The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-09-23

1T doesn't mean anything to me,
John"
Yes, 1 know" and Skene looked
pityingly at his chief Then voices
on deck Strengthened them in their
chairs. A sailor thrust his head
through the door of the cabin.
There's an Injun, here with some
news"
Send him down.
The Cree Interpreter entered the
cabin, followed by hunter whose
face was alive with excitement, as
he chartered to the Cree.
What's on his mind, Michele" de-
manded Mcdonald.
Shutting eff with appraised hand the
stream of Cree from the mouth of the
Indian, the Interpreter replied: Joe
Mokoman ees deadr
"What?' Mcdonald rasped. Dead?
How dyOu mean? Killed."
Found dead on de Canoe Riviere,
wild hees t'rOad ripped out"
We'll, I'll be id! Who found him?
This bird?"
No, he see some Cree crossin' ice
at de Beeg pOint-dey tell him."
With a quick movement, Mcdonald
reached and drew the interpreter to
him. You say SOME of the Indians
are crossing to the mainIand?"
For space the harsh phonetics of
the Cree tongue filled the cabin.
AT Beeg point, yesterday, he see
many dOg-team from de nord' cross
de ice. y Canoe Riviere hunter say
he fin Mokoman dead in snow by
riviere shore"
But where's old Souci? Didn't he
make his medicine on the Canoe?"
Eyes, he say Souci max beeg medi-
cine two sleep back-'all de hunter cen
nOrd of islam come"
Good! SOuci is bringing them down
the coast"
But as the interpreter continued to
interrogate the Indian his eyes widened
in surprise, which swiftly gave way
to CONSERVATION. Turning excitedly,
he. cried: 'Souci tell dem Cree dat de
devil ees cen de ship here! He scare
dem crazee-tak' dem all ovair de ice
to Elkwan!"
Mcdonald and Skene were on their
feet. WHAT" roared the free-trader.
He's taken them - to Elkwan?
Stunned, the white men sought each
others faces.
"Souci, he come here to fool u.s."
went on Michel. ''He work all tam for
de Hudson's Bay"
''WhiDsawed :" And McDonald's
bulk slid Imply into his chair.
1.-The old beggar! He fed it to US
like a lot Of schoolboys!" sputtered
Skene, wagging his grizzled head. HE
sure put it over in style"
played like a pair of fish, Nc
Donald suddenly Strengthened. "Skene,
for two cents I'd cross the ice and
get that fur. It's ours-they stole it."
Skene looked hard into the blue
eyes of his chief. First, we'd have a
handsome row to get it, that man
with the scar, and his half-breed will
fight; second, the police would be I'D
here before we were out of the ice.
OOllSn Jdlh
McDonald's twisted features re-
Taxed. You're right, John, right. 1t
can't be done. We've got too much at
stake"
Skene looked suggestively at his
chief, as he added: 1--WE have-and you
have"
The other shifted his gaze as he
muttered, "Yes-thats only too true"
'But MOkoman! What'd you say
happened to him?" Skene asked Michel.
''He was killed by de dog-hees
t'roat tore"
KILLED by his own dogs-queer!
Might have been wolves"
r. NO. de dog follow shoe tracks back
to de trail. No wolf do dat"
'WeIl, so much for Mokoman!
Small Ioss-never liked him.
Does he know how much fur they
had-theSe hunters who crossed?"
asked the mate.
"Dey have mooch fur-'bout one
hunder skin"
Half of it silver and black, prob
ably. 4 small fortune! HI" In his
chagrin Skene crashed his hard fist
on the table.
You're a judge of men, John. That
fellow sure licked u.s." Mcdonald ad-
mitted ruefuly. Now we've got no
time to lose with the southern hunt
ers. Michel"
The Cree leaned to hear the whis-
pered order of the free-trader "You
keep this Indian on the boat-fill him
up and lock him in, forward. If he got
loose among the southern camps with
this devil talk, they'd follow the
others. Breault ought to know, but
the Lord knows where he is"
Shortly two dog-teams left the ship
bound for the camps In the south half
of the island In a msd rush TO save
the skins yet untraded
The Christmas mail from Albany
was approaching on the river trail be-
low Elkwan. From the upper Elkwan
and the Shamattawa, from the Winisk
and the Raft, for days the hunters
had drifted in to the post, dog harness
gay with colored worsted and jingling
with bells. There old Souci, elated by
his stratagem and proud of the praise
which Garth had given unstintedly in
the privacy of his tent. had led the
Akimiski hunters with their valuable
furpacks. In the .trade-room Garth
and Etienne were busy preparing for
the trade which had not yet begun,