The Coolidge examiner., 1938-09-08
CHAPTER V-Continued

Sneak away?" asked Berthe.
Why you will have plenty of
chances to say good-by before you
go north"
I'm going tonight" Alan said,
when the moon is up. I've got to.
/ can't wait for the ice. You won't
tell anyone?"
Her black brows met in a puz-
Zled frown as she faced him. Tell?
OF course not, but 1 don't under
stand why you take such risks, AL
an. and why you wish to hide your
going"
He smiled down at her as her
doubtful eyes searched his face.
I'm afraid that the police will
hod me up-order me to wait and
go with them to Whale River" Then
wave of emotion drove him on as
nc bent over her dark face, at times
haf-masked by the wind-whipped
strands of her unruly hair. II can't
wait-I've got to have a dog team,
Berthel I'm saving, trying to get
ahead. Don't let your mother and
Rivard turn you against me.
Berthe!" he cried. and was away be-
fore the startled girl could voice her
protest.
Deep in the night a l9-foot Peter
'ooro canoe slipped from the shad-
ow-packed shore below the dark
ened buildings of the Hudson's Bay
post. rode the ebb tide down to the
river mouth. and turned north up
the coast.
AS the northwest wind drove the
ice-pack toward the bald buttresses
of the Cape of the Four Winds and
the canoe raced the broken floe-ice
past its granite feet, the pursuing
York boat appeared in the distance.
It was a three days race But
the frail canoe, driven by its des-
perate crew, reached Whale River,
while. high and dry, on mud fiat
the York boat waited for the next
tide to float it free.
Neil Campbell, the trader. was
puzzled and worried by Alan's
strange request which, Alan assured
him could not be explained until
later. Yet he staunchly agreed to
corroborate Alan's story.
On up the coast, past the Little
Whale and Richmond Gulf, went the
canoe on its quest for dogs. At the
Nastapokas, where the ice pack had
brought in the walrus, seal and po-
lar bear from the north, Alan met
the first of the Kogaluk Eskimos.
There he traded his canoe load of
goods and groceries for three year
ling Ungava puppies, bred from a
pair of superb huskies which had
crossed from Hopes Advance on
Ungava Bay with their owners.
With his two slate-gray and white
puppies, Powder and Shot, and their
seal-brown and white brother, called
Rogue, Alan started back down the
treacherous coast for Fort George
The spring trade was in full swing
when the Peterboro turned into the
river mouth at Fort George and
rode the flood tide up to the Hud-
sons Bay settlement.
Soon Alan and Noel stood on the
high shore. holding their nervous
dogs by rawhide leashes to prevent
Grb% kHz hr.c
kies. Noel suddenly pointed up
stream to the settlement of the
Northern Trading company, beyond
the Revillon Freres, where a mum.
Der of York boats and a small
schooner lay at anchor far in the
distance.
Wat ees dat on de water, up
dere? OATS no boat" he said. his
hand shading his squirting eyes.
You're right" cried Alan.
That's a sea-plane-one of the Ca
madam Airways, I'll bet! The North
.ern Trading Company, you know,
found a lot of iron and copper on
the Nastapokas. Gabriel says what
they're after is gold, though" ;"
At the Hudson's Bay Company,
when Alan had locked Rough and
MS priceless puppies in the small
dog stockade behind his house. ne
was greeted by the sober faces Of
Duncan McNab and Andrew Chris
tie. the factor.