The Democratic advocate., 1896-01-04

panse around sparkled in the sheen of
young Canadian moon which sailed calmly
through a cloudless sky. could have
shot the villain as he skated by me within
so yards, but l would not risk the chance,
and besides my vengeance cried for
sterner fate than death by the pistol. No
sooner was he past my hiding place, than
with shout of exultation, started on his
track. Olier swerved moment to see
who his pursuer was, then, quick as light
ming, tried to double up the river again.
But l had anticipated this, and with
cooked pistol in either hand barred his
passage With curse he turned and
sped swiftly down the ice.
And now the race for life began. Mile
after mile we swept along in silence. An
awful. portentious silence it was, through
which nothing broke save the hollow boom
of the swift steel cutting its way over the
imprisoned river. The moon lit me nobly
to my vengeance. He could not escape
me, for found with savage glee that |
was match for the swift footed Indian.
0lier soon became aware Of this, too, for
now and again he would skate close to the
woods looking in vain for an aperture
But no; there was but one outlet from this
walled in river, and that was over the
falls
Faster and faster yet we skated toward
the cataract. 1t could not be far off. l
pictured to myself what Oilers thoughts
might be- Did he know whittier he was
Fastening, or had that awful light yet to
fash on his guilty mind? The half breed
made answer to my thought. l saw him
in the pale simmer start convulsively and
throw his arms in the air. But he dared
not stop, and on he darted again with a
yell of despair, which echoed weirdike up
the frozen channel. Another sound came
to my ear, and knew what had caused
that cry of agony to burst from Olier; it
was the dull thunder of the falls We
were nearing them fast. Still the walls
of snow shut in my victim, and every mo-
ment lessened his frail hopes of escape.
One chance was left him-to distance me
and hide somewhere in the snow from my
scrutiny. Vain hope; the wings of the
bird could scarce have saved him
Hoarser and louder grew the noise of
the waters. If thanked the Almighty
in frantic prayer that the murderer was
delivered into my hand, humhly trust
that it is forgiven me now. From the
time I had 6rst started on Oilers track
we had maintained exactly the same dis
tance between us-perhaps about 100 or
$50 yards. l still grasped my loaded
pistols ready for any stratagem on the part
of the murderer.
And now the crash of the falls came
loud and ominous on the ear. Another
five minutes would decide the hunt. Sud-
denly 0lier turned and stood at bay. He
was not armed. 1 had felt certain Of that
all along, for otherwise he would have
measured strength with me before With
out abating my pace, skated down upon
him, holding leveled pistol in each hand.
Still my purpose was as fixed as ever only
to shoot the villain as a last resource.
When was within 90 yards of him, the
coward faltered and again turned swiftly
down the river. With a yelling laugh
pursued him, pressing still more hotly on
his track
Deafening was the roar of the cataract
High into the pale sky assembled the mist
of its spray, through which the splintered
lines Of the moonlight darted in rainbow
tinted beauty. could see directly in front
the Jagged line of the ice where it was
broken by the rapids Immediately above
the cataract; and beyond | could trace the
dark volume of the Scugog as it emerged
from its prison of snow and ice. For an
instant the half breed turned his face to-
ward me as I pressed, with concentrated
hate, on his footsteps. Never shall l
forget the horrible despair that distorted
the villain features. 1t was a mercy that
the sullen roar of the falls drowned his
curses-I knew he was shrieking curses
on me-for they would have haunted me
in after years.
With the courage which is begotten Of
the darkest despair, he dashed on to the
brink of the rapids, and the next moment
was alone on the ice ! | gazed with
stern Joy on the dark Aood which had
seized in its resistless hands the shedder Of
blood and was hurrying him over the falls.
For moment thought l could perceive
the murderer struggling in the eddies, but
the illusion, if it was one, could live only
for an instant The cataract was within
pistol shot, and as l turned back over the
dreary wilderness of ice and snow | knew
that the doom of the guilty skater had
been fulfilled.