It was the next day when Chief Louis unfolded the mystery of Rolf Gargrave’s death. Seating himself by the corporal’s side, he puffed slowly at his pipe for some time, and the officer watched him, wondering what was in his mind and when he would speak.
Suddenly the half-breed leaned forward and said abruptly—
“Ze bottom nevaire drop out of ze trail under Rolf Gargrave!”
“No?” The corporal’s voice was eager and his manner alert.
“It was blown out!”
“Blown out! What on earth do you mean, Louis?”
“Listen and I veel the tale unfold. Tree winters back, no four! dere come to my tepee a white man who was not used to ze ways of ze North. With him vas another mans who had ze coughing-sickness, and who need the squaws to nurse him. He die vaire shortly—six days after he come, an’ we give him tree-burial; and ze next day, ze other white mans he come to me. He want two men to go on trail with him to ze North, an’ he pay with blankets, two rifles of ze best, mooch cartridges, and many sticks of tabac. He vaire anxious, and I ask him what for he go North before ze spring it have arrive. And he say he go to find a mans. What mans? I ask, and he say Rolf Gargrave, whom he would talk with on business of importance. Den I understand, I tink, Gargrave he is a man of many affairs, an’ this man who know not ze ways of ze North hav’ come so far to talk of gold and ze like, and I agree, and send two men of ze tribe with him to find Gargrave of North Star.
“Dey be good men, who know ze ways of ze trail as none other, but dey are gone a vaire long time, an’ ze wild geeze hav’ gone to their breeding grounds in ze far North, an’ ze river it is free from ice, when dey return. I question dem, and it is a strange tale dey tell. For many days dey travel with ze stranger mans whose name I know not, an’ dey are on the trail of Gargrave all ze time. Dey hear word of him, now here, now dere, and it is a long trail dey follow, but at ze last dey come up with him. Dey hav’ word dat he is but one camp ahead of dem, an’ dey push the dogs, an’ soon dey pass Gargrave’s camp.”
“Pass it?” cried the corporal in astonishment.