THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER
OF A MOUNTIE
THE WAY OF
INSPECTOR MACKENZIE raised his glance from the papers litter- ing his desk, and eyed, the young man he had summoned. He liked what he saw.
"Corporal Reid," he said, "I want you, first, to read these papers." He held out a sheaf, which the cor- poral took. ""They'll tell you more than I can. Sit down, and read them now."
He motioned to a chair.
as
Corporal Bob Reld, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, sat in the chair indicated and began reading an official the papers. They were statement about a murder. It ap- peared that at a place known Pike's Level a trapper had come up- on the shot body of a prospector, Jim Tallance, who had been living with his step-daughter, Tallance was dead, shot through the heart, and his step- daughter, Helen Cameron, the child of his second wife, was missing. An investigating constable on the Pike's Plateau patrol had taken a statement from the trapper, Hugh Mallin, and from an Eskimo named Ungab. Mal- lin confirmed that Tallance's rifle was missing, and rumours that Helen Cameron and her stepfather had fre- quently 'quarrelled. Tallance had had small luck with the claims he had staked, and had taken to drinking more than was good for his health. The rumours claimed that Tallance to had upon occasion been known beat the girl. Further, Tallance had
Short Story
been killed by a rifle bullet. The to have Eskimo, Ungab, claimed seen Tallance and his stepdaughter a quarter of an hour before the former was killed. It seemed no one else had been in the neighbourhood at the time.
Bob Reld digested all this careful- ly, and handed the papers back to his superior.
"Got it straight, corporal?" queried Mackenzie.
"I think so, sir." "Good. Well, it looks an open-and- shut case. I want you to bring in this
Helen Cameron. Constable White, on the Peak Plateau patrol, can't be spared. Anyway he's out after this Ungab, who will be the chief witness for, the Crown when the trial comes on. It appears he's gone back to his tribe, some hun- dreds of miles farther north-west. I want you to start to-morrow, and remember, Reld - come back with Helen Cameron."
policeman. "I'm telling you, corpor- al, I wouldn't tell you if I knew."
"At least you're not sending me on a goose-chase," said Reid.
of the trappers informed Reid. "No one can live out there without a dog- team, and damned few can live with
"
one."
}
"But that debt's square-Bob Reid. I should have slept on and on if you hadn't found me. You know that. You came just in time”
believe
"I wish to God I could that!" he said, devoutly, and seized her arms.
And then, just how neither of them ever know, she was in his arms, and her lips were eagerly meeting his.
The trapper gave him a sharp The Mountie accepted their advice glance from under his craggy brows. but did not abide by it. After rest- "Naw," I'm not sending you on no ing and warming his body he struck goose-chase," he said reflectively, out once more, leaving behind at the "But then geese don't flourish in this trapper's camp two of the dogs that country-not even the wild variety." had frost-bite. He was now chas-
They sat late over the fire talking, He ing a phantom, and through a phan- Reid got no more from him.
Bob tried his hand with the other inha- tom world, but he belonged to a band and one thing they did not mention bitants of Pike's Level, and it took of men who daily achieved the im--that was the easy way out, him best part of a day to visit all of possible and reported for duty the Reid was a man in love with his pri-
next day-if they lived.
soner. But his love was worth them. All were reluctant to talk ex- cept one, the wife of a store-keeper.
woman's winning because it was hon- For some reason she had no liking
est. Just as strong as his code of for the missing girl.
"If you want what I think, she's run for the Bull River and the chance of getting a steamer at Fort Warring- ton,"
It was Reid's only clue, and he could not afford to overlook it. To check up wou'd mean trekking to the station at Horn Crossing, where he could radio Fort Warrington. It was a chance, anyway, and enough time had been lost to make it imperative that he lost no more.
He set out for Horn Crossing, and struck bad weather. One of his dogs went sick, and he had to shoot it, and when finally he arrived at the Royal Mounted station he was in bad shape himself. While he rested the radio operator got in touch with Fort War- rington, and the local police spent three hours checking up before ra-
By Landon Grant
dioing back that. they could find no trace of the girl.
"Maybe she's camped somewhere.
said between here and the river," Reid, when told the news.
"She don't stand much chance, in that case. That's bad country," he was informed by the station sergeant. "Even the wolverines don't like it."
But there was no thought of back- ing down. Reid had to follow his one lead, even if it led him blind. Next day he started out again, his dog-team once more complete. He ran into a blizzard, which forced him to shelter on the southern slope of an east-west valley. He was holed up for a day while the icy storm spent Itself. He had been running light, hoping to run before the wea- ther, and the day's delay seriously affected his provisions and the food he was carrying for the dogs.
At the first gleam of the next false dawn he had the huskies in harness and was again trekking towards the Bull River. But the going was slow. Ice, soft drift snow, he had to make circuitous trips, and he dared not risk being caught uncamped when night. foll
"Very good, sir." Corporal Reid saluted, and left the Inspector's office. He knew be had been given a tough assignment. He knew, too, that it might mean his
And while he travelled he wonder- sergeant's stripe, or, alternatively...
But like a wiss man, he did noted whether he was, on the right trail, dwell in the alternative. He got in a after all if he was, what of the girl. somewhere in the sub-arctic wastes good night's sleep, and the next morn- ing started north hy 'plane. Thirty- stretching mile upon mile before six hours later he left the Simpson's him? Bend station of the Mounted Police with a dog-team and began a lonely trek north to Pike's Level, in the heart of the wild Little Fir country. He arrived. two days later, to find Constable White still absent, but Hugh. Mallin camped with his traps, The trapper was a morose man. "I can't say I took to Jim Tallance," he told the corporal. “I don't trust a man that can't treat a white wo- man the right way. He was like aderness of snow and ice, came con- squawman.”
