The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-09-19

lllHh poorly enough bl me. bWl | II give
you one pointer Straight-I'm not hound
enough to leave You in the hands of those
| fellows. The Lord knows | wouldn't
make much show as Il saint. but | had
Il mother once. and Il sister, and | never
| yet went back on Il woman: nor do
| reckon | will now. ANYHOW. Miss.
propose to get you down to the coast. OF
else AlaSk" will have some funerals.
And Ii" pHtted the stock of Il gun that
lay beside him.
1t is hard to tell just what. but thcr,
WAS an intensity of feeling in his voice
and manner that impressed her with sin
ccrity. Perhaps it was the actress in
her. but instantly she stepped forward
and held out her hand The man took it
almost awkwardly. and then neither
seemed to kl.rw what ought to he said.
But surely You do not wish that we
remain here Z" she questioned ut last.
almost timidly.
NO, this miserable hut offers no de-
Tense; besides if we press ON we may
succeed in reaching Shepherds before
the posse can come up. We had all of
ten hours the start out of Dawson, but
they will have dogs"
Scarcely thirty minutes later they We're
without and pressing rapidly southwark.
Keeping with difficulty the dim trail half
hidden by drifting SNOW. The two men
dragged YEARLY ut the ropes of the sin
Gle sled. upon which they had hastily
placed their small stock of provisions
O'Blien doggcdly. his head bent low and
his whole attitude that of II beast of bur
Il, IL
though Il new Iifc and purpose had been
born to him, and plowed through the
drifts with the strength of giant. seek
ing as he advanced to make Il path in
which the girl hchinu might follow. In
spite of his urging She would not ride,
and there was Il determination about her
firm refusal which compelled him to Yield
and to permit her to trudgc on as best
she might.
You who have crossed those SoltudeS
those immenSitieS of snow: who have
brHvcd those northern blasts and felt the
sting of til" icy flakes cut your face and
hide your path. will know the story of
those hours of toll and suffering. The
brief halts for breath. the body leaning
even then against the force of the storm ::
the almost blind staggering forward
through the Arctic darkness: the slip
perry. uncertain path. the solemn Stiffness
save for the strange moaning of the
wind; the changclcSS scene: the dreadful
loneliness and unSpcakahlc agony of the
barren. lorn land.
Conversation WAS almost impossible
Only once did She attempt to speak
They We're huddlrd for the moment back
of Il great white hammock. 50 as to he Il
little out of the sweep of the wind, and
in spite of the protests. he had drawn
her down upon the sled and wrapped her
warmly in II heavy wooden blanket.
Tell me- >h" said. looking up at him
from ont her cover. did you do any
thing dreadfully wrong back there that
they are chasing You for =
She could not see his face plainly. and
it WAS just as well. for his answer was
spoken 50 clnmly as to rcaSSurc her.
Il have seldom done anything that was
right, am afraid but if you mean did
| kill anybody or steal anything. | can
answer You mo- reckon some of those
sports concluded | was too lucky with
the cards"
He felt how closely She was watching
him, and he added firmly;
"Of course. you know | was Il gambler,
but | want to tell YOU that luck or no
luck. the game | ran WaS square,
Some how h" felt like a new man when
She said quietly. so quietly than he had to
bend down in til" storm in order To catch
the words
Il shall believe that. always :"
IL
1t was the second day. Already they
had left the sweep of the wide. frozen
river and were toiing upward now
among the dread. dc>oIatr hills. the faint
line of trail winding in and out among
the bare reaches of rocks. Several times
within tn" hour had OBlicn thrown him
self flat on the SHOW and begged To he
left there to die. but Maynard. although
numb himself from head to foot. had
beaten him again and again to his feet
and dashed him forward with cruel words