The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1920-07-30
MacFirth of the
Mounted Police
By n. LOUIS RAYBoLD


crossed TO the door with decisive step /
and closed It behind him. Outside In
the crisp northern air he drew deep |
breath, partly Of relief that what he /
had so long dreaded had Mt last come. |
partly Of resolution TO put through the |
Job as oxpedltiously rs possible. Yet
its successful accomplishment would |
mean, presumably, the downfall Of his
hopes.
For the chief had sent him after
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
60 cast acqulsitive glances at JEANNE
Bruce, the factors daughter. whom
Alan had loved ever since a. pig
tailed youngster she had come TO the
post. And post gossip said that Jean
reciprocated.
Now TO say goodby 20 JEANNE. lie
strobe over TO the factor's dwelling. the
most pretentious Of the little group of
white-painted buildings. and raped
sharply on the door. A moment later.
admitted by Margot, Brucc's dusl,y
hnlfbreed housckeeper who regarded
him with the inscrutable look OF her
kind. he entered uhc long living room
with It's sparse yet homellke furnish.
ings.
His entrance startled n slim figure
from the depths Of n huge chair As
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 ns he gripped
tightly the two hands she held out to
him MncFirth cursed inwardly. Jean.
ME crying over that worthless scamp
Of Brandon
"Jcannlc. I've come TO say goodby,
Tho chief"
II know" interrupted the girl, you're
out after Jim Brandon. and | know
what you have been told. know the
chief. lie always says, Get him, dead
or alive. on. Alan. for my sake"
she lifted besceching eyes. "For my
sake, Alan. bring him back nllyc"
So the rumor OF the post WIS true.
Jean cared. Mact'irth swallowed hard.
Docs Il mean as much TO you as all
tKat1" he asked gently.
"tt means-more than you know"
she returned 10 sincerely and earnestly
that Alan choked back the words OF
love struggling for utternncc,
'I1l do my best. jean" he said sim.
ply. and presently after phrase Of
conventional farewell set out ON his
long and lonely mission.
Had he known that despite his 81
forts at conccalmcnt, the girl had rend
IN his eyes his love for her, he might
have found In the fact a trinc OF con-
ISOLATION. lie had heard the words she
murmured when he had left her stand
ing. wistful. on the threshold, Heaven
send that Margot II rlghtl' he would
have had cause for wondering,
Many weeks later, Ia an odorous
igloo not very far from the frozen are
tic rim. MacFirth found Brandon. rec
ognlzabl6 In spite OF his Eskimo
clothes, his growth OF beard and the
raynges OF sickness And Brandon
who had seen from the opening OF the
igloo the ploddlng train OF sledge dogs
knew that his day OF reckoning had
come.
For In that vast country, with ~
frozen wastes and snow-bOund horizon
white men respect two thlngs-famln,
and the Northwest Mounted Police,
In the monotonous days which FOL
lowed temptation lay heavily on Mae
Firth to let Brandon die. In the lionel,
nights In camp on the way 10 the pos
be fought ten thousand little deyll'
which urged him on TO negative
course OF actlon-merely not Ia tigh
the fever, not 10 give the medicine
not 90 prepare the nonrishing broth.
But he did not yield. The chief Nigh
be satisfied with Brandon dead-JeaI
would not.
Meanwhile at the post JEANNE pom
dered the Whereabouts OF the two men
one OF whom she knew loved her, Sh'
worried also concerning her father
John Bruce was losing furs for IN,
company. For several seasons TN
value OF the peits had been decreasing
Yet the independent traders were do
ing better THAI ever. Someone ha'
been waylaylng the Indians on thel
return from their winters trapplnl
and briblng them 90 turn over the mos
valuable skins. For his thieyery-an,
II was little else-her father would b.
held responsible.
Came a mild day when Jeannie iaee'
up her walking boots and took he
troubles into the open air. After
lengthy tramp she decided, like a tru'
daughter OF the Wilderness, on a shor
cut home. and thereby made her dis
cOyery.
While forcing her way through al
almost impenetrable growth OF under
brush bordering a muskeg swamp sh
stumbled over a plank. Surprised, sh
stopped to investigate, and found tina
the plank was part OF flooring whlc
concealed dugout OF some sort
Curlously she prled at board unit
Il ,ooseled, and kneeling she gaze
into the gloomy depths within.
cache OF furs Evidently cured an
hastily hidden away. Wait Some
~ Nantng