or he wouldn’t have been here to pick off
those escaping. I have to think of what
we'll find in that other place.”

Returning to Ledur’s home they pro-
ceeded to examine the spot. Scattered about
in grotesque disarray were the charred
corpses of the father, Ledur Skelov; 20 year
old Pauline and her 15 year old sister,
Onosa. As he gazed at the horrible, soul-
chilling sight there was something in the
huddled positions of the fire-scarred corpses
that aroused the Mountie’s suspicions. In-
stead of herding for the door, the only
avenue of escape, as one would have ex-
pected, each lay huddled apart—as though
suddenly pole-axed.

“Surely,” Day muttered, “they'd have
had time to make the door before being
overcome with smoke.” The charred frag-
ments of clothing showed that each had
been fully dressed despite the lateness of the
hour. Turning over the grisly figures with
shrinking hands, Day emitted a startled
expletive. “This girl’s been shot, .. .
there’s a bullet hole through her head and

another through her heart.” White-faced ’

they examined the corpses of Ledur and
Onosa. Charred though the bodies were
the marks of bullet holes through head and
heart were plainly visible.

Groping his way to the head of the ladder
leading to the cellar, Day lit a match. On
the flagstones below the flickering light re-
vealed the body of a woman with a child
still clasped in her arms.

“She was shot in the arm as she dived

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for the cellar to escape what happened to
the others,” growled Day. ““Must’ve fallen,
or been pushed down, while she tried to
protect the child from the bullets and frac-
tured her hand on the flagstones. The child,
I guess, was suffocated.”

“What I can’t figure out,” exclaimed
Black, “is why they were all fully dressed
if the fire took place at midnight. Most of
them around here turn in early.”

“Well,” Day's face was grim, “we're
either dealing with a madman or with some
sadistic fiend whose hatred’s so intense he
hasn’t rested till he wiped out the whole

When Mounties learned that Ledur Skelov
(above) had been threatened over his
pretty blonde daughter they got their first
clue to the possibly identity of the killer.

family. But . . . why should he have set
fire to Belek’s place as well?”
Inquiries revealed that the previous day

. —the 5th of April—had been a day of

religious celebration for the residents of
Yavo which, to all intents and purposes,
was a little bit of far-off Galicia transferred
to the prairies of Saskatchewan along with
its language, customs, loves, hates and
religious beliefs. Completely tied to old
traditions, the mere appearance of an
English-speaking Canadian in their midst
was enough to arouse their latent suspicions.

Now, despite the fact that sixfold murder

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Page Forty-six

had struck like a bolt of lightning, the
presence of these scarlet-coated Mountie .
and a horde of inquisitive reporters snoop.
ing around with notebooks and pencils
aroused the community to bitter and sulle,
anger. Only after hours of relentless ang
patient questioning was Day able to yp
earth a few of the facts. i

Following a day of feasting old Johy
Skelov, with his daughter Mary and grand
daughter Onosa, had joined John Lychelyk
and 30 or 40 other worshippers at the blue.
domed log church on the outskirts of the
settlement. The service over around 103)
all started out for home. Mary and he
daughter had proceeded directly along th
trail, but John Lycheluk had dropped inty
a neighbour’s along with others to round
out the evening with potations of home.
brew. At 11.30 John had made for the
door, to be followed by Pete Stalinka and
Mike Minoska.

A short distance to the westward the
trail branched into a three-pronged fork.
Mike had taken the northern one to the
place where he was staying, a mile anda
half distant. Pete Stalinka followed the
north-east arm, while Lycheluk hit out along
the centre trail’ which led past Steve Belek’
farm to Ledur Skelov’s where he lived with
the family on terms of intimacy and friend:
ship. Pete and Mike, the last to see John
Lycheluk alive, insisted they'd _paried
around 11.30. Less than an hour before old
Skelov had been frightened out of his wits

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