Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-08-25
The CLEAN or THE LraHu.


I This time. from still nearer. came
the shout of man and then OF an.
other. followed by the huskies' sharp
yelping az they started afresh on the
trail. The tlusb Of excitement that had
come into Howland's face paled until
he stood ms white as the Frenchman.
But It was not the Wilderness Of fear.
+, His eyes were like blue steel flashing
in the sunlight.
"There Is nothing to do but fight" he
repeated. even more calmly than be-
fore If we were mile or two back
there It could all happen as l planned
It. But here"-
| "Tbey will hear the Shots" cried
Jean. 1.-The post Is no more than q
gunshot beyond the forest, and there
are plenty there who would come out
J to zee what 1t means. Quick. m'seur-
follow me: Possibly they are hunters
going out to the trap lines. If it comes
to the worst
"What then?" demanded Rowland.
"You can shoot me little later"
temporized the Frenchman, with q
show Ut his old GOODNESS Mon Dieu.
I am afraid Of that gun. m'seur. !
win get you out Of this IL I can. Will
you give me the chance. or will you
shoot2"
Il will shoot-if you fall" replied the
engineer.
Barely were the words out Of his
mouth when Croisset sprang to the
head Of the dogs. seized the leader by
his neck trace and half dragged the
team and sledge through the thick
bush that edged the trail. A dozen
PAGES further on the dense scrub open
ed into the clearer run Of the low
banging banskian through which Jean
started at slow trot. with Howland
a yard behind him and the huskies
following with human-iike cleverness
In the siDu0us twistings Of the trail
which the Frenchman marked out for
them. They had progressed not more
than 800 yards when there came to
them for third time the hallooing Of
voice. With q sharp ''hup-bup" aud
q low crack Of his whip Jean stopped
the dogs
1.-THE Virgin be praised. but that is
luck!" be exclaimed. "They have turn
ed OF into another trail to the east,
m'seur."
Rowland had broken the breech Of
his revolver and was replacing the
three empty cartridges With fresh ones.
'"There will be no mistake next
time" he said. holding out the weap-
on. "fOu were as near your death a
few moments ago as ever before In
your life. CrOisset-and now for lit
tie plain understanding between US.
Until We stopped out there l had some
faith In you. Now have none. l re-
gard you as my worst enemy. aud.
though you are deuced near to your
friends. ! tell you that you were never
In tighter box 10 your life. II fail
IN my mission here you shall die. II
others come along that trail before
dark and run US down ] will kill you
Unless you make It possible for me to
see and talk with Meleese I will kill
you. Your life hangs on my success"
II am glad that you changed your
mind. m'seur. and ! will not tempt you
again. ! will do the best that can"
said JEAN within an hour 1t will be
showing heavily" he affirmed. III
they do not run across our trail by
that time. m'seur. we shall be SAFE"
He led the way through the forest
again. more slowly and with greater
caution than before Half an hour
later the Frenchman halted where the
banskians climbed the side of a slop.
ing ridge.
''lf you could trust me ! would ask
to 20 on ahead whispered Jean
This ridge shuts In the plsin. .n'seur.
and Just over the top Of It il an old
cabin which has been abandoned for
many years. There Ia not one chance
In thousand Of there being any one
there. though II Is a good fox ridge at
this season. From It you may see the
light In Meleese's window at night"
He did not stop to watch the effect
Of bis last words. but began picking
bis way up the ridge with the dogs
tugging 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. 50 far have saved my
hide" be grinned. Now, m'seur. look
for yourself and see IL Jean Croisset
has not kept his word"
A dozen steps had taken him through
screen Of shrub to the opposite slope
Of the ridge. With outstretched arm
he pointed down into the plain. and
as Howland's eyes followed its direc-
ton b stood throbbing With sudden