  “Now what are they up to?” Dick’s hands clenched as he spoke. He half rose from his kneeling position behind the willow copse and glared at Sandy as if he expected that that young man could answer the question. “Yes, what are they up to?” he repeated in a low tense voice. “Messrs. Brennan and McCallum must be on our trail. And from the look that Wolf just now directed toward this island, they know we’re here. The whole thing is a puzzle to me. I don’t know what to think of it.” “What I can’t understand,” said Sandy in a breathless voice, “is why they did not stop. They’ve gone right on. The reasonable and decent thing for them to do would be to come over and say ‘hello’. They might, at least, have shown that they were hospitable.” “Wonder if Frazer sent them,” mused Dick. Sandy pursed his lips and scowled as he looked out toward the flashing crests of water. “I shouldn’t wonder,” he answered. “Now that we’ve found the little joker in this deal of the dinosaur, I’m inclined to think he has. Further than that, I’m prompted to believe that there was something more than the mere playing of a practical joke that induced Factor Frazer to get us to come out here. There must be some deviltry afoot at Half Way House. Our presence there isn’t wanted. He sent us up here on this wild goose chase to get us out of the way, and, working on this hypothesis, the next logical inference is that Wolf Brennan and Toby McCallum have trailed us all the way up here.” Dick motioned Sandy and Toma to follow him to the opposite side of the island. Arriving at their camp, he turned upon his two chums. “I’ve been thinking of what you’ve just said, Sandy,” he remarked, as he began packing their luggage. “I want to tell you that I believe you’ve hit the nail on the head. Something underhanded is taking place at Half Way House. We’ve been sent out here to be kept in ignorance of what is going on. They know that all of us are attached to the Mounted Police reserve and it would be fatal to their plans to have us there at the post. Wolf Brennan and his pal are out here to watch us, to see that we do not return. I—” The young Scotchman interrupted him. “Hold on there a moment, Dick. I don’t know as I’d care to go that far. I gather from what you’ve just said that you mean they’ve been commissioned by Frazer to put us out of the way.” Dick smiled. “No, I didn’t quite mean that, Sandy. I don’t think we’ll be murdered. Not that. As long as we stay on this island, or remain here in this vicinity, we’ll be safe enough. We might stay here all summer, and we’d never see them again, never be bothered, but—” “Yes, yes,” said Sandy impatiently, “go on, Dick.” “But,” continued Dick, “let us leave this island or this vicinity and then trouble aplenty.” “You mean they’ll attempt to stop us if we start back for Half Way House?” “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” said Dick. “They’ll harass us at every turn. I’m convinced of it. I won’t say they’ll resort to open violence if underhanded methods will avail.” “Oh come, Dick, surely not.” “As I live, I sincerely believe it. I wouldn’t put these thoughts in your mind, if I didn’t But I can easily prove my point.” “How?” “By starting back.” “What—you mean right now?” “No better time than now. If my suspicions are correct, we’ll run into some snag within the next day or two.” “Is that why you were starting to pack that luggage?” “Yes.” Sandy tongued his cheek and in the bright light of that perfect morning he squinted at his chum. In that brief interval he did some quick thinking. “Wait a minute, Dick,” he finally broke forth. “Let’s not be too hasty.” “But I’m not hasty. No use staying here any longer that I can see. We’ve all agreed that it’s out of the question to bother with the dinosaur. There’s absolutely nothing we can do here unless it is to put in a few weeks fishing and hunting, and somehow,” Dick stroked back the hair from his forehead, “I’m in no mood for that. Let’s start back and see what happens.” “No, I think I have a better plan. Let’s postpone that return trip until we’ve had a chance to interview Messrs. Brennan and McCallum.” “Just what do you propose to do?” “Well,” began Sandy, “I doubt if they are aware that we’ve seen them. We can jump into our canoe, slip down along the east side of the lake and come upon them in such a way that they’ll think our meeting is quite accidental. We’ll profess great surprise at seeing them. We’ll ask them point-blank what they are doing out here.” Dick laughed. “Yes, and not learn a thing. They’ll have a very plausible story, don’t worry about that. And why go to all that trouble anyway? If you want to talk to them, Sandy, let’s jump in the canoe and overtake them at once.” “All right. Just as you say. I’m ready.” “What do you think about it?” Dick turned upon the young Indian. Toma deliberated for nearly a minute. His eyes flecked and his gaze dropped. “No harm we go see them. Take jus’ a few minutes an’ we find out what they say. Come on.” They dragged their canoe down to the water and Sandy pushed off. The