The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-10-12

III iloI surprising, rep1eQ
Rowland indifferently. We've
had enough of this pretty face,
Gregson. I'm going to bed. What
time do we start in the morning?"
AS soon as we've had break
fast-if you're anxious"
Il am. Good night"
Rowland went to his room
but 1t was not to sleep. For hours
he sat wide-awake, smoking cigar
after cigar, and thinking. One by
one he went over the bewildering
incidents of the past two days.
AT first they had stirred his blood
with a certain exhilaration-a
spice of excitement which was not
at all unpleasant; but with this
excitement there was now a peeu-
liar sense of oppression. The at
tempt that had already been
made on his life together with the
persistent warnings for him to re-
turn into the South began to
have their effect. But Rowland
was not man to surrender to his
fears, if they could be called fears
He was satisfied that a mysterious
peril of some kind awaited him
at the camp on the Wekusko, but
he gave up trying to fathom the
reason for this peril, accepting in
his businesslike way the fact that
it did exist, and that in a short
time it would probably explain it
self. The one puzzling factor
which he could not drive out of
his thoughts was the girl. Her
sweet face haunted him. At every
turn he saw it-now over the
table in the opium den, now in the
white starlight of the trail, again
as it had looked at him for an in
slant from the sledge. Vainly he
strove to discover for himself the
lurking sin in the pure eyes that
had seemed to plead for his friend
ship, in the soft lips that had lied
to him because of their silence.
please forgive me for what
have done" He unfolded the
crumpled note and read the
words again and again. Believe
me now" She knew that he
knew that she had lied to him,
that she had lured him into the
danger from which she now wish
ed to save him. His cheeks burn
ed. If thousand perils threaten
ed him on the Wekusko he would
still go. He would meet the girl
again. Despite his strongest eff
forts he found it impossible to de-
stroy the vision of her beautiful
face. The eyes, soft with appeal;
the red mouth, quivering, and
with lips parted as IL about to
speak to him; the head as he had
looked down on it with its glory
of shining hair-all had burned
themselves on his soul in a pic
ture too deep to be eradicated. II
the wilderness was interesting to
him before it was doubly so now
because that face was part of
it, because the secret of its life,
of the misery that it had half con-
fessed to him, was hidden some
where out in the black mystery of
the spruce and balsam forests.
He went to bed, but it was a
long time before he fell asleep. 1t
seemd to him that he had scarce
ly closed his eyes when a pound
ing on the door aroused him and
he awoke to find the early light
of dawn creeping through the
narrow window of his room. A
few minutes later he joined Greg
son, who was ready TO breakfast.
'"The sledge and dogs are wait
ing" he greeted. AS they seated
themselves at the table he added
1--WE changed my mind since last
night, Rowland. I'm not going
bac kwith you. It's absolutely
unnecessary, for Thorne can put
you on to everything at the camp,
and I'd rather lose six months
salary than take that sledge ride
again. You won't mind, will
your"
Rowland hunched his shoulders.
ITO be honest, Gregson, I don't
believe you'd be particularly
cheerful company. What sort of
fellow is the driver?"
I'VE call him Jackpine-a Cree
Indian--and he's the one faithful
slave of Thorne and myself at
Wekusko. Hunts for us, cooks for
us, and watches after things gen.
orally. You'll like him all right"
Rowland did. When they