<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="break">
<h2 class="p4">CHAPTER XVI</h2>
<p class="pch">THE CORPORAL HEARS NEWS</p>
<p class="drop-cap07"><span class="beg">DURING</span> the weeks of his convalescence in
Chief Louis’ smoking tepee, Roger Bracknell
spent much of his time in reflecting on
the news which the chief had given him. Reviewing
the story calmly and dispassionately, he could
find nothing to weaken the conclusion which the
half-breed himself had reached. The dynamite
and the winter thunder, with the description of the
broken trail and the strange conduct of the unknown
man in deliberately over-running Rolf Gargrave’s
camp, were almost conclusive evidence.
Some one had planned that Rolf Gargrave should
die; and his death had been as surely a murder as
if the man who had planned it had taken a rifle
with which to do the deed. Who was the man?</p>
<p>As often as he asked himself this question, the
corporal found his thoughts reverting to his cousin.
Had Dick Bracknell, having married Rolf Gargrave’s
daughter, deliberately planned the murder
of the millionaire? His heart revolted at the
thought, but he could not escape from it. Dick
had been hard pressed. He was already a fugitive
from justice when he had arrived in the North and,
so far as the corporal knew, that arrival had been
a secret one. He would be quite unknown—even
to Rolf Gargrave. No one would suspect him,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</SPAN></span>
and the plan he had chosen was itself so novel, that
but for the Indians noticing his absence from the
camp, and carrying the sticks of dynamite back to
Chief Louis, it must have escaped detection.</p>
<p>The more the corporal thought of it, the more
black seemed the case against his cousin. Rolf
Gargrave was a clever man, and powerful, and he
had had his own plans for his daughter. Dick
Bracknell must have known that when he heard
how Joy had been trapped into marriage, he would
be very wrathful, and calculating on the father’s
intervention he must have decided to get rid of
him, in the hope of sooner or later trading upon
Joy’s inexperience of the world. One day, whilst
he was reflecting on the problem, unable to touch
certainty anywhere, a thought occurred to him,
and when Chief Louis entered the tepee he
promptly asked a question—</p>
<p>“Louis, when was it that the stranger called at
your camp for guides to help him to find Rolf Gargrave?
I mean what time of the year was it?”</p>
<p>The chief considered for a moment. Then he
answered gravely. “It was two moons before ze
ice break up.”</p>
<p>“You are sure?” asked the corporal.</p>
<p>“Certain!”</p>
<p>“That would be March or a little later,” said
the corporal thoughtfully. “And Dick fled from
England about Christmas. If he came straight
through he might do it comfortably.”</p>
<p>“Dick! Who ees dat?” asked the chief quickly.</p>
<p>“He is the one man I know who may have been
interested in Rolf Gargrave’s death. You may<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</SPAN></span>
have heard of him? He is known in the North as
Koona Dick!”</p>
<p>“I hav’ not him seen, unless he vas ze stranger
mans who come to my camp dat day. But of him I
hav’ heard. He is bad mans, he want shooting.
He sell whiskey—mooch whiskey, to ze Porcupine
Sticks, an’ dey fight till seven be dead in ze snow.
Also he take their catch of fur for ze whiskey, an’
when ze winter it come, dey freeze, an’ ze babes
die. Yes, of him, I have heard, an’ he is very bad
mans. So he is ze mans dat come to my lodges dat
day, an’ dat blow up ze trail for Rolf Gargrave
so dat he die.”</p>
<p>“I have not said so yet,” answered the corporal
thoughtfully, “but I am afraid that there can be
little question of it. Some day when I meet him I
shall put the question to him plainly, and learn the
truth.”</p>
<p>“You know dis mans, Koona Dick?”</p>
<p>“Yes! He is my cousin.”</p>
<p>As he received the information the half-breed
flashed a quick glance of sympathy.</p>
<p>“Le diable!” he said. “Dat is strange. But
so it does befall. One pup of ze litter he ees a
good dog, and he grows to ze collar-work naturally;
but anoder he is bad, he snarl like ze wolf, he
is a thief, he will not do ze work. So is it with ze
sled-dogs and with men! It is passing strange, but
I hev’ often beheld it, and it is so!”</p>
<p>The corporal nodded his assent. He had often
wondered at the crooked strain which had sent his
cousin on wild courses to dishonour, but could find
no consolation in the thought that given certain<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</SPAN></span>
circumstances the way of dishonour was almost
inevitable. He rose from the couch of skins, and
moving stiffly towards the fire, thrust in a spruce
twig, and with it lit his pipe. Then he turned to
the chief.</p>
<p>“I wonder how soon I shall be able to take the
trail, Louis?”</p>
<p>The half-breed shook his head. “Not yet. Ze
leg dat hav’ been broken, it is not good for snow-shoe
work. No! It ache like le diable! You
must wait—wait till ze ice break up, then you go
down ze river in a canoe. Dat will be ze easy way.
