Copyright MCMXXVII
THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY
Made in the United States of America
Contents
CHAPTER PAGE I [Blind Man’s Pass] 3 II [Dick Plays the Part of a Spy] 13 III [Sergeant Richardson’s Theory] 24 IV [Two Encounters in One Day] 33 V [A Midnight Conference] 44 VI [Murky Takes a Hand] 56 VII [Wandley’s Post] 69 VIII [The Ambuscade] 82 IX [The Meeting Place] 91 X [The First Prisoner] 105 XI [An Unexpected Setback] 116 XII [The Outlaws’ Cabin] 124 XIII [A Scout returns] 133 XIV [Following the Pack-train] 142 XV [The Corporal Upbraids Himself] 152 XVI [Murky Nichols!] 162 XVII [Dick Goes to the Rescue] 172 XVIII [A Dusky Friend] 181 XIX [A Game of Hide-and-seek] 190 XX [The Invalid] 198 XXI [Campfire Smoke] 207 XXII [Murky’s Confession] 213 XXIII [Back at Fort Good Faith] 222
DICK KENT, FUR TRADER
CHAPTER I
BLIND MAN’S PASS
Dick Kent, bronzed by exposure to wind and sun, leaned over the rough pine table in the trading room of Factor MacClaren at Fort Good Faith and listened intently to the conversation being carried on at that particular moment between Murky Nichols, prospector and gentleman of parts, and Corporal Rand of the Mackenzie River detachment of the Royal North West Mounted Police. On the paper in front of them, torn from a convenient packing case, were a number of irregular lines, dots and scrawls, which had been placed there with the aid of the stub of a lead pencil, held awkwardly in the hands of the big prospector.
“I want to show yuh,” Nichols explained eagerly, “jus’ where I think ol’ Daddy McInnes crossed the Dominion Range. He travelled east an’ then south until he got to Placer Lake, goin’ through what the Indians call Blind Man’s Pass. There ain’t no other way he could o’ got through, sick an’ worn out like he was. That pass must come out on this side of the range somewhere near where yuh picked up his body.”
Corporal Rand drummed softly on the table and regarded Murky’s animated face with thoughtful interest.
“Sounds reasonable,” he commented. “In fact, that’s exactly the way I had it figured out myself. Blind Man’s Pass must be something more than a myth—a mere Indian legend. McInnes got through some way, travelling along a fairly well defined, not too difficult trail. No man can walk over Dominion Range, neither can he crawl under it. Yet McInnes came through. I have conclusive proof of that. But where is Blind Man’s Pass?”
“It’s there somewhere,” Nichols declared doggedly.