The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-10-05
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.)

OM PAGE ONE.)
Were on the edge of the Bar
rem Lands"
"Whew!" Rowland shrugged
his shoulders. Then he velun-
teered, I'm going north myself
tomorrow"
"Post-man?"
'No; engineer. I'm putting
through the Hudson Bay Rail-
road"
He spoke the words quite clear
ly and as they fell from his lips
the half-breed, partly concealed
in the gloom behind him, straight
ened with the alert quickness OF
a cat. He leaned forward eager
ly, his black eyes cleaning, and
then rose softly from his seat.
His moccasined feet made no
sound as he came up behind How
land. 1T was the big huskie who
gave "a sign of his presence. For
a moment the upturned eyes OF
the young engineer met those OF
the half-breed. That look gave
Rowland a glimpse Of face
which he could never forget-a
thin, dark, sensitive face framed
in shining, jet-black hair, and a
pair of eyes that were the most
beautiful he had ever seen in g
man. Sometimes a look decides
great friendship or bitter hatred
between men. And something
nameless, unaecouRtable, passed
between these two. Not until the
half-breed had turned and was
walking swiftly away did How.
land realize that he wanted to
speak to him, to grip him by the
hand, to know him by name. He
watched the slender form of the
Northerner, as 1.-the and as grace.
full in it's movement as a wild
thing of the forests, until 1t pass.
ed from the, door out into the
night.
"Who was that?" he asked
turning to the factor.
His name is Croisset. He comes
from the Wholdaia country
beyond Las la Ronge."
French"
Half French, half Cree"
The >factor resumed his steady
gaze out into the white distance
of the night, and Rowland gave
up his effort at conversation. Aft
Ier little his companion showed
back his chair and babe him
good night. The Crees and Chip
pewayan followed him, and a few
minutes later the two white hunt
ers left the engineer alone before
the windows.
Mighty funny people," he said
half aloud. wonder if they ever
talk"
He leaned forward, elbows on
knees, his face resting in his
hands, and stared to catch assign
of moving life outside In him
there was no desire to sleep. Oft
en- he had called himself a night
bird, but seldom had he been
more wakeful than on this night.
The citation of his triumph, of his
success, had not yet worn itself
down to a normal and reasoning
satisfaction, and his chief longing
was for the day, and the day after
that, and the next day, when he
would take the place of Gregson
and Thorne. Every muscle in his
body was vibrant in its desire for
action. He looked at his watch.
1t was only ten O'clock. Since
supper he had smoked almost
ceaselessly. Now he lighted an
other cigar and stood up close to
one of the windows.
Family he caught the sound of
a step on the board walk outside.
1t was a light, quick step, and
for an instant 1t hesitated, Just
out of his vision. Then 1t ap-
preached, and suddenly the figure
of woman stopped in front of
the window. How she was dress
ed Rowland could not have told
a moment Later. All that he saw
was the face, white in the white
night-a face on which the SHIN
mering starlight fell as it was
lifted to his gaze, beautiful, as
Cltdf-CuL DIS Cdm6O, WIFI eyes
that looked up at him half-plead-
ing, half-luring, and lips parted,
as if about to speak to him. He
stared, moveless in his astonish-
ment, and in another breath the
face was gone.
With a hurried exclamation he
ran across the empty. room to the
starlit street. To go from the
window to the door took him but
a few seconds, yet he found the
street Observation-Disclosures except
for solitary figure three blocks
away and dog that growled at
him as he thrust out HIS head
and shoulders. He heard no sound
of footsteps, no opening or clos
ing of a door. Only there came to
him that faint, Kissing music of
the northern skies, and once
more, from the black forest be-
yond the saskatchewan, the inf
mite of sadness of the wolf-howI.
CHAPTER III.