Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-17


were fast poisoning his blood. Then
a sound back in the bush silenced
him. Shortly he called: Come and
finish it. you bush rats!"
They had returned. II he could
only taunt them to cutting it all short
with bullet. "Isadore's handsome,
white-haired boy comes back" he
jeered. And the cross-eyed M'sieu'
Batoche who was bitten in the face
by a rabbit"
But his answer from the scrub
was a mad yelp and the swapping
of brush as a dog burst from the
bushes, stopped, gazed in doubt at
the huddled figure, approached and
shifted at the man who spoke to him,
then in a delirium of whines and
caresses threw himself on the mas
ter he loved.
'Flame! God bless your old
bones! You followed their trail from
the shore! Boy, I'm glad to see
your whiskered map again!"
Frantic with joy the dog nuzzled
Garry's tortured face and neck.
Hope flowed through Finlay as wa
ter through burst dam. With
Flame there was chance. Flame
would never leave him. If he could
only get the airedale to chew through
the thongs that bound his wrists!
Where's Red, Flame? Red and
Blaise? They turned you loose to
hunt for me but where"
A distant shot stopped him. He
listened while the dogs soothing
tongue licked the blood on his face
and head. That's Red, signalling,
or else there's fight on" Like a
mailman Finlay battled with his
thongs. They gave slightly and the
blood began to ease into his numb
hands. Then the long hours that
Sergeant Finlay had spent on the
education of an airedale puppy be-
gan to bear fruit. Fearing that,
some day, he might be stolen and
tied up, Finlay had taught the dog
to chew through any rope, leather
leash or raw-hide that held him pris-
oner.
After much coaxing Garry man.
aged to focus the dogs attention on
his bound wrists. Shortly Flame
was licking the thongs as well as
Finlay's hands.
Eat it up! It's good-good chow
for dogs! Chew it! 1t tastes good,
Flannel" the man endlessly coaxed
while his dog licked the thongs and
the swollen forearms. Then Flame
hooked a long fang under a loop
and tugged at it. That's the dog!
Eat it up, Flannel" urged the man
battling desperately against time.
Gradually the airedale seemed to
comprehend. 1t was game they
were playing and he liked the taste
of the fresh hide.
At last the dog lay down behind
the bound man and with his great
grinders damned against Finlay's
wrists began to chew at the knots.
That's the dog! Chew it up!"
Spurred by his masters approval
and relishing the taste of the hide as
he would bone the airedale chewed
through two key knots. A last heave
and Finlay's numbed hands were
free.
In his joy, he shook like grass in
the wind. Again life beckoned as a
campfire to man lost at night in
the bush. He laughed, now, at the
black cloud of his tormentors which
once meant a slow death. He
laughed at Tete-Blanche, at Isadore.
He'd come back from the grave.
We've licked 'em, Flannel" he
painted. "BlesS your old hide, you've
done it, boy!" Hugging the dogs
wriggling body, Finlay crushed his
face against the SCARED skull. Il
love every hair of your old carcass"
he crooned. "Tll have my feet clear
in minute but you'll have to lead
me to the shore. I'm stone blind"
When his numbed legs could carry
him, Flame led him by thong over
the back track to the shore. Head
long into the cool water plunged man
and dog, maddened by the lance
like thrustS which had stippled their
bodies with wells.
'Oh, this is good, Flannel" Law
ing his burning arms and face, Fin
lay wallowed with grunts of relief in
the comforting water. I'm pulled
up like poisoned pig, Flamey, old
socks! But we've whip-sawed this
Tete-Blanche, you and l. Well meet
again some day and when we do
there'u be lead in the air." He
laughed bitterly.
A distant shot cut him short. |
Hear that? Must be Red and Blaise |
hunting for US! Answer 'em, Flame!
I've lost my gun. It's Red! Tell |
'em we're here!"
The airedale's brittle bark aoated |
through the murk settling on the
lake.
Then Red hailed. Finlay answered
and shortly the Peterboro slid up to
the man lying in the shallow water
of the shore.
Whats happened to you, Garry?"
cried the alarmed Red, leaping from
the canoe and bending over the man
soaking in the water. What are
you lying there for, Garry? You
hurt?"
Hello, Red! You there, Blaise!
I'm all right, but I've been eaten