Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-04-22

Then, one morning, &C daylight. from
the thick scrub 0f the shore south
Of Ogoke. Two men looked long through
binoculars st the ehlmneys Of the
-blankefed cabins. and smiled
into each others nd-burned faces
when they saw that from more than
half there rose no smoke OF cooking
fres- OF the group OF fipis OF bush
Indians which had dotted the clearing
b October. but two now remained
1t was tbs furm OF the old 0lkbway
and two young Indians to stand guard
on the trail 20 the game country.
Michel and Steel were too far to the
south to overtake LafIamme's men. SO
they struck straight back to camp,
confident OF the outcome-for old Wa
gosh guarded the trail.
That morning, as the stars faded
and dawn broke blue and bitter over
the eastern ridges, an old man with
hate In his heart prayed for the COM
Eng OF one for whom he had waited
long. With hoods pulled over frost
bIackened faces from which r0se the
steaming columns of their breath, Wa
gosh and his two companions shufiied
back and forth ons their snowshoes,
beating their shoulders with mittened
hands. for the singing cold pierced
their caribou capotes.
1T may not be that he win come
today" said the old Indian In
his native tongue, but II a French
man, short, with legs that curve Ike
q bow, comes with others, they pass
and we follow. until they separate to
hunt Then you win take the others
while / follow him aIone-for he is
mine. Wagosh. the fox, viii know
what to do
The Indians nodded. They had
heard his story.
But this morning the watchers OF
the tran had not long to wait AS
the lifting sun altered through the
forest. stabbing the blue shadows with
iances OF light, Wag0sh suddenly
stopped the whispered conversation
with:
'Bisan shishl I"
Crouched 10 thickef Of young ar,
their guns stripped Of their skin cases.
the three stiffened, listening. Pres
emily to their stralning ears drifted
the faint click OF snOwshoes. Push |
ing aside some low branches the OJib-
way peered down the trail In the d.
rection of the sound After space
Of breathless waiting, his companions
saw his arm trelnble. Then. shivering
like man chilled to the bone. the
old Indian turned a face fierce with /
passion. and whispered:
LET them pass. he has comet"
Swinging rapidly up the trail
moved the stocky figure OF Black
Baptiste followed by an Indian whose
eyes shifted furtIvely to right and
left as he walked. When the two had
passed from sight, three shapes. leav-
ing the trail, followed like shadows,
% mu6ied shoes. Two miles beyond,
where the fresh tracks of q moose
crossed the path In the snow, and the
hunters from OgOke separated. Wa
gosh left his friends, to pick up the
webbed imprints OF the larger shoes
If his man.
Then two stilI hunts started
through the soundless forest-the
talk Of moose, and Of man. Oyer
he new snow, as swift and as noise
ess as q wolf after ptarmigan. the
lunter Of Black Baptiste closed In. 1
Evidently In doubt of the direction Of
he ua@vement Of the air, the French !
nan stopped TO test II with mis- bare
Iand Then he went on, until the
udden lengthening Of the stride in
be snow indicated that the moose r
ad scented danger and started to '
ravel
with a curse the hunter lifted both \
houlders In q gesture OF defeat. The e
hitting afr had betrayed him. He
urned from the tran ne had fol- b
,wed and struck out In new direc- &
on. Shortly. as he stopped and
melt on knee to tighten the thongs d
I shoe. voice Strengthened him 9
his feet with Jerk, nervousEy fng- a
ing the trigger Of bis gun. HIS
lifting eyes searched the inscrutable
,ruce that walled him In. Trapped. 81
slpless. he flnched from the expect
! fash Of the hidden rife. n
''Drop the gunl r Il
The fingers OF the Frenchman re al
xed. The gun slipped to the snow Il
his feet. n
~Aaarche r. The command snapped te
the frosty afr like a whlplash.
Slowly the henchman OF Laiiamme 81
eyed the order Of his concealed enc Is
,. Then > crouching ngure. with
lf-raised rife. stole from q cIump pc
young growth and followed m
A hundred feet from the gun. Bap- sc
ste shaking with fear and rage
rned desperately ON his captor on
That do you wantT" be demanded 10 Do
lbway. tn
The black eyes Of Wa@oah bEazed w
IN axaltaaaom. The lean face ca
J hood waa plfisema AT last be aa
'ked into chs face of bis mmn. kei
You kn0w nae Wmeosfa--Erosm
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