| Show A f CHAPTER CHA PTER XI continued garth put his fingers to his lips for silence and held a fuse wrap pod ped stick of dynamite close to his match the miner let go g 0 o of his rifle and straightened upon his feet his hands high above his head the match flickered dropped the dynamite and darted forward lie he was none too quick the slight thud of the fallen rifle had wakened buxby As garth paused behind the corner of the leanto the engineer peered out with his pistol thrust forwald for fon waid vaid As garth jumped he struck with the butt of his boltax bolt belt ax it cracked down on wrist the engineers pistol dropped with a curse buxby grasped at the weapon but garth was quicker As he caught it up buxby clutched at his throat garth felled him with a tap of the ax butt on the temple wakened by the sudden fury the two miners in the leanto we were grasping at the pair of rifles on which buxby had lain garth whirled the pistol to cover them hands up and get out beside your mate he ordered we want vant only the murderer but bout well shoot you down like dogs if you interfere one of the pair jerked up his hands bands the other man hesitated the miner outside called warningly the me jigs up laney the other feller has got the drop on us too laney lifted his hands and stared out after his bedmate bed mate buxby was stagger staggering mg up still dazed from the blow that had felled him wild with desperate rage he struck out furiously garth sidestepped and thrust in a tripping foot the engineer pitched face down on the hard crusted snow before he could spring up again garth jumped upon his back the blow knocked him breathless it was then an easy matter to click constable dillons handcuffs on the wrists of the murderer stop that cursing or ill gag you garth said theres a lady present all right miss camill join us buxby fell silent to gape like the miners at the skin clad form that came forward out of the black shadows into the firelight the girl still carried the constables pistol raised ready to shoot hux by saw enough of her face in its border of wolverine fur to make certain garth had not been bantering him lilith you yes its me you cowardly sneak killer I 1 cama came after you with alan and he has let me catch you the murderer twisted around with his back to her and the bre are his head sagged forward with a sudden return of alertness lilien turned her gaze away trim frim his shadowed profile to watch the three lined up miners garth did not smile at the garlis gir is needless caution she had earned the right to think herself an invaluable helper he allowed her to stand guard while he gathered up the three rifles and unloaded them right o miss garth said sit down its all over tow row but the talking she lowered lover cd the pistol but drew back where she could watch HUK by a as well as the miners garth looked soberly at the men if you know kipling bear in mind that the female os 01 the species is more deadly than the anale I 1 dare say though you can safely venture to lower your you hands and st down doam with us 1 at the cleome welcome cl come permission the three three dro dropped their arms two of them at once squatted on a log laney lancy ai crad tor for a guily yues que tion before following suit Vh ats the play all we came for was ivas to arrest buxby help with the cabin plane and there will be no mention of any shooting other than his murder of the constable what wages did he promise you double the usual tole us he had to get in his assessment work before the freeze up the claim belongs to me garth replied 1 I will pay you the double wages ugh growled laney you outplayed the d n its a deal youre boss were working for you garth walked hack back into tile the blackness of the trees he returned with the flour sack pack bag his own and lilithe buckskin suits and a hindquarter of fat caribou meat at his invitation the men eagerly went at the frozen meat with an ax and put the big teapot full of snow on the fire lilith and garth had eaten before coming down from the igloo they sat back on a snowdrift and watched while the others devoured the tender broiled meat and gulped down cups of hot tea the flesh of the old she bear had been as tough as leather and her fat very rank buxby continued to sit in morose silence with his back to the fire the fe asters paid no heed to him after a time lilith began to stir uneasily at last she had to act she handed her pistol to garth and went to put a piece of meat on a spit when it was broiled she took a cup of tea to hamby he stared up at her as if dum fo foon ded then shook his head sullenly she put down the cup and plate beside him and returned to garth athis at ak his look of cool inquiry her eyes flashed with defiance 1 I dont care its not right to starve anyone he replied in a noncommittal tone youre a woman the murderer took up his cup of hot tea in his manacled mana cled hands and drank he began to eat cat the meat when daylight came garth ordered everyone out to the cabin plane the hard frozen slush ice gave solid footing over the bog it also gave a solid foundation out at the plane upon which were based the engineers lifting operations the ice had been chopped from around the floats and a crib built under the inner end of each wing by hoisting first on the outer end of one wing and then the other the cribs had been heightened until the floats were level with the top of the ice A glance inside the cabin showed shoved garth the body of constable dillon lying where he had left it laney explained with a jerk of a thumb to buxby he first says wed chuck the stiff under the ice then he says no to wait an heave it out when we was flying over the muskegs muskets mus kegs well wait still longer garth said that brave constable is going to receive an honorable burial now get to work with those sapling levers another pair of logs on the cribs will raise the floats high enough to roller her clear gaith showed the men how to skew the idlers for turning the plane he went to shove on the tall tail the plane started to curve aroun around d A shuck from lilith whirled garth face about buxby was rushing at him with an