The farmer and mechanic., 1903-12-01


yatIon an shape course
Vast heavln'," Kent dashed in. .nah-
ciously initiating the others enunciatioa.
I'm going 10 shape all the courses in this
shebang and YOU observe; and II you DO
anything more, III bore you a. sure a.
Moses
For the sake ot my mother"
Whom God have mercy upon i shC
loves you All. Would you?" He frs
tlated hostile move on the part OF the
other ~ pressing the cold rnuzzle against
his forehead. lay quiet, now. If you
lift as much a. a hair. you'll get it."
II was rather IN awkward task, WlsA
the trigger oI the gun always within pll
ling distance ot the finger, but Kent W
\ weaver. ana in a few minutes had the
sailor tied hand and loot. Then Le
dragged him without ana laid him by
the side Of the cabin, where he couid
overlook the river and watch the sun
climb 20 The meridian.
Now III give you till noon, and then"
.Wot?"
you'll be hitting the birthstone trail.
But if youll speak up I'll keep YOU till
the next bunch Of mounted police como
by"
We'll, Cad blimc me. if this amt
20, Ere ] be- innercent as a lamb, an
ere You be- lost all O your top amper
an out O your reckonin, run me foul I'll
go,n' to rake me into 'cll-nre. Iou
bloomin' old pirut. You"
Jim Cardegec looscd the strings OF his
profanity and fairly outdid himself. Jacob
Kent brought out 4 stool that he might
enjoy it IN comfort. Having exhausted
all the possible combinations of his vocab-
ulary, the sailor Quieted down to hard
thinking, his eyes gauglng the progress
of the sun. which tore up the eastern
slope of the heavens with Unsecmly
haste.
His hands were tcd behind him, ana,
pressing against the snow, they were wet
with the contact. This moistening of the
rawhide he knew would tend to make :
stretch. and. without apparent effort, he
cndearored to stretch it more and more.
He watched the trail hungrily, and when
IN the direction of Sixty-Mile q dark
speck appeared for a moment against the
white background OF an ice jam he cast
an anxious eye at me snn. It had
climbed nearly 10 the zenith. Now and
again he caught the black speck clearing
the hills of ice and sinking into the inter
vcnng holloNs. but he dared not permit
himself more than tho most cursory
glanccs for fear OF rousing his enemy :
suspicion. Once when Jacob Kent rose 10
his feet aud searched the trail with care
Cardegec was frightened, but the dog
sled had struck n piece of trail running
parallel with jam, and remained out OF
sight till the danger was past.
''Ill see sou 'ung for this Cardegec
threatened, attempting to draw the
others attention. An you'll rot in ell,
jes' you see if you don't.
4 say he cried, after another pause:
dye bhcve in ghosts?" Kents sudden
start made him sure OF his ground, ana
he went on: Nov q ghost as the right
to aunt a man Wot don't do what he
says: and you can't shuttle me OFF til
eight beiis-Wot / mean is Il O'Clock
con you? Cos II you do, it'll 'appen a.
'ow I'll aunt you. Dye ear? minute
second too quick, an III aunt you, 50
elp me ] will,
Jacob Kent looked dubious, but declined
TO talk.
'Ow's your chronometcr? Wot's Your
longitude? 'Ow DO you know as your
times corrcct?" Cardcgce persisted,
vainly hoping to beat his execut;oner out
OF 4 few minutes. Is it Barracks time
you ave, or is It the Company time?
Cos if You do it before the stroke O. the
bell, I'll not rest. l give you fair warn
in. III come back. An' if you 'avent
the time. ow Will you know? That :
wot | want-'ow viii you tell?"
I'll send YOU off all right" Kent re-
Piled. Got 4 sun dial here
NO good. Thrty-two degrees varia-
tion O the needle.
Stakes are all set"
Ow did you set en-: Compass?"
No: lined them up with The North
Star"
sure
Sure.
Caidegcc groaned, then stole glance at
the trail, The sled was just clearing a
rise. barely a mile away. and the dogs
were III full lopc, running lightly
OW close Is the shadows TO the lne:''
Kent walked to the primitive ti,ncpiece
and studied it. Three inches" he an
lounced, after careful survey.
Say, jos sing out eight bells afore
you pull the gun. will you?"
Kent agreed and they lapsed into ST
lcnce The thongs about Cardegec' I
wrists were slowly stretching. and he had
begun to work them over his hands
Say 'ow close is the shadows?"
One inch"
himself that he would topple over at the
right moment, ard slipped the first turn
over his hands.
Ow cloee?''
Hall an inch
Just then Kent heard tho jarrirg churp
OF the runners and turned his eyes to
the trail. The driver was lying fiat on
the sled aod the dogs swinging down
the straight stretch to ;he cabin. Ke1t
whiTlod back. bringing his rifle to his
shoulder.
1T aint eight bells yet" Cardegee ex-
postuatod, 'Tli aunt you, sure
Jacob Kent falteretl He VA, ssanding
by the suA-dal, perhaps ten PAGES from
his Nlctn. The man on the sled must
have seen that something unusual wa;
taking place, Tor he had risen 10 his
knees, lis whip singing vicous!y among
he dog
The shadows swept into line Kcnt
looked along the Sights.
Make ready" he c,inmandeG solemn
Is. Eight b.
But lust fraction OF a second too
soon, Cardegee roiled backward into the
hole hold fro nd fn