Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-04-29

% luey got ului. toOf uOuueu La
famine chin on chest.
-It's no good. 4 tell you" whined
Antoine, his voice vibrant with panic.
''That makes nine-nine who have
gone out. It'll be our turn next. To-
night / leave for the Rouge"
The hard eyes Of the trader, lined
by worry and red from drink. lit with
contempt you've gone like the rest.
Why didn't you run AWAY with Rose
Want to desert sixty thousand dollars
worth OF fur. do your
The heavy features OF the other
filled with blood at the taunt He
leaned and struck the table with his
fist, overturning the bottles.
soft, am III be snarled. because
Il leave this hell before they close in
and take us-hang US from the rafters
here or cut our threats. you call me
soft / tell you we're donei They
caught Pierre and the whole valleys
after u.s. They're out there now, walt
Ing" He pointed a shaking finger to-
ward the forest. at may be tonight
they come"
Ruined by the mystery-the menace
Of the inscrutable forest from which
no man returned, which for weeks had
ringed the post. sapping the nerve Of
his people until they fed In the night,
Laflamme sat, numb with despair.
Slowly the whisky from the overturned
bottle dripped to the floor. Then he
said: 'That tale Tete-Boule brought
from down-river was true. The men
we sent to the Jackfsh to stop him
lied"
Antoine nodded
"Steele got through and came back
on the snow" continued the trader.
1.-THE police are not In this. They'd
come straight here"
.sThis Steele caught Pierre himself"
added the other "When the Indians
learned how we had fooled them, they
took the trail. The whole valley was
ours-until he got the Windigo." Sud
denly the speaker faced the door, lis
tening. whats that7"
AS the two watched the door APP
prehenslvely, It opened to admit
half,breed with drink-sodden face.
What you eat tonight. m'sleu7-
The dull eyes of the cook shifted I'M
easily from Antoine TO his chief
"You here still. Philippe?" sneered
Lafamme. Il thought you and Jean
would hit the Rouge river trail when
it got dark. All the rats have left"
They'll hang on while the whisky
lasts, muttered Antoine.
you find Tete- Boule9" The face
Of the cook, mottled-gray in the half
light. turned to the man who had gone
out that morning on the trail over
which none had returned.
"He found him-with his tongue
out" Lafamme laughed bitterly.
You'd make a pretty picture. Phil
lppe, hanging from that hook, with
your throat cut. You'd bleed straight |
Scotch you've lived on IL for months"
The stark terror In the eyes Of the /
lalf-breed seemed to appease his chief.
who went on: wen have bacon and |
1Otatoes-if they give us time to eat
hem. Bring that Jug"
The jug was placed on the table be-
ween the two men, and the cook, NUT
-erlng incoherently, shuffied to the
loor.
Two left, out Of the lot; and they
tay for the whiskyl" commented La
Iamme, filling a glass and showing the
ug across the table Ny friend. I'll
rive you a toast he added, as the
Antoine gulped down
lie drink. May that id American
OF I'm HI r.
Lafiamme's glass was at his lips
when a chorus Of bowls rose from the
Tearing.
The startled eyes Of the men met
cross the table. What's that7r de-
handed the trader, slowly lowering his
lass, untouched.
1.-THE dogs-hear something-out
herel :" The hoarse voice OF the other
as he went to the door.
From the murk, the 7whimpering Of
be awed huskies reached the strain
lg ears OF the two at the door. who
TODD, nerves strung with suspense
ne thought In their brains. !
Then from the invisible forest be-
ond rose a understandable blood
reezing, the voice Of no clawed crea-
ire Of the night-to die away, into
Hence.
'sThey have come 7" warned Antoine, I
.izIng the arm Of his chief
Quick Harness the dogs while ! |
e the fur and the grubis was the
w answer. !
The nerve Of Lafamme had snapped I
Racing desperately against the clos
e in Of a ring Of ruthless foes. An
ine caught and harnessed the dogs
{ the trade-h0use door. grub-bag.
hes, and the precious pack Of black :
* were thrown on the sled The
hip cracked at the head OF the lead
"a. siarche, Peter rasped the
and the team plunged into 1
Iefr collars az a gallop. Then the D
fee OF a d0g-drfver ont on the lake I
al drifted back through the thick d
ght. q
'@rhere 80 the last Of the ratsi" NUT D