The Coolidge examiner., 1938-10-06

cache on the headwaters Beside
our own food, four big dogs will
need lot of grub"
Right again." John McCord
smiled into Alan's questioning eyes.
But let me finish my story first
before we go into the future"
When he had decided on how he
would try to reach the River Of
Skulls and keep his secret. McCord
had worked number Of years in
the lumber business and the Rouyn
quartz mines to make enough mon
ey to finance his expedition. Find
ing no suitable white men who
would undertake the gamble with
him he, at last decided to hire In
dian voyageurs from Ontario, with
holding the real purpose of his ven
ture until they found the Koksoak.
But there was Heather For
months, deaf to his arguments and
entreaties, the girl who had often
joined him on his prospecting trips
into the northern bush had grown
tall and strong, able TO handle rifle.
canoe and dogs as well as a boy
She had insisted on going with him.
The death of his mother decided it,
Wrong as it seemed, he preferred
subjecting her to the dangers in
volved in the search for the River
of Skulls to leaving Aer without pro-
lection in the hands of her mother
SO, in the previous summer, John
McCord had started from Rupert
House with Heather and his crew Of
Ojibways to find the headwaters of
the Koksoak and the gold sands of
the River Of Skulls.
do you understand, now, why |
wanted you for my partner" de-
manded the giant
Alan sat, brows furrowed in
thought. Then he asked: How did
you got away without Mcqueen find
ing out that you'd come by Hud-
sons Bay?"
You see | fooled them They
knew that / hadn't arranged to sail,
last summer, on either the Hudson S
Bay Company's or the Revillon
Freres' supply ship that stops at
Chino and they heard that | was in
the Hurrinanaw bush with Heather,
prospecting l took good care that
+t,o1, ,.,o,,IJ baar ~ II cC,,IIv'4 bo,,a
been until some time in the winter
that they learned that we had gone
to Moose and in from Rupert
House. Knowing that l was some
where in this big headwater coun-
try, they came to Fort George to
get Indian guides. And then they
ran into you. AS police they could
command any kind of aid, so they
carried forged papers. Later. she
followed them by plane to help
them. but, if know her. to keep
an eye on them as we'll"
They might not be here now. if
l hadn't dropped that bill"
Yes, they would They know
where we're headed and this is the
way there" McCord's eyes sudden
ly went hard and cold as he said,
bitterly: Now it's war to the knife,
Alanl I've worked years to get here
and if Jim Mcqueen and his pair
of haf-breeds try to follow us to the
Koksoak to steal our gold, I'll wipe
them out as l would vermin."
After a long interval, McCord
asked: "Crazy-am 1? If you've
changed your mind-Alan-it's pret-
ty wild, l know-this plan of mine
why"
Alan looked sharply at the other.
He rose, thrust out his hand and
gripped the one that met his.
THE River Of Skulls or-bustl"
he cried. but we ought to send
Heather back to Fort George, John,
before we start inland!'
McCord slowly shook his head. 1T
would break her heart"
Leaving Rough with Heather,
Alan and John took the puppies and
dropped downstream to meet Noel
at the Forks and bring his heavy
cargo up the strong water of the
Talking.
When the sudden chill of the early