CHAPTER XI
THE HUNTERS
The southern shore of the lake was flat and open. Down from far-distanthills the land sloped to the water, and for miles there were no trees.
From the hills, then, came two men travelling light, with just a bundle,each made up of a sleeping blanket and food enough for a few days. Theycame at a great pace on their long snowshoes, giving a kick forward witheach foot and then pressing down on the heel so that the greattorpedo-shaped shoe slid forward over the snow almost as fast as a skatemight on ice. They were well used to this going, and not being impededby sled, dogs, or goods there was nothing to keep them back.
They came down to the shore about the hour of dusk, lighted a very smallfire of driftwood from the river edge and boiled some tea in abilly-can. After they had eaten some deer-meat they began to smoke.Not till then did they speak at all. They knew what they were there forand neither had the least doubt that they would easily catch the twochildren, relieve them of the money, and make off with it.
Stenson was the leader. The other was a big, heavy, stupid man--BarryJukes. They had lived a hard life in the wilderness and had smallconscience about taking some hundreds of dollars when the chance cametheir way. All the trappers believed that Lindsay had a large sum ofmoney hidden in his shack. As long as he could take care of it himselfhe was not interfered with, but the accident of the catamount's bite hadput an idea into the quicker, more cunning brain of Stenson--that was,to get the girl out of the log house on that plea, and then search it.To break in was a small matter, because he could easily pretend entireignorance, and the blame would be laid at the door of some wanderingRedskins, who certainly did steal at times.
He had made out the injury much worse than it really was, of course, towork on Nell's fears. He had come back much sooner than he said he wouldin case she took it into her head to leave, and she would surely havebeen caught at once had it not been for the Lizard's information thatnight. Because of that the two had given him the slip, but he was notmuch disturbed really.
He had proceeded to pick up their trail with the skill of long practice,and followed it down to the stream. They had a sled. That would delaythem, he knew. Nor did he much believe in the powers of the two youngLindsays to keep up on the long trail without failing.
Therefore he coolly broke into the shack and searched it thoroughly. Hetried the log floor, and presently found the joins in the wood. Heprised up the log, saw the empty hole and understood what must have beenhidden there. The conclusion he drew was, either that Nell had takenthe money to her father at the Abbitibbi hills, where his shack was, orshe had gone away with it down river. In either case he felt soentirely certain of overtaking her that he stayed at the log house tomake a good meal, and fill his pockets with potatoes, which were veryprecious at the end of the winter when no green food was available.
Then he started away along the ridges to his own distant shack, his planbeing to make sure whether or no the flying pair had gone that way. Theycould go some distance by stream, leaving it lower down, but the way hetook was the shortest and hardest. If they did not come within areasonable time he would cut across to the lower end of the lake andlook for their trail there. He did not doubt he should find it.
Now we know that he did not find the travellers anywhere near theAbbitibbi, because they never went that way. But he was right enough inhis calculation about the lake, and it was perhaps curious that Nell hadnot thought of that possibility. Had the brother and sister not beendelayed by the difficulties at the rapids and the waterfall rocks theywould have got ahead of the pursuers and passed the outlet of the riverbefore they reached the lake. As it was, the two parties were oppositeeach other, but luckily the trappers did not know!
Jukes grunted assents to the other man's suggestions. It was allplain-sailing to him. They would take the money from the girl anddecamp. Not return to their own shack, but divide the loot equallybetween them and disappear into the northern wilderness.
One name was as good as another to such men. They were sick of trappingand wanted money for a mining outfit. The summer was coming and allthey had to do was to take the long trail up into the North-WestTerritory and over to Alaska. No one would ever find them, theythought. Nor did they propose to harm the girl if they could get themoney without doing so, because the police found men at the very ends ofthe earth--when they really meant to.
This was the position as they sat and smoked, saying a few words now andthen. Stenson had explained his plan. Jukes made no objection. Atpresent there was nothing to do but sleep. It was too dark to do anygood looking for a trail. They rolled themselves in their blankets andslept soundly, for they had come many miles.
They woke, of course, in the misty greyness before dawn, and presentlysaw the sun come up shedding a faint pink flush ahead. It was warmer.There was a soft air from the south and a glisten of wet on the snow.This did not please the men, because it would make the trail heavy, butit did not matter much, because the same difficulty would handicap thetwo who fled, especially as they were burdened by a sled. Breakfast didnot take long, and they were soon ready to start.
Then Jan Stenson thought of crossing the lake straight across, to findout if the trail ran down it from end to end as the course to the riverwould lead. The two men launched themselves on to the snowy surface,and went away in a slanting direction towards the upper end. They mustcross right over to intercept the track, if track there was. It was notso very far, especially with smooth going, the lake being hardly morethan two miles broad, though it might be twenty-five long.
