, 1911-07-27

w
THE RNonyERR CAUoH A GLIMPSE OF HIS
DARK, FACE.
helped to readjust him, to cool his
heated brain. The old fighting in
stincts leaped into life again. Go into
the south? He asked himself the ques-
ton once more. and in the gloomy ST.
lence of the forest his low laugh fell
again as he clenched his hands in an
%ticipation of what was ahead of him.
No. he would build the road, And in
building 1t he would win this girl. If 1t
was given for him to possess her.
His saner thoughts brought back his
caution. He went more slowly toward
the cabin. keeping in the deep shadows
and stopping now and then to listen.
At the edge of the clearing he paused
for a long time. There was no sign
Of life ah0i' the cabin abandoned by
Gregson and Thorne. 1t was probable
that the two men who had passed
along the path had returned to the
camp by another trail, and still keep
ing as much within the shadows as
possible he went to the door and en-
tered.
With his feet propped in front of the
big box stove sat Jackpine.
Amy one been here. Jackpinef'
"Thorne," he grunted. pointing to a
paper on the table. Rowland spread
out the paper in the light of the lamp
and read:
Ny Dear Howland-I forgot to tell you
that our mail sledge starts for LIE Pas to-
morrow at noon. and as I'm planning on
going down with it I want you to get over
as early as you can in the morning. Can
put you on to everything in the camp be-
tween 8 and II. THORNE.
A whistle of establishment escaped
Howland's lips.
Jackpine had half opened the door,
and for a moment the engineer caught
a glimpse of his dark, grinning face
looking back over his shoulder. He
hesitated. as IL about to speak, and
then with a mouthful of his inimitable
chuckles. he went out.
After boiling the door Rowland
lighted a small table lamp. entered the
sleeping room and prepared for bed.
"Got to have a little sleep 90 n.tter
II things are going of like a Fourth of
July celebration" he grumbled and
rolled between the sheets.
In spite of his old habit of rising
with the breaking Of da wn 1t was Jack
pine who awakened him a few hours
later. The camp vas hardly astir
when he followed the Indian down
among the log cabins to Thorne's quar-
tiers. The senior engineer was already
dressed.
"SOrry to hustle you so, Rowland"
he greeted. but I've got to go down
the mail. Just between you and
me l don't believe the camp doctor is
much on his job. I've got n deuced
bad shoulder and a worse arm. and
I'm going down to a good surgeon as
fast as l can"
For an hour after breakfast the two
men were busy with papers. maps and
drawings relative to the camp work.
Before that hour had passed he was
of at least one other thing
that 1t was not incompetency hat vas
the W senior engineers back
to the home office. He had half ex-
pected to find the working end in the
same disorganized condition as its
chiefs. But If Gregson and Thorne had
been laboring under a tremendous
strain of some kind It was not reflected
In the company's work. as shown In
the ONCE records which the latter had
spread out before him.
That's n big six months work." said
when they had finished. Good
Lord. man. when we first came up
here a jack rabbit couldn't hop through
this place where you're sitting, and
now see what we've got-ffty cabins,
four mess halls, two Of the biggest
warehouses north of Winnipeg, a post
office. a hospital. three blacksmith
shops and-a shipyardF
"a shipyardr" exclaimed Rowland in
genuine surprise.
Sure. with a fifty ton ship half built
and frozen stiff in the ice. You can
finish her In the spring. and you'll find
her mighty useful for bringing supplies
from the head of the Wekusko. We're
using horses on the ice now. Had a
deuced hard time In getting fifty of
up from lie Pas. And. besides all
this, we've got six miles Of roadbed
built to the south and three to the
north. We've got a sub-camp at each
working end. but most Of the men still
prefer to come in at night" He drag
ged himself slowly and painfully to his
feet as a knock sounded at the door.
That's Macdonald. u camp super
intendent." he explained. "Told him
be her. nj 8. He's a corker for tax
ing hold OF things"
A little. wiry. red headed man hop
ped In as Thorne threw open the door.
The moment his eyes fell on Rowland
he sprang forward with o~utstretched