Show heart of the north narth by william byron mowry copyright by william nowery service 1 CHAPTER IX 13 tie lie hurri hurried oil to the tile tangle of juni pen pero and granite boulder boulders here he found the precious gns agns and oil which bill had sworn to brint brin to tile rendezvous VOUL taking a load out to the plane alan hoisted it cp up to buzzard Bu ho be began siphoning into the wing tack taink with nn an arillous inquiry in to hie his blood bloodshot eyes eye asked say alan why can t I 1 go along on this trick I 1 id d give a leg lc tn I 1 im al L a w 0 L cow now haskell can cant t do much not else to me than he lie in tenda tends to do ai a i it Is after nil oil that bill had done for cheul man klan hadrit the heart to tore re fuse mm blin he ile asked risked how about it can we carry a it third person well we maybe could act I 1 like cut down our KM gas load and this la is on onty a two NO place plane 4 then III not go bill 1 agreed sturdily dont want to be a drag dr ag III sleep off my dry drying jag here and then mosey in to to Co endurance durance alan went after two more drama As he be reached the plane with them his cars ears caught a faint low drone dron barely audible far out upon en traverse standing up on the cock pit edge he be turned bis his glasses north six miles oat oal the powerful tear sear let et and gold launch was heading straight toward them 6 knock off on that 11 I 1 he jabbed at buazard I 1 IN ere sot got to get goin ram us or shoot at us from protection of the launch youve got enough in the tank to take us to he the aloiska Alo oska osLa well stow thee drums aboard and what we cant take well leave here on this bead head land can get it later andr buzzards directions they worked frantically when they were ere ready when bill clarritt clar clambered ered down into the canoe and held out his hand to in good by alan was struck to tle heart by the pleading unspoken which ciu vill stoutly refused to word buzzard Buzzar dl 1 lie ile jerked around to ain hi flight partner rill bills s got to go alon along 1 1 D d if I 1 cin le leive leire ire him out in the cold I 1 I 1 simply cant can t do it then try to wedge him in with you ell carry him if we have to tie him on I 1 alan pulled him min up bill man aged to squeeze into the tiny one ones place comp comportment and by that act deserted the mounted police N ith the big boat bout only a mile au out buzzard tailed the plane and headed it parallel to the shore line it seemed to alan that the white edair heally laden with gas ps and oil and a third man would ner ter er rise from rom the water it earled nearly a half mile before it began smacking groa cling the saveleta wa veleta the police boat sier swerved ved right and dagon aled in to cut across its coure course white puffs of smoke were bursting from a rine rifle in the prow from a rifle in the hands of george Ill hiskell but when the plane finally did tike vike hold of the air it left the boat behind in a twinkling roaring ort of range it swung away into the northeast toward its goal on the big aloiska Alo osha oska CHAPTER X the secret of many water waters TWO miles down river buzzard throttled fie the motor eased the stick forward and glided expertly pertly ei down and down into that narrow lane of evergreens ever greens alan started to get out the can vas canoe to tow the plane in to the landing but joyce under standing untied her fathers sturdier ler craft laid in an extra pad die dle and came skirling out toward them As alan clan claty bared down upon a float and waited be he remembered his decision to tell joyce what had happened within him since he saw her last and to tell her of that in circumstance which had led to bis his engagement to elizabeth hasy casy that decision then but he be wa va vered now nov did he dare tell her tint if it was useless if she had put him ait of her life did be he dare resurrect all the poignant anem orles and intimacies cles between them today he would find out how she re regarded added him today she rould surely give him some clear token reaching out be he caught tho prow of her canoe joyce rose aid stepped up in another he was clasping her hand joyce 1 joyce I 1 I 1 was afraid tor for you here bere alone girl I 1 cant tell you how glad when hen I 1 saw you and glad to be back here As their eyes met as alan alin felt her small baud hand in his he be was torn between fears in that arst moment of their meeting when impressions stood out so sharp and clear it seemed that all passion had gone out of joycea manner toward him she greeted him almly she was friendly even evea cordial but in the same way is 83 she would have met bill or or larry introducing her to buzzard be he stepped ate ppe d down doin into the canoe lapped the painter rope around i a strut and together he and she guided the plane athwart current to the landing after mooring it securely and getting part of their personal pe u rhonal duffle the four of them with old pence appointing himself guard over the machine went up the path to the trading store alan could fairly feel the dozen dozed eager questions joyce wanted to ask him ft 11 ho was this new found friend end tt 1 here had they got this plane planel low fv did they intend to use it those kut practical little loul soul ai js always alays she asked