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Show S!VER A WILLIAM & ULW'I byuon "V- His face wns hard-vet wltn decision. deci-sion. "Go find I,upo," he ordered. "Tell him to como hero. I've got a Job for him." C'lIAl'l'Mll XVI At owl-dusk that name evening, 'Teesto Chlwuughlml appeared at the Den ofllcc, where Crnlg was studying a list oC the mining companies com-panies which he had Jotted down as possible buyers of his rndium lake. "M'sleu Lovett want to talk wit' you," the metis Informed. "Over at liees cabane." "What does he want to see me about?" "I dono. Ho Jus' say It Is eem-portant eem-portant bcezness." Craig Rlanced out Into the purpling pur-pling twilight of half-past nine at the dark river and tho dark fringe of woods across Resurrection. To I realize that tin? Held Iti yours. 1 Intend to close out my Dynamite May nffulrs to tho best advantage I can, und return to Chicago." "Where docs my pitchblende lake L flt Into this picture?" Crulg inquired. in-quired. "I've got to tako back something to show for, the time and money I've spent on this venture. Except for the Kessler hill block, the claims I own now are not very striking exhibit. Your radium property prop-erty would be. That's why I want to buy It." Puzzled as to what Warren's game was, Craig decided to probe a bit and And out. "How much are you offering for the lode?" "How much are you asking?" "Two hundred and fifty thousand," thou-sand," Craig said coolly. "That's a steep price," Waiuen objected. "That's a quarter of a million." ItlU'lTK XV Continued I is I I, v .u only through his alert eyed cut u'btty ai a scientist tluit he him-se'.f. him-se'.f. on a field trip List summer, had sustv'W the secret of the Like. A'..:';; ll'.e Litutwdsh ha had noticed V'Hch.b'.eiide stains In tlie frost-fractured rock. and he had also observed tint they were more numerous nu-merous and pronounced at the water wa-ter t-.ii- th.m farther back. Taking I.ls cue from that, he had waded out kuec -deep, grubbed under tho water, mucked away Die silt, and turned up a half inch sheet of the tiac.ii ore. On out, as far as he cou'.d wade, the deposit was two l When DeCarle came In, a few minutes, later. Warren told him about the radium rumor. "IV you believe there's anything to tills?" he asked the geologist. Tossibly," DoCurlo said. "All the pitchblende occurrences that I've personally examined here have been merely stains or extremely thin laminations with so steep a strike in the hard-rock that mining would be unprofitable; but It's certain cer-tain that there are richer concentrations concen-trations " "Omit the technical details. Tell me. yes or no could Tarlton have I found a radium property that he can raise quick money on?" "Yes." go over there would be like walking Into a lion den; and Just now, when tho welfare of 300 men was bound up with his own personal safety, ha was taking no chances. Wherever ho went, Toleon and Sam Honeywell Honey-well walked besida him; and they carried rides. Ho said to the Chlwaughlmi, "Go back and tell M'sleu Lovett that If he wants to see me he'll have to come over here." When tho metis was gone, Craig turned again to his list of mining companies, trying to remember something about their head men and flnure out his best prospects. Ho had decided to get out to the "It's hardly an eighth of what the lodo Is worth. D'you call that a steep price?" "Well, no, not exactly," Warren admitted. "Parkes and old Wellington Welling-ton would never go that high on a single claims-block. But I can make up the difference, I suppose, out of my own money. The lode's worth It All right, I'll pay you two hundred hun-dred and fifty thousand." Craig was astonished. Ho had demanded a quarter-million merely to call Warren's bluff, and Warren was taking him upl "I'll pay you In cash, of course," Warren added. "No notes or time payment." This offer of spot cash astonished inches thick. Those were the samples which he had carried In his pack and which had ruined his photograph films . . . After he and Toleon had eaten d.nner. they took their hand drill, shovels and half a case cf dynamite, dyna-mite, and hurried cut toward the centec vt the lake. A s'.i:T cold wind was b'.ow.ni down rom