Three-quarters of the way across, Stenson suddenly gave a hoarse chuckleof triumph.
"Oh ho! So the quarry is on the trail!"
Jukes looked, too. They both stood still, gazing back along a verydistinctly marked trail. Without further remark they tracked it backwardfor some little distance; it ran away over the snow towards thebeginning of the lake, as far as they could see.
Snowshoes first, not a man's size. Sled runners, cutting rather deepbecause the snow was softening. Then snowshoes again, heavier in print.
Stenson was triumphant. He was always proud of his shrewdness and herewas a case in point.
"Was I right--haw?" he demanded, and Jukes grunted assent. "LittleEyes" was certainly quite right in his calculation.
Having seen, then, that the trail ran from the lake head and was makingeastward, the thing to be done was to follow it. Nothing could beplainer. It had been made last night, or even that morning early. Why,the racing pair could be but a little way ahead, it would be child'splay to catch them! That was obvious.
Jan Stenson was very pleased with himself. He boasted about his owncleverness to Jukes as they took up the trail and followed on down thelake. For several miles they went and then found the trail bore awaytowards the left, to the northern shore. Still following on, theypresently came to the rocky promontory and found here evidence ofmovements, finally of a dead fire and a camp.
Stenson announced that the pair had come down from the head of the lakeon the previous evening and camped here. They must have gone on thismorning, probably about the same time that the pursuers broke camp onthe southern shore.
It was a hopeless position for the fugitives, said Jan Stenson.
After a very little while taken up in prospecting around this place, thehunters took up the trail again and followed at a steady, rapid pace.
The northern shore began to grow more wooded, and after a bit the end ofthe lake came in view and a belt of trees, thick forest again where theriver left the lake and started on its way to join the great wide streamof Moose River a long way farther east.
It was just about here that Jukes declared he saw something on the snow,fleeing towards the mouth of the river. Stenson had not quite such goodeyes, but he thought it likely enough there was someone just ahead, sothey increased their efforts. The trail was now fresh and verydistinct. Two
pair of snowshoes and the sled runners. Because of themildness in the air the snow was soft. The sun shone over the dazzlingworld everywhere, and the trees on the shore dripped.
When the two men came to the river head there was a sound of tricklingwater here and there, and the edges of the snow at the banks were mushyand rotten. Underneath was the force of the stream within banks, notlike the broad and rather shallow lake. Before long the ice would heaveup as the water swelled, then it would burst and go down river in ajumbled mass. The course of the stream turned in a curve through theforest and the trail was lost round this. On pressed the two men, andwhen they had passed this curve they saw before them a straight vista ofperhaps half a mile, for in that clear atmosphere distance is shortened.
At the far end of it were moving figures, a little group going ahead ata good pace. Considering the distance it was not easy to tell about thepersons in the group, but the low shape on the snow was plainly a sled.
On raced the two men, Stenson boasting still more about his clevercalculation. He was very fond of boasting at all times. Jukes listenedstolidly; he wanted the money, that was his point of view.
In another ten minutes it became obvious that there were two figures. Ataller behind and a short one in front, bending forward to pull as hardas possible. The little sled ran smoothly between, but it was hardgoing, because of the soft trail. Stenson made out that Nell Lindsaywas pushing behind, and the boy in harness. He had quite forgotten aboutthe dog.
Presently they saw the girl pause and look round. It seemed that shesaw them and spoke to the boy, who glanced round also. Then they wenton as before.
Stenson shouted. He and Jukes were not close enough to see the figuresquite distinctly, and he was not inclined to go farther on this trail.It would be better to get the money--there was no question whateverabout the girl giving up the money, she would see the necessity ofthat--and start away northwards at once, this trail was leading them inthe wrong direction.
After he had shouted several times the little party in front drew up andstood still, waiting; there was something in their attitudes that gaveStenson his first "jolt," as he would have called a shock of surprise.In five minutes it was more than a "jolt," it was astonishment mixedwith exasperation.
He and Jukes saw as soon as they came within speaking distance, aRedskin girl, rather tall, dressed in the usual winter dress of theIndians, which was not very different from his own. With her was ashortish boy, and between them was a hand sled laden with pelts. Thatwas all.
The girl looked at him with the half shy, inscrutable gaze of a Redskingirl. Vaguely he remembered to have seen her, or someone like her. Hedemanded her name and business.
"Shines-in-the-Night, daughter of Oga the Pickerel," she answered in herown tongue. "I and my brother the Lizard carry pelts across to NewBrunswick House by the farther river."
It was a deadlock! The trail, he questioned her of the way she'd come,was from the upper stream. It was perfectly simple, because theChippewas were camped in the forest beyond Lindsay's log house. Thetrail was hers, then, not Nell's! Stenson could have killed these twoin his fury, but he dared not; the Chippewa Chief would have killed himin return.