no questions then the three e men tired and hungry and desper abely in it need of rest were tier first consideration going back to the kitchen she heated them water to wash and shave share and net tot about eel get ting a hot substantial meal alan happened td cd to notice that his picture aich for or years can had stood on joyces dresser was not there now it halted him like a blow hj by had she taken it donl dovin vas as it some accident entirely in cogent or hack back in the kitchen en while huz buz zard was outside washing sailing anay the grime and oil of dye day days flight lie remembered fleance and found it and brought it to joyce 1 thought of you out in union ton re te said awkwardly breaking the tile string 11 1 I believed you might like this joyce it much but I 1 act short of I 1 wits pretty prett near As joyce unfolded the sash belt and saw its exquisite beauty an admiration leaped into her eyel eye oh its if beautiful I 1 iva if the loveliest liest ever seen anywhere out but then as fhe she looked from the gift to the giver something seemed to check her with an cf ef fort fhe she forced herself to say any quiet ly it ft as kind ol 01 you alan allan to think of me alan turned away in bitter dis appointment it vas was kind of you how cold bold and di ll stant tact those words sounded she was talking to him across an when buzzard and he came back in they sat down to their meal As she passed them food and the three of them tallied talked alan could not help noticing buzzards quick ardent admi admiration radon 0 of joyce buzzard kept glancing at her studying her intently evidently astonished to find a pretty well uell educated girl like her living almost alone here in this far northern wilderness Ild erness later ben hen joyce had insisted on their thel getting a few hours of rest and had bud left them in her tier fathers father s room he remarked theres one lucky devil in this world baker the man that miss bliss going to marry alan winced lie ile had never thought ot of joyce marrying acm ying another man the remark amused a pa pat unreasoning hurt in him bitting sitting at the edge of the bed buzzard smoked a cigarette and gl incel nervously it at ills tits partner who ubo hart had lain down doin and was vas trying to get a little rest to it fit himself him ball for the flight and battle lust just ahead something was trong between alan and this winsome in spirited joyce macmillan there was or had been some passionate relation ship between them it had evi dently gone on the rocks biker wis engaged to some girl at fort Fri endurance durance and bliss AlacI macmillan lillan ft 11 ell there was that incident which he himself had bad seen half an hour ago when he happened to glance through the window its a pity he thought for them to bust up A dd d d shame that a what hat abbes a regular girl loots personality and spunk loni lorit I 1 d hate to ever quarrel with her herl he ile wondered whether to tell alan about that incident hed seta alan was evidently evident lj floundering around in the dark about miss bliss macmillan he lie ras as a bit awkward and blundered in such matters buzzard thought first chance I 1 get believe HI III tell blin what she did lie ile ought to know she either loves him or hates him blin to do a thing like that I 1 when alan woke up late in the evening Buz was still asleep and end bill hardsock Jard sock was dead to the world utting to fidd end joyce he went out into the trading hall ball joyce was not there for a few moments alan stood looking about As bill had told him she was clos clot ing out the tile post ile hated to think I 1 0 buzzard kept glancing at her studying her intently of joyces joycea girlhood cirl hood home being sold to some utter stranger stronger think ing of larry soon to be invalided out of service and condemned to a life of intolerable idleness Idl enesa be he veon on dered whether he might not get this post tor for bis his crippled patrol partner it was well located and larrye larrys host of friends among indians would be sure to bring their furs still hunting joyce he doar to the landing where pence whittling at bli big story stick was guarding the plant against log floating down and damaging you riz up early alan by wy ji k yes yel got a couple thin thing to do abey must been on MY aind mind where wheres lol joycea rel she went down th river bank down don that t that fust brook coin in ouan th timber timbers to nag snag some trout ere by on neat meal alan stepped loto late davo DATO lani ions laid in PD lin extra puddle paddle and blurted started donn saleam gliding gilding around the first bend I 1 ie a MW faw joyce t efto 0 fi uni lre y hardg n eland stand lat ards 1 ing n s 0 on n a j jutting ti rock beside a brook mouth when tie tic came canie alongside and lifted the canoe prow out upon the shelving rock the she greeted blin with a quiet friendly smile they bat donn don together on the wolf foot mosa after hi his days in the tilt plane with the hilgh of burning hurtling struts and the thunder of a mo motor tot dinning his cars ears it nas incredibly quiet on the spruce burled stream very observant vauL to b covertly stared pt rt joyce she afta a looking past post mm film at tie tle far shore and woods As he be studied her tea fell tures it seemed to alan that some thine thing