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a » od 1947 THE DAILY TIMES GAZETTE PAGE NINE 1 1URSDAY, JULY 17, VALLEY OF NO ECHO By T.C. Bridges CHAPTER XXVI "Are You 'The Tamer?" "Keep quite still," the man order- , ed sternly. "Don't reach for your pistol or it will be the worse for » you, Keith gazed at the stranger. He had never seen him before, Of that he was sure, yet there was some- thing vaguely familiar about him. He looked to be forty-five to fifty, had a broad face with high cheek bones. His eyes were brilliantly blue, but at present extremely hard. He had a big, rather beaky nose, a strong grey in his fair hair. He was de- cently dressed, he had even shaved recently. He did not look like one of Marrable's men yet what else could he be? "I'm keeping still," Keith remark- ed after a moment. "What comes next?" The other scowled uncer- tainly. a "Who are you?" he demanded. "Corporal Keith Marlow," was the answer. hy low," the big man repeated. "And a Mountie. What the devil are you doing here?" "I'm here on police business," Keith sald drily. "That's as much ¢ as 1 propose to tell you until I know , more about you." The big man low- ered his gun, He seemed satisfied that Keith was telling the truth, At the same time it was clear that hg was still angry and upset. Silence fell between the two. Keith's police training had made him understand the advantage of letting the other man do the talking, His visitor's keen eyes took in Keith's ragged condition, his thin, unshaven face, his lack of blankets and kit. "You seem to have lost your can- oe," he sald in a more reasonable tone. A spasm of pain twitched Keith's face, L] "Yes," he said, "a flood wave two days ago. I was ashore. Both my companions were drowned," The big man nodded. "It's a brute of a river.. At this time of year the snow comes off the cliffs in avalanches which some- times block the whole stream, Then when it tears loose, there's a flood wave that would almost wreck a liner." Keith listened with interest. This visitor of his was an educated man. None of the ordinary sourdoughs would speak of an avalanche. They would say "snow slide." Keith de- cided that this man was not likely t6 have anything to do with Mar- rable and suddenly he believed he knew his identity. "Are you the man the Indians call 'The Tamer?" he asked. Instantly the other was all abristle again. "What have you heard of him?" he asked sharply. "How come you to know anything about him?" "You forget that I am a poliee- man," Keith answered. "It is my business to hear and know what is going on in my district, Yet actu- ally I know nothing except the In- dian rumour." + "You are on your way to see" said the other harshly. "Not to see." Keith told him quietly, "but to find food and shel. ter. Since it was impossible for me to get back down stream I was forc- ed to go up." He paused for a mom- ent then spoke again. "You have not answered my question." ! "I am not the man you speak of," said the visitor. "My name is Ar- den." It was Keith's turn to be surpris- "The father of Miss Grace Ard- en?" he exclaimed. "Yes. and you are the man whom she helped out of an ice hole last fall. I knew who you were when you gave me your name," Keith was immensely relieved. Un Rescue "I have not forgotten Miss Ar- den's pluck and kindness," he said warmly. "I shall never forget it. I met Gil in Sundance a fortnight ago and he told me that she was well. I take it you have come to meet Gil" "Yes," sald Arden shortly. "He should have been back some days ago and at last I grew anxious and came to look for him. I found him in camp with a badly sprained wrist, He had had a fall during a po! e." He paused and looked at Keith. "You'd better come over to our camp," he suggested. It struck Keith that Arden's invi- tation was reluctant and was given only from a sense of duty. Yet he himself could not afford to refuse it. He pretended not to notice and got up at once. "Thank you, Mr. Arden," he ans- wered, "I am free to confess that I am sadly in need of a square meal and a blanket. All I have had to eat in the past forty-eight hours is a rabbit I was lucky enough to * knock over with my rifle." ¥ Arden led the way down over the " broken rocks to the water's edge where a canoe was tied. They got in and Arden dfove the light craft up stream. Keith had been won- dering why he had not seen Arden's camp fire but that was soon ex- plained for Arden's camp had been made in a gully a couple of hunde red yards up stream from Keith's fire, and the gully wall hid the blaze. Gil, with his left arin in a sling, was waiting at the river's edge and with him a quiet-looking, mid dle-aged Indian. Dim as the light was, Keith dark face. "80 it is de Corporal" he said. Keith shook hands. "I am very glad to see you, Gil," he began, then before he could say more another figure materialized out of the gloom and Keith's heart raced as he recognized Grace. "You, Miss Arden!" he exclaimed. At that moment the fire blazed up and the red glow showed a start- led look on the girl's charming face. She came a step nearer. "Mr. Marlow!" she said in a tone which was full of amazement. "But how--how do you come here?" "Police duty," Keith told her. Be- Jore he could say more she'stopped "You are half starved." she ex- ow a smile on Gil's|a ette for herself and sat down close to Keith, with her back against a boulder, til you have had some supper. After that we will hear your story." 