The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-04-03

Il
consist OF a composition. tho exact
nature of which tho government
has never seen III 20 disclose. This
much In known. however. that one
OF tho elements In this compost
ton was n rare metal. obtained aH
n byproduct IN the refining OF
pitchblende 10 secure radium. THIS
center, with its thin coating OF gold,
made n coin 40 difficult OF detec'
ton that large amounts had gained
circulation before they were de-
tected.
ON the sixth day Of July. Chief
HIKE OF the United States secret
service called IN all his operatives
who we're working on the cas-. ana
distributed them within n certain
distance OF each other In a double
line across tho center OF the United
States from coast TO coast. One
section OF this limo had orders TO
move steadily south. tho other
north.
Alan Jensen wa. unit In the
Inc I'll hfffff EtfNAtF festt@t
tho country toward the north.
Journoying thru northern Yer
mont, Jensen had stopped one
night IN an Isolated camp OF
French. Canadian charcoal burners.
Here he found another stranger. III
and delirloua. being cared Tor by
these men: they declared the sick
man had stumbled into the hut one
evening n week previous. had
thrown gold coins right and left
and strifentiy demanded that they
produce that bundl. OF furs for
tho bank and let him be on bis
way" There was also more bah
bling nonsense tho charcoal burn
ers did no, understand and did not
remember
knowing that banks DO not or.
dinarily deal In furs. Jensen asked
10 soc some OF the gold coins tossed
about by the sick man in his de-
lirium. Splitting n coin with an
axe, Jensen discovered tho interior
10 consist % base white metal
This could mean much. or moth
Ing. as Jensen realized. The sick
man might be only an homes, fur
trader, innoeontly having some OF
tho counterfeit coin in his posses
sion. Yet II offered lead worth
following. and Jensen volunteered
10 ait up with III. sick man thru
tho night. hoping something def.
nito Nigh, DO picccd together from
hIs rawlings.
II was n strange mixture OF sense
and nonsense that Jensen listened
TO thru the long night Toward
morning tho man appeared TO be.
come more rational. and Jensen
thought he gathered that his name
was Tom Sprinrvale. that he was
on his way TO Lake Lncann, Que
bee. where he would strike Trail
No. NJ tho head OF the lake. a,
tho Yellow portage: bu; must keep
carefully clear Of Trail No. ?: must
obtain tho package nj the Little
Baboa camp and must return to New
York without delay" These seemed
TO be instructions tho sick man bad
received. AZ times he referred TO
Trail No. i" a. Dead Mans
Trail
Jensen remembered Tom
sprnGvais who had played quarter.
back on the eleven ~ Harvard.
but that chap was . senior while
Jensen was . freshman. and he had
known him but slightly. Illness
and q beard had 20 altered this
mana features that be could no,
say whether Z; was the same
spr'ngvaie or not He seemed to
remember that the sprinKvalc he
had known became an engineer OF
some kind
This man had an odd. iivid scar
running diagonaily from his right
temple TO the ies; side OF his mouth.
"a n from sabre cut or some
thing OF tina, sort. Tho Springvale
Jensen remembered had no such
scnr ns this on bis face during HIS
college days.
Al dawnbresk. springvale died.
There was absolutely nothing In
tho travellers pack 10 identify him
further. But an Jensen happened
TO glance beneath the bunk where
the stranger had died his eye was
caught by a bit Of white paper.
Picking this NJ. he read:
You win Immediately proceed 20
the camp on the Little Bahos. as per
previous Instructions. and await .
messenger from the North. This
note will Identify yeu.
Jensen hurried TO the neares,
city. Burlington. and got into tele-
phonic communication with his
chief.
Chief HIKE was rather skcpu.
cal; he didn't think IL promised
much. The man was probably
Hudson's Bay company messenger.
Sun. ia tho present absolutely
blank status OF the case. anything
in tho slightest degree significant
was a lead. and the chief. knowing
that Jensen had spent many vaca.
tons In tho North woods and could
easily handle himself under the
conditions he would meet there. or.
dered him 20 find tho trail to the
little Babos camp. and follow II
up.
CHAPTER N