The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-10-14
lCOntinued.l

"Good for Croisset!" Rowland
muttered; Good for Croisset. 1t
looks as though he used knife"
He could see where the wounded
man had dragged himself up the
trail, finally staggering to his feet,
and with a caution which he had
not exercised a few hours before
Rowland continued slowly between
the thick forest walls, one hand
clutcbing the butt of the revolver
in his coat pocket. Where the trail
twisted abruptly into the north he
found the charred remains OF a
campfire in a small open, and just
beyond it a number OF birch tog-
giles, which had undoubtedly been
used in place of tent-stakes. With
the toe of his boot he kicked among
the ashes and half-burned bits of
wood. There was no Sign OF
smoke. not living spark to give
evidence that human presence had
been there for many hours. There
was but one conclusion to make;
soon after their unsuccessful at
tempt on his life his strange as
sailants had broken camp and fled.
With them, in all probability, had
gone the girl whose soft eyes and
sweet face had lured him within
their reach.
But where had they gone?
Carefully he examined the aban-
doned camp. In the hard crust
were the imprints Of dogs claws.
In several places he found the
faint, broad impression made by a
toboggan. The marks at least
cleared away the mystery OF their
disappearance. Sometime during
the night they had fled by dog
sledge into the north.
He was tired when he returned
to the hotel and it was rather with
a sense Of disappointment than
pleasure that he learned the work
train was to leave for lie Pas late
that night instead of the next day.
After quiet hours rest In his
room, however. his old enthusiasm
returned to him. He found him
self feverishly anxious to reach lie
Pas and the big camp on the We
kusko. Croisset's warning for him
to turn back into the south, in
stead Of lettering him, urged him
on. He was born fighter 1t was
by fighting that he had forced his
way round by round up the ladder
of success. And Cow the fact that
his life was In danger, that some
mysterious peril awaited him In
the depths of the wilderness, but
added q new and thrilling fascina-
ton to the tremendous task which
was ahead of him. He wondered IL
this same peril had beset Gregson
and Thorne, and II 1t was the cause
of their failure, OF their anxiety to
return to civilization. He assured
himself that lie would know when
he met them at lie Pas. He would
discover more when he became part
OF the camp on the Wekusko; that
Is, II the half-brced's warning hold
any Significance at all, and he be-
lieved that 1t did. Anyway, he
would prepare for developments.
Sc he went 10 gunshoD. bought a
long barreied six shooter ami a hol-
gter. aud added to 1t a hunting
knife like that carried by Cro.sset.
It was near midnight when he
boarded the work-train and dawn
was just beginning to break over
the wilderness when 1t stopped at
Etcmani. from which point he was
to travel by hand-car over the sixty
miles OF bcw road that had been
conatructci e5 far north aS lie Pas.
For three days the car had been
waiting fer tic new chief OF the
ROAD, L.:.t rC,ther GregsGa nos
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