The Holly chieftain., 1909-07-16
<1p The Barrier
* BY =
Rex Beach
e Ru -
copvs,oa1,sos. BY HARPER q BROTHERS

gravel bar that made downstream 10
dageerlike poiui. and toward this
Runnion propelled the skiff. The girls
heart sank.
The mind of I'olaon poret worked In
straight lines Moreover. his memory
was good Stark's statement, which SO
upset Gale and the lieutenant, had
somewhat different effect upon the
Frenchnan. for cerfain facts had been
impressed upon his sub onSci us ess
which did not entirely jibe with the
gamblers remarks. and yet th were
too dnly engraved 10 aaord fiunda-
ton for definite theory. What he did
know was that he doubted Wing!
Recnuse certain scraps of a disiointed
conversation REQUIRED to him. few
words which he had overheard in
Stark's saloon. something about Il Pc
terborough canoe and woman He
knew every skiff that lay a.ong the
water front. aud of a sudden lie de-
tided TO see If this one was where 1t
had been at dusk. for there were but
two modes of egress frem Flnmbeuu.
type II Necia had gone up river on
the freighter pursuit WIS ho, eless. for
no boatman could make hendway
against the current. but IF. 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 If
his suspicion proved certainty, If
Stark had lied to throw them of the
track and I:unnion had taken her down
stream well poleon wi he'd no one to
hinder him. for he would travel light.
The boat was gone He searched the
line back ward. but il was not there.
and his excitement srew row. likewise
| his haste lie stumbled up TO the trad
| ing post and around to he rear. where.
bottom up. lay his own craft. a hirch
canoe. frail and treachereus for any
but Il man schoalpd in the ways of
swift water He laid 1t carefully In
| The whispering current. then stripped
himself with feyeriSh haste for the
! driving call OF Il hot Pursuit was on
| him and. although it WIS the cgld.
| raw hours of latn sight. he whipped
| uff his Garments U"til he was bare to
| The middle He seized his paGdlc, step
| ped in then kneli umieshirs ard push
ed aMay The tir j bark answered
| llii ike 4 living thing lraping and
daucing beneath The strokes. while
ripp'hl. rising ridges stoGd out upon
his back ana arms ns they rose and fell.
6
| RnnriGn drove his Peterborough to-
ward III, s.lcre with powerful strokes
and run us uose W en- the gravel. rose.
strt hed ltPselt ard dragged it far
thri ,i'l the cooked down nj Ne.'il.
'WtH " Il. IL i; YES or no: Do you
wan, NE for II husband or for mas
ter" She covered in the stern. a pale,
fearfp! creature.
She cast her despalring eyes up and
down the river, then at the wilderness
on either shore but ii was as silent
and unpeopled as If It had been Great
ed that morning she must have time.
She would tempori2e pretending to
yield, and then betray him to the first
conner. A promise eXacted under du-
ress would not be binding.
4 "Fll go quietly" she said In a faint
voice. ~
81 knew you'd see that I'm acting
square. Come. Get the cramp out OF
yourself while make pot Of coffee
He held out his hand to assist her,
and she accepted it, but stumbled as
she rose, for she had been crouched in
one position for several hours. and her
z limbs were stiff He caught 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 stitled cry and
fought him off, but he laughed and
held her the closer.
NO. no. no." she gasped. writhine
like wild thing. but he crushed his
lips to hers again and then let her go
whereupon she drew away from hin
painting. disheveled. her eyes wide and
filed with horror She scrubbed hel
lips with the back Of her hand, as il
to erase his mark, while he reached
into the canoe and brought forth al
ak, bundle OF food and Il coffeepot
Then still churklng. he gathered ;
few sticks Of driftwood and built +;
fire She had blind instinct to flee
and sought for Il means of escape, bu
they were well out upon the bar tha
stretc he'd Il distance of 800 feet to tn,
wooded bank On one side of the mar