Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-05-11
CONTINUED
CHAPTER XVII.

The warning was unnecessary,
for the stiffness of snow is infectious,
while the beauty of the scene seemed
to command silence. AS usual, Ca
trina drove without bells. The one
attendant on his perch behind was a
tyr clad statue Of servitude and silence.
Maggie, leaning back, hidden to the
eyes in her sables, had nothing to say
to her companion. The way lay
Through forests Of pine-trackless, mo-
HOnless, virgin. The sun, fltering
through the snow laden branches, cast
a subdued golden light upon the ruddy
upright trunks Of the trees. At times
q willow grouse, white as the snow.
light and graceful on the wing, rose
from the branch where he had been
laughing to his mate with a low, COO
Ding laugh and huttered away over the
trees.
Ear yer the submits Of the pines
psssnipe seemed to be wheeling q senti-
mel round. He followed them as they
sped along, calling out all the while
bis deep warning note, like that of a
lamb crouching beneath a hedge where
the wind is not tempered.
Catrina noted all these things while
cleverly handling her ponies. They
spoke to her with a thousand voices.
She had roamed in these same forests
with Paul, who loved them and under
stood them as she did.
Maggie, in the midst, as it were, of a
reveiation, leaned back and wondered
At it all. She, too, was thinking Of
Paul, the owner Of these boundless
forests. She understood him better
now. This drive had revealed to her
apart Of his nature which had rather
puzzled her-a large, simple, quiet
strength which had developed and
grown to maturity beneath these trees.
Maggie knew now where Paul had
learned the quiet concentration Of
mind, the absorption in his own affairs,
the complete lack of interest in the
business Of his neighbor, which made
him different from other men. He had
learned these things at first hand from
Gods creatures.
"Now you know" said Catrina when
they reached the hut, "why I hate Pc
kSISUuIS.
Maggie nodded. The effect of the
forest was still upon her. She did not
want to talk.
The woman who received them, the
wife Of a keeper, had prepared in a
rough way for their reception. She had
q large fire and bowls Of warm milk.
While the two girls were warming
themselves a keeper came to the door
of the hut and asked to see Catrina.
he stood in the little doorway, COM
pletely filling it, and explained that he
could not come in, as the buckles and
straps Of his snowshoes were clogged
and frozen. He wore the long Nor
wegian snowshoes and was held to be
the quickest runner in the country.
Catrina had a long conversation with
the man, who stood hatless, rudy and
shy.
ut is" she then explained to Maggie,
"Paul's own man, who always loads
for him and carries his spare gun. He
has sent him to tell us that the game
has been ringed and that the heaters
Wtll close in on a place called the
Schapka clearing, where there is a
woodman's refuge. If we care to put
on our snowshoes this man will guide
ns to the clearing and take care of us
Till the battue is over"
OF course Maggie welcomed the pro-
posal with delight, and after a hasty
luncheon the three ghded off through
The forest as noiselessly as they had
come. After q firing walk of an hour
and more they came to the clearing and
were duly concealed in the hut.
No one, the keeper told the ladies, ex-
eept Paul, knew of their presence in
The little wooden house. The arrange
ments Of the beat had been slightly
altered at the last moment after the
hunters had separated. The keeper
lighted a small fire and shyly attended
TO the ladies, removing their snow
shoes with his clumsy fingers. He
closed the door and arranged a branch
pf larch across the window so that
they could stand near it without being
seen.
They had not been there long be-
tore De Chauxville appeared. He NOV
ed quickly across the clearing, skim
ming over the Snow with long, sweep
hng strides. Two keepers followed
him and after having shown him the
rough hiding place prepared for him
silently withdrew to their places. Soon
Karl Steinmetz came from another d.
rection and took up his position rather
nearer to the hut in a thicket of pine
and dwarf oak. He was only twenty
yards away from the refuge where the
girls were concealed.
It was not long before Paul came.
BE was quite alone and suddenly ap-
peared at the far end Of the clearing,
In very truth a mighty hunter, stand
ing nearly eve feet on his snowshoes.
One rifle he carried in his hand, anoth-
er slung across his back.
From his attitude it was apparent
that he was listening. It was proba-
Die that the cries Of the birds and the
distant howl of q wolf told his prac-
k1ced ears how near the heaters were.
he presently moved across to where