The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-16

do what's wrong, and maybe you won't
be so id anxious to tell your friends
about this trip or spread your story
up and down the river"
She saw Runnion gazing over his
shoulder in search of shelving beach
or bar They rounded bend where
the left bank crumbled before the UNI
firing teeth of the river, forming a
bristling cheval-de-frise of leaning,
fallen frs awash in the current. The
short side of the curve protected d
gravel bar that made downstream to h
dagger-like point, and toward this
Runnion propelled the skiff. The giriIp
heart sank.
The mind of Poleon Doret worked u
straight lines. Moreover, his memory
was good. Stark's statement, which SO
upset Gale and the lieutenant, had 4
somewhat different effect upon the
Frenchman, for certain facts had been
impressed upon his subconsciousness
which did not entirely jibe with the
gamblers remarks, and yet they were
too dimly engraved to afford founda-
ton for definite theory. What he did
know was that he doubted. Why?
Because certain scraps Of Il disjointed
conversation REQUIRED to him, few
words which he had overheard ia
Stark's saloon. something about Pc
terbOrough canoe and Il woman. He
knew every skin that lay along the
,,f IL saA Ia.
cided to see if this one was where 1t
had been at dusk, for there We're but
two modes of. egress from Flambeau,
and there was but one canoe of this
type. If Necia had gone up river ON
the freighter, pursuit was hopeless. for
no boatman could make Roadway
against the current but it, on the
other hand, that cedar craft was
gone He ran out of Stark's house
and down to the river bank. 1t was
just one chance. and, if he was wrong,
no matter The others would leave on
the next up river steamer, whereas III
his suspicion proved n certainty, IL
Stark had lied to throw them off the
track and Runnion had taken her down
stream-well, POleOn wished no one to
hinder him, for he would travel light
The boat was gone. He searched the
line backward. but ii was not there,
and his excitement grew now, likewise
his haste He stumbled up TO the trad
inc post and around to the rear, where,
bottom up. lay his own craft, birch
canoe, frail and treacherCus for any
hut Il man schocled in the ways or
swift water. He laid 1t carefully I'm
the whispering current. then stripped
himself with feverish haste, for the
driving call Of q hot pursuit was q
him, and. although it was the cold.
raw hours Of late night, he whipped
| off his garments until he was bare to
the middle. He seized his paddle, step
| ped in. then knelt amidshirs and push
| ed away. The birch bark answered
him like living thing, leaping and
dancing beneath the istrokes, while
ripping. rising ridges stood out UPON
his back and arms as they rose and fell
Runnion drove his Peterborough to-
ward the shore with powerful strokes
ard ran it's nose up on the gravel, rose,
stretched himself and dragged it far
| Their out. then looked down ut Ne Ia
"Well. what is it-yes or no? Do yO1
| want me for husband or for a mas
teri" She covered in the stern, pale.
fearful creature.
She cast her despairing eyes up and
down the river, then at the wilderness
on either shore, But it was as silent
and unpeopled as If it had been Great
ed that morning She must have time
She would temporiZe, pretending TO
yield, and then betray him to the first
conner A promise exactcd under du-
ress would not be binding.
"Pll go quietly" she said in faint
voice
Il knew you'd see that I'm acting
square. Come. Get the cranp cut or
yourself while l make pot of coffee"
He held out his hand to assist her,
and she accepted it, but stumbled n
she rose, for she had been crOuched In
one position for several hours, and her
limbs were stiff. He caug-.t her and
swung her ashore. Then, instead OF
putting her feet to the ground, he
pressed her to himself roughly and
kissed her. She gave a stifed cry and
fought him off, but he laughed ana
held her the closer.
mo, no, no." she gasped, writing
like wild thing, but he crushed his
lips to hers again and then let her 50.
whereupon she drew away from him
painting disheveled, her eyes wide and
filed with horror. She scrubbed her
lips with the back Of her hand, as liz
to erase his mark, while he reached
into the canoe and brought forth an
ak, q bundle Of food and coffeepot
Then, still chuckling, he gathered a
few sticks of driftwoOd and built
fire. She had q blind instinct to Geo
and sought for a means Of escape, but
they were well out upon the bar that
stretched a distance Of 300 feet to The
wooded bank. On one side OF the nsr-
row spit was the scarcely moving.
49, I.aaT