The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-01-20

pointed at a patch of mud "Look
There they are-Smoke's tracks,"
The two men bent over the deep
impressions Of a dogs feet In the mud
Of the shore.
HE jumped from here-there's
where he landed See that moccasin
print7 he was right after them as
they put in the canoe! They couldn't
miss him-shot him deadi"
Foot by foot Jim and Omar searched
the mud OF the shore, but found NJ
further traces OF the vanished dog.
Smokey poor old Smokey 7"
mourned Jim. you died like a sol.
der, facing 'emi And Jim can't give
you a decent grave"
Stuart Strengthened, and gazing
downstream where the stiffened body
Of his dog rode the swift current on
its way TO the sea, brought his hand
to his forehead in salute.
The friends dropped a mile down
river, and, cutting back into the tim
Der, made a small fire and ate. To
avoid a possible ambush, they waited
for the moon, then, hugging the shad-
ows Of the shore, travelled. until
stopped by the churn of broken water
ahead.
At dawn they carried around the
whitewater, which seemed impossible,
and all oay lay hidden in the brush be-
low, watching the river and wondering
what chance two voyageurs who had
beaten their young men would have
with the wild Ojibwas of Sturgeon
lake. Since the meeting with Paradis
and his men, the mission TO Sturgeon
lake in search Of Jingwak seemed but
forlorn hope to Jim Stuart The
presence in the country of LeBlond's
man had put new face on things.
At the best, the Indians would refuse
TO listen TO them once they had heard
OF the fight on the portage. At the
worst, it looked as If the prediction
Of the old Ojibwa at the Lake Of the
Great Stones would be fulfilled The
peterboro would never return up the
Sturgeon.
OF course, Jim knew that he and
Omar could not disappear of the face
Of the earth without a search by COM
pany men and the Provincial police
The first shedding snow would bring
dog-teams from the south into the
Sturgeon valley-clean-faced crackers
who would follow Indian or white
man, wanted for murder, into the
uttermost north-clear to the frozen
sea, and beyond. There would be
trouble in the Pipestone and Sturgeon
river country If the factor Of Sunset
House and his head man did not com
back. But unless Paradis was be
trayed, how were these grim man.
hunters from the south to prove that
the missing men had been shot out Of
their canoe from ambush or stabbed
as they slept? Whom could they ac-
cuse? Unless, by some miracle Esau
men would ever know would be that
three voyageurs and a dog had, like
thousands before them, faded into the
north, leaving no trace.
Yes, the two friends agreed, having
shown his hand, there was no doubt
that Paradis, for his own personal
safety, would hunt them down when
he found they had continued north to
Sturgeon lake. In keeping on and
attempting to find Jingwak, supported
by LeBlond's man, they were padding
into certain disaster, for after the
lesson on the portage, Paradis would
never again try TO take them with
bare hands. And yet, as they planned
while they waited for darkness, and
the deep set gray eyes OF the factor
of Sunset House met the knOtted
sQuint Of Omar's swart face, no sug-
gestion Of turning back was voiced
by either. Ahead Of them, they hoped
against hope, dauntless old man still
travelled on his lonely mission TO Stur-
geon lake-a mission which would
mean, If he were met and recognized
by Paradis, the swift disappearance of
Esau Otchig. They had let him go
alone. on this mad search for the
sorcerer. They would follow and find
him, II alive, and make their fight to-
gether. Jim would have as soon de-
serted the old Ojibwa in his present
need as he would have left a wounded
man between the lines in Flanders.
AS the moon rose and they pushed
off into the shadows Of the river shore.
the words of Aurore LeBlond. you'd
die for love. so you say, but your
duty haunted Jim's thoughts. Had
he played fair with this girl who had
so frankly shown him her heart? He
had allowed sense of duty-of 10y
atty TO the company-to cheat them Of
priceless hours together before she
went south. And now this loyalty was
to rob them Of their birthright. For
even the masterful Omar admitted
that Jingwak and Paradis would never
allow the peterboro TO return to Sum
set House And now that he felt In
his heart that he had said good-by
forever, Jim lived again and again
each treasured moment he had spent
with her. Once more, as the boat slid
past the shadow-packed river shore,
he felt the warm caress OF her lips.
heard her low whisper, gazed into the
dark depths of her eyes and crushed
her 1.-THE body TO his heart
-Good-by, AuroreT he murmured,
and above the fret Of the river on the
near shore, he again heard her, Good
by. magician, don't forget mel"
But he had forgotten her, the brood
ing bowman told himself, when he left
her and come north 10 his defeat. To
him In bis loneliness had come this
miracle Of the love Of Aurore Le-
Blond and he had turned from it, put
1t aside as II a thing of little worth
this miracle Of her love.
fTo BE CONTINUED