Putnam patriot., 1911-11-03
T he y ,JArES OLIVER y CURMOOD
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u s.w moments ago as ever before in
 r, life, Croisset-and now for a lit.
 . .,lain understanding between us. rr,iI we stopped out there l had some s.,,h fin YOU. Now I,have none. I re- -s,d you as my worst enemy and. though you are sdeuced, near to your ,s,,eods. I tell you. that you were never ;. tighter box in.your life. If fail :, my mission here you shall die. If a,,ors come along that trail before s.,h and run us down Twill kill you. rrless you make Impossible for me to sse and talk with Meleese will kill rou Your life hangs fon' my success"
 q am glad that you changed your mind. m'seur. and Twill not tempt you .oa,n. I will do the, best that I can" cold Jean. Within an hour 1t will be snowing heavily" he affirmed If they do not run across our trail by that time. m'seur. we shall be safe"
 He led the way through the forest .oain. more slowly and with greater csution than before. Half an hour later the Frenchman halted where the banskians climbed the side of slop- Ing ridge
 of you could trust me would ask to 20 on ahead" whispered Jean aTbis ridge shuts in the pisin, n'seur. and just over the top of 1t is an old .ohin which has been abandoned for many years. There is not one chance in 4 thousand of there being any one tbere. though it is a good fox ridge at this season. From it you may see the uebt in Meleese's window at night"
 He did not stop to watch the effect 0f his last words. but began picking his way up the ridge with the dogs mgging at his heels. At the top he swung sharply between two huge masses of snow covered rock, and in the lee Of the largest of these, almost entirely sheltered from the drifts piled up by easterly winds, they came sud denly on small log hut.
 Mon Dieu so far l have saved my hide" he grinned. Now, m'seur. look for yourself and see if Jean Croisset has not kept his word.''
 dozen steps had taken him through a screen of shrub to the opposite slope If the ridge With outstretched arm be pointed down into the plain, and as Howland's eyes followed its diree- ton he stood throbbing with sudden excitement. Less than quarter of a mile away. sheltered in dip of the plain, were three or four log build lngs rising black and desolate out of the white waste. One of these build ings was a large structure similar to that in which Rowland had been imprisoned. and as he looked a team and sledge appeaEed from behind one of the cabins and halted close to the wall of the large building. The driver was plainly visible. and to Howlands astonishment he suddenly began to ascend the side of this wall. For the moment Rowland had not thought of stair
 Jeans attitude drew his eyes. The Frenchman had thrust himself half out of the screening bushes and was staring through the telescope of his hands. With an exclamation he turn. ed quickly to the engineer.
 Look m'seur. Do you see that man climbing the stair? I don't mind tell ing you that he is the one who hit you over the head on the trail and also one of those who shut you up in the coyote Those are his quarters at the post and possibly he is going up 10 see Meleese. If you were much or q shot you could settle a score or two from here. m'seur."
 The figure had stopped. evidently on platform midway up the side Of the building. He stood for moment as if scanning the plain between him ana the mountain. then disappeared. How land had not spoken word. 'but eV- cry nerve in his body tingled strangely.
 "You say Meleese-is thereE he questioned hesitatingly. And he who is that man. sCroisset?'
 Jean shrugged his shoulders and drew himself back into the bush eurn- ing leisurely toward the old cabin.
 Non. m'seur. I will not tell you that" he protested. II have brought You 10 this place. I have pointed oGt to you the stair that leads to the roo@ where you will find Meleese. You may cut me into ribbons for the ravens. but ] will tell you no morer.
 Again the threatening fire leaped into Howland's eyes.
 T will trouble you to put your hands behind your back, Crois>et.' he com handed. "I am going to return a cer- tain compliment of yodrs by Wlng your hands with this piece of babeesh' which you used on me. After that
 And after that. m'seur'- urged Jean, with a touch of the old tanht ih his voice and stopping with his hack to the engineer and his hands behihd nm. After that?'
 You will tell me all that l want to Enow,' finished Rowland. tightening 'he thong about his wrists
 He led the way then to the caOlh. The door was closed, but opened reaul- Y as he put his weight against IL l ne single room was lighted by q wlhao" through which mass of snow uau arlfted. and contained nothing more than a rude table built against one oi lne log walls. three supply boxes lna' lad evidently been employed as stools' and a cracked and rust eaten shee' Iron stove that had from all appear anees long passed into disuse. ne mouoned the Frenchman to a seal a' one end of the table. Without "otu he then went outside, securely toggieu The leading dog. and returning cioseu 'he door and seated himself al ln' ne