Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-01-17
CHAPTER Ky

Il 8 Helen and her comp.nioL as.
A cended the mountain, sea-. ed
and swept by the tempest OF
the previous night, they heard.
far below, the swollen torrent brawl-
Ing In Its bowlder ridden bed, while
behind them the angry ocean spread
southwark to a blood red horizon.
Ahead, the bleak mountains broodcd
over forbidding valleys: to the west a
sufYused sun glared sullenly, painting
the high piled clouds with the gorgeous
hues of stormy sunset. To Helen
the wild scene seemed dyed with the
colors OF fame and blood and steel.
THAT rain raised the deuce with the
trails" said Strive, as they picked
their way past an unsightly slip
whence part of the overhanging
mountain, loesened by the deluge, had
slid into the gulch. another storm
like that would wash out these roads
completely
Even in the daylight it was no easy
task to avoid these danger spots, for
the horses floundered on the muddy
soil. Vaguely the girl wondered how
she would find her way back In the
darkness, rs she had planned. She
said little rs they approached the road-
house. for the thoughts within her brain
had begun to clamor too wildly. but
Strive, more arrogant than ever be.
fore, more terrlfyingly sure Of him:
self. was loudly garrulous. AS they
drew nearer and nearer, the dread
that possessed the girl became of para
lyzlng intensity. II she should fall
but she vowed she would not, could
not. fail.
They rounded bend and saw the
Sign of the Sled Graded below them
where the: trail dipped to stream
which tuinbled from the comb above
into the. river twisting like a silver
thread through the distant valley. A
peeled fiagpole topped by spruce
bough stood in front Of the tavern
while over the door hung sled sus
pended from a Beam. The house itsel1
was quaint structure, rambling ani
anonymous, from whose sod ROOT
sprang blooming flowers and whose
high banked walls We're pierced here
md there with sleepy windows. 4
had been built by a ilOmesick foreigner
+ OF unknown nationality whom the ar
my of ''mushers'' who paid for hi:
clean and orderly hospitality had dub
bed duly and as n matter of course ,
''Swede." When travel had changed t,
the river trail, leaving the house lone
some and high as though left by a re
ceding wave, Strive had taken 1t owe
on a debt and now ran it for the con
renience OF slender traffic, mafnl,
stnmpeders, who chose the highe
route toward the interior. His hirelin,
spent the idle hours in prospecting ;
hungry quartz lead and in doing as
sessment work on nearby claims.
: ShOrtz took the horses and answered
his employers questions CURLY, flash
ing curious look Mt Helen. Under
other conditions the girl would have
been delighted with the place, for this
was the quaintest spot she had found
In the north country. The main room
held bar and gold scales. a rude table
and huge iron heater, while its
walls and ceiling were sheeted With
white cloth SO cunningly stitched and
tackled that 1t seemed cavern hol-
lowed from chalk. 1t was filled with
trophies OF the s-stufred birds and
animals, skins and antlers- from which
depended In careless confusion dog
harness, snowshoes, guns and articles
Of clothing. A door to the left led into
the bunk ROOM where travellers had
been wont to sleep in tiers three deep.
To the rear was a kitchen and cache,
to the right a compartment which
Strive called the art gallery. Here
free reign had been allowed the origl-
nal owners artistic fancies, and he
had covered the place with pictures
clipped from gazettes Of questionable
repute till 1t was bewildering mr..
rangement of pink ladies in tights, pu.
gilists in scalty trunks prize bulldogs
and other less moral characters Of the
sporting world.
.sThis is probably the worst compa.
ny. you were ever In" Struye observed
to Helen, with forced attempt al
lighlness.
..Are there no guests here?o she ask.
cd him. her anxiety very near the sur.
face.
Travel Is light at this time Of the
year. They'll come in later perhaps"
a fire was burning in this pink room
where the landlord had begun spread.
ing the table for two, and Its warmth
was grateful to the girl. Her compan
Ion, thoroughly Mt his ease, stretched
himself on a fur covered couch and
smoked.
Let me see the papers now, Mr.
Strive" she began, but he put her off.
mo, not now. Business must wait
on our dinner. Don't spoil our little
party. for there's time enough and Il
spare"
She arose and went to the window
unable to sit still. Looking down the
narrow gulch, she saw that the noun
tains beyond were indistinct, for Il
was growing dark rapidly. Dense
clouds had rolled up from the east
A raindrop struck the glass before hel
eyes, then another and another, and
the hills grew misty behind the com
ing shower. A traveller with pacl
on his back hurried around the corner
Of the building and past her to the
door. At his knock Strive, who had
been watching Helen through half shu
eyes, arose and went into the othel
room.
Thank heaven, some one has conner
she thought. The voices were dead
cned to a hum by the sod walls til
that of the stranger raised itself IL