WNU Service
CHAPTER VIII—Continued
: —]
*1 may if you don't fetch the blank.
et," he sald. “A fire on the shore
means nothing of itself. Just an In-
flan camp-—John Buck and his squaw.
We'll have to signal”
The word sent her bounding up the
bank. She came flying back with the
blanket. Garth ordered her to held one
corner. He took another. They stood
in front of the fire, with the big
blanket stretched between them. Mr.
Ramill ealled Irritably from the top of
the bank. What did they mean, wa-
kening him and taking away his bed-
ding? Lilith cried eut the glad news.
Garth gave her a curt order to pay at-
te:otlon. At his commands, she began
te stoop and rise in unison with him,
lowering the blanket to the sand and
Jerking it up again in front of the fire,
a! irregular intervals.
After some time he ordered a halt,
with the blanket on the ground. He
added an explanation: “Those were
dots and dashes. We've given the
50S—and my name. They may not
dave made it out. That light is near-
er, but it has not turned. Ready now.
We'll repeat.”
He went through another series of
long and short liftings of the blanket.
They again paused with the blanket
down. Garth stepped out of the fire
glow te peer over the water. Lilith
followed,
Above the low-hung star another
star flashed on and off. Across the
silent, glimmering flood of the river
tame the hoarse blasts of a steamer’s
whistle, muffled by distance yet un-
mistakable.
“All right, Miss Ramill,” Garth sald
‘Tell your mald to pack your lug-
gage.”
Ste asked In a low volce: “Haven't
i tried to play up? Is it sporting of
fou to mock me?”
Her face was shadowed. He could
oot see the look that went with the
questions, After a moment, he an-
swered soberly: “It Is not, and you
bave. Permit me to apologize.”
“Is that all?”
“What else?” he replied. “You are
of course relieved and pleased to be
rid of a man you so thoroughly hate,
You may rest assured I will not in-
trude, once you're aboard ship.”
“Yes,” she murmured, "when Dad
and I no longer have any need of you
to—"
Her father came staggering down
the bank to thrust in between them.
“1 say, Garth!—don't lie. Is it true
the steamer is putting in for us?”
» * ® » » - *
Doubtful of a safe night landing at
this unused beach, the steamer cap-
tain lay off-shore and sent in a canoe.
Garth steadied Mr. Ramill into the
birchbark. At the same time Lilith
stepped In ahead of her father. She
repeated the maneuver when the two
Indian paddlers drove the canoe out
alongside the little river steamer.
Garth saw no more of the girl until
after the steamer tied up at Fort Simp-
son, the trading post at the mouth of
the Liard river. Taken Into a state.
room by the wife of a missionary from
Fort Norman, she remalned In com-
plete seclusion.
Her father kept almost equally close
{n the skipper's own room. The canny
Scot had welcomed the American mil-
lionaire to his bunk—for a considera-
tion. The cabin was jammed with fur
traders and Fort Norman oll-fleld offi-
cials, who were going outside for the
winter, Garth messed and berthed for-
ward with the crew, He kept to his
worn buckskins. But a sleet-squall
ended the pest of files and mosquitoes,
He was able to shave and cleanse his
skin of dope, yet enjoy the fresh alr
on the unscreened deck.
When the building-topped bluff of
Fort Simpson was sighted In the dis
tance, Mr. Ramill left the cabin and
came forward. Though not yet fully
recovered from his wound, he walked
with the springy step of a lean-waist-
ed middle-aged gentleman in healthy
training. After the snagged and stained
leather suit, the clothes loaned him by
the skipper looked startlingly respecta-
ble. The same was true of hig clean-
shaven dope-free skin.
He stopped before Garth, bland:
faced, shrewd-eyed.
“I've just heard, my boy, that you
think of stopping off at this post. I
trust It's not on account of any feeling
against me or my daughter. You can't
blame her for a bit of resentment,
She's a woman, and you certainly put
her through the miil, As for myself,
1 called it quits when you pulled me
out of the bole this last time, What
d'you say?"
gave it a hearty grip.
“All accounts squared, sir, and no
hard feelings against either of you,
Miss Ramill proved herself far more
plucky and sporting than could have
been expected. I wish you both bon
et for you to be leaving the boat,
my boy! There's no need of It. I can
arrange for you to get into the cabin,
In fact, I'd like the opportunity to talk
over matters, We might still get to.
gether on those terms you offered.”
“We might” Garth agreed; but then
i
his smile hardened. *That side of the
matter will have to wait. I shall first
settle with your friend Huxby.”
The millionaire frowned.
“Don't call that murderous hound a
friend of mine. His shooting you is
understandable, My wounding was of
course what he claimed-—sheer accl-
dent. But for the scoundrel to aban-
don a helpless girl to starvation! If
he was too cowardly to dare her
frenzied threats and forcibly take her
and me with him in the cance, he could
at least have had the plane come for
us.”
