Show caught CUU AIM g in the wild by robert ames bennet demce copyright Copy riehl by robert obert ames bannet ben CHAPTER vm VIII continued while mr Ra camills mills slight fever remained he said little and seemed to take everything as asa a matter of course he had fully recovered from the effects of shock even before the fifth day when the bullet wound through his upper chest began to heal but with the passing of his feverish condition the irritability tabi lity of convalescence jabbed shim him out of his placid contentment why are you loafing around here wasting garth he rasped instead of wasting all this time piling up food you could have made a canoe and run us down across to that re fueling post days ago S garth swept his right hand edgewise out across his empty left palm no gun no hides dead birch no bark no hides no bark no canoe hug do you expect to say well have to stick here and freeze in your d d arctic winter growl away sir garth approved sounds good it means soon be in shape for rafting As for your question perhaps you imagine miss camill and I 1 have been heaving that down Air timber riber over the bank just for sport the millionaire staggered to his feet unaided for the first time since huby had shot him down A raft how the devil can you make one if you cant make a canoe no rope or rawhide thongs thong s to tie the logs together garth supported him over through the spruce thicket to the drop off of the bank the wobbly invalid squatted on the brink and j stared in surprise down the I 1 i beach close beside the water his daughter sat plaiting a great pile I 1 of willow withes into a thick line 1 before her floated a partly built raft of dead birch tree trunks the shorter smaller cross logs were lashed on with spruce loot and plaited willow tie lines mr camills Ra mills gaze passed over the raft to peer out across the immense lake like expanse of the great river the water was covered with whitecaps white caps whipped up by the chill northerly wind raft ugh its worse worse out there than the white water when 1 we shot those rapids t therell be plenty of free bathing t for us but no danger of drowning garth replied only trouble this wind would blow us upstream well have to wait for a shift T the he only other chance is lahat that one of the boats may be coming ng out boats the supply steamers of the hudsons Hud sons bay company and other traders taking out the seasons cargoes of furs the millionaire grunted his relief ugh steamers almost good as a plane if one comes along and if we see it in time garth qualified you are arc rather farsighted you might watch for smoke er 11 ill do that D n your diddling with any raft ten to one youve already let every steamer slip past all this time with your nose rubbing those d d logs garth went down to tell lilith that her father was by way of being a well man he sent her to nove move the camp to a small opening 0 the thicket close behind the if fuel for a bonfire had thready been heaped up on the leach each abut but garth did not count strong yon sighting any steamer the wats loats might have lingered at the araway ar rr away arctic trading posts clay meant danger of an early Il liz izzard zard he rushed his work on he raft when dusk came lilith yent ent on watch in place of her faher faber garth relieved her at mid ight lahl but neither of them saw ny light out on the vast expanse of ghostly gleaming whitecaps white caps by another sunset garth had the raft completed to his satisfaction he had built a superstructure that raised the footing we well ll 11 above the waterline rails guarded against the risk of squall waves washing the still weak millionaire overboard for sweeps garth lashed the paddles to poles polca made of spruce saplings he rigged other saplings for mast and yardarm ready to hoist the blanket as a sail in case of a favorable change in the wind shift or calm well put off at sunrise he announced though mr camill grumbled he ate his fill of broiled whitefish and rolled up for the night to fall into the healthy heavy sleep of a convalescent lilith again took the first watch in the midst of his first sleep garth opened his eyes with the instant alert wakeful wakefulness nes of a hunter the girls hand was on his forehead yes he asked 1 I im not sure she murmured the wind has gone down it looks like a star but its so low on the water I 1 thought id better call you he rolled from the bed of tips and dry moss A single gl glance ance down river was enough he jumped to light the prepared bundle of brush at the smudge firc and leap with it down the bank As the heap of fuel on the beach burst into flame he heard the girls gasping murmur close behind his shoulder it cant be a mistake youre certain certain that its really A steamer he replied but what if if they dont see us its night darker the better if no fog they cant miss seeing this fire assured of rescue she sighed her relief with that womanlike woman like her feminine vanity came suddenly to life oh but to go among people like this such a sight garth turned to eye her in the glare of the up flaring fire he looked at her woin moccasins and leggins at the crude skirt of moose calf skin and the tattered upper part of the sports dress he looked at her dope smeared face and at the tight pigtails pintails pig tails of the semi bobbed hair that had once been so frozen in that modish permanent wave his gray eyes twinkled in the firelight well id say youre less a than when I 1 first met you her eyes did not twinkle they lashed clashed not have much longer to insult me 1 I may if you dont fetch the blanket he said A fire on the shore means nothing of itself just an indian camp john buck and his squaw well have to signal the word sent her bounding up the bank she came flying back with the blanket garth ordered her to hold one corner comer he took another they stood in front of the fire with the big blanket stretched between them mr ra mill called irritably from the top 0 of f the bank what did they mean wakening him and taking away his bedding lilith cried out the glad news garth gave her a curt