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Updated: June 14, 2025
He stood by habit as though he were leaning into a stiff gale. His mouth always held a pipe, which he smoked in short, brisk whiffs, as though expecting to be interrupted at any moment by an iceberg. The steward brought in the tea-tray, and Captain Scottie settled into his large armchair to enjoy it. His eye glanced automatically at the barometer.
I liked him the first time I ever laid eyes on him. So did you all, except Larry, yonder. And it was Larry that turned you agin' him after he come and joined us. Who asked him to join us? We did!" "Who asked him to be captain?" said Scottie. It seemed to stagger Jeff Rankin. "Allister used him for a sort of second man; seemed like he meant him to lead us in case anything happened to him."
Deane would be more than a match for Bucky alone if he failed in beating out the corporal. But if he did beat him out Billy's lips set grimly, and there was a hard light in his eyes as he glanced back over his shoulder. He would not only beat him out, but he would capture Scottie Deane. It would be a game of fox against fox, and he would win.
I crawled up to him, and he was badly hit the blood was pouring from his mouth, and he mumbled "Stretcher bearer." Flare-pistol Bill went on to the trench to hunt up one, and I crawled back to see if I could find the one who had come up with us. Before I got back with Bob the stretcher bearer from the trench had fixed Scottie up as well as he could. Poor Scottie! his jaw was shattered.
"Thought we'd never live to reach shelter," gasped Walker, as they shook hands. "We're out after Scottie Deane, and we ain't losing a minute. We're going to get him, too. His trail is so hot we can smell it. My God, but I'm bushed!" The dogs, with the company man at their head, were already making for the camp. Billy grinned at the corporal as they followed.
A picture rose slowly before him in the bush-fire, and in that picture he saw Scottie, the man-hunted man, fighting a great fight to keep himself from being hung by the neck until he was dead; and then he saw Pelliter, dying of the sickness which comes of loneliness, and beyond those two, like a pale cameo appearing for a moment out of gloom, he saw the picture of a face.
I'm after Scottie Deane myself!" In the next breath he could have cut out his tongue for having uttered the words. A gleam of triumph shot into Bucky's eyes. "I thought we was right," he said. "We sort of lost the trail in the storm. Glad we found you to set us right. How much of a start of us has he and that squaw that's traveling with him got ?" Billy's mittened hands clenched fiercely.
You gents can have the rest and split it up." "A nice set of sparklers," nodded Clune, "but there's plenty left to satisfy me." "What you think," declared Scottie, "ain't of any importance, Joe. It's what the chief thinks that counts. Is it square, Lanning?" Andrew flushed at the appeal and the ugly looks which La Roche and Clune cast toward him.
And when Joe and Rankin came back slowly, walking side by side and talking in soft voices, his suspicions were given an edge. They wanted to eat together; but he forced Scottie to take post on the high hill to their right to keep lookout, and for this he received another scowl. Then, when supper was half over, Larry la Roche came in to camp.
At length there was a bustling in the cabin, a loud confusion, and finally the whole troop went out. Somebody brought Scottie his saddle; Jeff Rankin came out reeling. But Scottie stirred last from the doorway; there he stood in the shaft of light until some one, cursing, brought him his horse. He mounted it in full view. Then the cavalcade started down the ravine.
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