, 1911-09-14

1--WE got one of my w to love.
m'seur. and | wouldn't trade her for
all else in the world"
81 can't understand you" cried the
engineer. You appear to be half hu-
man; you say you're in love, and yet
you'd rather risk your life than help
out Meleese and me. What the deuce
does 1t meanT'
That's what I'm doing. m'seur-
helping Meleese. / would have done
her a greater service II l had killed
you back there on the trail and strip
ped your body for those things that
would be foul enough to eat 1t. 1
have told you a dozen times that 1t is
Gods Justice that o die, n you
are going to die very oon m'seur."
mo, I'm not going to die. Jean. I'm
going to see Meleese, and she's going
back into the south with me. and II
you're real good you may have the
pleasure of driving us back to the
wekusko, Croisset. and you can be my
best man at the wedding. What do
you say to that?'
''That you are mad or a fool" retorted
Jean, cracking his whip viciously.
The dogs swung sharply from the
trail. heading from their s%outherly
course into the northwest.
1--WE will save a day by doing this"
explained Croisset at the others
sharp word of inquiry. I'VE will hit
the other trail twenty miles west OF
here, while by following back to
where they turned we would travel
sixty miles TO reach the same point.
That one chance in a hundred which
you have depends on this, m'seur. II
the other sledge has passed.
He shrugged his shoulders and start
ed the dogs into Il trot.
Look hereI'' cried Rowland, run
ming beside him. "Who is with this
other sledceT
'"Those who tried to kill you on the
trail and at the coyote. m'seur," he
answered quickly.
Rowland fell half a dozen PAGES be
hind. His heart leaped with joyous
hope, and he leaned forward on the
sledge to examine Croisset's empty
gun. 1t was an automatic, and Crois-
set, CHANGING back yer h Looping
backs of the huskies, caught him smil-
Ing. He ran more frequently now.
and longer distances. and with the
passing of ZACH mile his determine
ton to strike a decisive blow increas-
ed. If they reached the trail of Me
teese and J%ackpine before the cross
ing of the second sledge he would lie
IN wait for his old enemies. If they
mad preceded them he would pursue
and surprise them in camp. In either
case he would possess an overwhelm.
Ing advantage.
With the same calculating attention
to detail that he would have shown in
the arrangement of plans for the build
Ing of a tunnel or a bridge. he drew
q mental map OF his scheme and its
possibilities. There would be ut least
two men with the sledge and posi-
bly, three. If they urrendere at the
point of his rifle without a fight he
would compel Jea to tie them up with
dog traces while he held them under
cover. If they made II move to offer
resistance he would shoot. With the
automatic he could kill or wound the
three before they could reach Their
rifles, which would undoubtedly be on
the sledge. The situation had now
reached a point where he no longer
tool into consideration what these
men might be to Meleese.
AS they continued into the north.
west Rowland noted that the thicker
forest was gradually clearing into wide
areas of small banskian pine and thai
the rock ridges and dense swamps
which had impeded their progress We're
becoming less numerous. An hour be
fore noon, after "A tedious climb to the
top of II frozen ridge, Croisset pointed
down into IA vast level plain lying be-
tween them and other great ridges far
to the north.
ITO be Continued)