“If you care for my guess,” Garth
sald, “he was more Interested In your
daughter as an heiress than as a
woman.”
“No guess about ft. A coldblooded
rascal who would have murderéd you
for your claim! II run him down
and make him pay in full for desert-
log Lilith and me, if it costs a mil-
lion.”
“His punishment will cost you noth.
Ing, Mr. Ramill. He has been trapped
by his own greed.”
“Trapped?”
“Before we came aboard, word was
received by radio that a man named
Huxby had recorded a platinum placer
claim at Fort Smith; that he had
bought a large airplane, and flown
porth with three miners”
Mr. Ramill looked his doubts.
beard nothing of IL”
“Because I thought best for you not
to.”
“You! Do you mean to tell me that
everyone on this steamer kept mum
because you, a mere prospector—"
The millionaire paused. “Have I been
blind? You are not a common pros
pector. There's something about you
« + « In spite of your vagabonding about
this north country!”
Garth sald: “We are talking about
Huxby. I've radioed for a Northwest
policeman to meet me at Simpson with
a plane, The charges are robbery and
assault to murder.”
“Radiced? The skipper told me his
transmitter was out of order.”
“By my request, sir. [I thonght it as
well to keep you out of the affair. It
Is possible Miss Ramill may have re-
covered from her resentment against
him. I'll ask you to pardon my going
to see If there are any more reports
on Huxby's movements"
Though by no means curt, the dis-
missal was abrupt. Mr. Ramill stood
pondering for several. moments before
he returned to the cabin and went to
the door of the statercom that the Fort
Norman missionary’s wife had shared
with Lilith.
Some time before the steamer nosed
In to the landing, Garth made out that
the pontooned plane afloat at the wa-
terfront was too small to be one of
the regular Bellanca transports. It had
no cabin, and only three seats. Fore
most of the passengers ashore, he at
once climbed the bluff to the post.
As he expected, a red-coated con-
stable of the Northwest police was
lounging In the old trading post store-
room with one of the Alrways pliots.
The latter sprang to meet him.
“Hullo, "Lan—you d-—n' lame duck!
Helluva note, you squattering In the
wet all these months, Could've cruised
your frozen hell a hundred times In
any old crate.”
Garth gripped hands with him. * "Lo,
Kiwi! [I didn't happen to be after
airpockets. There are things you have
to rub your nose against to see.”
“And smell! I've heard of your Es
kimo igloos. Count me out—com-
pletely outside, Indian huts are enough
and to spare”
Garth sobered to business
news?"
“Your man set his bus down here
three days ago. Hopped off PDQ, with
all she could heave up under—gas and
oll."
The constable had
tion, He met Garth's glance with a
salute. “All ready, sir”
“Good work, Dillon. One question—
those three miners?”
“Broke prospectors, sir. Records,
far as known, not savory. But none
of the bunch is wanted, and they're
not newcomers from across the border.
They'll know enough mot to Interfere
when 1 take my prisoner.”
The post factor came hastening In
to shake hands. “Pardon my absence,
Mr. Garth, Was up the Liard. It's
a great pleasure to have you stop off
with us, If you plan to take In dogs,
I have a picked team that I'd be hon
ored—"
*T've
“What
stood at atten-
“Thank you, no,” Garth cut In. “Bat
I would like a rifle, rabbit undersuit,
winter moccasins, gloves, and three
pairs of webs”
He turned to the pilot. “Season
more advanced up there. Blizzards off
the Selwyns; the lake probably start
Ing to freeze. Enough stream-flow,
though, to keep a clear runway for
your pontoons, If we don't loiter all
week.”
He went Into a bunkroom to put on
the rabbit-fur sult under his buck.
skins, When he came out, a girl in a
plain, ill-fitting gown stood talking to
the pilot. The pilot glanced towards
him. The girl turned quickly, He
found himself face to face with Lilith
Nor was It that deep-lined rouged and
powdered face with scarlet-smeared
lips that had sneered at him on To-
bin's wharf. It was a face smooth
and firm, vivid with life and vitality.
Only the blue eyes were hard,
“Alan Garth,” she sald, “I've learned
all about it. You're golng back there
~after him 1”
“Sorry, Miss Ramil. It's not re-
venge, If that's what you think. I tried
to spare you. But, if you must have
it, he is a thief.”
The girl's eyes flashed. “Worse!
He's a cowardly murderer. That is
why I too am going to see him taken
prisoner.”
“You?”
“Yes. I am going to see him cringe,
the sneaky beast! Do you think I've
forgotten how he crept up and shot
you when you weren't locking? And
what if he didn't Intend to shoot Dad?