profound had happened to her tie he MW her in sue she had changed she wag was hardly the 80 girt girl there ual ai settle new quality about her as of a person m he hai has cone gone doi doan n into a ravaging nging sickness and has had the strength to conquer and rae au out of it but at a terril ie le cost to break the silence betheen them he began telling her of these last weeke seeks hta lits trip to edmonton his providential luck la in meeting buzzard the prison charges stood against them their flight back north their escape from froin has ilas kells trap bis his gladness when he saw her running down the path As ehe she listened thoroughly alive to the dinner dinger and hardships he hid md gone through joyce felt a profound gratitude for the she know knew alan had done this largely for her sake when be he mentioned the prison charges facing him the expert encee a moment of panic and imagined herself in bis his behalf fighting for him as he bad had fought for her A little gatei after they had dis cussed plans for closing in upon the bandits alan rosa rose up and gave her bla his hand to rife rite ue said 1 I ve re got to go down river a few miles joce dill bill cached some supplies near that saut where you and I 1 got upset that day and had to swim for it it I 1 want to bring them up here this e evening ening lie ile waited a moment for some hint that she mir might lit ash ish to go along alth him ione oae came lie lit suggested it ltd d tale only a couple hovirs if care to I 1 d like for you to no 0 id better stay dill bill and mr air featherolf Feathe nill be awake before long III have supper ready when you get back 1 I can hilp you with that it if you 11 go joyce hesitated she aware that alan deeply wanted tier corn coin pany after all hed done for her it seemed cruelly I 1 tu to refuse and she herself panted to go 90 hut but bitter wisdom a warning since that morning nhen hen she turned bis inters and picture and gifts to ashes there had been ro to looking back there finot be none now she had strength and conrage courage to talk with him calmly and to act toward him as its though they hid bid neier been more than good friends but she dared not presume too far CD on that new born strength to be alone mill him two hours on a twilight river with their talk drifting to former times it would be inith ft ath gentle firmness she wild 1 I id d like me to go alari at hate to run back to the post there a to so many thi gs to do I 1 she tried to smile I 1 i don dont t want to be a neglectful hostess to bill and mr Feathe featherolf Feat berof As she started up the river trail her thoughts brooded on several things alan bad had said in the course of his story especially on his occasional cas ional reference to elizabeth sot that he be had said anything derogatory about Ll lyzabeth LH zabeth but his tone his manner Ms he becoming a little dib disillusioned was he be seeing elizabeth spaulding adding Sp not as the sister of his dead partner curt not as a girl to 1 ta cherished and shielded but as a selfish cal cat cu lating person ft as hs ba dimly foreseeing what his r marled mar led life with her was going to bel be joyce checked heiselt sharply from hoping or even thinking that alan might break cl bis big engagement or from extending tending ei him any nov thing more than crateful friend ship she wa was glad profoundly glad ehlt his words bad had caused no resurrection of hope bope no tremor of emotion the disco discovery iery of her strength suffused her alth a lind of pride but tor for all that elie she felt a great sorrow for alan lie ile was bitterly unhappy and she knew it IL what was his situation now police work his life in the north comradeship with Us old friends everything that he bad cherished was stripped away agay from him and he was going into a marriage reluctantly luct antly and forcing himself into a life that was alien to his whole nature when joyce thought of all that her sympathy tender and compassionate went out to him bhole heartedly beart edly returning etu ang at deep twilight with the drums alan found buzzard cleaning fouled spark plugs on the I 1 lane engine candles were already lit in the trading store alan looked up the path expecting to see joyce joyces fig ure in to the lighted doomy he ile hoped to have an hour or two alone with her this evening but all d y tho th conviction had gr grown 0 wn upon him that a talk would be worse than useless if it only code gods truth didn t sound so preposterous if only he could tell joyce that he had become engaged to ril elizabeth tabeth had bad espe expected ted to marry Fl Hl zabeth izabeth and yet all the time in his deepest longing had wanted not Fl Izabeth but her let if v were ere going to get avay amay from rom here first th it ng rig in the r orning buzzard broke into his thoughts A wo we ought to put in a couple hours work ork after upper supper on these aileron lends they re pretty bad frayed around hie the alan knew that buazard wai wag asking him to help alth that job hut tilt he lie did not anser lie n anted this bening butth fill joyce ualesi he took circumstances into nil his own on hands tonight tic lie and joce would drift across a continent from each other to in a few days more torn alth ith of her affect affection lon for blut be he a debating about thil |