The Coolidge examiner., 1938-11-03
e. ~ THE RIVER of SKULLS
sqeass3 by George Marsh
Ss4~@ wua
BY George Marsh

ed. Rise, sorceror, and stand by
the spruce. If you speak with a
double tongue, the fire will eat you
If you are a friend of spirits, it
will not burn you'll"
A surge of hope speeded his heart,
as Alan scrambled to his feet and
stretched his cramped legs. But
his hopes suddenly fell when he
reached the spruce and one of the
Indians wound deer thong twice
around his neck and made him fast
to the tree.
IF your medicine is strong, the
fire will not burn! Make your mag
ic, oh Shaman!"
Instead of lifting a burning en-
Der from the cooking fire and start
ing the kindlings at Alan's feet, the
young Indian took the flint, steel
and dry most tinder from his fire.
bag, struck the flint with the steel,
sending a spark into the tinder
held in his cupped hands. which he
blew into a flame and placed un-
der the shredded bark and kin
dlings.
Alan looked long at the sun-his
last sun. His tormented eyes, now
swollen almost shut, dropped to the
barrens toward the river and back
to the caribou path he had followed
from the fringe of the timber. Then
his heart checked, to leap wildly
as the blood pounded in his throat.
There, on a rise, silhouetted against
the sky stood a black animal with
lifted nose scenting the air. Then
it disappeared.
Time! Timel He must have time!
He forgot the agony of the myriad
flies that had spotted his face and
hands with blood. He burst into
wild sing-song in imitation Of a
conjuror he had once heard at the
Lake of the Shows. The Indians
chartered twenty feet away, evident
ly disturbed.
Then as the kindlings failed to
catch from the tinder he cried:
''Tshipi The Spiritl He has an
swered! See. he has ordered the
spruce sticks not to burn! My spir-
it is strongl He is overhead, there,
in the sky!"
The Naskapi followed Alan's eyes
to where a raven circled low to
the earth, above them. With des-
perate heave, Alan freed his hands
and still keeping his elbows stiff
against his side, got the knife from
his pocket and opened it behind his
back.
A little longer! II he could delay
the starting Of the fire again until
he was ready-ready to make his
fight for life!
While the uneasy Indians till
talked with awed voices as they
watched the circling raven. Alan
continued in the whine of a coast
medicine man.
"Tshipi, my brother, is here. He
has heard my call. He comes as a
raven to make the spruce sticks
smoke, but not burn!"
The four Naskapi stood. swart
faces twisted with apprehension,
watching the circling raven, when,
with a roar, a great dog bounded
into the fold in the tundra.
Roughly! Come on Roughly! Get
'em, boyI" shouted the half-deliri-
Gus Cameron, slashing the thongs at
his neck and rushing headlong at
the startled group of Naskapi.
"Atimwok!" shrieked the leader,
picking up his gun and firing wildly
from the hip at the bounding husky
as Alan reached them from the rear
and drove his short-bladed knife
deep into the back of the nearest
man. AS he turned, rifle roared
in his face and, half-blinded, he
dove headlong at the knees of the
Indian holding the smoking gun,
hurting him to the ground. But the
impact drove the knife from his
hand. Desperate with the thought
that his wound would sap his last
ounce of strength, Alan tore his
right arm free from the grip of the
writhing Indian, pinioned the 9TH
er's knife hand to his side and found