Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-31

o0oe - koeD y . secret 0AS ~ are
AsssAsa PsBes. sess - isvsseisafs -
deaths q ~ six '-arsvpsA' nsa. Hnaay
bsaieves Liss vas nasesas saA vESess
hes . ases.
= =
Of the strangers. "I'm Duncan Nc
Nab, in charge here, and this Il d.
vid, my head man."
Finlay introduced himself and his
friends. I'VE passed through the
lake some time back, Mr.. McNab.
on our way in to map Waswanipi."
MAP Waswanipi?" The shrewd
blue eyes Of the trader pictured his
amazement. you're government
survey party, then?"
Eve were" Finlay shot IN
amused look at Red.
The heavy brows of the trader lift
ed. 'Then you've fnished?"
mo, Mr.. McNab, we're not On
the survey, now, but we haven't
finished with Waswanipi." Finlay's
face stiffened. "We've come to you
for help and information. Then we're
| going back-to finish"
The clamp of his lean jaw and
the points Of fire in the speakers
eyes snapped McNab's head for
ward in q narrow-eyed stare. Il
don't get you, Mr.. Finlay. Let's
talk it out over pipe in the trade
room. OF course. you'll stay the
night with US? We're pretty lonely,
here, for white face. Your men
can stow your stuff in that shack.
David will show him."
Thanks" said Finlay. "I'n shut
up my dog, too, before there's q
fight"
Shortly the three white men sat
in the traderoom.
Nov, Mr.. Finlay," said McNab,
exhaling cloud Of smoke, would
you mind getting down to brass
tacks?"
Finlay was measuring the caliber
Of the man whom circumstances
had forced him to trust in order to
insure the delivery of his message
to the railroad. This trader looked
man full in the eye and had a
straightforward way with him. He
seemed staunch. According to re-
ports he had been worsted by Isa-
dore in the fight for the fur trade.
That was in their favor and should
keep his mouth closed. There was
nothing to be gained by waiting.
"How well do you know Jules lisa.
dore?" Garry suddenly asked.
The veins lifted in McNab's neck
and temples as he tore his pipe from
his teeth and rasped: "Too damned
WE'LL"
Finlay nodded at the grinning
Red. II thought that would be it,
Well, Mr.. McNab, we're going to tell
you story. It concerns the deaths
of six men. First. possibly you'd
, be interested to look at that" Fin
lay produced his police badge and
handed it to McNab, whose jaws
sagged in his surprise. We're
Mounted Police and we're here to
have message relayed to the rail-
road"
McNab slowly returned the badge.
His eyes strayed from the bronzed
faces of the Mounties to the lines of
their hard bodies filling the wool
shirts and whipcord breaches. "Po-
lice, Ell? I might have known from
your eyes and the set Of your Shout
ders. Welt Well! Up on Waswanipi
posing as surveyors! So it's Isadore,
at last!"
Eyes," said Finlay, Its Isadore,
at last!" Then he described the
events of the past weeks while Nc
Nab, drawing furiously on his pipe,
plnctuated the narrative with out
ragged grunts.
'That's the story, McNab. For
the present, not a word, even to
your wife. When can you send .
canoe to the railroad?"
''We're sending one shortly" he
said. "But their firing on you on
the Nottaway, then ambushing you.
and you supposed to be on the gov
eminent survey! can't get over
it, Sergeant! OF course I'd heard at
the railroad of these reported drown
ings and had had my suspicious"
'They didn't believe we were on
the survey" replied Finlay. Into
his gray eyes crept the mist of
memory. His voice was rough with
pain as he asked: Ibid those boys
stop here last SUMMER"
eyes. Nice boys, tool"
Zone was my brother"
'Your brother? Oh, I'm sorryl
You didn't say one was your broth
er when you told of finding their
bodies"
'tNo."
'It's tough, Sergeant Finlay,
damned tough! That crook" Nc
Nab stopped his pacing to stand
over Garry and shake thick fin
ger. "Why-why the mans a luna
tic-mad as hermit wolf! He
can't get away with this!"
Hes managed to so far"
McNab's face filed with blood as
his anger increased. 1--WE seen a
lot-guessed lot, since the Com
pany sent me here three years ago