAPTER XIII the following morning blaise and the fretting airedale al circled by the hostile post huskies waited on the beach beside the loaded peterboro Peter boro over at the stockade gate thistles whistles es eyes clung to malones sober face ive guessed what you are you two she said her chestnut brows meeting as she searched his candid eyes in an effort to read what la lay Is Isador adores cl stepdaughter answering an appeal from use finlay Is 1 ambushed but escapes it develops that they are an broun mounted ted police officers they continue on an to the post and nd discuss the situation with mcnab it trader in his heart its the way you mounties bounties Mo unties carry yourselves some thing so cool and masterful about you you cant fool me mr man I 1 know youre police tears suddenly blurred her eyes as she drew a quick breath and I 1 know from the way father acted this morning that he never expects to see you again ohl oh red S she he flung out desperately pera tely 1 I want to see you yot i again I 1 want you to come back neill neil W red had the girls tr trembling embling hands in his im coming back thistle ell he said and his voice was hoarse with feeling im coming back straight to matagami Ma to you kid then with a shrug of his heavy shoulders he swallowed hard and the dancing lights returned to his eyes now flash those white whit e dazzlers of yours in one of those smiles that makes my heart go pitty pat or ill rumple that gold stuff you call hair right before your mother chos watching us through the window A smile broke through the girls clouded face at the sally of the irresistible red over at the trade house finlay and mcnab were saying goodby good by my men should reach the steel with your report in thirteen days b but t I 1 wish change your mindy mind sergeant ask for immediate help and wait here for it i Fin lays thoughts were with the th girl who waited for his message at waswanipi his mouth curled at a corner in his eyes was the glint 0 ot sun on young ice mcnab mounted police never send for im mediate help 1 I know I 1 know mcnab w wagged aged his head resignedly as he gripped finlay s hard hand but I 1 like you two boys its a shame a rotten the trade room door swung wide and blaise rushed in cano cornin comin from de aas david look in glass and say it come from isadore I 1 hid cano and shut up flamel flame tell red I 1 want him quick malone burst into the room put your glasses on that canoe garry red cried mine are packed some things up are they near enough to see us no miles away what are the orders finlay took his binoculars from his duffle bag if they stop here red he said well hole up in the fur loft and listen while mcnab draws them out it may prove valuable decided we passed them that night and are out to overtake us on the river red shrugged his wide shoulders overtake you and blaise and me in strong water swell chance but we dont happen to be running runn no we dont happen to be running 1 far to the east on the wind rippled surface of matagami Ma moved a black speck finlay focused his glasses it was a big peterboro Peter boro driven by an outboard motor with a crew of four men do you recognize any of them he asked mcnab not yet but its from Is adores hes got the only outboard motor in this country the two returned to the trade room while finlay made his plans whoever it is mcnab get them in here and pump them dry well lie up there in the fur loft and hear it all tell them we stopped for grub yesterday on our way to rupert that may send them hunting us down river and well surprise surprise isadore when we show up at correct ill handle those indians make them talk even if you have to feed them some of that scotch of yours it will be legal for its an order from the police the two men grinned leave it to me sergeant red and blaise appeared with their lee infields dont think need them red said finlay now well hit that ladder for the loft ill have another look and let you know what I 1 see said mcnab as the three men disappeared through the trapdoor trap door of the fur loft As they lay on the floor of hand hewn spruce planks near the opening finlay outlined his conversation with mcnab IvIc Nab suppose tete blanche is in that canoe queried red I 1 ou our r job is isadore 1 cautioned finlay what we want today is information A fight here will spoil it all red chuckled 1 I serious chief I 1 was only worrying about blaise well have to lie on him to keep him from jumping through that hatch batch brassards Brass ards slit eyes glittered in the half light as he grunted 1 I can wait but dis big fallar wid red head we have tough time to keep his mout shut red shook blaines Bl aises calloused paw now were square you old wolverine 1 shut up cupl snapped finlay So coming TO BE CONTINUED |
