LEAVE-TAKING.
Toma overtook Henri Mekewai in mid-stream and, with arm upraised
brandishing the knife, checked the other’s flight until Corporal Rand
and the canoe arrived. Not until the two swimmers were pulled aboard did
Dick’s tension relax. He was glad that it was all over, relieved beyond
measure that Toma had not committed his rash act. He stepped back from
the edge of the wharf, breathing a sigh of relief. He knew now that not
in vain had the young Indian given his promise to Corporal Rand.
“I was afraid for a minute,” he heard Sandy’s voice. “Terribly afraid,
Dick. I thought that in the excitement of the moment, Toma might forget
himself. I can see now that he didn’t pull out that knife to attack
Henri Mekewai. Merely wanted to defend himself. And I don’t blame him
either. I’d hate to be in a similar position without some means of
protection.”
“So would I,” Dick agreed. “He showed good judgment, that is all, and
quick thinking in a time of emergency. Just the same, for a moment it
looked as if he really intended to use that knife.”
Sandy laughed relievedly. “Neither one of us would have thought a thing
about it if we hadn’t remembered what Toma had said about carrying that
scar. But we should have known him better than to believe that he really
would break his promise to Corporal Rand.”
The canoe was returning now. It sped back toward the landing and, a
short time later breasting the current, shot inshore, coming to a full
stop next to the other craft. Rand’s voice rang out sharply:
“Toma, we’ll wait here while you run up to the post to get a change of
clothes. While you’re up there, you’d better procure another revolver
from Mr. Scott and a box of ammunition. It’s poor policy to take a
chance with wet cartridges.”
Toma grinned as he stepped ashore. “All right, Corporal, I go hurry.”
In a moment more he had sped away through the crowd, the object of
admiration and respect on the part of the half score of Indians and
half-breeds that thronged the landing wharf.
“Pretty close call,” Rand looked over at Dick. “Took me wholly unawares.
Keep my eyes open next time.”
“Weren’t you afraid for a time?” Dick asked.
“Afraid of what?”
“That Toma would use that knife,” Dick answered.
“No, not in the least. He’d given me his promise. I was sure he wouldn’t
attack Mekewai unless it was to prevent him from escaping. As a matter
of fact, he held the prisoner for nearly twenty seconds there in
mid-stream until we arrived. If it hadn’t been for him, I fully believe
that Mekewai would have contrived to reach the opposite shore. A
splendid swimmer.”
“But not as good as Toma,” Sandy pointed out.
“That was proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. All right, Sandy, slip into
the other canoe and we’ll be on our way as soon as Toma returns. Pierre,
you get in beside Sandy.”
For a moment the policeman grew grim. “For the benefit of the rest of
you prisoners,” he glared around him, “I’d like to say that if another
person attempts to escape, I’ll show no mercy. I’ll shoot the next man
who tries it.”
Wolf Brennan raised his shaggy head and looked straight over at the
stern guardian of the law.
“I won’t answer fer the rest of them, Corporal, but yuh can bank on me.”
“Good for you, Wolf.”
“An’ me too,” said Toby McCallum.
“Thank you, Toby.”
“If it ain’t out of order,” Brennan spoke again, “I’m kind o’ curious
tuh know just where you’re takin’ us.”
“Mackenzie Barracks,” snapped the officer.
For a period of nearly ten minutes, conversation waned. Sandy had taken
his place in the canoe and kept glancing back toward the trading post,
looking for Toma.
“Don’t be so impatient, Sandy,” Dick advised him. “He’ll be along
presently. When you get there, give my respects to Inspector Cameron.”
“Righto!”
A well-known figure made his way along the path from the warehouse. Not
long afterward, the young Indian, attired in dry clothing and grinning
broadly, took his place in the canoe beside Sandy. The order was given
to start. Paddles dipped in the water.
“Good-bye, Dick, good-bye!” shrieked Sandy and Toma.
“Good-bye,” Dick answered, feeling suddenly very lonely and out of it.
Corporal Rand turned, smiled and waved his hand.
“Keep out of mischief, Dick,” he advised him.
“I’ll try to,” responded Dick.
To the surprise of everyone, Wolf Brennan swung half way around and
leered back toward shore.
“Don’t go diggin’ up no more dinosaur’s bones,” he called out mockingly,
while Toby McCallum bent forward and gave vent to a cackling, jarring
laugh.
On that instant, Dick’s face shadowed and he bit his lips. The threat
had gone home. So they had thrown that up to him? His hands clenched as
he turned about facing the tittering crowd.
Dinosaur’s bones! Like a ghost of the past, it had come up to haunt him.
The memory was not a very pleasant one. The picture burned in his
mind—three credulous young men starting out on a fool’s errand. How
easily they had all been taken in. A mere child, he reasoned bitterly,
would have known better. Eyes straight to the fore, he strode angrily
across the landing and up the familiar, well-beaten, path.
