, 1911-07-20

~ was near midnight when ba boors
% the work train, and dawn was Ins.
beginning to break over the vildaroess
waen II stopped at Etomami fror
winch point he was to travel Inv hal
car over the sixty miles of now raos
ut nae been constructed as far north
as LIE a For three days the car bad
Deen waiting for the new chief NJ Tho
s0ad' u neither Gregson nor Thorn
MI Gregson is waiting for Won at
lie fas.' said n of the men who had
come with 1t. 'Thorne is at wekrsLo,,
For the first time I'm his ufo f.,
iano now plunged into the heart of
q wilderness. Everywhere Law white
winter The rocks. the trees and the
sreat r1dges. which In this north conn
Try are called mountains. were cover.
% WIN four feet Of snow. and on I,
me u shone with dazzling brfllien.v
me short northern day was bearing
an end when once more thew ssw the
broad Saskatchewan twisting throroh
u pun oeiow them. and on its south
ern shore the few log buildings of LIE
fas hemmed in on three sides by the
Diack forests Of balsam and spruce
Lights were burning in the cabins and
In the Hudson Bay posts store when
tne car was brought to a halt half n
PAGES from a squat, log built
structure. which was more brilliantly
Illuminated than any of the others.
That's the hotel,' said one of the
men. "Gregson's there"
A tall. fur clad figure hurried forth
to meet Rowland as he walked brisk
~ across the open. 1t was Gregson.
AS the two men gripped hands the
young engineer stared at the other in
establishment. This was not the Greg
son he had known in the Chicago Of
dce-round faced. full of life, as active
as a cricket.
Never so glad to see any one in nv
life. Howlandr" he cried, shaking the
others hand again and again. "An-
other month and I'd be dead. Isn't
this a b. Of n countryT'
I'm falling more in love with 1t at
every breath. Gregson. What's the
matter? Have you been sick?"
"Sick? Yes. sick OF the job If the
old man hadn't sent us Keller Thorne
and l would have thrown up the
whole thing in another four weeks.
I'll warrant you'll get your everlasting
ill Of log shanties and half breeds
and moose meat and this internal
snow and ice before spring comes.
But I don't want to discourage you"
Cant discourage me-" laughed
Rowland cheerfully. you know 1
eve cared much for theaters and
girls" he added slyly. giving Gregson
a good natured nudge. "How about
'em up here?"
"Nothing-not a cursed thing" Sud
denly his eyes lighted up. by George.
Rowland. but 1 did see the prettiest
girl l ever laid my eyes on today,
I'd give a box of pure Havanas-and
we haven't had one for a month-if l
could know who she Isl"
"a tall girl. with a fur hat and
muffT' queried Rowland eagerly.
soothing of the sort. She was a
typical %northerner If there ever was
one-straight as a birch. dressed in fur
cap and coat. short caribou skin skirt
and moccasins. and with a braid hang
ing down her back as long as my arm.
Lord. but she was pretty"
"Isn't there a girl somewhere up
around our camp named Meleeseg'
asked Rowland casually.
"Never heard of her" said Gregson.
"Or a IA named CroissetV'
Never heard Of him."
1.-The deuce. but you're interesting"
laughed the young engineer. shifting at
the odors of cooking supper. I'm as
hungry as q bear!"
From outside there came the sharp
cracking of a sledge drivers whip and
Gregson went to one of the small win
dows looking out upon the clearing. In
another instant he sprang toward the
door, crying out to Rowland.
by the god Of love. there she is, old
man! Quick. If you want to get a
glimpse of herr"
He flung the door open, and How
land hurried to his side. There came
another crack of the whip. a loud
shout, and a sledge drawn by six dogs
sped past them INTO tne salheiins
gloom of the early night.
From Howland's lips. too. there fell
a sudden cry, for INT Of the two faces
that were turned toward him for an
instant was that Of Croisset. and the
other-white and staring as he had
e 1t that first night in Prince Al
bert-was the face Of the beautiful girl
who had lured him into the ambush on
the Great North trail!
For a moment after the swift pass
ing of the sledge 1t was on Howlands
lips to shout Croisset's name. As he
thrust Gregson aside and leaped out
into the night he was impelled with IA
desire to give chase. 1t was Gregson
who recalled him to his senses.
.I Thought YOU didn't care for thea