The Coolidge examiner., 1939-01-12
CHAPTER XV-Continued
ID

NEARING lne camp Oh MC6lueeH,
Alan and Noel separated to close in
with cooked rifles from different
angles.
At last Alan stood where he COM
manded a view of the fire which lit
the surrounding trees with its flick
ering glow. Near the fire tar
paulin, banked with snow, had
been stretched across two saplings
to reflect the heat. In the snow
hole, beside the fire, huddled a bulky
figure in hooded parka. Beyond, in
the trail from the shore, stood the
loaded sled. The four dogs, too ex-
hausted to note the silent approach
of the stalkers, lay somewhere
asleep in the snow.
The shed tent faced away from
the anxious eyes of the man who
sought the girls familiar parka. He
could not see her. Under that snow
banked canvas Heather doubtless
slept, dead with fatigue. He moved
closer through the black murk of
the spruce and stood directly be-
hind the man hunched at the fire.
This was Mcqueen. Where was
Slade?
well, Tom" mumbled the man
in the parka, "y' wouldn't listen t
reason. Got tricky Now you're ly-
in out tonight-payin' for it! It's
cold bed out there, eh Tom?" A bel
low of laugh followed.
Fingered on John McCord's gold
and his girl. too, Tom, old pail"
chuckled Mcqueen. II said: Hands
off her!' But y were too smart-got
tricky! Well, Trudeau got his and
now-y' got yours! The COLDS mine
all mine, Tom-and her, tool"
Mcqueen twisted around where he
sat and faced the river shore.
'Sleepin' warm, Tom?" he jeered.
'If you're cold, I'll bring your bag!"
For a space he muttered into his
hood before he went on, aloud, talk
ing into the fire: with this Indian
fish and meat I'll reach the cache.
Then, Cameron, good-by to you!
Heavy chance you had-with four
dogs! We started with SIX" he
chuckled, land got present Of six
more with fish and meat thrown in.
Pity you didn't get what the Indians
got at the bend! Too bad it wasn't
you, Cameron-too bad!"
Thirty feet from the man raving
at the fire a rife covered the middle
of his back. But the shed tent, be-
yond, was in the line of fire.
Then a husky somewhere in the
snow suddenly walked and snarled.
The husky yelped feebly. then was
silent. There was no sound from
the o:Eer dogs. too dead to stir from
the.: beds.
Mcqueen got stiffly to his feet and
fumbled in his parka as he squinted
into the blackness beyond the circle
of fire glow, listening. He swung
around and stared toward the river
shore.
The rifle now covered his heart.
''You here, Cameron" he roared.
"Well, you're too late!" Drawing
black automatic from his parka, he
started toward the snow-banked
tent. Come and get her, now!"
Before the man in the murk could
Gre, a black body lunged from the
gloom and catapulted onto Nc
Queens back hurting him headlong
into the snow. There was the muf-
fed explosion of the pistol as knife
flashed in the freight, flashed again
and again. Then the dogs broke
loose from the spruce beyond the
sled.
A girls voice cried: ALAN! AL
AMI" And the yearning arms of
Cameron reached her.
Above the sprawled body of Nc
Queen a Montagnais, hollow eyes
glittering. stood, stiff as a spruce,
while he held the halt of his knife
to his forehead and repeated:
"Sleep well, John McCord and Ma
payo!"
"Heather!" Alan held the girl in
the sleeping bag to his pounding
heart.
"You came-at last!" she Sobbed,
hysterically, clinging to his neck.
''It's been so long. Alan-so long!
was asleep! Then heard your
name and saw Noel leap"
Dumb with the wild Joy and emo
ton that choked him, he gripped
her in his shaking arms, as if he
feared he would lose her, kissing
ter thin face again and again.
I've loved you every minute
through those awful days." she
whispered, hoping and praying that
you'd come-come soon! 1t was so
awful to leave poor Dad-lying there
In the snow! They shot him but he
fought them until-he died. And I
had to leave him there! Oh, it was
so hard to leave him!"
''He was unconscious-not dead"
said Alan. THAT night he died in
my arms. Before he died, he smiled
and whispered, 'Heather'!"
Dear, dear old Dad!" The strick-
en- girl gave herself up to her grief.
When the paroxysm of sobbing
ceased, she said, YEARLY: I'm so
tired-so tired! l walked and ran
most all the way-eXcept on the
big lake. They let me ride thereI"