The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-04
North To Danger
By TOM GILL

the company. He uses al his infiu-
enee with the trappers TO keep them
from selling to US. Dove and | don't
see very much of each other. He's
away a great deal. But what has he
to do with your coming to Lear
MONTH"
Everything" Colin laid his pipe
on the table. when the company
sent me TO Wolverine last month to
help Van Downe, they told me that
things were going wrong. The In
dian trappers weren't as friendly
as they had been; they weren't sell
ing their skins to US, and the few
who still wanted to deal with US
were afraid to. Van Downe believed
that the trouble all headed up in
Doves school. They were telling
the trappers that the company had
been robbing them for years, and
the stage was all set for trouble.
Whisky was being struggled to the
Indians, even on the reservation,
and although the mounted police
were doing all they could, the war
had taken so many they couldn't
handle the territory even in normal
times.
at looked TO Van and me like a
deliberate attempt to throw the
whole country out Of gear, but
neither of us could understand why.
Part of the motive was to tear down
the influence of the Bay Company,
but there had to be something more
it was too deliberately planned"
"Was Dove there?" Selkirk asked.
ale arrived two weeks after
did. Van Downe and / had never
seen him, and we went down TO the
post Office the night he came in. The
crowd from the school gave him a
rousing welcome, and it wasn't until
he passed me that ] got a good look
at him. Colin shifted in his chair.
"Rod, / cant describe the way | felt
at first sight of him. His face was
absolutely expressionless. His hands
were enormous-twice too big for a
man of his size. And powerful-Ill
never forget those hands; it was as
if each one had separate life of its
own, as if they lived apart from the
man himself. restless, always NOV
ing, like the tentacles Of an octopus.
Did he affect you like that"
mot exactly. But go on
"Van Downe was standing beside
me, and ! heard him give a queer,
half-stifled gasp and felt him clutch
my arm. Then Dove looked up at
him. Something passed between
them, Rod, some kind Of recogni-
ton, just before Dove moved away
with the crowd. Van Downe's face
was gray. He started to walk, and
for a long time he never spoke a
word, and his eyes were like the
eyes Of a man in fever. Once he
stopped and looked at me. and then
he said, Colin. can the dead come
backF
Evan must have realized how
wild his words sounded, for he went
on, No, I'm not crazy. Not quite,
anyway. But il I'm right, you've
just seen the most dangerous man
in Canada
81 asked him what II was all
about. but he was still too shaken
TO talk. Only when we got 10 the
post he said to me Colin, I think
| see now what's behind the trouble
here: there's a game being played
bigger than you or ever dreamed
big enough maybe TO change his
tory itself. Come over 10 the cabin
tonight. I want to show you some
thing. And IL you think il makes
sense, well lay il before the SER
geant at the police barracks. But
don't let anyone know you're COM
ing-and come alone
Colin drew a long breath. ~They
were the last words he ever spoke
to me. Van Dovne's cabin is about