The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-10-07

an emphatic negative shake of her
head, at the same time pointing
with her free hand to the we'll
defined trail that wound up
from the ferry landing into the
forest. Earlier in the day How
land had been told that this was
the Great North Trail that led in
to the vast wildernesses beyond
the Saskatchewan Two days be-
fore, the factor from Lac Balm,
the Chippewayan and the Crees
had come in over 1t. Its hard
crust bore the marks of the
sledges of Jean Croisset and the
men from the Lac la Ronge coun-
try. Since the big snow, which
had fallen four feet deep ten days
then used this trail on his way
down to the edge of civilization;
butbut none from Prince Albert
had travelled 1t in the other direc-
ton. Rowland had been told this
at the hotel, and he shrugged his
shoulders in candid bewilderment
as he stared down into the girls
face. She seemed to understand
his thoughts, and again her
mouth rounded itself into that be-
witching red o, which gave to her
face an expression of tender en-
treaty, of pathetic grief that the
soft lips were powerless to voice
the words which she wished to
speak. Then, suddenly, she DART
ed few steps from Rowland and
with the toe of her shoe formed a
single word in the surface of the
snow. She rested her hand light
ly on Howland's shoulder as he
bent over to make it out in the
elusive starlight.
"Camp!" he cried, straighten-
ing himself. "Do you mean to
say you're camping out here?"
She nodded again and again,
delighted that he understood her.
There was something so childish
ly sweet in her eyes, that How
land stretched out both his hands
to her, laughing aloud. "You!"
he exclaimed. "You-camping
out here!" With a quick little
movement she came to him, still
laughing with her eyes and lips,
and for an instant he held both
her hands tight in his own. Her
lovely face was dangerously near
to him. He felt the touch of her
breath on his face, for an instant
caught the sweet scent of her
lair. Never had he seen eyes
Ike those that glowed up at him
softly, filled with the gentle
starlight; never in his life had he
d canned of face like this, so
near to him that 1t sent the blood
leaping through his veins in
$ r. ge excitement. He held the
hands tighter, and the movement
drew the girl closer to him, until
for no more than breath he
felt her against his breast. In
that moment he forgot all sense
OF time and place; forgot his old
setback Howland-practica
unromantic, masterbuilder of rail-
roads; forgot everything but this
presence of the girl, the warm
pressure against his breast, the
lure of the great brown eyes that
had come SO Unexpectedly into
his life. In another moment he
had recovered himself. He drew
step back, freeing the girls
hands.
Il beg your pardon" he said
softly. His cheeks burned holly
at what he had done. and turn
ing squarely about he strobe up
the trail. He had not taken a
dozen PAGES, when far ahead of
him he saw the red glow of a
fire. Then hand caught his
arm, clutching at 1t almost
fiercely, and he turned to meet
the girls face. white now with a.
strange terror.
What is it?" he cried. "TellI
me"
He caught her hands again,
startled by the lok in her eyes.
Quickly she pulled herself away.
A dozen feet behind her, in the
thick shadows of the forest trees,
something took shape and move
ment. In flash Rowland saw a.
huge form leap from the gloom
and caught the CLEAN of an up
lifted knife. There was no time
for him to leap aside, no time for
him to reach for the revolver
which he carried in his pocket.
In such q crisis ones actions are