the Arctic ocean, but the apple-green sky was cloudless, the sun hot; and high overhead a we.!.c.e of blue geese, earl. est cf the migrants, were wing-In wing-In S north toward their rookery trounds in P.i:li:i Land. Thev came tJ the little area. In "That's what I wanted to know. Suppose you go over to his place and see If you can find out anything any-thing from him. I'd go myself, but you're on better terms with him than I am, and you're a geologist He may talk about It with you. He's evidently not trying to keep the thing a secret; all those men over there seem to know about It. If he's really got a rich strike, I'll well. I'll have to stop him." "All right I'll find out what 1 can." DeCarle agreed, and left. He was gone a full hour and a half. He came back excited, bang Ing the door shut and bursting out: city country as swiftly as he could, take his data straight to company presidents and directors, and sell his radium lake outright, at a sacrifice sacri-fice figure a hundred thousand, if he could get that much. The personal loss of nearly $2,000,000 meant little to him. The thing that mattered was to save this field for the men and to drive ahead with his far-reaching program. pro-gram. Someone knocked at the office door. Craig turned, saw Warren Lovett there. "Come In, Warren," he bade, ' placing a chair for his visitor. Warren sat down, laid his hat on i the desk. "DeCarle told me about Craig still more. He knew perfectly per-fectly well that there was a trap for him somewhere In this proffer; that Warren was planning to doublecross him somewhere along the line. Though the man was Indeed frantic to get back to Chicago, he was also grimly determined to take the Resurrection Res-urrection field and Patricia along with him. But this spot cash offer-he offer-he seemed to mean business therel "Where and how would the money be paid, Warren?" "Anywhere and anyhow you like. You can write your own ticket." To see just how far Warren would go, Craig made an almost Impossible Impossi-ble demand. "You'd have to pay me beforehand. The money would the exact middle of the lake, which they had r.ct yet prospected. In thj center of the area Craii selected a s-f'ot for pit No. 03. They p. eked up their shovels and began scoon.ng away the snow over a space 13 feet s.juare. It took f.c:r an hour to lay the Ice bare, role or. fetched the drill and oiled it. T.ik.ng turn about, one ct them steadied the wobbly contraption v.r..!e the ether spun the bis rapy heel. After tr.ng down five feet into the ice. they pulled the drill cut. prepared two dynamite cartridges, car-tridges, l. werei them Into the hole with a str.ng. and then tramped cut acrcfS the sne.v to a safe distance. "Good Lord, has Tarlton got a t radium deposit! Did he locato a concentration! He didn't try to keep anything back from me he's got the lode staked, filed, sewed up airtight air-tight He even allowed me to look ins specimens over and see his plot of the lake; and we talked about the geology of the lode for a whole hour'." As Warren listened to DeCarie's description of the radium find, his self - control completely deserted him. His face turned gray, his hands twitched. Fumbling for a cigarette, fumbling for a match to light it he sat down heavily at his desk, starir.g at the geologist have to be In the bank, in my name and without restriction, before I'd sign any papers to that lake." "That's a pretty harsh stipulation. I'd have to take your word that you'd sign. But yes, I'll agree to it" "HmmphI You seem willing to agree to Just about anything." "Anything within reason, yes. I'm getting a bargain. And so are you." Craig thought a moment. There was no question but that Warren stood ready to deposit the quarter- t : - ' - -' The cxr i-n l-.'ted C. ud of K-e and ti; chunks h.h in the air. When the c'.cid hnd setf.ei. they t-J.!::-:d t.ick. shoveled cut the loose debris. a:.d dr. lied en down to the l.i k- ted. Cra. dT-:ri in f.-ur sticks that ti.-r.e. "To make a gord Jcb of it" he remarked, locking at his calloused cal-loused and t'.is'.ercd hands. "We can snare dynamite better than our strength. Let's clear away. Tnis Ij'c Tng to te a bis pufT." When t-.cv came back, after the t-" -'-A--? e'xT-'.csU. Crai? stepped up cn the edge cf the lifde crater . -H l-.