plies would give out. He would need warm
clothing in a short time now.

Descriptions of the wanted man were
broadcast to forest patrols and guards along
the border. Prospectors, trappers, all were
warned to be on the lookout for him. Three
days after the murder, Sheriff Ripke and
his assistant, Adams, had completed the
trap and returned to Kalispel to wait results.

It so happened that on August 29th, a
Canadian highway employee named Sin-
clair was out checking survey notes on a
section of road. Suddenly a stranger ap-
peared from out of the bush. He carried a

rifle and looked as though he had travelled
a considerable distance. He seemed tired
and his clothes were torn to ribbons.

CROSSES THE BORDER

Sinclair stopped his work and _ talked
with the stranger. They exchanged views
on several topics and during this time the
stranger seemed pleased to learn that he
was in Canada. Sinclair, unfortunately,
had not heard of the triple murders so he
had no suspicions. After chatting for some
time they parted company.

In Kalispel, Sheriff Ripke and his men
were undergoing a severe castigation, ver-
bal and otherwise, at the hands of the pub-
lic. They demanded to know why the
officers had not pursued Van. The officials
explained that it would have been foolish,
and also very expensive. This story was
not accepted. The public were clamouring
for action. They demanded that the police
do something more than just sit around and
wait for Van to show up.

Just about this time, Sinclair, who had
talked with the stranger in the woods. saw
one of the posters bearing George Van's
photograph.

“That’s the man I was talking to!” he
explained. He made his way at once to a
telegraph office and informed Sheriff Ripke

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that he had seen and talked with the
wanted man only a few days ago.

That news vindicated Ripke’s judgment
about the pursuit of Van. The fellow had
performed what might be termed a super-
human feat. In less than five days he had
traversed one hundred miles of impenetrable
wilderness studded with cliffs, ravines,
mountain streams and trackless jungle. To
do this he had been forced to take advan-
tage of every opportunity that offered it-
self. He had stopped at nothing. The fact
that he had made such fast time served to
prove how hopeless it would have been to
send a posse after him.

Sheriff Ripke and Undersheriff Adams
left for Fernie at once. They contacted
Constable R. S. Nelson, of the Natal
Detachment.

“Van will have to get some clothing,
Ripke said. “Can you help us to warn the
general store operators? He’s sure to call
on them.”

Constable Nelson, eager and willing to
co-operate, saw to it that all of the store-
keepers were notified and warned to be on

>

ORPHANS

ao

A Provincial constable feeds motherless twin
moose calves. The picture was snapped at the
farm of Salvation Army Captain at Glenvowel,
Indian Reserve, north of Hazelton, B.C.

—Photo by Radio Operator W. T. Davis.

the lookout for a stranger who might be
wanting clothing. He then began to tele’
phone the fire rangers. He shrewdly rea-
soned that the forest stations had large
supplies of food on hand for fire fighting
gangs and that Van, being aware of this,
would make it his business to seek to re-
plenish his food at one of these stations.

The policeman made call after call until
he had exhausted the list, all save one, a
ranger station near Crows’ Nest. He soon
had the ranger, Clem Mercer, on the line.
In clipped tones he told him just what had
happened and warned him to be on the
lookout for Van. The officer was somewhat
surprised at Mercer’s replies. The fellow
seemed frightened stiff. But he said he
would warn the police at once if he saw
anything of Van. Constable Nelson thanked
him and then having done all he possibly
could went about other duties.

Next day Constable Nelson learned the
reason of the ranger’s distraction. At the
very moment when the officer was speaking
to him on the telephone, none other than
George Van was seated in the ranger’s
cabin. He had been there all of that day.
During that time he had traded rifles with
the ranger. He had swapped his 30-40 for
a 25-35. It was little wonder that the
ranger had been upset when he learned
that the man seated within arm’s length
of him had shot three people to death.

The ranger related a remarkable story
to Constable Nelson. He said that after
Van had received his rifle he had sawed
the barrel off so that the weapon would
fit into his packsack. He then refitted the
sights to his own liking and went outside.
The ranger was astonished to see him raise
the weapon, take a quick aim and knock
a tomato can off a stump one hundred
yards away. Only an expert rifleman could
do that with a strange weapon.

Van's movements, as interpreted by

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