Show inaz U t GEORGE by penn pub co MARSH q scra service FROM THE BEGINNING at big hi hir fire post port S sunset set how la Is uio the Ck mallio north borth jim stuart trader la in charr charge with his bi ornar rescues a shi irl from an a overturned vert umed cars la in the lake sir she is aurore auron lablond Lt LA Blood BIond tinus liter of stuarts Stu artt rival in hi the th fur business mj and proves prove to la be b a charming cocup 1 1 la in K spirit of fun un she he and ml jim arrange aran to exchange notes bole aa a cartel island bland leblond Lf BIond with Ls hr his halfbreed half breed lieutenant arria in search arch of the missing girt paradis displays enmity toward jun h ac knowl edges adf his debt of 0 gratitude latitude rati tude going coin to the island to so if aurora auran hu has left the tha promised act of jim Is 1 ambushed mb uthen by paradis and forced to travel toward the leblond pot post on the th wy sy he h overturns over tun th the boat leaving hla big hau hall drowned nemy enemy on be the beach jim discusses plane plan with his hi super superiors up ioro andrew christi Ch displeased at t the th trade showing howing made mad christie christi allows allow stuart at his bis one year to abo malab good he H leav th the pot post feeling be h has hl been unjustly treated CHAPTER ill III continued two days later with smoke running the shore jim and omar were poling the peterboro peter boro up a wild reach of the swift woman river jims thoughts alternated between the coming year which would decide his future with the company and the two women far apart as the poles in nature and temperament pe who had bad come into his life As tor for aurore Ler herlond lond she would soon be but a memory in a month she was going out back to winnipeg there was no chance of even seeing her again as he be was to start with omar and esau at once for the pipestone country the canoe was entering a stretch of strong water demanding the utmost efforts of the crew to fo force her upstream when uben suddenly it a rifle exploded in the willows of the near shore and a bullet splintered the spruce pole in omars hands bands oft off balance the bowman lunged longed into the river but twisted as he fell and caught and hung to the gunwale of the boat while jim threw his wel weight bt against the roll of the swinging craft lie down let her called the halfbreed half breed as a rifle again cracked in the willows and a splinter from the gunwale nicked flicked jims desperate face with blood flattening out in the canoe he groped for his gun lying amidships as the drag of the man in the water headed the bow down river again a rifle exploded and a bullet passel passed through the wooden wall of the craft close to jims head what could it mean who would ambush them here on the woman river As the boat drifted out of easy range of the willows jim reached and cocked his gun rose boldly to his bis knees and rapidly emptied the magazine at the telltale wisp of smoke against the green of the scrub then over the bow rose a dripping face warped with rage as the thick arms of omar lifted his bis body from the water with a lunge the halfbreed half breed was in the rolling canoe and his rifle firing bring at the fast receding shore shortly a bend masked the willows from the sight of the dancing craft and the men swung the canoe in to the beach well Ws this mean demanded jim Para dees tor for surel snapped the bowman as they landed come on we hunt bunt for dem and omar plunged ahead into the bush they had traveled less than milo a hundred bundred yards when a familiar yelp from somewhere nome where upstream sounded above the fret of the river smote 1 hell find their trail trall lp in muttered uttered jim then fear for the safety of the dog he be loved led him to push rapidly on up the river shore while omar cut back inland behind the scene of the ambush suddenly deep in the foreba a rifle was wa fired and jims heart sank as he heard the yelp hes hea shot smoke furious burlous with the thought of his bis gallant dog gasping out his life from a bullet wound jim plunged ahead in the tha direction of the rifle shot shortly he be saw a dark patch through the spruce and threw his rifle to his shoulder As A he be lined his eights algots the dark face of omar appeared head bead tilted as if listening jim reached his friends bide aide did you fire that shot wheres smoke he be demanded 1 I thought be was hurt 1 I shoot at dat feller smokes after him now in dose cedar it ees so tick you see gee you saw mull him ah hah I 1 separating the two men started circling the dense cedar growth jim jhn had not traveled a hundred yards when he heard smokes roar followed by a shot then the sounds of a struggle plunging through the thick undergrowth der growth mad with anxiety tor for the flety of his bis dog he saw a running figure turn and swing with clubbed rifle at the black and white bulk of the pursuing smoke with a muffled roar the hurt dog again lunged at the indian again the clubbed rifle crashed as the husky leaped knocked back to his haunches with a shake of the bead the great dog closed with the indian who was desperately trying to load as he ran the tusks of smoke snapped napped as ills file one hundred and forty pounds bore his quarry to the earth throwing himself on the enraged dog jim balked