-ked do-An at the bottom. In the last fortnight, and especially espe-cially since Patricia had definitely refused his "bargain" cf returning to Chicago with him, he had built up a careful plan as to what he was going to do if Tarlton did come back with a rich mine. But now, face to face with the necessity of using that plan, he hesitated. The scheme was a dangerous one, a criminal recourse. re-course. And besides. It might not work against Tarlton. DeCarie finished his account For a few moments neither man spoke. DeCarie reached for a cigarette, lit it held the match to Warren's. ' "Looks as though he's got us in a million In any bank and under any conditions that he specified. No crookedness possible there. Where, then, was the deadfall in this proposition? prop-osition? Craig pondered a long while. In spite of the unknown trap In this deal, Warren's proposition attracted him. He was convinced that Warren War-ren intended to deposit the money according to promise, under conditions condi-tions that ruled out trickery. If he dealt with Warren, he would have a quarter-million dollars in hand within a few days. Of that he was entirely sure. All this could mean but one thing Warren was going to trap him after the deal. 't "Maybe you will," Craig thought, "What's Tour Game, Warren?" T-ere it was. the foot-thick stratum cf black Fi:chV.er.dc. As at all the ether rr.id-l ike borings. ' Pe'.-on clambered into the pit. picked up several fragments, stuck '--rn into the specimen bag. -.Veil, dat's rummer seexty-five, Craig. W'cre we gonna put down cummer secx'.v-secx?" 1 Craig glanced again at the black-! black-! bottomed crater, glanced around tr lake at the dozens of other pits, what gocd would another pit do? He ! already had paS f scientific data, fcurd-eds of specimens from this pitchblende lense. If all that mass cf proof would not convince a mm- bad corner. Warren," he remarked. Warren wetted his dry lips. "Yes bad." he mumbled. He tried to fi-ht off the numbing shock and to think "These figures, these estimates esti-mates you've told me-are you sure about them? Dead sure?" "If anything." DeCarie said, "Tarlton has underestimated his discovery." Warren asked one last question. "What are his plans, his immediate plans, about the lode?" "I couldn't very well inquire, and he didn't say. We talked mostly about the scientific features of this deposit But I assume he's going Fdmonton or Winnipeg and your radium lode, Tarlton. I wasn't exactly glad to hear the news, of course, but I suppose I ought to congratulate you nevertheless." "That's kind of you. But what did you want to see me about?" "This lode," Warren answered, without hedging. "You're going to sell it, I assume, to raise money." Craig nodded. Warren drummed on the table. Finally: "Since you're going to sell anyway, I ' wonder whether you might consider negotiating with me. Ii you and I can work out a deal, it'll save you expense, time and trouble, my company being already on the ground." eying his poker-faced opponent. Whatever happened, however Warren War-ren might try to doublecross him, the fact remained that he himself was holding back a far better trap than Warren could possibly have. Before he and Poleon had returned to the Bay, he had deliberately built that trap, out of a fierce resolve that no legal trickery, no shrewd investment house or bargain-breaking company, was going to cheat him of his radium lode. "Suppose you go ahead, Warren," he suggested finally, "and deposit that quarter-million, on the terms we've sketched. If the thing looks all right to me then, I'll sign the lake over to you. If it doesn't I'll lr.g company I "Number sixty-six can go to hell! 