The Grit-advocate., 1903-02-20

good a prophet. The prisoner aas
escaped. The wicked are ever cun-
ming and watchful, apd Satan sleeps
not"
Paul gave utterance to a groan.
sank upon large stone at the side OF
the road and bowed his head in his
hands. One more hope. 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 the Klondyke
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
We're provided with dried meat and
compressed bread and hardtack.
The four Indians selected for Paul's
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 en-
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
adds to the gloom, the solemnity and
awfulness of the scene. A camp fire
in the great northern woods, with its
rocks and cliffs, its moss-covered
trees, has something grand in it.
Gathered about camp fire built
at the base of the mountain range
were five persons-Paul Miller and
his four Christian Indians.
1t had been a long, hard days
travel, and the poor fellows were
almost exhausted. 1t was only Pauls
indomitable will driving him on to
more than super-human 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 a long time since |
wrote to them" he thought. They
have no doubt given me up for dead.
How sad to cause them grief, and all
| through a mischievous yet truthful
message itten in fit of delirium!"
He was suddenly reused from his
painful reverie by the falling and roll
| ing of a great stone down upon
and across the camp fire, scat
tering the burning brands in every
| direction. The great, round bowlder
passed within 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 exclamations
| of fear.
From whence came that stone?"
cried an Indian.
Pauls first suspicion that some con-
vulsion of the earth had shaken the
stone loose from the 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
object rolling down the steep descent
mingled with dirt, fine stones and
| snow. 1t semed a great dark ball,
from which there issued a human cry.
He seized one of the burning brands
and held it 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 startle 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 fret"
They obeyed, and the light flashed
up, throwing out 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, saia:
"It is the escaped prisoner, the alb
ductor-the robber-and perhaps
murderer" He seized one of the In
dams muskets and raised it to brain
the scoundrel, but two stout Metla-
kahtlas seized him and said:
May, brother, Thou shalt not
kill"
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.