was 'mushing' the long trail, same as he'd done years in the
open season," Murray said, drawing a deep sigh as he opened his story.
"I don't rightly know his itinerary. Y'see Allan had his trade secrets
which he didn't hand on to a soul. Not even his partner. But," he
leaned forward impressively, and Kars caught the full glow of his
earnest eyes, "Bell River wasn't on his schedule. We'd agreed to leave
it alone. It's fierce for a white man. It's been so years. The trade
there isn't worth the chances. He knew it. I knew it. We'd agreed to
cut it out."

"But he went there--why?"

Kars' question was the obvious one, and Murray's fleshy shoulders
answered it. He sat back in his chair moodily puffing at his cigar.
His eyes were on his desk. It was moments before he replied.

At last he reached out and seizing his glass drank the contents at a
gulp. Then he leaned forward. His voice was deep. But his eyes were
steady and questioning.

"That question'll never find its answer," he said. "Anyway he went
there. It was from there we got his call for help. It came by a
runner. It came to his wife. Not to me. He'd sent to me days before,
and it hadn't come through. Guess that call of his was a farewell to
his wife. The game must have been played when he wrote it, and I guess
he was wise to it. Say"--he sat back in his chair and pushed his fat
fingers through his hair--"it makes me sweat thinking of it."

Kars' silent nod of sympathy was followed by a kindly warning.

"Take your time."

"Time?" A mirthless laugh responded to the caution. "It don't need
time. Anyway time's not calculated to make it easier. It's all right
before me now, set out as only the fiend-spawn of Bell River can set it
out." His tone deepened and he spoke more rapidly. "We got that call
in the evening. An hour after I was hot foot down the river with an
outfit of thirty neches, armed with an arsenal of weapons." His tone
grew. His eyes shone fiercely, and a deep passion seemed to stir him.
"Say, they reckon I can drive hard on the river. They reckon I've got
neither mercy, nor feeling when it comes to putting things through. I
proved all they said that trip. I drove those crews as if hades was on
our heels. I didn't spare them or myself. We made Bell River a day
under the time I figgered, and some of the boys were well-nigh dead.
Say, I guessed the clock hands were runnin' out the life of my big
friend, and--well, th