The Coolidge examiner., 1938-08-11
CHAPTER I-COntinued


Dizzy from weakness Alan start
ed for the cabin. Reaching the slab
door he struck it with his mittened
hand and called out: Hello! Hello
there, inside!"
For answer the door slowly swung
In and the two pinched faces in
the hoods stared into the black muz-
zle of an automatic pistol.
Hunched behind the pistol stood a
bearded giant Of a man whose ice
blue eyes glittered hostilely benea tn
a livid scar that gouged his fore
head.
In all the wide north, starving
men we're not greeted in this fash
ION Alan Cameron's hollow eyes
famed with anger as he met the
cold stare that probed his.
You don't need that gun " he
rasped. We're starved out. Our
trap-lines are up on the Mad River.
We trade at Fort George. A VOL
VERNE got into our cache and de-
stroyed every bit of fish and flour
we had"
The threat slowly faded from the
cold eyes and the gun went back
to its holster. Starved out, eh?
You look it,"
We were on our way to the Sink
ing Lakes to find the Montagnais." ="
We'll, you'd have been out of luck
If you hadn't struck this place.
There are no hunters on the Sinking
Lakes this winter"
Alan and Noel exchanged per-
picked glances.
Now, boys" continued the giant.
I've got some caribou stew in the
kettle that'n wipe that hungry look
off your faces. Come in!"
My dog, here" said Alan,
you'll give him something. too?"
There's plenty of stew for you
all. Unhitch him and bring him in.
Dropping to his knees beside
Rough, as he threw off his collar
and belly-band, Alan whispered into
a hairy ear: You hear that,
Roughly? No more tough wolf!
Stew! Deer stew for the big dog!"
Drop your coats and moccasins
and make yourselves cozy, boys"
said their host, as the two starved
men sucked in the appetizing odors
emanating from huge copper ket-
tie, perched on a sheet-iron folding
stove which stood at the side of the
clay-plastered fireplace. The giant
filed two aluminium cups and a pan
from the kettle. You'll get just one
cup apiece, now. It'n knock you
out. if you hog it in your condition.
guess the dog can stand a PAN
full"
The speaker placed dish, cooled
with handful of snow, before the
ravenous husky, dropped some
snow into the cups and handed them
to Alan and Noel.
Steady. boys-not all at once!"
he warned. as the two feverishly
drank the nourishing and palatable
broth.
We've been living on wolf the
last week-what there was of it."
said Alan. II got two but they
were like rawhide-no strength in
them"
Timber wolves?"
mo, white arctic wolves"
That explains it-hunting south
FOR the caribou, and most of the
deer have moved east out of this
country"
That's why the Montagnais did
not winter on the Sinking Lakes" :"
nodded Alan.
Seated on a chair made of split
spruce slabs. Alan threw curious
glances about the interior of the
cabin while the big, yellow-haired
man offered Noel plug of smoking
tobacco and cut filings for the huge
pipe he held in his hand. The spruce
log walls were carefully chinked
with moss plastered with mud. Two
small windows made Of caribou
parchment through which the last
rays of the sun dimly entered were
aided in lighting the room by a
large candle set in a horn stick. On
g wall a pair of caribou antlers
held three rifles, while from their
brow tines hung two belts with
sheathed skinning knives. Built into
a corner of the room was a double
decked bunk, mattresSed with
spruce boughs and covered with
Hudson's Bay blankets and dressed
caribou and bear skins Near the
bunk a ladder of spruce poles
reached to a trapdoor in the loft
over the main room, and, at the
end of the room, for the chimney was
on the side of the building, a closed
slab door, hung on rawhide hinges,
communicated with second room.
These details the quick eyes of
Alan covered with a glance. The
clamOring of his stomach was for
gotten in his amazennent at finding
& permanent camp, which no man
could built alone, on the headWa-
ters OF the Big River-on the from
tiers of the unknown interior of
Ungava. Who was this man and