“I’ll show them yet,” he blurted angrily to himself. “I’ll make it my
business to wipe out that disgrace if it’s the last thing I do.”
In the trading room, Mr. Scott awaited him.
“Well, have they gone?” he inquired eagerly.
“Yes,” answered Dick, forcing a smile, “they’re on their way now.”
“Their start wasn’t very propitious, was it?” The factor moved back to
the counter.
“No,”—glumly.
“Why Dick,” accused the factor, “you look as if you hadn’t a hope in the
world. I wouldn’t worry if I were you. Your friends will return safely.
Two weeks isn’t very long, Dick, when you stop to consider.”
“I wasn’t thinking of that. I—I mean I know they will. It isn’t that.”
“For goodness sake, then, what is the matter?”
Dick slumped into a chair, removed his hat and ran his fingers through
his hair.
“Mr. Scott,” he began, “we’ve been pretty good friends and I’m going to
take you into my confidence. Something is troubling me. Perhaps you can
help. Perhaps——” he paused, regarding the other perplexedly.
“You can depend on me,” the other did not hesitate. “What is it?”
“It concerns the dinosaur.”
“Dinosaur!” gasped the factor.
“Yes. I’ve decided that I’m going to do something about it. Have you
ever seen it, Mr. Scott?”
The factor shook his head. “No, never,” he answered. “I’ve heard of it
though. I was here two years ago when Donald Frazer went up to look at
it. Quite a curiosity, I believe.”
“You’re right. It is. It must be a very valuable fossil. I believe that
Frazer was right when he told us, Sandy, Toma and me, that it was very
valuable. No doubt, some museum somewhere would be glad to pay real
money for it.”
“I shouldn’t wonder. But what are you driving at, Dick? You’re the most
restless scamp I ever saw. Exactly what is on your mind now?”
“I’d like to make a contract with someone to take that dinosaur
outside—to sell it.”
“Is it because you are short of money? If you are, I——”
“No,” Dick interrupted, “that isn’t it at all. I want to take out that
dinosaur for reasons of my own, Mr. Scott.”
“You’re really serious about this?”
“Never more serious in my life.”
“Well what do you want me to do to help you?”
“First of all, I want your advice. Just for the sake of
argument—supposing that it were humanly possible to remove the skeleton
from that island—where could one be likely to sell it?”
Mr. Scott pursed his lips and gazed at Dick thoughtfully.
“Well I must confess that that’s a big order. Guess I’ll have to think
it over. Have a sleep on it. No, wait a minute! Tell you, Dick, what I’d
do if I were in your shoes and really wanted to sell that dinosaur. I’d
write to the Canadian Geographical Society at Toronto and get their
advice. They know all about such things. Just the sort of project they’d
be interested in.”
“Thank you,” said Dick, his eyes shining. “I appreciate your suggestion.
Now we come to the really difficult part. Supposing that the society
really is interested, how in the name of all that’s worth while am I
going to solve the problem of transporting—conveying it outside?
Remember the thing must weigh tons.”
“As large as that?”
“Yes.”
The factor wrinkled his nose in perplexity. “That lets out a raft or
canoe. Why not build a scow?”
For a moment, Dick’s heart leaped. Then suddenly he became serious
again.
“No, that wouldn’t do either. Even a scow would be battered hopelessly
about in the rapids. The dinosaur, unless very carefully taken apart and
crated—and I wouldn’t know how to do that—could not be carried over the
portages. And even if it could be, you couldn’t portage a scow. If you
let it go through the rapids, it would be broken up. Remember, too, that
you are bucking an upstream current. What motive power would you use for
the scow?”
Mr. Scott threw up his hands in a gesture of mock despair.
“Enough! Enough!” he cried. “I can see now that a scow is out of the
question.”
“At the same time,” puzzled Dick, “it wasn’t a bad suggestion. As you
know, the skeleton of the dinosaur is on an island in the center of a
lake. We could build a scow to take it to shore. But what to do with it
after we got it there, is more than I can tell you. I’ve racked my
brains trying to figure it all out. From the lake of the dinosaur to Big
Rock River, a tributary of the Peace, is over five hundred miles. There
are no trails. Even if we had plenty of horses and wagons, it would be
absolutely impossible to take the dinosaur out that way.”
“I give up,” sighed the factor. “From what you have told me, that
dinosaur seems to be pretty safe from molestation. It’s a hard problem,
and just now I can’t think of any solution. Why bother with it, Dick?
The game isn’t worth the candle.”
Dick shook his head stubbornly. “There must be some way. Nothing is
impossible. I won’t give up yet. I won’t!”
Mr. Scott was surprised at the other’s vehemence. He stared at Dick
wonderingly, then turned and strode over to the door. Just then a
customer came in and the subject was dropped. His brows puckered, Dick
lounged to the door and looked outside.
“Hang the luck!” he whispered to himself. “The farther I get into this
thing, the more difficult it appears.”
With an impatient, angry gesture, he yanked his hat down over his eyes
and strode outside.