Yes.”</p>
<p>A mutinous look came on Roger Bracknell’s
face. Having so long lived an active life, he was
growing tired of the monotony of the encampment,
and as he felt the strength returning to his leg was
more and more inclined to make the attempt to
reach civilization as represented by the police-post.
There was news to send to Joy Gargrave, news
that might profoundly affect her life, and it was
desirable that she should receive it at the earliest
possible moment.</p>
<p>“I do not think that I shall wait until then,
Louis. They will give me up for lost, at the
post, and besides I have news for a certain
person—”</p>
<p>“Is the news good?” interrupted the chief. For
a moment the corporal did not reply. Was the
news he had to send Joy Gargrave good? In one
way, yes! It would suffice to remove any lingering
doubt as to the effect of the shot that she had fired
when she had gone to meet Dick Bracknell in the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</SPAN></span>
wood. He would be able to assure her, on the
evidence of Dick himself, that she was not responsible
for the mischief that had been done. That
assurance, as he knew, would mean the lifting of a
weight of apprehension from Joy’s heart. In
another way, however, the news was bad. Dick
Bracknell was still alive, and that meant that she
was still bound to him, and that on the first favourable
opportunity he might assert himself. His
mind was still balancing the good and evil of the
case, when Louis, who had been watching his face,
spoke again.</p>
<p>“There is no need to speak. Ze news it is not
good! Therefore there is not any cause for haste.
Ill news does not grow worse for keeping, and the
trail it is bad these days, for there is mooch snow.”</p>
<p>“Nevertheless, I shall make the endeavour,
Louis! I will borrow a man and a dog team and
meat from you, and in one week I will take the
trail. If I find it too much for me, I can return.”</p>
<p>The chief nodded. “As you please. Ze dogs
are yours, also ze meat an ze mans, though ze hunters
are from ze camp just now. But if you mus’
go, you mus’. It is le diable in ze race that drives
you forth, corp’ral.”</p>
<p>“The devil in the race?” laughed Bracknell.
“I do not understand, Louis. What do you
mean?”</p>
<p>“I mean ze unrest that dwells in ze men of your
tribe. It drives them forth, for good or ill, to ze
conquest of ze lands. It makes them seek ze stick
which runs through ze earth——”</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>“The pole, you mean, Louis.”</p>
<p>“Ze pole, yes! And when got, what good?
It makes them dat they cannot sit by ze fires in
warm tepees, but must go hunt ze bald-faced bear,
or dig ze frozen earth for gold dat somewhere
white squaw may fling it from ze window.”</p>
<p>“Yes!” laughed the corporal. “You put the
truth—rather brutally. We are rather given that
way. But it isn’t the devil, Louis, it is the genius
and instinct of our race for conquest that drives us—that
and the dream of the home-woman, I suppose.”</p>
<p>Chief Louis nodded. “Oui! maybe; and you
haf’ ze dream corp’ral.”</p>
<p>Corporal Bracknell stopped his perambulation
of the hut, and stared at his companion.</p>
<p>“Now how the dickens do you know that,
Louis?”</p>
<p>“I have seen it in your eyes. You speak of Rolf
Gargrave, an’ twice, only twice you hav’ speak of
Gargrave’s daughter, but there were dreams in ze
eyes then, and a soft note in ze voice, and I know
dat she is what you call ze home-woman. Oui! I
know dat is so.”</p>
<p>The corporal’s face flushed, and he did not deny
it. For one moment as he stood there, he had a
vision of Joy Gargrave, young and beautiful and a
fit mate for any man, and in that moment there
were dreams in his eyes. Three seconds later
realities asserted themselves, and the soft light
died from his eyes. He gave a little bitter laugh,
and without speaking resumed his perambulations.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</SPAN></span>
Chief Louis watched him for a moment then he
said tentatively, “There be difficulties ahead, corp’ral.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” nodded Bracknell, “grave difficulties!
