CLANCY OF THE MOUNTED POLICE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17080, 29 June 1923, Page 10

CLANCY OF THE MOUNTED POLICE

NEW SERIAL—

<By

OTTWELL BINNS.

j - A litiJ.:-.-’ oi:,«-crol <- 0 :-pwal. 1 “I was a boy at school and my fa-her ; rot© to me. IN* r> . r thr< e letters ’ reached me. cue of them at least iv.o I yours after it was written. hi that ' <;ii? he told me that he and bis partner j 1 1 left tin • ueral vu -i: • . J seeke.v* and had go-io i’urtliev North, I v'ueio they hud made a grout strike. I He said that us soon as possible he J and Ids partner were going south io I register t!io claim and to gat nme j necessary machinery, for which he r would hare to mortgage who.l was. left of tlio Clancy estates, but that the i prospect of that did not worry him. J aiiicS in twelve months he would be a nair» . Tin - wi the !. >t veord J ever had from him, thp last I have over heard of him.'’ For a moment a sombre look came cn tlio corporal's face; and ho sat quite still staring at the fire until his host's voice bvoice the silence. ‘' AY hat do you think became of him* corporal f” At the question a sudden fierce light shot in Clancy's blue eyes. 11 I think that he may hare been: murdered. He 1 ad a partner, as T said, and the partner may have desired all the spoils, “ There is another possibility.*’ interrupted his host. “The two of them may have been lost together. In these wild woods and unchartered rivers many men were so lost: and there were hostile- Indians besides the scum ; oi the mining camps, who *’ “Aso!” broke in Clancy. “!l. fool it in -my bones that it was not so. AJy father’s partner was not to bo trusted. Aly lather hinted at that in his last letter.” “'What did lie savr” asked his host quickly. “He wrote that the man Benedict seemed to be -very odd in his manner; that once he had awakened to iind. hire sitting outside the tent, pistol in hand, as ir ho were contemplating some act of violence : and that it was known intention, to get- possession of all the arms and chop them in the river with the exception oi’ a single AYiu Chester, which he proposed to carry himself.” “Benedict. Did you say the -partner was called Benedict!-” “Tliere was no other •name?” “ Xonc.” For a long minute there was silence, then Diking ton spoke again. “It is a story with, tragic possibilities, but 1 suppose your lather's; end w ill always remain a. mystery, like the cud of u many men who disappeared on the. north trails iu l-hut tragic > ear and the year that followed it.” “I don’t intend it to remain it my;;terv.” said Glancv, -a sudden heat iu li*"voice. “If that man Benedict is above ground, I will find him and make him tell me tlic truth. That is why I am up hero in the North, and that is why 1 joined the Mounted Rebec. The work takes one on long trails and into strange places, and brings cue into touch with doubtful and desperate characters. Some day 1 shall stumble on a clue, hear a word that will set mo on tlio track of this Benedict, maybe run right into the fellow himself; for. if he lias interests up here, lie will no doubt-visit them sometimes. I ! will liud him, if he is above ground.” “And when you find knu —if you ever do?” Clancy fingered his badges and gave •i sudden harsh laugh. “.1 am a policeman; and a crime is none the less a crime because it is ten. years old. Somewhere there’s a rope being woven j’rir ” He broke off, and then added apologetically, “You must iorgivo me talking like this. 1 can t-help it. Jam naturally liot-bloodcd,. and m-v father was my hero, my saint—everything that au adventurous father could, be to an udveuturc-lov.ing boy. * Again there was silence, then El king . said t-1 loughtfully. “You see to to me ':> .be following a forlorn hope. The , North is so big., and ten years h a long time. Then men who knew Sir Terence Glancv Will have left the country or have passed out on the longest trad ot all. You are young, and it is foolish to waste your life cu so vague a quest. No! don’ t interrupt. 1 am speaking plainly: because—well, for a. very good reason ! There are better and more profitable things than the Mounted EoHeo for a man of your upbringing. T don’t know about- that!'* broke ir. Clancy. “Ib is a man’s ike.” “Yes! Granted ! But i- 1‘o? !y paid. I-imagine!” “One dollar twenty-live cents n day for me,” said Clancy with a laugh. “Exactly! Less than a Dago's wage : and I am paying those two io! lows who arc with iue five a day. with a bonus at the end ot the trip.” “But there's the bond nr of tne ser vice, and possibilities ot promotion. There’s no bar Iwtween a pimple troop ei and the comiuissionevslnp :*’ “ Every man with the ATurslia! baton iii his knapsack! The old **torv!’’ The American laughed. ‘ -No - “ you say. No !.. hut tl:o deuce Of -vig trail between, and L don’t sv; - there are two men iu the force - will follow that trail to tlio end.” •1 mean to l>c one of them,*’ sale C ,anev, blushing at his own beast. Elkimdon nodded. “ > should bo the .- amo il l wore those buffalo badges, and of course you’ve things* that will help—education, a family name “And my own right arm.*' laughed the- corporal; “ besides, •there's thao quest of mine for a spur.'' , “ \ spur— yes!! But i i'ick ug U ' l on to follow a shadow. A• >i know no- ■ ibins, whatever you may suspect. Ihe .: n an—er—Benedict. may have ftoiv. out with your lather. Aon must know | that min died like files ot- the old gold I trails. I 3-emcnil . reaclii - that •« - • 1 a : ;.. men of y our ioi ( toe k tbe i iia.nic-5 <•; all that pastel and numbered . ; the boats, so that they flight be in- - pcsition to give informationtotiioiola- " ii us ol -Tr.ie who failed 1o get through. :! That wa« when they were going in; ! but one, they were in and up on t , 1 far trails beyond the po.tcc pusr, iho .* S d-tvriu '• business had to »o left to . I the Mu ordiug Angel; and. ii 1 know w I uu\tiling, iu that hr .& two j -st: i L*: i I }•!<•:■ .y of v oid; on In's !• • ■ N • ~ I really knows whan lapr.cfxd to i.io.s. . i iTillcws who passe ! i j TO RE CON-TIN I‘TP.