light craft bobbed and swayed for twenty feet through the blue, almost unruffled surface near shore, then headed straight out toward the gradually disappearing speck retreating in the distance. For fully ten minutes no one spoke. The little vessel leaped and darted through the blue, sparkling element. In another ten minutes the other canoe had grown appreciably larger. Between strokes, Dick puffed: “Remember, Sandy, this is your suggestion. You’re the spokesman.” “Leave it to me,” the other retorted. “I know just what I’m going to say.” “Whatever you do,” Dick warned him, “don’t let them guess that we’re suspicious of them.” “I won’t,” growled Sandy. Thus it happened that when they pulled abreast of the smaller craft, it was Sandy who hailed them. The two men raised their paddles and permitted their canoe to be overhauled. There ensued an exchange of greetings. “Why didn’t you stop?” asked Sandy. “Stop?” Wolf Brendan rubbed his unshaven chin and stared questioningly. “Stop where?” “Why, at the island, of course.” Brennan continued to stare blankly, almost foolishly. He was a good actor. “There’s a hull lot of islands in this here lake. What island do you mean?” “The dinosaur’s island, of course. You saw us, didn’t you?” “Nope, we didn’t see yuh. Knew yuh was up here, o’ course, getting them bones of that thar dinosaur, but we didn’t know just where—which island, I mean.” “You weren’t very far behind us on the trail.” “Nope, ’bout a day I guess. Seen your campfire along the trail. One was still smoking when we got to it.” “We sort o’ half suspected we’d run across yuh somewheres,” McCallum interjected. “So this yere is the lake of the dinosaur? ’Magine yuh fellows will be pretty busy durin’ the next few weeks gettin’ them bones chipped out o’ the rock ready for shippin’.” “No,” Sandy informed them, “we’re not going to bother with it. The thing’s too big for us to handle.” “Yuh can build a big raft,” McCallum suggested. “What about the portages?” There was a faint note of anger in Sandy’s voice. “Yuh’ll have to pack it, o’ course,” McCallum said. “But it’s almost as easy to build a big raft as a small one.” “The dinosaur’s skeleton is too big and too heavy to pack,” declared Sandy haughtily. “Yuh don’t say.” “It certainly is.” “What yuh gonna do then?” “We’ve given it up,” Sandy spoke harshly. “We’re starting back to Half Way House this afternoon.” Wolf Brennan spat in the water and glanced inquiringly at the three occupants in the other canoe. “If yuh fellows was right smart now, yuh wouldn’t give up so easily. There’s a lot o’ money to be made if yuh can manage to get that big lizard back where it can be took to one o’ the company’s steamers. If I was making a contract now,” Wolf Brennan spat in the water again, “I’m thinkin’ I’d move Heaven an’ earth afore I’d give up.” Sandy glanced back at him. “I’m not saying we’ll never get the dinosaur out. But if we do, it won’t be this summer and it won’t be on a raft one is required to pole up a river that has thirteen portages.” “How else could yuh get it out?” “I don’t know. We haven’t thought about that—yet. Perhaps this winter we may come to some definite conclusion.” “So yuh’re goin’ back to Half Way House?” “You bet we are.” “Too bad.” “And where are you going?” Sandy inquired innocently. Wolf Brennan glanced at McCallum for a brief interval and between them passed a significant and knowing look. “Sort o’ figured we’d go prospectin’ for a time.” “Where?” Brennan seemed to be hazy on this point. He coughed embarrassedly and looked again at his partner. “’Tother side o’ the lake there’s some hills an’ we kind o’ thought we’d put in a week or two jus’ sort o’ looking’ around.” “What side of the lake?” persisted Sandy. “On the north side,” Brennan answered. “If yuh’re startin’ back for the post this afternoon, we may see yuh again.” “I shouldn’t wonder. Because we are starting for the post this afternoon.” Brennan blinked and again he looked at McCallum. Evidently this was McCallum’s cue for he spoke up. “Mebbe if yuh’d stick around for a while,” he suggested, “the four of us could figure out some way to get out that dinosaur.” “Five of us,” corrected Dick, speaking for the first time. “You’ve overlooked Toma.” “Breeds don’t count.” “This one here,” stated Dick furiously, stooping over and patting Toma on the shoulder, “is as good as any dirty, bewhiskered white man that ever came over the trail from Half Way House. You can take that statement in any way you see fit, McCallum.” “Regular spit-fire, ain’t yuh?” “I’m not accustomed to have my friends insulted.” McCallum removed his hat and bowed gravely. “I shore beg your pardon. I didn’t mean no offense. Along toward evening, me an’ Wolf will drop over to your little island and pay yuh our respects.” “Suit yourself,” said Sandy, “but we won’t be there. As I’ve already told you, we’re starting back to Half Way House this afternoon.” What Sandy read in McCallum’s eyes was a challenge, but it was Wolf Brennan who spoke. “Mebbe,” he said. |
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