The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-05

tses ter. After that he felt better, dressed himself and went below.
 It was rather with a sense of disap- pointment than pleasure that he learn ed the work train was to leave for Le Pas late that night instead of the next day. After a quiet hours rest in his room, however, his old enthusiasm re- turned to him. He found himself fe- verishly anxious to reach Le Pas and the big camp on the Wekusko. Crois- sets warning for him to turn back into the south instead of deterring him urged him on. He was born a fighter. It was by fighting that he had forced his way round by round up the ladder of success. And now the fact that his life was in danger, that some mysteri- ous peril awaited him in the depths of the wilderness, but added a new and thrilling fascination to the tremendous task which was ahead of him. He won- dered if this same peril had Beset Gregson and Thorne and if it was the cause of their failure, of their anxiety to return to civilization. He assured himself that he would know when he met them at Le Pas. He would dis cover more when he became a part of the camp on the Wekusko-that is, if the half breeds warning held any sig nifcance at all, and he believed that it did. Anyway, he would prepare for developments. So he went to a gun shop, bought long barreled six shoot CT and holster and added to it hunt ing knife like that he had seen carried by Croisset.
 It was near midnight when he board ed the work train. and dawn was just beginning to break over the wilderness when it stopped at Etomami, from which point he was to travel by hand car over the sixty miles of new road that had been constructed as far north as Le Pas. For three days the car had been waiting fer the new chief of the road, but neither Gregson nor Thorne was with it.
 ''Mr. Gregson is waiting for you at Le Pas" said one of the men who had tome with it. ''Thorne is at Wekusko.'
 For the first time in his life How land now plunged into the heart of the wilderness. Everywhere lay white winter. The rocks. the trees and the great ridges, which in this north coun- try are called mountains, were cover ed with four feet of snow, and on it the sun shone with dazzling brilliancy.
 The short nor: Ecrn day was nearing an end when once more they saw the broad Saskatchewan twisting through a plain below them, and on it's south ern shore the few log buildings of Le Pas hemmed in on three sides by the black forests of balsam and spruce Lights were burning in the cabins and In the Hudson Bay posts store when the car was brought to a halt half a hundred paces from a squat, log built structure, which was more brilliantly illuminated than any of the others.
 That's the hotel,' said one of the men. "Gregson's there"
 A tall, fur clad figure hurried forth to meet Rowland as he walked brisk ly across the open. It was Gregson. As the two men gripped hands the young engineer stared at the other in astonishment. This was not the Greg son he had known in the Chicago of fice-round faced, full of life, as active as a cricket.
 Never so glad to see any one in my life, Howlandr' he cried, shaking the others hand again and again. "An- other month and I'd be dead. Isn't this h. Of country?''
 'I'm falling more in love with it at every breath, Gregson. Whats the