Part 33 (1/2)

”Why, Wananebish never used any of the money!” cried the girl.

Brent shook his head: ”Not a penny has been touched. I doubt that she ever even opened the packet.”

”Poor old Wananebish,” murmured the girl, ”And she needed it so. But she saved it all for me.”

When darkness gathered, they again hit the trail. A last look from the ridge disclosed no sign of pursuit, and that night they made twenty-five miles. For three more nights they traveled, and then upon the sh.o.r.e of Great Bear Lake, they gave up the night travel and continued their journey by daylight.

Upon the evening of the eighteenth day they pulled in to Fort Norman, where they outfitted for the long trail to the Yukon. Before she left, Snowdrift paid the debt of a thousand skins that McTavish had extended to the Indians, and the following morning the outfit pulled out and headed for the mountains which were just visible far to the westward.

CHAPTER XXII

CLAW HITS FOR DAWSON

When Claw returned to the flame-lighted clearing, a scant half-hour after he had fled from the avenging figure of Brent, it was to find his keg of rum more than half consumed, and most of the Indians howling drunk. Close about him they crowded, pressing skins upon him and demanding more liquor. The man was quick to see that despite the appearance of Brent and the girl, he held the upper hand. The Indians would remain his as long as the rum held out.

”Ask 'em where the white man went--him an' the girl,” he ordered Yondo.

The Indian pointed to the cabin of Wananebish, and a devilish gleam leaped into Claw's eyes: ”Tell 'em I'll give a hull keg of rum, er a hundred dollars, cash money to the man that kills him!” he shouted, ”an'

another keg to the one that brings me the girl!”

The drunken savages heard the offer with a whoop, and yelling like fiends, they rushed to the cabin. The barred door held against their attack, and with sinister singleness of purpose they rushed back to the fires, and securing blazing f.a.gots, began to pile brush against the wall of the building.

With an evil grin on his face, Claw took up his position behind a stump that gave un.o.bstructed view of the door through which the two must rush from the burning cabin, and waited, revolver in hand.

Louder roared the fire, and higher and higher shot the flames, but the door remained closed. Claw waited, knowing that it would take some time for the logs to burn through. But, when, at length, the whole cabin was a ma.s.s of flames, and the roof caved in, his rage burst forth in a tirade of abuse:

”They lied!” he shrilled, ”They wasn't in there. Ace-In-The-Hole wouldn't never stayed in there an' burnt up! The Injuns lied! An' he's layin' to git me. Mebbe he's got a bead on me right now!” and in a sudden excess of terror, the man started to burrow into the snow.

Yondo stopped, and in the bright light of the flames examined the trail to the river. Then he pointed down the stream in the direction of Brent's cabin, and Claw, too, examined the trail. ”They've pulled out!”

he cried, ”Pulled out for his shack! Tell 'em to come on! We'll burn 'em out up there! I ain't a-goin' to let her git away from me now--an' to h.e.l.l with Cap Jinkins! I'll take her to Dawson, an' make real money offen her. An' I'll git Ace-In-The-Hole too. I found that girl first!

She's mine--an' by G.o.d, I'll have her!” He started for the river. At the top of the bank, he paused: ”What's ailin 'em?” he roared, ”Why don't they come! Standin' there gogglin' like fools!”

”They say,” explained Yondo, in jargon, ”That they want to see the rum first.”

”Tell 'em I left it up to his shack!” roared the man, ”Tell 'em anything, jest so they come. Git my dogs an' come on. We'll lead out, an' they'll foller if they think they's hooch in it.”

Yondo headed the dogs down the trail, and Claw threw himself upon the sled and watched the drunken Indians string out behind, yelling, whooping, staggering and falling in their eagerness for more hooch.

When they came in sight of the cabin, Claw saw that it was dark. ”You slip up and see what you kin find out,” he ordered Yondo, ”An' I'll stay here with the dogs an' handle the Injuns when they come along.”

Five minutes later the Indian returned and reported that there was no one in the cabin, and that the door was open. With a curse, Claw headed the dogs up the bank, and pushed through the open door. Match in hand, he stumbled and fell sprawling over the body of the Captain of the _Belva Lou_, uttering a shriek of terror as his bare hand came in contact with the hairy face. Scrambling to his feet, he fumbled for another match, and with trembling fingers, managed to light the little bracket lamp. ”Choked him to death bare handed!” he cried in horror, ”And he'd of done me that way, too! But where be they? Look, they be'n here!” The man pointed to the disordered supplies, that had been thrown about in the haste of departure. ”They've pulled out!” he cried. ”Git out there an' find their trail!”

Yondo returned, and pointed to the westward, holding up three fingers, and making the sign of a heavily loaded sled.

”That'll be him, an' her, an' the Injun,” said Claw, ”an' they're hittin' fer Fort Norman.” Reaching down, he picked up a sack of flour and carrying it out to the sled, ordered Yondo to help with the other supplies. Suddenly, he sprang erect and gazed toward the west. ”I wonder if he would?” he cried aloud, ”I'll bet he'll take her clean to Dawson!”

He laughed harshly, ”An' if he does, she's mine--mine, an' no trouble nor risk takin' her there! Onct back among the saloons, Ace-In-The-Hole will start in on the hooch--an' then I'll git her.”

From far up the river came the whoop-whoroo of the drunken Indians.