“You think, then, his ill-treatment remiilted in the girl shooting him after ‚a quirrel?”
He reminded himself that she was a killer, that she was wanted by the law be represented, the law he had sworn to uphold at all costs to him- self. His job was to take her back.
"If I and her alive," he reflected · gloomily.
+
Reid had won his corporal's stripes by hard work. His record at head- quarters was clean, one for a man to be proud of. That record was stay- ing clean, even if it ended abruptly. Twelve hours hard travelling, after crossing the Bull River, bending over an empty, frozen duffie- bag. He was catching up.
saw
him
He drove on, relentless, and four hours later picked up unblotted tracks. Then night came down.
and The next day he swept on, nearly three hours later came upon her small camp, under a hill. She was sleeping, and the embers of her small fire were cold.. When he pull- ed back the cape of her parka he stared into a pathetic white face that strangely tugged at his heart.
her
He spent two days nursing back to strength for the return jour- ney, two days during which she re- fused to talk, but sat by the are list- less, taking no interest in her sur- roundings. She had 巍 gun and snowshoes, and no food.
honour.
a
His prisoner would be delivered come hell and high water. The wo- man knew that. She understood the silent agony he endured, and tried her best to keep his mind from it.
"Bob," she said, "I wouldn't have you different. You came to me from a world I was trying to escape-as a fool tries. You brought me reality, a sense and knowledge of the things that matter. Don't you see?”
He shook his head and said, "I love you, Helen. It's all mad, stupid, and utterly crazy. Here I am up here
playing the little hero, and all be-
cause_____"
"Because you are the man I love,
with Bob Reid," she said,
quiet pride.
Next day they fetched up at Simp- son's Bend. Reid radioed headquar ters, and after a wait of twelve hours. a 'plane arrived. The flight back to. civilisation was uneventful.
Reid handed over his prisoner, face stiff, eyes narrowed, and then went. in search of his superior.
"I've got to hunt food, but I can't afford to lose a prisoner," Reid told her.
She nodded. "I shan't go,.but you' corporal entered. can handcuff me, corporal."
em-
- The handcuffs were on his belt when he went off to find food. She was in camp when he returned. She cooked the meals when her strength flowed back, and to save her from unnecessary explanations and barrassment Reid mapped out a route that avoided known camps.
Then Reid went down with fever, It was sudden, disastrous. She could have left him to die, have taken the dogs and fought her way on to freedom. Instead she took her turn at nursing. In three days he was a ft man again.
"Why did you stick?" he asked her, one night.
There was a big round moon light- ing the snow, and stars gleamed cold- ly in the Northern heights.
"Do you believe I killed Jim Tal- lance?" she asked.
He stirred restively.
"I don't know. I was ordered to bring you in. I—”
He couldn't somehow say in words what was humming in his mind. He rose and walked some distance away, beyond the gleam of the fire. The dogs heard him and howled a friend- ly greeting.
She rose and joined him.
“I didn't kill Jim Tallance, she said quietly. "But I found him dead, and then something snapped in, me. He was a brute, and I was free. of him. anyone understand? I something snapped inside me. I just packed and went. I wanted to put a long way between myself and the corpse of Jim Tallance. I wanted to run,' and keep on running, until I found I couldn't remember him."
Can you understand? Can
There was a pause, then she add- ed, "Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't He was finding his own
it?" powers taxed to their full to live and to keep moving in the country, he was cross- ing. But somehow, born of that wil-
viction that he was on the right trail. Thought of the girl somewhere ahead of him slowly changed, by some strange chemistry of the mind, into "Never mind what I think; - Belief that he would find her.
poral. That ain't evidence Millin bluntly. "All I'm sayin'
ts. I Wouldn't be the one to blame her See?"
"Meantime I've got to find her."
· The trapper køpt silent, "Any idea where: Ea uld start?” "Nary a one," Milla'y faded blue eyes stared directie s
He got his first piece of confirma- tion at a small trappers' camp along the Bull River. One of them had reported seeing someone on the far side of the river about eighteen hours earlier No, he could not say whe- thee it was a man or a woman, but. whoever it was had no dogs.
"It's crazy to on, corporal. one
"No," he said, and turned to look her full in the eyes, "I think I can understand. And, what's more, I don't think a girl who could pull me through that fever could shoot a man, murder him, in cold blood. It don't square. I don't think you shot Jim Tallance."
A new brightness came to her exes. "You mean that-corporal?" "Every word. I'm taking you back because that's my job, but well, can't promise-still, I'm going show you Bob Reid- can debt."
"You mean
mean you saved my
ve yourk it a man
Inspector Mackenzie rose as the
“Ah, got back, I see, Reid?” "Yes, sir. Here is my report. The prisoner has been handed over."
"Must have been tough trip,
eh?"
"I've had easier, sir."
The Inspector was glancing at the top sheet of the report he had taken from the other. It was not part of: the report. It was Corporal Reid's resignation. The Inspector ed.
frown-
"You do a fine piece of work, Reid,. and then resign?"
"Yes, sir."
"But why, man?"
"I'm in love with Helen Cameron, sir, and I don't believe she murdered Jim Tallance. I've discharged my- self by discharging my duty."
The Inspector sat down, suddenly very thoughtful.
"Take a seat, and tell me the story, Reid."
The:
The corporal told his tale. Inspector asked one or two ques- lions, then reached for the 'phone on his desk. He was connected, and the corporal heard him say, "Yes, want Helen Cameron brought here- (Continued on Page 17).
I MEAN ITI I WANT THE BABY POWDER THAT FIGHTS GERMS
MENNEN
I