the lunge which torn the throat of the helpless man on the ground then dragged the buttle battle mad smoke from his big prey throw that knife away or ill let um have bar jim commanded hold ing the straining husky as the ojibwa rolling away from the snapping fans fangs reached ached for the sheath on his hig sash now ow lie where arel you if that shot hit him rn ill put him on you anyway but there was no sign of blood on smokes trembling body then omar drawn by the shots shot reached them ah hahl leahl so Para dees pcs sen sell you will wal I 1 vink we camp here tonight wile you tell wat val you know bout ilsley ils leu Para dees fth ah hahl bahl with the indian indan walking ahead prodded by omars gun they returned to the canoe and made camp supper over omar began the inquisition of the sullen ojibwa who had remained dumb to all attempts to make him talk lighting his pipe the halfbreed half breed freshened the fire then squatted beside the prisoner whose feet were pinioned with rawhide raw hide and said eald quietly in ojibwa you have and children the mink like eyes of the indian shot a furtive glance at the lined visage of the man who squinted into the fire jim watched with curlo curiosity sity the drama the wily omar was wag staging then he mumbled a faint anh eahl h yes it if you wish to see the lake of the sand beaches again you speak with a single tongue went on an the inquisitor qui in ojibwa as if talking to himself his eyes still fixed on the fire you lie to me now omar suddenly stormed turning a face d distorted with passion on his man as his iron fingers gripped ripped ff the indians throat and ill teed feed your heart to the ravens the cowed prisoner flin flinched clied from the steel point of omars knife which pricked his chest you ton speak with a split tongue sill the wolves will pick your bones omars omara left hand closed on the indians throat till the terror haunted eyes of the gasping man protruded from his gray face then the halfbreed abruptly released him replaced his skinning knife in its ita sheath and resumed his silent contemplation of the fire bre fascinated by the drama jim watched the two across the fire from behind a screen of tobacco smoke you lak to see de sun rise once in more ore the stiff lips of omar scarcely ly moved as he rasped out the question in english but the prisoner was silent again the impassive omar gazing into tho the burning birch was transformed into a fury as he be Fud suddenly denly turned with a snarl on the ojibwa what did Para dees pay you flinching from the knotted visage of his tormentor the prisoner nevertheless stoically held his big silence after a period of motionless contemplation temp lation atlon of the fire the halfbreed half breed rose and taking his bis ax stripped a neighboring spruce sapling of its branches then he gathered an armful of dry spruce sticks and and dropped the kindling at the foot of the tree jim glanced at the ojibwa horror filled tho the indians In dlana eyes as he watched the deliberate preparations for the last act of 0 the drama going to his pack omar produced some rawhide thongs then picking up the visibly shaking prisoner as it he were it a child carried him to the spruce and binding his bis arms lashed him to the tree and calmly pushed the spruce kind lings around his feet feel cut but gray as was the face of omars victim on which stood out great beads of sweat his stiff lips emitted no sound as his hopeless eyes watched the halfbreed half breed lift a red coal between two birch sticks and calmly approach the tree you talk now grunted the executioner cut ioner slowly the dry lips of the indian moved he ele lot let dera dem starve dees long snow he be moaned in english Para dees sen sell you dema demanded filed omar dropping the coal into the kind lings beef eef I 1 spik he drive dem alone into de bush to starve the bark and spruce sticks ignited the red flames licked slowly toward the feet of the roan man bound to the tree before him arms folded across his deep chest waited the implacable omar Para dees sen you came the reiterated question the bur burning burnill nirl sticks snapped at the feet of the faill fainting tle man who fought with his bis fear then as the heat beat reached his legs his nerve crum crumpled pled wat you do ee set f I 1 spik be whimpered YOU yoa salk all do de an we w let you yon got go I 1 camis canut the quick alswor 1 I spik murmured the indian and fainted where be stood with vigorous kicks omar and jim scattered and stamped out the lire fire then unbound the indian and doused his face ace with water while he blinked doubtfully at them from where he lay Para dees sen you rou repeated the pitiless the ninn man sitting on the ground nodded leblond he know dis the prisoner shook his head onlee Para rara dees now ilow he milk mak you do dis cling my lly famine famille the indian rapidly explained in ojibwa that two poor winters and a broken leg had bad put him heavily in debt to the northwest north west company tor for supplies they had already refused him further debt when paradis had come to him in his desperation and offered to put him on his feet it if he would ambush the returning canoe of jim and omar whom maclauren SIa cLauren had bad met on the fortag cortage nor tage ge A grim smile widened omars omara stiff mouth 1 I go to dis