The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-08
By
James Oliver CurwOod

/ have given mc-Nef My prayers arc
with YOU"
And kissing him again. she slipped
away from under his hands before he
could speak.
/ And Nathaniel following her with his
! eyes until he could no longer sec her,
picked up the pistol and set off again
| toward the forest. the touch OF her lips
and the prayers OF this girl whose father
| he had slain filling him With something
! that was more than strength, more than
4 hope Life had beea given 10 him again.
strong. fighting lic. and with and
! Winnsome's words there returned his old
confidence. his old daring There was
everything for him 10 win nov. His
doubts and his fears had been swept
away. Marion was not dead, she was
not the kings wifc-and it was not of
another that he had accepted proof OF
her love for him. FOR he had felt the
pressure OF her arms about his neck and
the warmth Of her lips upon his face. He
had until night-and the dawn was Just
beginning TO break. Ten or fifteen miles
to the north there were settlements. and
between there were scores of settlers
homes and fiShermen's shautieS. Surely
within an hour or two he would find
n boat
He turned where the edge OF the for
est came down TO meet the white water
run OF the sea. and set off at a slow.
steady trot into the north. II he could
Marion in mId-lake. The Thought
thrilled him. and urged him TO greater
speed. As the stars faded away in the
dawn he saw the dark barrier OF the for
est drifting away. and later. when the
light broke more clearly. there stretched
on, ahead of him mile upon mile OF
desert dunes. AS far as he could see
there was no hope of life. He slowed
his steps now, for he would need TO pre-
serve his strength, Yet he experienced
no fear. no loss OF confidence. Each mo-
fore noon he would be on his way to the
/ Mormon kingdom, by nightfall he would
be upon its shores. After that
lie examined the pistol that Winnsone
IN ii and he smiled joyously as he saw
that 1t had been loaded by an experienced
hand. II would be easy enough for him
TO find Strang- He would not consider
Like a flash there occurred 10 him the
incident of the battle-f field Was It this
woman-tho woman who had begged him
to spare the life OF the prophet. who
his ear and kissed him? Had that been
her reward for the castle chamber? The
thought OF this woman. whose beauty
and love breathed The sweet purity of a
flower and whose faith to her king and
master was still unbroken even in her
hour Of reputation fell upon him heavily.
alternative There was but one way for
him TO break the bondage OF the girl he
loved
For hours he trod steadily through the
sand. The sun rose above hin. hot ana
bllstering and the dunes still stretched
out ahead OF him, like winnows and hills
and mountains OF glttering glass. Grad
ually the desert became narrower. Far
ahead he could see where the forest
came down TO the shore and his heart
grew lighter. Half an hour later he en-
tered the margin of trees. Almost imme-
diately he found signs of life. a tree
had been felled and cut into wood. a
short distance beyond he came suddenly
upon narrow path, beaten hard by
the passing OF feet and leading toward
the lake. He bad meant TO rest under
the shade Of these trees, but now he
forgot his fatigue. For n moment he
hesitated. Far back in the forest he
heard the barking OF a dog-but he
turned in the opposite direction. II
there was a boat the path would take
him TO it. Through break in the trees
he caught the green sweep of marsh rice