Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-08-22

does this fellow with tie knife slaGk
On his face pack . gun! what's ~
afraid Off"
You're pretty shrewd, Mr.. Fin
lay. you'll have to Judge for your
self. don't know"
After q chat about lower Ontario.
the McLeods' home country, Finlay
bade them goodnight. A. he left
the house he saw the taller of the
hak-breeds who had watched his n.
rival at Nottaway with such inter-
est. Finlay's curious eyes studied
the man who was evidently wait
ing for him in front Of the frame
store. which carried on q spruce
plank above the door the name ~.
Cotter."
Approaching the half-breed. he
called: Fine EVENING""
The other grinned. shaping Wig
orously at his face and neck. Good
night for bug. al-so!"
Finlay lost no time in getting to
the point. you know the river to
the Bay?"
The breed nodded. "You headin'
for de Bay on survey" he asked.
Eyes. we're heading for Rupert.
The river runs pretty hard for q
hundred miles below here. I hear"
Plenty strong water on all desc
riviere! Two men drown last year!"
Finlay closely watched the flick
ering eyes as he said: And four the
year before, but that was on the
Waswanipi, they tell mel"
"Ah-hah!"
Il see that the Hudson's Bay and
Jules Isadore have depots here" OBJ
served Finlay. nodding at the store
houses beside the track. who Is
this Isadore?"
The haf-breed gaped in surprise.
"You nevare hear of heem?"
mo"
oval. you not see hees place on
Nottaway Trail"
He does a big fur business, I
judge, by the size of his depot"
Yer beeg business" he agreed.
Yer beeg! Mcleod, he talk wild
you bout Isadore?"
Finlay laughed inwardly. mo, he
says he's new here, doesn't know
Isadore."
"Ah!"
As yet the man who had evidenced
such curiosity concerning the survey
party had not shown his hand. Then
Finlay abruptly brought the matter
to head. "You work for Isadore?"
Eyes"
my name is Finlay. What's
yours?"
Louis Batoche."
"You handle his freight"
Eyes. Now M'sieu' Finlay," re-
turned the other with a grimace, II
ask you question. wy you 60 by dis
way to Rupert and not by easy trail
to Moose?"
Finlay laughed. So that was the
niger in the woodpile? They wanted
to know why the survey party was
taking the Nottaway Trail to the
Bay. He answered disarmingly:
"Oh, we're going to make a new sur
vey of the Nottaway from Lake Mat
agami to Rupert Bay. Otherwise
we'd have gone by Moose"
Garry narrowly watched the effect
Of his explanation. The haH-breed
lifted his brows in seeming surprise
as he replied: "Ah-hah! see!"
The answer appeared to satisfy
Batoche's curiosity. His eyes
dropped to the river shore where
the smoke from Blaise's smudge fire
hung in the spruce tops. Then his
gaze shifted to a tent above the
bridge.
who are those men camped
there, prospectors?" asked Finlay.
Batoche laughed. "Dey head for
de Rouyn contree."
Mot interested in trying for the
Chibougamau?" Finlay watched the
other closely.
Batoche's eyes glittered. "Chib-
ougamau?" he sneered, "Onlee fool
head for de Chibougamau from
here!"
"And they paid for it by drowning
in the Waswanipi rapids-an Of
them"
Batoche's pale eyes probed the in
scrutable face of the white man,
then shifted to the spruce ridge, be-
yond the river.
"Onlee Montagnais Indian travel
dat Waswanipi. It ees bad water.
De prospector all 60 in from Lac
st. Jean"
II hear that Isadore's people
found a piece Of a canoe"
For sure! All smash up below
beeg rapide on Waswanipi!"
Which party was that?"
1.-TWO young fallar who 60 in last
year wild Peterboro cano'."
Finlay's eyes chung for an instant
to the purple ridge as pain lanced
through him. That's all they found
no bodies or OUTFIT"
Batoche shook his head. Oats
ALI"
well. I'm much obliged" said
Finlay. 1--WE got to see my man,
Brassard. Wen be pushing Oh in
the morning."