Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-10-31
The Silver Horde By B. BE- as4 . Beach

the companies guard it so jealousy;
that's why they denied you shelter.
You see, 1t is set away off here In n
corner of Behring Sea without means
of communication or access. and they
intend to keep it TO-"
1t was evident that the young man
was vitality interested now. Was 1t the
prospective vision Of almighty dollars
that was needed to release the hidden
spring that had baf1led the girl? With
this clue in mind, she watched him
closely and fed his eagerness.
These figures you mention are on
record?" he inquired
II believe they are available"
What does 1t cost to install and
operate a cannery for the first season."
About 5000. 900. 1 am told. but / be-
lieve one al mortgage his catch or
borrow money on II from the banks,
and SO not have to carry the full bur-
den"
The man stared at his companion
with unseeing eyes for a moment, then
asked: whats to prevent me from
going into the business"
Several things. Have you the
money!"
Possibly. What else2"
"a site.'
"That ought to be easy"
Cherry laughed. "On the contrary,
a suitable cannery site is very hard to
get, because there are natural condi-
lions necessary, fresh flowing water
for one; and. furthermore, because the
companies have taken them all up"
"Ahi l see." The light died out of
Emerson's eyes, the eagerness left his
voice. He flung himself dejeotedly
into a chair by the fire, moodily watch
ing the flames licking h burning logs,
All at once he gripped the arms of his
chair, and muttered through set jaws:
God, I'd like to take one more
ohance!" The girl darted a swift look
at him, but he fell to brooding again,
evidently insenslble to her presence.
At length he stirred himself to ask:
Can / hire a guide hereabouts? Well
have to be going on in a day or So"
Constantine will get you one. I
suppose of course, you will avoid the
Katmai Pass?"
avoid it? Why"
TITS dangerous. and nobody travels
1t except in the direst emergency. It's
much the shortest route to the coast,
but it has a record of some thirty
deaths. 1 should advise you to cross
the range farther east, where the
divide is lower. The mail-boat touches
at 10Th places"
He NODDED agreement. "There's no
use taking chances. I'm in no hurry.
I wish there was some way of repay
- R. o,,r Ir{nJnAou We uyora
pretty nearly played out when we got
here"
ooh, I'm quite selfish" she dis
claimed. "If you endured a few
months Of this monotony, you'd under
stand"
During the rest of hat day Boyd
was conscious several times of being
regarded with scrutinizing eye by
Cherry. At dinner, and afterward in
the ~living-room while Fraser talked,
he surprised the same questioning look
on her face. Again h played for
him, but he refused to sing, maintain
ing an unbroken taciturnIty. After
they retired she sat long alone, her
brows furrowed as If wrestling with
some knotty proglem. 81 wonder If
he would do 1T" she said, al last. Il
wonder If he could do it," She rose,
and began to pace the floor; then add
ed, as if in desperation. We'll, | must
do something, for this can't last. Who
knows-perhaps this is my chance;
perhaps he has been sent"
There are times when momentous de-
cisions are influenced by the most
trivial circumstances; times when af-
fairs of the greatest Importance are
made or marred by the lift of an eye
brow or the tone of a voice; times
when lifelong associations are severed
and new ties contracted purely Upon
intuition, and this woman felt instinc-
lively that such an hour had now
struck for her. 1t was late before she
finally came to peace with the conflict