The Clio messenger., 1920-07-29

MacFirth of the
Mounted Police
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

The words were crisp, final
Alan MacFirth saluted his chief,
crossed TO the door with decisive step
and closed 1t behind him. Outside In
the crisp northern air he drew deep
breath, partly of relief that what he
had so long dreaded had at last come,
partly of resolution to put through the
job as expeditiously as possible. Yet
its successful accomplishment would
mean, presumably, the downfall of his
hopes.
Brandon, and Brandon, in spite Of the
fact that he had skipped with provin-
cial funds and was in hiding some
where north Of the circle, had chosen
to cast acquisitive glances at Jeannie
Bruce, the factors daughter, whom
Alan had loved ever since as pig
tailed youngster she had come to the
post. And post gossip said that Jean
reciprocated.
Now TO say goodby to JEANNE. He
strode over to the factors dwelling, the
most pretentious of the little group of
white-painted buildings, and raped
sharply on the door. A moment later,
admitted by Margot, Bruce's dusky
halfbreed housekeeper, who regarded
him with the inscrutable look of her
kind, he entered the long living room
with its sparse yet homelike furnish
ings.
His entrance startled q slim figure
nf nIoi AC
she rose to meet him Alan saw that
Jean had been crying. Evidently she
had heard that he was to be put on
Brandon's trail. Even as he gripped
tightly the two hands she held out to
him MacFirth cursed inwardly. Jean
ME crying over that worthless. scamp
Of Brandon!
"Jeannie, I've come to say goodby,
The chief"
81 know" interrupted the girl, you're
out after Jim Brandon, and l know
what you have been told. l know the
chief. He always says, Get him, dead
or alive Oh, Alan, for my sake"
she lifted beseeching eyes. "For my
sake, Alan, bring him back alive"
So the rumor of the post was true.
Jean cared. MacFirth swallowed hard.
"Does 1t mean as much to you as all
that?" he asked gently.
1T means-more than you know"
she returned so sincerely and earnestly
that Alan choked back the words of
love struggling for utterance.
"Ill do my best, JEAN" he said sim
ply, and presently after a phrase of
conventional farewell set out on his
long and lonely mission.
Had he known that, despite his ef-
forts at concealment, the girl had read
in his eyes his love for her, he might
have found In the fact a trife of con-
ISOLATION. He had heard the words she
murmured when he had left her stand
ing, wistful, on the threshold, Heaven
send that Margot is right!' Ire would
have had cause for wondering.
Many weeks later, In an odorous
igloo not very far from the frozen arc
tic rim, MacFirth found Brandon, rec
ogniZable in spite Of his Eskimo
clothes, his growth of beard and the
ravages of sickness. And Brandon,
who had seen from the opening of the
igloo the plodding train of sledge dogs,
knew that his day of reckoning had
come.
For I'm that vast country, with its
frozen wastes and snow-bound horizon,
white men respect two things-famine
and the Northwest Mounted Police.
In the monotonous days which fol-
lowed temptation lay heavily on Mac
Firth to let Brandon die. In the lonely
nights in camp on the way to the post
he fought ten thousand little devils
which urged him on to a negative
course of action-merely not to fight
the fever, not to give the medicine,
not to prepare the nourishing broth.
But he did not yield. The chief might
be satisfied with Brandon dead-Jean
would not.
Meanwhile at the post JEANNE pom
dered the Whereabouts of the two men,
one of whom she knew loved her. She
worried also concerning her father.
John Bruce was losing furs for the
company. For several seasons the
value of the pelts had been decreasing.
Yet the independent traders were do
ing better than ever. Someone had
been waylaying the Indians on their
return from their winters trapping
and bribing them to turn over the most
valuable skins. For his thievery-and
IL was little else-her father would be
held responsible.
Came mild day when JEANNE laced
up her walking boots and took her
troubles into the open air. After a
lengthy tramp she decided, like true
daughter of the wilderness, on short
cut home, and thereby made her dis
covery.
While forcing her way through an
almost impenetrable growth of under
brush bordering muskeg swamp she
stumbled over a plank. Surprised, she
stopped TO investigate. and found that
a. -, lt..IN