The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-11-01

But not when he's going to his
funeral, NJ seur. -
IF | were one of your blessed
saints I'd hit you over the head
with thunderbolt, Croisset. Good
Lord, what sort of a heart have
you got inside of your jacket,
man? Up there where we're 60
ing is the sweetest little girl in
the whole world. l love her. She
loves me. Why shouldn't | be
happy, now that l know I'm going
to see her again very soon-and
take her back into the South
with me?"
'The devil" grunted Jean.
Perhaps you're Jealous, Crois-
set," suggested Rowland. Great
Scott l hadn't thought of that!'
1--WE got one of my own to
love, NJ 'seur; and / wouldn't trade
her for all else in the world"
Damned if | can understand
Iyou," swore the engineer. you
lappear to be half human; you say
you're in love, and yet you'd rath-
er risk your life than help out Me-
leese and me. What the deuce
does it mean?"
That's what I'm doing, M'seur
helping Meleese. l would have
done her a greater service if had
killed you back there on the trail
and stripped your body for those
things that would be foul enough
to eat it. l have told you a dozen
times that it is Gods justice that
you die. And you are going to die
very soon, M 'seur."
No, Pm not going to die, Jean.
I'm going to see Meleese, and she's
going back into the South with
me. And if you're real good you
may have the pleasure of driving
us back to the Wekusko, Croisset,
and you can be best man at the
wedding. What do you say to
that?"
THAT your are mad-or a
fool" retorted Jean, cracking his
whip viciously.
The dogs swung sharply from
the trail, heading from their
southerly course into the north
west.
1--WE will save a day by doing
this" explained Croisset at the
others sharp word of inquiry
I'VE will hit the other trail twenty
miles west of here, while by fol-
lowing back to where they turned
we would travel sixty miles to
reach the same point. That one
chance in a hundred which you
have depends on this, M'seur. If
the other sledge has passed"
He shrugged his shoulders and
started the dogs into a trot.
"Look here" cried Rowland,
running beside him. "Who is
with this other sledge?"
Those who tried to kill you on
THE trail and at the coyote,
M'seur," he answered quickly.
Rowland fell half dozen PAGES
behind. By the end of the first
hour he was compelled to rest
frequently by taking to the sledge,
and their progress was much slow
err. Jean no longer made answer
to his occasional questions. Dog
SGuly ne oW uhS Ou dHCdu W Tile
right and a little behind the team
leader, and Rowland could see
that for some reason Croisset was
as anxious as himself to make the
best time possible. His own impa-
thence increased as the morning
Heightened. Jeans assurance that
the mysterious enemies who had
twice attempted his life were only
la short distance behind them, or
"a short distance ahead, set a new
and desperate idea at work in his
brain. He was confident that
these men from the Wekusko were
his chief menace, and that with
them once out of the way, and
with the Frenchman in his power,
the fight which he was carrying
into the enemy's country would be
half won. There would then be
no one to recognize him but Mer
leese.
His heart leaped with joyous
hope, and he leaned forward on
the sledge to examine Croisset's