Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-11-28
M xcIE..:s's7 9

for his friend Brassard rose and
walked boldly from cover into The
patches Of moss and Labrador tea.
Halfway across the open space he
found what he had dreaded. Under
the heavy drop-log Of . dead-fall
lay Flames limp body.
Lured BY the irresistible scent Of
the beaver castor the gallant aire-
dale had followed its trail directly
to the dead-fall. With q groan Blaise
dropped to his knees beside the dog
he had loved from puppyhood.
Flannel" he muttered IVY you
do dis. Flannel You poor chieni
Blaise, he navarro forget you. He
navarro"
Brassard was lifting the drop-log
Of the dead-fall, easing the dogs
body, when he suddenly caught his
breath. by garl Dat dog is warm,
yeti" His swiftly cropping fingers
sought the dogs breast ribs and ex-
plored his neck and spine. dat
log not break his neck or back!" he
gasped in his joy. "And his heart
it beat! He still ivel De drop-log
crack him on de head, by gar, and
knock him out!" Blaise's ear pressed
against the shaggy ribs. "For surei
For sure, Flame! Dat old heart, she
60 goodi" Brassard's fingers
touched the dogs skull. Deere it isl
Right on de head! Big lump derei
It hit you on head, not de back or
neck, and de tick moss save you,
by garl"
Because the builders of the trap
of logs had been careless in remov-
ing the thick carpet of moss on
which it stood, the dogs neck and
back had not been crushed by the
re.ease Of the drop-log when he
reached the bait of moose meat
smeared with beaver castor. Instead
he had taken a glancing blow on the
skull which had knocked him out.
Reaching, Blaise took the inert
body of his friend int his arms and
laid it on a soft bed Of moss. Then
the overjoyed man rubbed and knead-
ed the circulation back into the iron
frame. At length the dogs legs
twitched and his blood-shot eyes met
those of the man for an instant of
recognition. The stub of tail lifted
and fell. Shortly the airedale strug-
gled to get to his feet, but sank
back on the moss where Blaise's
hand restrained him.
"Quiet, nowl Take your time, boyi
BY gar, it is good to see you alivel
Bad crack you take on de head.
Blaise stay wild you right here ontil
you not SO dizzy, eh?"
After a space Flame again insisted
on getting to his feet. Blaise watched
the dog slowly regain his eQuilibri-
UNI, shaking his head in an attempt
to clear the mists from his brain.
At last Flames strength began to
return, for he no longer reeled a. he
walked about Brassard whose row.
ing eyes covered the edges Of the
clearing. When Flame began to show
interest in the smeared bait of the
trap and his nostrils quivered as
they caught the seductive aroma
Blaise felt that the dog could make
the trip back to the canoe. He
picked up his rifle and, followed by
Flame, left the clearing.
AS they entered the thick timber
there was warning rumble from
Flame. He leaped past the sur
prised Brassard, fell, recovered and
roared his airedale challenge as two
bodies catapulted into Blaise's back
hurting him headlong to the ground.
As he fell and instinctively rolled
from the weight of the men on his
back the halfbreed tore the As from
its holster. A hand gripping knife
drove past his neck and buried its
blade in the leaves. Blaise caught
the Indians wrist and with a wrench
had the writhing body beneath him.
Clubbing the As he bludgeoned the
Montagnais into Inconsistencies.
Leaping to his feet he saw the in
jured airedale drive at the second
Indians legs, dodge knife thrust as
the Indian backed away, then leap
again as the Montagnais reached
for the rife which had slipped from
Brassard's hands when he was
struck from the rear.
Indian and airedale rolled over
and over in the brush, the dog slash
ing with his long fangs as the other
tried to use his knife. With a leap
Blaise reached them and the dubbed
As struck again. Holding the mad
dened dog of the stunned Indian
Blaise swiftly bound his hands and
feet with strips Of his shirt, and re-
peated the operation on his compan-
ion lying unconscious a few yards
away. A quick examination proved
that the raging Flame had escaped
with surface cut. Picking up his
rife Blaise and the dog started for
the canoe.
"You t'ink I am crazee not to
shoot dose fallar, Flame?" the man
said to the dog at his side. IF
shoot dat old IS we have t'ree-four,
mebbe ten-twenty on our heel before
we reach de cano'. Dere are plenty
Montagnais across de islam wait
in for night. You and Blaise now 70
wake up Red and Garry and start up
de lake. tout suite, wen dark
come4." ~