Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16

- HE supply boat Northern star was
sailing away; already it was only
- smudge on the siate-gray waters of
Hudsons Bay. Hestantly, the raw
ages OF fear still quickening his
glance q huge man moved from
fringe Of gnarled timber, where he had been
IN hiding ever since dawn, when the boats
whistle had Signaled danger. But now the
Northern Star was sailing away. after harm
1ess visit Still he did not feel safe One could
never feel safe with the Provincial Police after
one They wanted Joe badly, particularly Sergt.
Mealy from whom he had escaped when his
every slow-witted attempt to prove his limo
Cence had failed.
At last at the door Of his ramshackle cabin
Zoe Brossert paused looking timoronsly down
over the muskeg and granite to where the broad
waters Of the Churchill River joined the tur-
bulent waves Of Hudsons Bay. Freeze-up was
IN the air; the smoke hung low about the few
AOw-buiIt cabins down at the river This was
north OF 81; Winter came early and stayed late.
There was consolation in that. There would be
no more supply boats until June.
Joe did not worry about the 20 or more
members of the engineering crew down there
In the cabins. They were all from the East,
AAontreai-eyen to Jimmy Davis. their chief
With little knowledge or interest in what hap
pened in the Prairie Provinces. But he must
not take chances. Joe BrosSert knew that the
Proyincials often made use Of such boats to
hway places.
II ought to have gone on when they frst
hmoWed up here" Joe BrosSert unused.
THERE was a queer reluctance about his
q conclusion, as though this were a place be-
loved this weirdly cruel country. The reason
day in that row of cabins and what they stood
Tor. Here some day il plans came true city
would rise. Those cabins represented the
advance guard Of hordes Of men. an army which
next Spring would begin the erection of sub
arctic metropolis Two hundred miles 10 the
south. through fair weather and foul, a rail-
road building across the wilderness. with
this place its objective. Here great elevators
would rise and business houses: this was to be
the port by which the agricultural provinces
Of Canada might find a new and shorter outlet
20 the and thence to the markets o!
Liverpool
That fascinated Joe Brossert. Pioneering had
always fascinated him His forbearS had fought
the frontiers OF quebec and the tangled bush Of
Northern Ontario he had been reared Ia
faith ia far horizons. So in his time hs too
had set forth out Brandon way in Manitoba
That had been when he was known As Rene
Thisaault He'd had great dreams then They'd
al ended quickly enough when I'd and Hairy
Boyce his nelghbOEs. had turned him Ia TO
Eergt HeaIy rs the man who killed Old Man
Marshal.
Joe BroSsert brushed a big hand over his
eyes and rounded the cabin to . lean-to where
he fed the six husky dogs which bounded and
whined at has approach Then at last. hohnaiis
Scratching he started slowly down over the
granite mound toward the engineers camp
no suspicion met him there. Nor welcome,
fdethat matter; every one seemed gioomy and
tAcfearn, Br0ssen went ca 70 ssnmy DaEk'
0fAce ne was always welcone there he knew
mt this time TIE chief vaS Isttie better tilan
eEe otateEx <''s -, -,
~Yo cheere,I - wrV,nteA ftoee f,la 49,