The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-15

west. The Moons Of the Long
Shows" had again come to the land
of the Naskapi
Late in September, when light
snow blanketed the barrenS, Ma
payo again went on mission up
the Koksoak to look for signs Of
Mcqueen or the Naskapi. Fear Of
an ambush Of the dog team on the
river ice, later, was constantly with
them. A week passed and the In
dian did not return. Another week,
and each night around the fire in
the spruce, the faces of the waiting
men and girl grew more grave, for
the boy had won his way to their
| hearts.
IF Napayo does not show by to.
morrow, said Alan" Noel and I'll
take the dogs straight over the bar
rem to the Koksoak and follow it up
a day or two. The snow is begin.
ming to pack. It's all right for the
light load Wen carry"
Yes, and run into what he's prob
ably met-an ambush?" objected
McCord. mo. let's hang together.
When we start up the Koksoak.
we'n travel like an infantry column
with flank patrols out on the
shores"
I've felt it all along" burst out
Heather. ITS Mcqueen! He's got
poor Napayo! It's this terrible gold
in the bags there! For two months,
Dad, you've thought of nothing but
gold! You've been mad-crazed,
about it! You want to load the sled
down with it until there's not enough
food to take us through! You'd kill
the poor dogs to carry your gold!"
Heather, Heather, girl" soothed
! McCord, you're tired and worried.
You don't mean what you say.
We're going back all safe and sound,
Honey. and we have a fortune with
us. McQueen'n never bother this
, OUTFIT he's alive, but he's not.
Wen never see hide or hair of Nc
Queen again. The Naskapi took care
of him!"
The Naskapi may take care Of
US. too" she objected, winking back
the tears her emotion had aroused.
No, Heather" said Alan. "The
Naskapi don't winter in the Koksoak
valley, Napayo told me. They're
probably in the timbered lake coun-
try. hundreds of miles south of here.
by now"
Then were is poor Napayo?" she
cried. "You say Mcqueen is dead
and the Indians are not near US, and
yet you're going to look for signs Of
both Mcqueen and the Indians. Nei-
ther of you believe what you say!
You're only trying to keep your
fears from mel"
In the morning, the river an
swered Heathers question. When
Alan and Noel went down to the
shore to the hole they kept broken
in the ice for water, they saw some
thing adrift in the swift, unfrozen
! channel
What's that, floating out there
beyond the ice in the channel No
ell? asked Alan. Couldn't be a
deer, could it?"
The Montagnais gazed at the sub
merged fotsam reaching out from a
bar. Slowly Noers swart features
changed color and his face went
grave. 1--WE TAX cano' and see," he
said. mo deer! Deer float high"
AS they ran the canoe out over
the shore ice and into the open
channel Alan knew that the dread
in NoePs heart was the same dread
that sickened him as they poled the
| canoe up to the submerged shape
bobbing at the ice edge. They turned
over the battered body, floating face
down, and looked into the glazed.
staring eyes Of Napayo.
They got him, Noel! They got
him!" groaned Alan. Look at that
hole in his head and there's another
in the back. See? He was shot
from the rear! No muzzle loader
did that! That was made by a Ross
and that Ross belongs to McQueen!"
ITO BE CONTINUED