leblond ah hah but you go wid me lie ile weel keel me dis Para dees beef eef you tell dem what I 1 spik to you protested the other then it was arranged that the indian whose canoe was hidden up river should return at once to le elonda blonds and bring his family to sun 9 N t a pt abc kj V 4 ay 4 A t jim reached and cocked hit his gun rose rosa boldly to his knees and rapidly emptied the magazine Maga at the tha telltale tell tale wisp wip of smoke against the green scrub set house where jim would outfit them for the winter following this jim and omar secretly decided to take the indian to LeB louda louds and ana fice paradis they could count on pierre SIl gwan their prisoner deserting paradis and bringing his family to sunset house tor for he would not dare show his face again at the post across the lake once paradis learned he ha bad been betrayed but it would take some urging to get the indian indan in the face of paradis to repeat his story to leblond yet that was wag what the friends intended to make him do le blonds head man had been accessory before the fact to an attempt at murder this leblond could not ignore for jim would notify christie at once and a canoe of the provincial police would appear in september at last the luck of sunset house had turned and they would make the most of it CHAPTER IV jim stuart watched the distant islands masking the northwest north west company post slowly clear in definition as his peter peterboro boro rode the liquid miles behind him squatted on oil big hl heels heel paddled the worried pierre in the stern the thick arms of omar boniar boisvert Bols vert in unbroken cadence pried the long piddle paddle off big hi thigh it had bad not been easy the persuasion of but the promise of absolute protection from parable and food for his family through the long snows with a company job for hla his dog team ba had I 1 at laar prevailed against his hi fears am A for jim stuart his heart beat high with el elation atlon for after all he he was to w see fee her again before she went south again watch that intriguing smile break from the corners of her mobile mouth and her dusky eyes light with mockery should he have a chance to talk to her after the episode with paradis at the split rock and from the nature of his mission to the post it was unlikely unless the she saw them land and approach the trade house and this smooth city man maclauren was he be after her as omar warned him or was it merely a bustness business trip to his string of posts the peterboro peter boro finally slid between two islands and boune bonne chance as leblond called his bis fur posts post lay before them in a large clearing acro across se a ralle mile of strait the two storied whitewashed trade and storehouse store house was even larger than that at lake expanse while the number of cabins straggling glinc along the shore indicated a large state SUL of company indians jim smiled stiffly at the thought of W what h a t christie demanded of his own little trading station across the lake with his two aids omar and esau in competition with the resources of louis leblond then the realization that within the lour bour he might see talk to her drove IMs business worries from his big mind the coming of the peterboro peter boro was drawing curious stragglers to the beach jim saw the door of the large trade house open and two men appear to stand hands to faces as if studying the strangers through binoculars ne ile turned to the men behind him the face of the indian was harried with fear omar grinned while his slits of eyes burled buried between bushy brows and bulging cheekbones glinted with the light of anticipation that day he should see louis leblond humbled threatened with the coming of the provincial police and his head man with the sweat of fear on his face at the story pierre should tell the canoe slid in to the beach to a chorus of 0 yelps from the post sled dogs who were driven off by the company servants gathered to inspect the arrivals then leblond accompanied by maclauren reached the beach good day mr stuart said IA leblond coldly glancing curio curiously asly at the indian who pressed clos closely ely to the square bulk of omar stuart shook bands with the two men 1 I have some business with you yon gentlemen he be said which will require the presence of my man and this indian can we talk in the trade room of course answered leblond with a nod toward pierre 1 I know this man yes but your man garadis knows know him better added jim can we have garadis present at this talk he be might wish to ask some questions yes if 1 you want him leblond looked quizzically at the speaker then sent an indian in search of ra garadis radis ls all the mystery stuart demanded maclauren with a laugh coln to accuse somebody of murder marder derr youre a good guesser gu easer maclauren bit off oa jim and the glint in his hia gray eyes caused tie the partners to exchange s surprised looks when they stood behind the closed door of the large trade room leblond asked now to what do we owe the honor of your call in law courts I 1 believe the defendant Is entitled to be confronted by his accuser well watt wait for paradis min jim turned to the nervous indian whose uneasy eyes alternately sought the faces of the white men and 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