'We're hitting for the Bay!" He turn-' turn-' bled the drill and shovels Into the ;pit unspeakably glad to get nd of them. "Come on! Let's be trave -' lr.g. We've got our lode. Our bat-! bat-! tie now is to raise money on it I Lup Chiwaughiml stepped into Warren's cabin late one afternoon. "Tarlton Is back," he announced. "Heem and dat Poleon." I Warren was writing a wireless to ,,.n TJnrkps about the federal lay his data before some mining company that has money." Warren got up and walked over to the window and stood looking out oblivious to DeCarie and to the slant beautiful sunshine outside. The crushing advantage ot money v-er; v-er; which he had used with heavy hand all that winter, had suddenly vanished. Tarlton was no longer nenniless, feeding those men on nrom ses fighting a defensive fight Sn sheer - nerve. Hrtoo had money nwe": or would have before Surprised, Craig looked at war-ren war-ren narrowly. "What's your game. Warren?" "There's no game, I assure you. This is purely a business proposition proposi-tion We can make a mutually advantageous ad-vantageous deal. You need money cash at once. I need your mine. I'll give you as good a price as you can get anywhere else, and maybe better." Craig shook his head. "Warren, I don't believe I care to deal with vo on anything. You're out for return your money." Warren stood up, reached out his hand. "I'll do it. You're making no mistake, Tarton " Craig cut him short. "Warren, don't imagine you're pulling any wool over my eyes. I know and you know that you've got a joker up your sleeve. Now listen" he laid his hand on Warren's arm "don't try to play that joker. Here and now I'm warning you don't! As you said, you're getting a bargain. A damned fine one. Be content with Investigation. He stopped short at Lupe's news. . . j "Over in de Den," Lupe added I "ovre's a lot of oxcited talk mong 'dose men. Dey say Tarlton has made a hiyu beeg radium strike. ! Warren's pencil dropped from his hand. "Hiyu beeg radium strike ;the words thoroughly jolted him. ;For wer-ks he had been deathly afraid that Tarlton would come tack from his secret trip with some rich lode in his pocket The follow 'was an uncanny geolog.st, with a 'miraculous nose for mineral and ihe knew this Resurrection territory that. If you deal square, so will I. But il you try anything shady, you're going to get the worst trimming trim-ming of your life. Let that be un-. derstood." Two days later, at noon, Craig received a wireless from the Win-nepeg Win-nepeg bank which he had named. The message stated that the quarter-million had been deposited there for him. (TO BE CONTINUED) n-J riivs He had gone out many aays. n secured a mine property o spec tacular value, and was' at ast m tacuiar v , withering of- l If mieht We'll battle it out LThosew'efTarlton'swordstohim thth s cabin on New Year's day. Talton had the might now sclf, not to take ia tQ January. And a wo hrBUC0Sehrdverreached-aia. at all. tie ther tal mistake which he ha see bUST sv sTt 'that he had ex-'"Md6 ex-'"Md6 th 7s Dynamite Bay affa.r Pected' ! !S,t . dangerous gam- vourself, first, last and always; and sometimes you deal from the bottom bot-tom of the deck." Warren's cheekbones reddened, but he made no reply to the thrust. "Tarlton," he said presently, "you're quite right in thinking that I'm out for myself in this proposition proposi-tion I am, and I'll explain why. I've got to get back to Chicago. There's a federal investigation on, down there; it's getting ugly; and nobody except myself can handle it Besides, Parkes is edging me out of the firm and I've got to fight him. U I stay here in the Arctic any longer, I'm going to lose the position posi-tion that I worked 12 years to attain." at-tain." , 3 .. TT- like an open book, i If he did have a radium strike, !he'd sell to these Vanguard peop e or some other concern; he d hold the men together; he'd have this whole field in his power Ana Patricia would stay on, working tiirmWn.nV. swift things ,e ordered Lupe". "Go down to De trie's cabin and a,k h.m to step ip here. Then you get back across o that community house and I scout .round and pick up any information ou can." Lt : ruinous consequences to Smself personally if he 0 t DeCarie s voice thoughts. . d about J'aen' Vou'vVgot t0 do this, V.arren. d quick." somCthinng'tuarncd r"m the window. Warren turm-u Craig's interest piciceu uH. knev that Warren was talking honestly, hon-estly, so far at least, for Patricia had told Poleon about Parkes and the investigation. "I've been hanging on and on "here " Warren continued, "in hope that' these men would break. But hey didn't, rnd now you're back with a valuable property, and-well, |