8he and Gil dished out some ex- cellent stew and this, with a fresh eemed to Keith the best sit side of the fire smoking his pipe. He did not speak and Keith was pumled by the grim look on the Grace gave Keith a second cup of coffee and a cigarette and he lean- time past. Grace lit a cigar- . She wore a sort of jerkin made of dressed deer's skin, a short skirt of thorn-proof tweed, woollen stockings and stout brogues. A fur cap ed to Keith that she fitted perfect- ly into her surroundings. covered her dark hair. It seem- "Now," she sald in that deep rich voice which he remembered so well, "if you feel up to it, Mr. Marlow, we should lke to know what brought you to such a pass." "Is There No Hope For Them" It was easier to tell his story to Grace than to her father, yet even so it hurt Keith bitterly to recall the end of his two companions. Grace saw it and her face softened. "Is there no hope for them, Mr. Marlow?" she asked gently. He shook his head. "None that I can see." There was silence a minute then Grace spoke ate Grace's father sat on the oppo- | again "You got here afoot. But how did you cross The Slit?" Keith noticed that Grace's father had taken his pipe out of his mouth and was leaning forward. An ugly suspicion entered his mind that Mr. Arden might have some connection with Marrable. Yet this did not seem possible. Arden might be a hard man, but he was certainly not the sort to sell dope to Indians. And Keith would have staked his life that Gil. as well as Grace, was straight. After a moment's con- sideration he decided to tell the whole story. "I crossed The Slit in a canoe," he sald, "a canoe which I took from two. men- who had a guard hut on a ledge a little way up the stream." "A guard hut," Grace repeated, and he saw how great was her surprise. "But what is there to guard?" "The headquarters of the most dangerous gang in the North," Keith said deliberately. "Its head is a man who calls himself Godfrey Wing, and it makes its profits by selling rotgut liquor and dope to the Indians." As he spoke Keith's eyes were on Arden's face, and he saw Arden's lips tighten. "He knows," was Keith thought. He turned to Grace and saw the shocked look on her face, "I have heard of trappers giving liquor to Indians in exchange for furs," she said, "but I never imagin- ed a whole gang engaged in such a horrible traffic. Are you sure of this, Mr. Marlow?" "Very definitely," Keith told her, "Wilson and I have already des- troyed one centre of this traffic; we have shot down one of Wing's aero~- planes and either killed or arrested several of his men. We were on our way to finish the job when the dis- aster of which I have told'you oc- curred." Grace drew a long breath. At the same time Keith could not help noticing that she looked at him with a new expression in her eyes. He felt he had gone up in her es- Hmation. She asked another ques- tion, "These men in the hut--how did you get the better of them?" Keith told briefly and modestly how he had held up one guard and been forced to shoot the second, how he had spent the night in the hut and of his narrow escape next morning. Arden spoke suddenly. "Then these men know that you | have escaped?" "They know I got to the top of [rifle bullets and sunk it," said| "And how long would that take?' the cliff," Keith answered. Keith. "There'd be no following un- | Ké¢ith looked at the other in som: "Didn't they come after you?" til they had made her seaworthy | surprise. "I'd smashed up their cance with |again." (To be Continued) Today. . Tomorrow. .. Every Day! In appearance, taste and nutrition Canada Bread is the same superior quality product day in and day out. Constant testing and careful attention to every detail of mixing and baking assures this ; s+ s For fine bread every day, get-- 'CANADA BREAD You really can Savour its Flavour Your grocer or our friendly salesman will gladly supply you with it. claimed, "and half frozen, too, I think. Come to the fire. Gil, is there some hot coffee?" Gil, who had already noticed Keith's condi- tion, was filling a steaming mug. Keith drained it to the last drop. 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