The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-10-28

Again the door was closed and
bolted and the sound of Croisset' S
footsteps quickly died away be-
yond the log walls. Many minutes
passed before Rowland thought of
his pipe, or a fire. Then, SILVER
ingly. he went to seek the fuel
which Jean had told him was be-
hind the stove. The old boy stove
was soon roaring with the fire
which he built. and as the sooth-
ing fumes of his pipe impregnated
the damp air of the room he ex-
perienced a sensation of comfort
which was in strange contract to
the exciting happenings of the
past few days.
At last he was alone, with moth
ing to do for a week but eat, sleep
and smoke. He had plenty of to-
bacco and and inspection of the
pack showed that Croisset had
left him well stocked with food.
Tilted back in a chair, with his
feet on the table, he absorbed the
cheerful heat from the stove, sent
up clouds of smoke, and wondered
if the halfbreed had already start
ed back into the South. What
would Macdonald say when Jack
pine came in with the report that
he had slipped to his death in the
waterfall Probably his first
move would be to send the most
powerful team on the Wekusko in
pursuit of Gregson and Thorne.
The departing engineers would be
compelled to return-and then
He laughed aloud and began
pacing back and forth across the
rotted floor of his prison as he
pictured the CONSERVATION of the
two seniors. And then a flush
burned in his face and his eyes
glowed as he thought of Meleese
In spite of himself she had saved
him from his enemies, and he
blessed Croisset for having told
him the meaning of this flight in
to the North. Once again she had
betrayed him, but this time it was
to save his life, and his heart
leaped in joyous faith at this
proof of her love for him. He
believed that he understood the
whole scheme now. Even his ene-
mics would think him dead. They
would leave the Wekusko, and
after a time, when it was safe for
him to return, he would be given
his freedom.
With the passing of the hours
gloomier thoughts Swallowed these
'anticipations. In some mysteri-
GUS way Meleese was closely asso-
ciated with those who sought his
life, and if they disappeared she
would disappear with them. He
was convinced of that. And then
could he find her again? Would
she go into the South-to civiliza-
tion-or deeper into the untray-
eled wildernesses of the North?
In answer to his question there
flashed through his mind the
words of Jean Croisset: "M'seur,
| know of hundred men between
Athabasca and the bay who would
kill you for what you have said. 3"
Yes, she would go into the North.
Somewhere in that vast desolation
of which Jean had spoken he
would find her, even though he
spent half of his life in the
search!
1t was past midnight when he
spread out the furs and undressed
for bed. He opened the stove
door form the dying freight on
the log walls. As slumber closed
his eyes he was conscious of a
sound-the faint, hungerful, wall
ing cry to which he had listened
that first night near Prince Albert.
1t was a wolf, and drowsily he
wondered how he could hear the
cry through the thick log walls of
his prison. The answer came to
him the moment he opened his
eyes, hours later. A bit of pale
sunlight was falling into the room
and he saw that it entered through
a narrow aperture close up to the
ceiling. After he had prepared
his breakfast he dragged the table
under this aperture and by stand
ing on it was enabled to peer
through. A hundred yards away
was the black edge of the spruce
and balsam forest. Between him
and the forest, half smothered in
the deep snow, was cabin, and
over it the little red signal of