, 1911-09-14
1910. by Bobbs-M erriii
Company.

they had surprised MIN on the trail.
And them? He smiled. but there was
no humor In the smile. He at last
would have held the whip hand. And
what would Meleese have donei
Meleese loved MIN. He would have
staked his life on that. His blood
leaped as he felt again the thrill of her
kisses when she had come to him as
he lay bound and gagged beside the
trail. She had taken his head in her
arms. and through the grief of her
face he had seen shining the light of
q great love that had giorified 1t for all
time for him. She loved him. And he
had let her slip away from him. had
weakly surrendered himself at u mo-
ment when everything hat he dream
ed of might have been within his
grasp. With Jackpine and Croisset In
his power
He went no further. Was 1t too late
to do these things now? Croisset would
return. With a sort of satisfaction 1t
occurred to hin that his actions had
dlsarmed the Frenchman of suspicion.
He believed that it would be easy to
/ ONtTCOEut STOlSStl. " loGte uID1 u IOl-
low in the trail of Meleese and Jack
pine. And that trail? 1t would prob
ably lead to the very stronghold of his
enemies. But what of that? He
loaded his pipe again. putting oui
clouds of smoke until the room was
thick with 1t. That trail would take
hun to Meleese-wherever she was.
/ Heretofore his enemies had come to
him: now he would go to them. With
Croisset in his power and with one
Of his enemies aware of his presence.
everything would be in his favor. He
laughed aloud as q sudden thrilling
thought flashed into his mind. As a
last resort he would use Jean as a de
coy.
He foresaw how cas- 1t you'd be to
bring Meleese to him-to see Croisset.
His own presence would be like the
dropping of a bomb at her feet. In
that moment. when saw what he
was risking for her. that he was deter
mined to possess her, would b not
surrender to the pleading of his lover
II not he would do the other thing
that which had brought the joyous
laugh to his lips. All was fair in wal
and love. and theirs was a game Of
love. Because of her love for him Me-
leese had kidnapped him from his post
of duty. had sent him a prisoner to
this death house in the wilderness.
Love had exculpated her. That same
love would exculpate him. BE would
make her a prisoner. and Jean should
drive them bach to the Wekusko. Me
leese herself had set the pace. and he
would follow It And what woman. If
she loved "A man. would not surrender
after this? In their sledge trip he
would have her to himself, for moi only
an hour or two. but for days. Surely
in that time he could win. There
would be pursuit perhaps; he might
hav to fight. but he was willing and
a trif1e anxious to fight.
He went TO bed that night and
dreamed of things that were to hap
pen. A second day. a third night and
a third day came. With each hour
grew his anxiety for Jeans return. At
times he was almost feverish TO ave
the affair over with. he was confident
Of the outcome. and yet he did not fail
to take the ~Frenchman's r measure
ment. He knew that Jean was like
live wire and steel. as agile as a cat.
more than u match with himself In
open fight despite his W superior
weight and size.
He devised q dozen schemes for
jeans undoing. One was to leap on
him while he was eating. another to
spring on him and choke him into
partial insensibility as he knelt beside
his pack or fed the fire, u third to
strike a blow from behind that would
render him powerless. But there was
something in this last that was re-
pugnant to him. He remembered that
Jean had saved his life; that In no In
stance had he given him physical pain.
He would watch for an opportunity.
take advantage of the Frenchman. as
Croisset had taken advantage Of him.
but he would not hurt him seriously.
1t should be as fair a struggle as
Jean had offered him. and with the
handicap in his favor the best man
would win.
On the morning Of the fourth day
Rowland was awakened by a sound
that came through the aperture In the
wall. 1t was the sharp yelping bark
of a dog. followed an instant later by
the sharper crack of a whip and a ia
miiiar voice.
Jean Croisset had returned.
With a single leap he was out OF
his bunk. Half dressed he darted to
the door and crouched there. the mus
cles of his arms tightening, his body
tense with the gathering forces with
in him.
The spur Of the moment had driven
him to quick decision. His opportu'
nitv .,an - uho, Ham Crniespt