The Sauk Centre herald., 1911-06-22

against his arm as the girl signifed
that they were to cross. His perplex-
ity increased On the farther shore
the forest came down To the rivers
edge in Il black wall of spruce and bal
sam. Beyond that edge of the wilder
ness he knew that no part of Prince
Albert iDtruded. 1t WIS possible that
across from them waS Il squatters cab
in, and yet if this We're 80 and the girl
was going To it why had she told him
that she was il stranger in the town?
And why had she<come TO him for the
assistance she promised to request or
him instead of seeking it of those
whom she knew:
You told me You were a stranger.
he said You seeiu pretty we'll ac-
quainted over here. Where are we go
ing?'
This time she responded with an en-
phat1c negative shake of her head, at
the same time pointing with her free
hand to the we'll defined trail thar
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 into the vast
wildernesses beyond the Saskatche-
wan. Two days before the factor from
Lac Balm. the Chippewayan and the
Crees had come in over it. Its hard
crust bore the marks of the sledges
of Jean Croisset and the men from the
Lac la Ronge country. Since the big
snow. WHICH bad fallen four feet deep
ten days before. forest man had
now and then used this trail on his
way down to the edge of civilization.
but none from Prince Albert had
Travelled it in the other direction.
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 entreaty, of
pathetic grief that the soft lips were
powerless to voice the words which
she wished to speak Then suddenly
she darted few steps from Howland
and with the toe of her shoe formed a
single word in the surface of the snow.
She rested her hand lightly on How
lands shoulder as he bent over to
make it out in the elusive starlight.
Camp" he cried. Strengthening him.
self. DO you mean to say you're
camping out here?'
She nodded again and again, delight
ed that he understood her. There was
something so childishly sweet in her
face, in the gladness Of her eyes. that
Rowland stretched out both his hands
to her. laughing aloud Your he ex-
claimed. "You. camping out herep
With 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 hair. Never had
he seen eyes like those that glowed up
at him softly. filed with the gentle
starlight: never in his life had he
dreamed Of a face like this, so near to
him that it sent the blood leaping
through his veins in strange excite
ment. He held the hands tighter, and
the movement drew the girl closer to
him until for no more than a breath
he felt her against his breast In that
moment he forgot all sense of time and
place; forgot his old setback How
land - practical, unromantic. master
builder Of railroads; 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 an
other moment he had recovered him
self. He drew a step back, freeing
the girls hands.
81 beg your pardon" he said softly.
His cheeks burned hotly at what he
had done. and. turning squarely about.
he strode up the trail He had not
taken dozen PAGES when far ahead of !
him he saw the red glow of fire. !
Then a hand caught his arm. clutching
at it almost fiercely, and he turned to :
uCCt tuC SHi lave, INV Will q
strange terror.
What is it," be cried. TELL me- ,
He caught her hands again. startled |
by the look in her eyes. Quickly she !
pulled herself away. A dozen feet be- |
hind her in the thick shadows of the ,
forest trees something took shape and |
In a flash Rowland saw !
a huge form leap from the gloom and /
caught the CLEAN of an uplifted 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 crisis ones actions are invol-
untary machinelike. as if life. hover.
Ing by thread. preserves itself in it's
own manner and without thought or
on the part of the creature
It animates.
For an instant Rowland neither
thought nor reasoned. Had he done
so he would probably have met his
mysterious assailant. pitting his naked
fists against the knife But the very
of his existence. which is
self preservation. called on him to do
hnr %Io 1o6 IN