What would you do, Louis, if you wanted a maid
to wife?”</p>
<p>“I should offer a large price—blankets, guns,
tobac!”</p>
<p>Roger Bracknell laughed at the notion of offering
a large price for Joy Gargrave, and then
mooted the real difficulty.</p>
<p>“But if it was not a matter of price, Louis,
rather of another man! What then?”</p>
<p>“Then I would him fight. Always maidens are
caught with strength. They love a man. Dat is
ze law of life and of mating. Ze strong wolf in ze
pack he hav’ ze pick an’ ze strong bull-moose he
hav’ ze herd; an’ ze strong man he take ze maid.
I have looked on ze world and so is it! Yes!
Love like all dings else is ze spoil of ze strong!”</p>
<p>Bracknell did not reply for a moment. In that
hour the law of the primeval wilds appealed to him
strongly, but he knew that it was not the way for
him.</p>
<p>“Yes,” he said, “it is the law of the wilds, but
not of my race. I carry a law that is the law of
man, and he who kills whether for love or hate dies
therefor. The thing is impossible!”</p>
<p>Chief Louis grunted disapprobation. “Ze law
of ze wild is better. For dat reason I dwell in ze
lodges of my mother’s people, where ze strong
rule.”</p>
<p>He knocked the ashes from his pipe, and without<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</SPAN></span>
adding more passed out of the tepee. Roger
Bracknell still continued his perambulations, exercising
his injured leg, and as he walked his mind
was busy with what he felt was to become the problem
of his life. He loved Joy Gargrave. He
confessed it frankly to himself. He had loved her
since that day when in the woods at North Star she
had offered him her hand as a token that she
counted him among her friends! But what good
was it? The whole thing was so hopeless so long
as Dick Bracknell lived. And if he died, would
the outlook be any the less hopeless? He could
not tell, but he was afraid not; for friendship was
not love, and Joy Gargrave, as he was sure, was
not a woman to give her affection easily.</p>
<p>As he thought despair gripped him, and the
tepee’s skin walls seemed too narrow a prison-house.
He threw on his fur coat and mittens and
went outside. Driven by his thoughts, he left the
encampment, and, walking stiffly, moved down the
river trail. He had walked perhaps a mile and a
half, when out of the woods broke a couple of
laden sledges, and two men of the tribe. They
were from the hunters, and as they passed they
saluted him gravely, according to the manner of
their race.</p>
<p>“How! How!”</p>
<p>He responded in kind, and continued to walk on.
He had proceeded but a little way however when a
thought occurred to him. These men had been
away on the main river. They might have news of
the outer world. Instantly as the thought came to
him, he turned in his tracks and began to return to<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</SPAN></span>
the encampment. When he reached there the two
hunters were not to be seen, but when he entered
his own tepee he found Chief Louis sitting by the
fire, smoking. There was an impassive look on his
face, but in his eyes was a light that could not be
hidden, and the white man knew that the chief was
excited. The corporal did not remark upon
the fact, however, but deliberately filled his pipe,
and seating himself, smoked on as if he had noticed
nothing. After a little time Louis spoke.</p>
<p>“Ze hunters they hav’ sent meat, mooch meat!”</p>
<p>“Yes,” answered Bracknell. “I met two men
of the tribe just now.”</p>
<p>“There is meat for a potlach (feast), but dat is
not ze way of my people. We are not as ze
wolves which eat all, even ze bones, an’ then run
hungry until a new kill is made.”</p>
<p>“There is much wisdom in such prudence,” answered
Bracknell, wondering when the half-breed
would unfold his news.</p>
<p>“It is ze way of ze white mans, and it is ze way
of ze wise, therefore do we eat and leave meat that
we may eat again.”</p>
<p>The corporal nodded, but said nothing, and
after a pause Chief Louis spoke again. “Of ze
two men you met, one was Sibou.”</p>
<p>“Ah! Sibou, who with Paslik went as guide
with the stranger who wished to overtake Rolf
Gargrave?”</p>
<p>“Oui! Sibou, who went with ze stranger mans
who blow ze bottom out of ze trail that Rolf Gargrave
die!”</p>
<p>Roger Bracknell waited. He felt that he was<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</SPAN></span>
on the verge of some revelation, but he concealed
his impatience and maintained an unperturbed
demeanour, knowing that such would commend
him to his host. The half-breed puffed stolidly at
his pipe for a full minute, then he spoke again.</p>
<p>“Sibou brings not meat alone, he brings
news.”</p>
<p>“News.”</p>
<p>“Oui! Of ze stranger mans who dynamite ze
trail!”</p>
<p>“Is that so?”</p>
<p>“Dat is ze news which Sibou bring to me. He
say dat six days ago, ze stranger mans come to ze
hunting camp to buy meat. He have with him fine
dogs and two bad Indians. He offer for meat one
good rifle and many cartridges, an’ Sibou sell him
meat. Also he know him for ze stranger mans;
but ze stranger he does not know Sibou, whose face
was last winter mauled by a bald-faced grizzly to
whom he did not give ze trail. The stranger mans
he camp with the hunters for ze night, and ze two
Indians they smoke with Sibou and ask questions,
many questions.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” said Bracknell, as the chief paused.
