, 1923-01-30

ffoScr tod n story OF the poisoned
dogs.
Where did the trial lead for you,
m'sisu?' asked the chief.
I was making for North Star
Lodge in the first instance"
You ever know Missi GarErave's
father7"
Nor answered the policeman.
He was dead before l came SO far
north. I understand that he was
caught In the ice in the Yukon and
lost. The bottom dropped out of tbs
trial or something"
Him die, out" WIS the reply. "I
tnk It was not good 70 way GargravA
die. SonT'
BraeknslI recalled nothing about
the d~tsappsarance of the Northland
millionaire which indicated that his
death had been due to anything but
an accident. AZ he remembered the
story. the river-Ice on which Mr.. Gar
grave and his party he'd been travel.
Ing had suddenly turned rotten in
Northland phrase. ''the bottom had
dropped out OF the trIalP' and all had
been drowned. except an Indian who
a managed to crawl out and later
in the day reached an Indian lodge
there, after telling the story OF the
disaster, to die of cold and exhaustion.
Tho police. hearing OF the event
months hfterword. had seen no rea.
son for investigation.
Suddenly the half-breed leaned for.
word n q abruptly
70 bottom nevaire drop out of re
trail under Rolf GarErave!'
MOP" The oorporal's voice was
eager.
TT was blown out! I veel the I'M
fold" said Louis. -Four winters
back dere come to my tepee n white
man who was not used to re ways OF
20 North. with him vas another
mans who had ze coughinE -sickness,
and die vaire shortly. 70 first white
mans want WI men to so on trail
with him to re North. I ask him what
for he go North before re spring?
And he say he go to find Rolf Gar
grace, whom he would talk with on
business of Importance.
II send two men of re tribe with
him. good men, who know re ways
Of re trail as none other, but dey are
gone n vaire long time. an 20 river
It Is free from ice, when dey return.
It is many days dey travel with re
stranger mans whom ! know not,
an dey r Oh the trail of GarErave
all re time. Dey hav' word one day
dat no IN but one camp ahead Of dem,
an dey push the dogs, an soon dey
pass Gnrgrave's camp"
pass it7'' cried the corporal.
'Oui! Dey push on five mile, an
pitch camp, an re stranger mans say
no walt for Gargrave dere. Dey sleep
NJ hour, I'VE hours. tree-I know
not. e Paslik an Sibou dey WAKE
suddenly. an dere Ia 20 roll of thun.
der in their ears. Dey listen in won.
der and again dey hear 1t. a crash!
"Dey look about. Re white mans
sleeping bag it is empty. Dey walt
a long time. an presently. Ze stranger
mans he return. He hav' on 70
Journey. He tell Pas.ik an Sibou
dat he not sleep, dat he hav' %
for a little walk to help him. But he
10 HaIre tired, an dere IL a strange
look on his face. and Paslik no whis-
per to Sfbou dat the stranger mar
hav' beeR a long journey.
IAN next day, dey walt for re
coming OF Gargrave, but he come not
and Paslik he see dat after a time 70
mani look not toward ze river trarl
an dat dare Is a pleased look on his
face, a look as Of who has his
desire given unto him. Ze next morn
ing. they strike camp an 20 stranger
mans he say dey go back and look
for Gargravo. Tree miles down re
trail dey find the ice haV' been broken
in. II hnv' frozen over again. but
70 nov about have melt an frozen
in with re ice. an It Is rotten. Also
dere m great chunks of ice thrown
far out over ze snow. which Is a
strange thing.
"Dey reach 70 camp Of GarEravs
dat dey pass on &c way, He is not
ders an re camp is remove. Re
white mans he look. an he laugh, but
1t was re laugh of a man who Is not
disappointed, you understand.
1--WE hav' missed him. he say.
We return to Dawson
80 Paslik an Sibou, Coy go to
Dawson with him. an derS dey hear
that Gargreve is lost. because of 20
bottom dropping from 70 traIl an
casting MN IN ne river. One mans
he have crawled out. he tell 70 tale
an die. An PaslIk an Sibou say
nothing, an re stranger mar he
give them his dogs an sled an stores
and leave Dawson, and presently
when 70 river lie open doy come back.
and whisper to me the tale of their
wandsrings. and I say &c river It not
fall in, but It Is blown out"
The half breed broke off and passed
from the tepee. After a few minutes
he returned bringing with him four
cakes Of dynamite.
Re stranger mans he caves this
IN re stores dat he give Paslik an
Sibou." said Chief Louis. "Remem.
boring re thunder which Paslik an
SIbou hear In their sleep. I say 70
trail II vas blown up, an not fall In"
A dark thought shot in the cor
poral's mind. -Four winters ago this
had happened, and In that year Dick
had fed from England. Rolf Gar
graves death might be conceived to
serve the interests Of his sonIn.law.
and Rolf darsrave had been muir.