order to pay attention at his commands she began to stoop and rise in unison with him lowering the blanket to the sand and jerking i it up again in front of the fire at irregular intervals after some time he ordered a halt with the blanket on the ground he added an explanation exola nation those were dots and dashes weve given ven the SOS and my name they may not have made it out that light is nearer but it has not turned ready now well repeat he went through another series of long and short siftings lif tings of the blanket they again paused with the blanket down garth stepped out of the fire glow to peer over the water lilith followed above the long hung star another star flashed on and off across the silent glimmering flood of the river came the hoarse blasts blast of a steamers whistle muffled by distance yet unmistakable all right miss camill garth said s tell your maid to pack your luggage she asked in a low voice I 1 tried to play up Is it sporting of you to mock me her face was shadowed he could not see the look that went with the questions after a moment he answered soberly it is not and you have permit me to apologize Is that all what else he replied you are of course relieved and pleased to be rid of a man you so thoroughly hate you may rest assured I 1 will not intrude once youre aboard ship yes she murmured when dad and I 1 no longer have any need of you to tg 2 her father came staggering down the bank to thrust in between them 1 I say garth dont lie Is it true the steamer is putting in for us doubtful of a safe night landing at this unused beach the steamer captain lay offshore off shore and sent in a canoe garth steadied mr air camill into the at the same time lilith stepped in ahead of her father she repeated the maneuver when the two indian paddlers saddlers padd lers drove the canoe out alongside the little river steamer garth saw no more of the girl until after the steamer tied up at fort simpson the trading post at the mouth of the laird river taken into a stateroom by the wife of a missionary from fort norman she remained in complete seclusion cl her father kept almost equally close in the skippers own room the canny scot had welcomed the american millionaire to his bunk for a consideration the cabin was jammed with fur traders and fort norman oil field officials who were going outside for the winter garth messed and berthed forward with the crew he kept to his worn buckskins but a sleet squall ended the pest of flies and mosquitoes he was able to shave and cleanse his skin of dope yet enjoy the fresh air on the unscreened deck when the building topped bluff of fort simpson was sighted in the distance mr left the cabin and came forward though not yet fully recovered from his wound he walked with the springy step of a lean middle aged gentleman in healthy training after the snagged and stained leather suit the clothes loaned him by the skipper looked startlingly respectable the same was true of his bis clean shaven dope free skin he stopped before garth bland faced shrewd eyed ive just heard my boy that you think of stopping off at this post I 1 trust its not on account of any feeling against me or my daughter you cant blame her for a bit of resentment ashes a woman and you certainly put her through the mill As aa for myself I 1 called it quits when you pulled me out of the hole this last time what ayou say he tossed his half smoked cheap cigar outboard and held out his once flabby now firm muscled hand band garth gave it a hearty grip all accounts squared sir and no hard feelings against either cither of you miss camill proved herself far more plucky and sporting than could have been bee n expected I 1 wish you both bon voyage 11 but for you to be leaving the boat my boy theres no need of it I 1 can arrange for you to get into the cabin in fact id like the to talk over matters we might still get together on those terms you offered we might garth agreed but then his smile hardened that side of the matter will have to wait I 1 shall first settle with your friend buxby 11 the millionaire frowned dont call that murderous hound a friend of mine his shooting you is understandable my wounding was of course what he be claimed sheer accidental but for the scoundrel to abandon a helpless girl to starvation if he was to cowardly to dare her frenzied threats and forcibly take her and me with him in the canoe he could at least have had the plane come for us if you care for my guess garth said he was more interested in your daughter as an heiress than as a woman no guess about it A cold blooded rascal who would have murdered you for your claim ill run him down and make him pay in full for deserting lilith and me if it costs a million his punishment will cost you nothing mr camill he has been trapped by his own greed trapped before we came aboard word was received by radio that a man named buxby had recorded a platinum placer claim at fort smith that he had bought a large airplane and flown north with three miners mr camill looked his doubts ive heard nothing of it because I 1 thought best for you not to you do you mean to tell me that everyone on this steamer ste anter kept mum because you a mere prospector prospecto r the millionaire paused have I 1 been blind you are not a common prospector theres something about you in spite of your vagabonding vaga bonding about this north country garth said we are talking about buxby ive radioed for a northwest policeman to meet me at simpson with a plane th the e charges are robbery and assau assault it to murder radioed the skipper told me his transmitter was out of order by my request sir I 1 thought it as well to keep you out of the affair it is possible miss camill may have recovered from her resentment sent ment against him ill ask you to pardon my going to see if there are any more reports on movements though by no means curt the dismissal was abrupt mr camill stood pondering for several moments before he returned to ahe cabin and went to the door of the stateroom that the fort norman mission arys wife had shared with lilith to be continued |