Evening star., 1933-11-25

THEY drew near the landing
~ Curt looked down the shore TOO
"A yards and saw four old stone
l \ houses in the middle OF sec
ond-growth clearing.
He knew what they were, at Tellacet
he had heard stories about those ruins.
An ancient Russian fur post. located
there when Washington was leading the
newborn American republic, it was
relic of the days when Russia ruled
Western America from Nome to North
ern California, and predatory Cossacks.
with "musket, sword and the help OF
God" gathered tribute for the Little
White Father in faraway ST. Petersburg.
Except for inland stations in Alaska,
it was one of the few posts which the
CosSack expedition had established at
any distance from tidewater. The four
stone structures. rearing above the sec
ond growth, were half hidden by wood
vines and wild ivy, much as their actual
history had been overgrown with tale
and superstition.
The canoe nosed into the pier. Paul
jumped out and Tapped the painter
around a cleat. As Curt tossed their
dufle on the planking, he purposely
made a display of their two gold pans
and short handled shovels. Among the
men watching them trapper nudged
another and remarked "Prospectors,
john" Heads nodded.
It was as Curt had wished; let them
draw their own conclusion, and they
would believe it far more implicitly
than If Paul and he should announce
their business.
He introduced Paul and himself to
the old trapper called John. who then
introduced them to the others. As Curt
shook nands around, he sized up the
men swiftly.
CorpI. Hodkins the Mounted Police
man was a stolid. negligible fellow who
would be neither help nor h1ndrance.
Missioner Lesperance, a youngish schol-
ar with the eyes CT q mystic, seemed
to have stepped right out OF some
medieval cloister. Besides the bay fac
tor, Higginbotham, there were three
young trappers, a prospector, man
called Ralph Nichols and a middle
aged city sportsman with brassy
voice and know-everything manner.
The Indian men, standing of by
themselves, were shabby vacant-faced
lot. Under q fish scaffolding just
ashore seven half-breeds were smoking,
drinking, quarreling. Hodkins was a
poor excuse of Mounty, Curt thought,
to let men drink openly in Indian ter
ritory.
The man Nichols, quiet aud unob-
trusive, was the most interesting Of the
group. No outdoors person at all, but
plainly from the city, he appeared to
be some minor government official or
a teacher vacationtng in the noun
tains.
Curt liked him from their first hand
clasp. And that liking never grew less
in the days they were to spend to-
gether. He little knew that he was
destined to travel long path with
Ralph Nichols and be with him. his
only friend, when Ralph lay dying be-
side lonely campfire.
Didn't meet you over at Chipewyn
once?" he asked, to draw Nichols out.
reticent smile, Nichols added, I'm q
prospector for bugs-an entomologist."
Il see. I don't suppose you've got
much competition In this country" He
invited, Come down to our place later
on and have mug OF tea with US,
Nichols"
Picking up their duffles, he and Paul
went down the shore to make camp.
Before dark came they wanted to get
squared around and also attend to q
certain scouting job which they had
mapped out as their first step there at
Russian Lake.
Midway between the modern post and
the old ruins they found suitable spot
close 10 the woods edge and began
pitching their tent.
Nearer the old post now. Curt could
see the marrow Musket-slit windows, the
platforms t0l mounting small bllN
cannons and all the fortlike arrange
nent of the ruins. It had been more
q garrison than a fur post, for the
Cossacks had not been traders. but ex-
torters Of tribute, and they had needed
defense.
The. main building was tumbling to
decay: briar and vine covered the slave
quarters: the prison house had been
struck by Q blast Of lightning. No
tepee or cabin stood near the ancient