The Red Cloud chief., 1902-09-19

the Oad and bowed his head in his
hands. One more hone. and. in fact,
aOout the last hope he had, was gone.
Paul remained two weeks longer
with the Metlakahtlas. and then de.
cided to leave his dusky friends and
start for tac KlondykC.
Father Duncan selected -four stout
young Indians To accompany him.
The Indians were well supplied with
provisions suitable for crossing the
mountains. and he and his escort
were provided with dried meat and
compressed bread and bareback.
The four Indians selected for Pauls
party were stout young Fellows, in.
ured to hardship and danger. They
were strong, brave and faithful. The
instructions given them by the old
missionary were carefully listened TO
and they promised To carry them out
to the letter.
There is always something on.
chanting in a great. deep forest. with
its tall trees clothed in moss and
solemn depths which seem to speak
of divinity. At night in the forest
"''' ~ ''' SA''iis u P''' ''s''' $3.50
awfulnoss of the scene. A camp fire
in the great northern woods. with its
rocks and cliffs. its moss.covcred
trees, has something grand in II.
Gathered about II camp fire built
at the base Of the mountain range
were five pcrsons-Paul Miller and
his -four Christian Indians.
II had been a long. hard days
travel, and the poor fellows were
almost exhausted. It was only Paul's
indomitable will driving him on tn
more than super.liuman energies that
kept him on his feet. He had aban.
doned all hope OF finding the men
who had robbed him. and now he
longed to get back to the Klondyke.
take another fortune from the frozen
earth. and return To Laura and his
mother.
The faces which ever seemed to
smile at him from the smoke and
darkness gave him courage and hope.
1T has been Il long time since l
wrote to them he though. They
have no doubt given me M for dead.
How sad to cause them grief, and all
through a mischievous yet truthful
message v itten In a fiji of delirium!"
He was suddenly reused from his
painful rcvcrie by the falling and roli.
ing of a great stone down upon
and across the camp fire. scat
tering the burning brands in every
direction. The great, round bowldcr
passed within "A few inches of where
Paul sat and between two of the In.
dians, but fortunately did not touch
any one. The stone was heavy
enough to crush out life or break
bones had it struck one.
Paul leaped to his feet and the In.
dians started up with ordinations
of fear.
From whence came that stonc?'
cried an Indian.
Paul's first suspicion hat some con.
vulsion of the earth had shaken the
stone loose from thc mountain side
and sent it laundering down the cliff
upon them, but there had been no
perceptible quaking.
While he was still trying to dis.
cover the cause. there came another
obJtt' IblliHS uoNI NV Slt'D NtSttIl
mingled with dirt. fine stones and
snow. II seemed n great dark ball,
from which there issued a human cry.
1t rolled to Paul's feet and stopped.
He seized n of tac burning brands
and held ii so the flame threw the
light upon the face of the stunned
and half-insensible man. who sat
stupidity gazing about him. The sud
den and unexpected advent of this
stranger was enough to startlc the
campers and disturb their wits. The
indians, starting to their feet. stared
at him in amazement. Paul was
first to recover his speech.
He cried:
Throw the wood on the fire."
They Obeyed. and the light flashed
up, throwing ont a broad red glare on
the scene which illumined the dirt.
be-grimmed face of the man who
had tumbled down the cliff. Paul,
starting back, SAID:
1t is the escaped prisoner, the ah.
ductor-the robber-and perhaps
murderer" He seized one of the In.
dams muskets and raised II to brain
he %scoundrel, but two stout Meta
kahtlas seized him and said:
Nay. brother, Thou shalt not
kin"
The man who had so suddenly fall.
en- into their midst was rapidly re-
gaining his faculties and by this
time able to speak. He growled an
oath and rubbed the side of his head.
Where did you come from ask
ed Paul.
From aloft on the cliff" he an.
swered.
What were you doing up there"
"Tryin' to cross. Was any harm in
that"
II recognize you as one of the men
who robbed me-"
Mate, yer off yer course when 20
accuse me o doin' that"
You are one of the two men who
seized your captain a few years since