WE’RE MAKING A LOT OF CASH, BUT EVEN MY BONES ACHE WITH ALL THIS WORK.
SURE IT’S BACKBREAKING, BRUCE, BUT THE MONEY WILL HELP US SET UP ON OUR OWN.
STORY MAC MACDONALD ART OLIVERA
I
N 1939, WHEN WAR HAD YET TO BREAK OUT IN EUROPE, CANADIANS JAKE LEMAN AND HIS BEST FRIEND BRUCE FLEMING WERE LABOURING HARD AS LUMBERJACKS IN THE BACKWOODS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN LAY BETWEEN THEM AND THE TROUBLES IN THE OLD WORLD.
COVER JANEK MATYSIAK
4
A HUNTING AND SHOOTING BUSINESS WAS THEIR AIM, AND THEY WERE CLAWING TOGETHER THE CAPITAL TO SET IT UP IN THE ROUGH AND READY WORLD OF A LUMBER CAMP. I THINK I’LL HIT THE SACK NOW. IT’LL BE ANOTHER LONG DAY TOMORROW.
MAYBE WE COULD PLAY SOME CARDS FIRST...
A RAUCOUS BURST OF CRUEL LAUGHTER INTERRUPTED THEM AS BRAD BRAGGINS, ONE OF THE MANY AMERICANS WORKING THERE, TRIPPED THE YOUNG LAD WHOSE JOB IT WAS TO CLEAR THE TABLES.
WHOA!
TIMBER! TALL TREE FALLING!
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ANGER OVERCAME COMMON SENSE AND THE VICTIM HURLED ONE OF THE TOPPLED PLATES AT HIS TORMENTOR.
THE RASH MOVE EARNED THE YOUNGSTER THE PROMISE OF A BEATING. YOU LITTLE PUNK!
THAT JUST AIN’T FUNNY! AAGH!
THERE WAS TENSION AT TIMES BETWEEN THE CANADIANS AND THE AMERICANS. ANY INCIDENT LIKE THIS COULD SPARK IT OFF.
NOT AGAIN! BEST WE GET OUT OF HERE. ONCE WE MAKE SURE THE YOUNGSTER IS OKAY.
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THE LAD WAS STILL IN TROUBLE WITH THE ANGRY AMERICAN CLOSING IN ON HIM UNTIL JAKE STEPPED IN.
LET HIM BE, BRAGGINS, HE MEANT NO REAL HARM.
IS THAT SO, LEMAN? WELL, MAYBE...
...YOU CAN SQUARE UP TO ME INSTEAD!
IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT...
LIGHTER AND FASTER, WITH RAZORSHARP REFLEXES, JAKE HIT HARD.
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THE AMERICAN TRIED TO BULLDOZE HIS WAY THROUGH JAKE’S DEFENCES, BUT HE ONLY EARNED MORE TELLING BLOWS FOR HIS TROUBLES. THAT’S WHEN HE DREW HIS WORK KNIFE FROM ITS SHEATH. WATCH OUT, JAKE, THE RAT HAS PULLED A BLADE!
I SEE IT...
THE FLASH OF BITING STEEL SHONE IN THE HUT LIGHTS AS BRAGGINS LUNGED, BUT JAKE WAS ALREADY MOVING OUT OF HARM’S WAY. I’LL GUT YOU!
HE’S A NASTY PIECE OF WORK!
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HANDS CLASPED FIRMLY TOGETHER CAME DOWN HARD ON THE BULLYING YANK’S NECK. JAKE HAD STRUCK AS THOUGH SWINGING AN AXE.
GOT YOU!
OOF!
THE TROUBLEMAKER WAS KNOCKED COLD AND THE FIGHTING HALTED AS QUICKLY AS IF SOMEBODY HAD THROWN A SWITCH. EVEN HIS FELLOW AMERICANS DID NOT APPROVE OF BRAGGINS PULLING A KNIFE IN A BRAWL LIKE THIS. TIME TO GET OUT OF HERE.
IT’S OVER NOW, BUT WE’D BEST WATCH OUR BACKS WITH THAT LOUT AROUND.
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BY THE TIME THE TWO FRIENDS BEGAN WORK THE NEXT DAY, THOUGH, THEY HAD HEARD THAT BRAGGINS, IGNORED BY HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN, HAD LEFT THE CAMP.
GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH.
YEAH, HIS KIND WILL NEVER TAKE A TELLING.
THE FLOATING LOGS THEY WERE WORKING ON BUMPED AND WOBBLED AND, AS JAKE STRUGGLED TO KEEP HIS BALANCE, THE CRACK OF A HIGH VELOCITY RIFLE RANG OUT. BRUCE TOOK A BULLET THAT HAD CLEARLY BEEN MEANT FOR HIS FRIEND.
AAGH!
WHAT THE DEVIL?
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MORE SHOTS FOLLOWED AND THE TWO FRIENDS VANISHED BETWEEN AND UNDER THE LOGS. ONLY THEN DID THE VENGEFUL BRAGGINS RISE FROM COVER, HIS MURDEROUS DEED DONE.
THAT’LL TEACH THAT PAIR OF RATS TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME. BEST HIGH TAIL IT OUT OF HERE NOW.
THE AMERICAN HAD MISCALCULATED — JAKE, ONLY CREASED, WAS NOT DEAD. HE HAD HIDDEN BENEATH THE LOGS UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO DRAG HIMSELF AND BRUCE’S LIFELESS BODY ASHORE. I SAW BRAGGINS RUN BACK DOWN THE TRAIL ON THE OTHER BANK OF THE RIVER!
THAT FIGURES. HE WAS MORE EVIL THAN WE EVER THOUGHT.