Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1941-09-18
By GEORGE MARSH
CHAPTER L

With grinding of brakes the I'M
perial Express came to stop at
Nottaway, huddle of log buildings
and frame shacks buried in the eter-
nal spruce traversed by the Canadi-
an National Beyond the clearing
steel bridge spanned the upper
Nottaway River which flows north to
James Bay. The attention of the
idlers at the shack of a station was
suddenly focused on russet-haired
giant carrying cased gun, duffel
bag and surveyors transit, who
blocked the platform door of a Sleep
er. He swung to the ground fol-
lowed by a wide-shouldered young
man with penetrating agate-gray
eyes. From the Scotch station agent,
who nodded, to two half-breeds who
whispered, heads together, as they
watched the travellers, the gray eyes
missed nothing. The strangers left
their dunnage and started for the
head of the train. Reaching the
staring half-breeds, the larger man
stopped.
"Bo'-jo'! What's the secret, Mac?"
he threw at the surprised pair.
Blood leaped to their sullen faces
as one said: Nobody spik to you'll"
"But you strain your eyes looking,
don't you? You're figuring what my
name and age is and where I'm
from? Well, I always aim to please.
I'm four years old; my names Ma
RE and I've forgotten where I'm
from! That help any?"
The listening group of loungers
waited with caught breaths as the
SCARED face of the taller breed filled
with blood. His yellow eyes blazed
as they measured the man who
slouched, big wristed hands on hips,
smiling at his discontinue. For an
instant his right hand lowered over
his coat pocket, then left it as his
companion seized his arm.
"You look for troub' here?" he
snarled
Brother, thought you were after
information, drawled the amused
giant. "And l was giving you some.
Of course, if you can't use it-Well,
a'voir, M'sieu'!" With a careless
wave of his hand the russet-haired
young man joined his waiting COM
panion.
Don't start anything here, Red!"
cautioned the dark man. cts too
early. We've got to look around.
But you sure got the goat of that
Burntwood."
II meant to! That bird looks like
a bad boy to me. He needs a
spanking"
Good job somebody did on his
face with knife!"
At the head of the train the trav-
elers found a blocky Individual slid
ing an eighteen-foot Peterboro canoe
from baggage car. His high cheek
bones, Sits of eyes and crow-black
hair marked a strain of Indian
blood. Watching the proceeding
fretted huge airedale.
Cali right, Blaise," said the man
with the gray eyes, "we'n give you
a hand!"
The airedale leaped on the speak
er who grasped the dogs hairy
jowls. Hello, Flame, old partner!
The bush smell good after the train,
boy?"
Depositing the canoe on the slant
of the railroad fill, the man called
Blaise said: "We got ia rush dat
grub off! Dis train not stop for long
time!"
Shortly heap of dunnage and
provision bags lay beside the track.
The square-built Blaise tossed the
canoe to his. shoulder and started
down a path to the river.
"Well, Red" said Garrett Fin
lay, "my guess is that those two
breeds at the station might know
something we came long way to
learn"
Before we leave this great city
of six shacks and store I'm going
to make some talk with those
brules."
They're altogether too keen to
know who we are and where we're
going. Well give them a chance to
find out, tonight" said Finlay.
"Down the line they say no one at
Nottaway will talk. Before we start
we'll find out why"
"Chief, we can't 60 back, you and
Blaise and me, until we do find out.
We've burned our bridges! It's sink
or swim, now!'
The bronzed face of the other
hardened while lights flickered in
his deep-set eyes. Fright, Red!
We'll get to the bottom of this if it
takes all winter and God help some
body when we dol"
After supper the friends separat-
ed. Leaving Malone in conversa-
ton with Cotter, the storekeeper,
Finlay went to the house of the
station agent, Mcleod.
$50 you're going to the bay on
the survey?" observed the Scotch
man, glad of the chance for gossip
with someone from the "outside."
eyes, we're meeting the main
party at Rupert House."
"Wintering there, eh?"
"Oh, yes. We won't get out until