Riddle of the Storm / A Mystery Story for Boys

outfit had engaged two of these teams at Fort Resolution. Wonderful dogs they were, t

h!" she would cry. An

r a long drive into the great unknown. It made little differenc

ey took up some trail. At times it was only the tracks of a man on skis or snowshoes, at others it was the mark of some

ed on one of these dog team jaunts. Once more she allowed the team to tak

"Be just time to come up with him be

raining her mind, she had developed her body as

y were long, long thoughts. At times she dreamed of gold, placer gold, great moose-hide sacks bulging with nuggets. She knew that Lloyd, the young

her down?" He had disappeared on a strange mission early next morning. When he returned late that eveni

mfort; ease; education; a home. Some even believe it wi

like a storm cloud on her brow. She had thought again of Johnny's stran

she told herself with

find him?" She shuddered at thought o

ding thoughts, she shouted: "Ye! Ye! Ye!" to s

Coming to the top of a ridge, the dogs rushed pell mell down the oth

sitting about her grinning when upon looking up she beh

Jim, nor Clyde, nor Lloyd. Nor was it her fa

o know that she had taken up this man's trail not half a mile from her cabin and

hought, an evil face. "But I must n

ders. He had a dark face that migh

ther gruffly. "You

nplussed. What indeed

Plainly he did

e." He jingled a bundle of traps hanging from his arm.

toutly. "I want nothing.

No find. Eh?" He tried to smile, and his face became uglier than before. "O

n all fours. "Buffalo." He sent out a curious snort. "You!" He made

gotta say

er throat. Speaking to her dogs, she

e been doing about their camp? Had he been near when

aps. "Hope he hasn't s

iscovery. Three beautiful white foxes had their home beneath the cliff back of their cabin.

tion with Johnny's half-mythical Moccasin Telegraph, her dogs su

led toward camp and hoping once more that it might lead her t

half a mile before she sighted, standing out dark ag

s was a military bearing not often found in the North. At this moment he stood rigidly erect, looki

er expressed it, "a good listener." He talked little. When he did speak his English was perfect. Jim spoke with the mellow drawl of the southern mountains; Clyde with the breezy tong

is. If you fired off a gun when he wasn't looking, he'd jump three feet

question lurking back of all, "Who stole those films for the pictures

he did not so much as turn his head. Only when she had reac

u see

bed of a stream. There are rapids and a waterfall over there, too

f to th

rocks,

closely you will see that the narrow banks of a rapid str

anged it

ifting ice in the spring, perhap

in her hand. It was a

, they call it. Found it many miles up from here in the rocks. Gold

are rapids and falls in it, just as there are in this new channel. And at the foot of

ly. "Jump in! Let's

of the way. Scarcely a word was said during all that l

hought to herself. "Much gold. Anyway, the grou

g her though

on. The doctor's got a tractor. We could haul

his partners about this recent discovery. "I wonder why?" she said

th the plane to-morrow morning," Clyde Hawke s

ir. "Just in time. I'll ride over with him." A

the hills," he said simply. "Need a t

more details they

agged a bag from a corner, "you might take this along and see wh

it?" Ji

chbl

as a million dollars an ounce," Jim drawled. "Be great if we'd

it!" lau

unable to tell what was said in jest and what in

fore we can get the report, know the truth. In the meantime

into the crisp air of night. She climbed the ridge that lay bet

ball of pale gold, hung high overhead. The whole empty wh

crub spruce trees grew, she moved stealthily forward into the shadows, at

breathed, "th

orting in the moonlight. How beautiful they were! And how they

nd. Now they piled into a heap and rolled about like balls of snow. A

-yap

the stranger she had followed that d

ather robe and fell asleep, dreaming dreams in which gold and radium were sad