“What about?”</p>
<p>“hey ask about a white mans of ze name of
Koona Dick!”</p>
<p>“Great Scott!”</p>
<p>“Also they ask if anything be known of anoder
white mans a policemans who is lost, an’ Sibou,
whose tongue is a silent one, ask ze name of ze
policemans.”</p>
<p>“Did he get it?” asked the corporal quickly.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>“Oui! Ze name was Corporal Bracknell, which
is you.”</p>
<p>“By Jove, yes! But who———”</p>
<p>The half-breed checked him by raising his hand,
and continued, “Sibou hav’ in mind dat ze trail was
blown up for Rolf Gargrave, and he is cautious.
He told of your sled which was found, and of ze
dead wolves, but he say nodings dat we find you an’
dat you are with me; and presently the two bad Indians
go back to the stranger mans who is in a tepee
which Sibou has set for him. Sibou he follow, and
he lie in ze snow outside ze tepee, and with his
knife he cut a hole in the tepee dat he may see and
hear. Ze stranger mans is by ze fire, and Sibou
see ze face of him, whilst his men talk. When
they tell of ze sled and ze dead wolves, ze white
mans he smile as a man well pleased; an’ dat is
everything, except dat next morning he go north
with ze meat he hav’ bartered for. Such is ze tale
of Sibou. What tink you, corporal?”</p>
<p>“Think! It is no time for thinking, it is the
time for action. There’s some infernal work
afoot, and I start on that man’s trail tomorrow.
Whatever his game may be now—and it’s a mystery
that passes my comprehension—he’s the murderer
of Rolf Gargrave, and I’ll get him if I follow
him to the Pole! But the story puzzles me!
Those Indians asked about Koona Dick. Why
should they do that?”</p>
<p>The chief shook his head. “Dat I cannot tell.”</p>
<p>“It’s odd, very odd! Koona Dick is the one
man who may reasonably be suspected of a motive<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</SPAN></span>
for getting rid of Rolf Gargrave. That I know,
but——”</p>
<p>He broke off as a thought occurred to him, and
then remarked thoughtfully, “The question may
have been a mere bluff of Dick’s. He may after
all have recognized Sibou and set his men to ask the
question in order to discover whether your man
had any knowledge of his name! Yes, that may
be it! But I will find him, and I will learn the
truth. Louis, can I have a team and stores for
the morning? And Sibou also? He knows the
man and I do not. Of course the service will be
paid for from Regina.”</p>
<p>The chief nodded his head. “Ze dogs are
yours, with the stores, also Sibou goes with you.
But you will find ze trail hard, for dat leg he is not
yet strong.”</p>
<p>“It will grow stronger every day, and with Sibou
to pack the trail I shall do well. I start at dawn
in the morning.”</p>
<p>“Then,” said Louis, rising, “I will go, and ze
teams select for you. Ze dogs shall be of ze best.”</p>
<p>He went out leaving Roger Bracknell in a whirl
of conflicting thoughts.</p>
<hr class="chap" /></div>
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