ax lifted high in his manacled mana cled hands lilith flew at the attacker as if frenzied she sought to block his charge he gave her his shoulder der with the skill of a football player it caught her on the chin and sent her spinning but the slight check allowed garth time for a leap in under the a before the blade could whirl down on his bead ITS his left fist appeared to punch deep into the pit of stomach his right drove up under the chin of the gasping murderer the uppercut lifted the killer off his feet and dropped him on his face clean knocked out with no more than a glance at his fallen attacker garth sprang to help lilithe dazed effort to sit up well 11 played he said not hurt are you N no T you he be shi she cried and burst into tears garth gave her a pat on the head and turned away embarrassed no wonder youre overcome its been too much for a 11 girl well hop out of here at once he lashed the unconscious killers ler s wrists to his belt tied his ankles together and climbed into the cockpit of the plane after replacing the breaker points lie he had the men take turns spinning the propeller he then tried the self starter the engine roared pulled by the whirling propeller the the plane slid forward off the log rollers after cutting the gun garth ordered two of the men to heave buxby into the cabin the third man he sent for the rifles 1 I want the one with which he shot constable villon but you may as well bring the others also a lot of that bear fat he himself went to pick up the still weeping girl and help her to the second seat in the cockpit he made sure of the supply of gasoline and climbed down again to see that the men gave the bottom of the floats a thorough greasing with the bear fat after that when all were aboard and the rifles in lilithe keeping he started the engine the plane at first moved slowly the floats dragged on the rough surface of the frozen slush but when they glided out on the streak of glare ice the friction became less than that of a water take takeoff off within a half mile the speed had so increased that an easy pull on the joystick sent the plane skimming up off the glassy surface garth banked in a long curve to the left listening to the roar of the warmed motor every cylinder was hitting sweet he made a wide spiral over the valley for elevation and drove out eastwards above a saddle in the jagged mountain barrier when clear of the valley he did not keep straight on across to the mackenzie he turned more to the south CHAPTER XH an squaw lilith the cross country flight brought the plane to the mackenzie at the p great reat bend below the laird but garth did not come down at fort simpson he flew on up the vast river to great slave lake and cast across the lake to fort resolution some time before sunset he set the cabin plane down at the landing of the al airways rw ays b base as e by th the e mouth of the slave river after handing lilith ashore he left her standing while he went to speak to the airways superintendent that courteous gentleman hastened d to tell the girl that his wife would be delighted if the daughter of mr air burton camill would honor their hospitality garth was not invited he turned away to meet the red coated sergeant of police for whom he had S sent ent lilith did not see him again until the next morning told by her hostess that mr garth wished to speak with her she made a hurried effort to adjust her borrowed dress though more stylish than the one loaned her by the fort norman mission arys wife it was not cut for her lithe figure she went hesitatingly into the room where garth waited alone for her sight of him in his caribou parka bi ought bought her to a startled halt her eyes widened oh still in your skin suit you youre go 90 ing back what difference does docs it make mak e to you ho he asked soon be in edmonton and civilization she stepped suddenly close to him her hands held out in appeal no I 1 alan take me back with you back there dont tell me you like that squaw life those days in the valley and the trip out must have been a ai h 1 I of torment to you dait rags mosquito dope flici stai starvation and now ice bitter cold anything anything just to be with you alan dear he put his arms about her he kissed her red lips and scarlet cheeks and tightly closed eyelids my girl he said you are am going with mie me wherever I 1 go get on oil your parka her arms were clasped tight about his neck she lingered a moment to return his bis kiss hiss then her blue eyes aglow she ran j to obey him when ane came hastening back in her eskimo costume she ventured an appeal cant I 1 have a comb and brush and and soap A alan I 1 an he looked soberly past her shoulder at the amused face of her hostess well yes I 1 dare say you can were going first to edmonton your father is there I 1 sent him a message that we are coming I 1 she plucked at the wolverine fringe of her parka hood you you cheat he took her into his arms regardless gard less of the lad lady Y my girl we are arc back in civilization we are first going to be properly married but these caribou suits best of flying costumes were taking a two seater the suits will come in handy again this winter vinter when I 1 teach mrs garth how to drive a do dog team until that its to be silks for my girl I 1 must first testify at the trial after that well hop over to victoria and take a steamer to japan for our honeymoon oh alan how how bow delightful but japan why I 1 never dreamt a prospector like you would care to travel in the orient so if if rather go back to the valley dear 2 her hostess could no longer keep silent prospector miss camill Is that all you know about mr air garth his father is one of the heads of the hudsons Hud sons bay company he himself is a member of our parliament a fellow of the royal geographical society a noted explorer P and the winner of the gamest camest girl I 1 ever knew garth cut in come on squaw lilith youve proved yourself a mate woman now youre going to be my lady wife THE END well if the present rate of federal spending keeps up our childrens children ought to be able to I 1 get jobs as tax collectors collector s anyhow |