He left him to dle. If that's not
enough, must I tell you how he taunt-
ed me? He jeered that I'd be starved
into welcoming him by the time he
came back for me”
“Yet that's no reason why you—"
“It 1s! You shan't go without me.
It you refuse, there's another plane
Just come. I'll make Dad charter it
for me. I'll have the pllot tag after
youl”
Garth studied her gravely. She
stared back at him, hotly defiant. He
pretended to accept her reasons for
wanting to go:
“You most certalnly are a good
hater, Miss Ramill. One thing, though.
The valley Is about to freeze up. It
will not be the summer paradize we
left. We may land {no a blizzard”
She looked around the store. “Where
are those Eskimo sults you told me
about ?™
At that he smiled a bit grimly. “This
Is Indian country. You shall have rab-
bit and buckskins.” He turned to the
factor: “Add the lady's outfit to my
in
| Lalk!
“You Most Certainly Are a Good
Hater, Miss RamiilL®
account.” To the pllot: “Kiwi, this is
where you are to fit your name, You're
going to be a wingless ground bird.”
“Oh, have a heart, 'Lan®™
“Three is a crowd, and she is It
Ask her father”
For the first time the girl betrayed
a trace of doubt. “But we'll have to
have a pllot™
Kiwl stared, then grinned at the
Joke. “Lady, what you don't know
about our boy friend would appear to
be quite a considerable.—All right, you
lame duck, go hog the Joystick. Do 1
stay planted or take the watercraft?’
“Steamer. Southbound planes are
apt to be overcrowded, with everyone
coming out,” Garth replied, “Now, Miss
Ramill, we'll go down and get your
father's visa on your passport.”
Constable Dillon put in a word: “It's
not on the cards, sir, to take along a
young lady. If this Huxby tries to
act up
“He's your meat, Dillon. I'll stand
responsible for Miss Ramil"
Down at the waterfront, Garth went
over the plane with his pilot friend.
There was a full load of gasoline and
a change of oll. To the week's supply
of provisions, he added the three pairs
of snowshoes and the new rifle. With
the rifle came enough cartridges to ree
fill the belt that still held his kaife
and belt-ax,
Lilith had gone aboard the steamer.
She returned with her father. He
locked worrlel. She had put on
her Indlan-woman costume-—buckskins,
moceasing, fur cap and gloves. The
millionaire chose to lay the blame on
Garth.
“Have you gone insane? No more
than get her out of that muskeg hell,
and you want to drag her back to your
infernal hole In desolation |”
give anyone,
met and goggles, the constable mount.
ed to the middle cockpit. Kiwi hand-
ed the girl Into the rear one. He drew
over her head the shatterless glass
cowl that almost covered the opening.
Garth spoke a last word to her anx-
lous father: “In all probability, sir,
we'll overtake you within three or four
days. May, however, have to lay over,
in case of storm. If fog or snow makes
us miss you on your way out, we'll
probably meet at Fort McMurray.”
Mr. Ramill came close. “Garth,
there's something I ean't understand.
This crazy notion of Lilith's, I mean.
It's not mere willfulness, She has
something in mind.”
“Wants to see the handcuffs slipped
on Huxby™ Garth replied. “Can you
blame her? Mangled vanity. Had be-
lleved he loved her for herself at least
as much as for her mheritance. ‘Hell
hath no fury like a woman scorned’—
all that, you know.”
“Not all, Garth—no! There's some-
thing else. I can't make her out
Something different about her.”
“Perhaps she'll tell you when we
come out. T'll of course do what I
can for her”
Garth sheok hands, and swung
aboard the small craft. At a sizn from
him, the displaced pilot gave the pro-
peller a spin. The plane swung around,
to taxi downstream,
There was no hurry. Had Huxby
schemed to fly Into the valley merely
to stake the placer In his own name
and hop out again, he would not have
taken the three miners. He undoubt-
edly had planned to do his season's as-
sessment work. That would mean a
shaft sunk to bedrock, so that be could
bring out a load of the platinum gold
alloy.
Midway of the down river flight, the
three-seater ran into a sleet squall
Garth dropped to the water and tied
up under the lee of a spruce-black
point. When Lilith demanded to know
the cause of the delay, he explained
bow sleet may put a plane into a spin
by freezing on the wings.
The squall blew over, leaving every.
thing sheeted with ice. Garth and Con.
stable Dillon knocked clear the front
edge of the wings. Another hop
brought the party to the emergency
refueling post, shortly before suadown,
This time Lilith Ramill did not re.
fuse Tobin's crude hospitality. She
troubled the old sourdough far more
by insisting upon watching his prepara-
tion of supper and breakfast
He could not at first believe she was
the painted lady who had scoffed at
his “garbage.™ She not only refrained
from scoffing, she ate his bacon and
porridge as beartily as Garth and the
policeman.
