The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-29

4
l say as ow ! don't. Let's get o hobser
vauon am shape course"
4 vast neavln'!" Kent dashed in, NAH
ciously initiating the others enunciation.
I'm going to shape all the courses in this
shebane, and you observe; and If you do
anything more, I'll bore YOU as sure as
Moses!"
For the sake of my mother"
Whom God have mercy upon II she
owes you. All! Would your" He frlis-
trated hostile move on the part of the
other by pressing the cold nu2zle against
his forehead. Lay quiet, now II you
hit az much as hair, you'll pet it,
II was rather an awkward task, with
the trigger OF the gun always within pull
| ling distance of the finger, but Kent VIZ
a weaver and in a few minutes had the
! stior tied hand and foot. Then be
| dragged him without and laid him by
the eide Of the cabin, where he could
overlook the river and watch the sun
climb 20 the meridian.
Now I'll give you till noon, and then"
| "Wot?"
you'll be hitting the birthstone trail.
But il you'll speak up, I'll keep you till
| the next bunch of mounted police come
1 by"
well, Cad blime me. if this amt
| go! Ere l be, inherent as a lamb, en-
| ere you be. lost all o. your top amper
an out o your reckonin', run me !ouI ar
goin' to rake me into eli-hre. You
| Dioomin old pirut YOU"
Jim CIrdegee loosed the strings of his
profanity and fairly outdid himself. Jacob
| Kent b. ought out stool That ne mlsE.
enjoy IL LII comfort having exhausted
All the possible combinations of his vocab
Ilary. the sailor quieIed down to nafd
thinMng, his eyes gauglnS the progress
! CT the sun, which tore up the eastern
! slope OF the heavens with uaseemly
haste.
! his hands were tied behind him, and,
J pressing agenst the snow, they were wet
! with the contact. This moistening OF the
rawhide he knew would tend 10 make !
stretch, and, without apparent effort, he
! endeavpred TO stretch it more and more.
! He watched the trail hungrily, and when
I in the direction Of 9xty-Mile n dark
speck appeared for moment against the
white background of an ice jam he cast
an anxious eye at .ne sun. 1t had
climbed nearly to tho zenith. Now and
again he caught the black speck clearing
the hills of ice and sinking into the inter
vening hollows, but he dared not permit
himself more than the most cursory
glances for fear of rousipg his enemy
suspicion. Once when Jacob Kent rose to
his feet and searched the trail with care
Cardegee was frightened, but the dog
sled had struck piece of trail running
parallel with jam, and remained out OF
sight till the danger was past.
9TH see you Jung for this" Cardegee
threatened, attempting to draw tho
others attention. AN you'll rot in ell,
ies' you see if you don't.
Il say he cried, after another pause:
dye b'lieve In ghosts?" Kents sudden
start made him sure of his ground, and
he, went on: Nov ghost as the right
to aunt man wot don't do what he
says; and you can't shuttle me of till
eight bells-wot ! mean Ia IL O'Clock
can you? Cos if you do, it'll 'appen as
'ow I'll aunt you. Dye ear? A minute,
a second too quick, an III aunt you, so
clip me- ] will
]; cob Kent looked dubious, but declined
to talk.
lows your chronometer? Wot's your
longitude? 'Ow do you know as your
times correct?" Cardegee persisted,
vainly hoping to beat his executioner out
of few minutes. IS it Barrack's time
you ave- or is it the Company time?
Cos if you do it before the stroke O the
bell I'll not rest. / give you fair warn
in. I'll come back. An ii you 'aven't
the time, 'ow will you know? That's
wot want-'ow viii you tell?"
I'm send you off all right" Kent re-
pied. Got a sun-dial here
mo good. Thirtytwo degrees varia-
ton o. the needle"
Stakes are all set
=" 'Ow did you set EN-? Compass
no; lined them up with the North
star"
'.Sure?"
Sure
Cardegee groaned, then stole a glance at
the trail. The sled was just clearing a
rise, barely a mile away, and the dogs
We're in full lope, running lightly.
" 'OW close is the shadows to the liner
Kent walked to the primitive ti1neplece
and studied it. Three inches" he an
rounced, after careful survey.
''say. jes' sing out eight bells 'afore
you pull the gun, will your"
Kent agreed and they lapsed into ST.
lence The thongs about Cardegee's
wrists were slowly stretching, and he had
begun to work them over his hands.
Say 'ow close is the shadows
.'One inch"
The sailor wrggled slightly to assure
himself that he would topple ov9r at the
right moment, and slipped the first turn
over his handg.
9 CIV close?"
''Half IN inch.
just hen Kent heard the Earring churr
of the runners and turned his eyes to
the trail The driver WAC lying nat Oh
the sled and the dogs swinging down
the straight stretch to tho cabin. Kent
whiried back. bringing his rifle to his
shoulder
at eio't c'oi>+ bells vot'" Ca~ao~ee ex-
postulated. "rll aunt you. sure"
Jacob Kent faitercd He was standing
By tho sun-dial, perhaps ten PAGES from
his victim The man on the sled must
have seen that something unusual was
taking place. for he had risen to his
knees. his whip singing viciously among
the dogs,
The shadows swept into line. Kent
looked along the sights.