The moosehide canoe lay upturned
on the bank beside Garth's old birch.
bark, Tobin had at once told Huxbhy's
story. According to the engineer, the
lady and ber father were still ma.
rooned In the mountains. He had
come out with Garth to fetch a plane
by a wounded she-grizzly,
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Gypsy Race Much Mixed;
Fourteen Dialects Used
mixed one, with elements of
they have resided; and gypsies from
land Plain Dealer.
gypsies
countries they were called Tartars
come to Europe out of the east
glon were driven
m
ultimately flitered through Syria into
Egypt and northern Africa and through
Turkey into Europe. There are now
14 or more distinct dialects of their
language In European countries—indi
cating their widespread distribution.
F
E3Es:
; i
:
a
=
3
Beetle]
“TERRIBLE FIX?’
Professor Highbrow was sleeping in
{
in Unused Court Building
New Orleans police rushed to the
third floor of the old Criminal Courts
The
Irving
more, and extinguished a fire,
tenant,
Cause of the fire was un.
What SHE TOLD
excited professor jumped up and put-
ting his pants and shirt on wrongside
before, dashed out of his room door,
bottom.
pathizing friend. The professor glanced
down at himself and replied.
“lI don’t seem to be hurt much, but
blamed if it didn't twist me clean
around.”"—Florida Times-Union.
WHO'S NEXT?
Hubby~—It seems to me that you
come to the office a good deal more
than there Is any occasion for.
Wifey—I cannot help it, dear. Your
manners in the office are 80 much nicer
than they are at home that I really en-
Joy the contrast.
Dudes, No Doubt
It was a Wild West exhibition, and
the dear old soul was enormously in
terested in a gally-decked cowboy who
was attracting attention by his dex.
terous swinging of a lasso.
“What long rope.” she sald, “What
do you use it for?"
“Waal, lady,” he replied, “when I'm
on the ranch I use this here long rope
for eatching cows”
“Catching cows?" she sald, wonder.
ing. “How very interesting. But, tell
me, what You use for bait?
Kansas City Star,
er ————————————
nswer That One
A farmer visited his son's college,
Watching students in a chemistry
class, he was told they were looking
for a universal solvent.
“What's that?" asked the farmer.
“A liquid that will dissolve any-
thing.”
“That's a great idea” agreed the
farmer. “When you find it, what are
you going to keep it In?"
do
Agreecable Laddie
“What's the shape of the earth?
asked the teacher, calling suddenly on
Wee Wullle,
“Round,” sald Wee Whullle,
“How do you know it's round?”
asked the teacher,
“Well” says Whollle, “it's square
then; I dinna want ony argument
about it"-—Dundas Star,
Blackmail
Mother (on train)—If you don“
I'll smack you!
Daughter—You smack me and I'l
tell the conductor my real age,
LI
MOST ANYTHING
She could have reproached him for
his fits ol remnper—iis “all in” come
ints. But wisely she saw in hig
requent colds, his “lagged out,”
“on edge” condition the wi
trouble she herself had whipped,
Constipation! The .
very morning after
Ty taking NR (Na
YJ tures Remedy), §
5 os she advised, he
felt like himself J
again ~~ keenly
, cheerful. NR-—the
safe, ndable, all-vegetable &
lazative and corrective ——
worksgently, thor
thing for my nerves.
Hubby—A new hat I suppose.
Perturbation
inative act to complete,
regular function.
ing. Non-habit-
forming. Try a
box tonight.
~-- at druggists, _
MORROW SLICHT
Why Be Lonesome?
“One travels fastest who travels
gione,” but his traveling becomes a
perfect fury of speed because he is
80 lonesome,
FOUND!
Myldeal Remedy for
HEADACHE
“Though I have tried all good
remedies Capudine suits me
® best. It is quick and gentle.”
4 Quickest because it Is liquid
1 is Ingredients are already dise
solved. For headache, neuralgia
aches—periodie pains.
[CIT
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“I sent for a free sample of Cutl-
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of the Soap and Ointment. It only
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fully.” Miss R. Zebrowski, 18 Alder
St, Bristol, Conn.
Prove Cuticura today—and keep it
nlways near you. Use for rashes,
ringworms, burning and itching of
eczema and other externally caused
skin irritations. Soap 25¢. Olntment
25c. Samples FREE. Write to “Cuti-
cura,” Dept. 17, Malden, Mass Ady.
A TONIC AND BUILDER
Mrs. Grace Rhodes of
St, Charles.
Discovery certainly is a
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Weite Dr, Pierce's Clinic, Bullalo, N. Y.
MTR CITE Ed
Kidney Poisons