The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-08-02
CHAPTER X.
Isobel's Disappearance.

For the lAsl ~ hllASH DSDA
zone straight into the north. He Sou'
tinued straight Into the north inc
NEXT day and several times Phlhp
serutinizad his map, which told MN
in that direction there lay nothing
hut peopisless barrens as Tar as the
Great Slave.
There was growing In him now
feat-a fear that DeE3ar would beat
him out ia the race. His limbs began
20 ache With a strange pain and his
prOxreSs vas becoming slower ~
in,s.valS he stopped &c rest. am AZ
Ter each OF these intervals the pam
seemed 20 sraw deeper AZ MS o'res'
fcrcing him 10 limp, as the does were
iilnping behind him. he hsd lSr ~
once before, beyond Lac baln' anu
Knew what Il meant. his legs were
giving out-and peBar would peat
aim vet, The thought stirred MN
o.. ana before he stopped again n +;
crnae 70 the edge OF little lake. 10
Bar had started 10 cross the iake'
ara then, changing his mind, hau
turned back and skirted the edge OF
e. Philip followed the outlaws iran
.gith his eyes and saw that he cCula
strike il again and save distance by
crossing the snow.covered ice.
He went on, with dogs and sledSe
M his heels, unconscious OF the warn
Ing underfoot that had turned DeBar
bock. In mid-lake he turned TO uige
re- dogs into a faster pace, ana II
was then that he heard under him
hollow. trembling sound, growing ~
volume even as he hesitated' until Il
srrxed In under his feet from every
shore. like the rolling thunder oil
ten-pin hall. With loud cry 10 the
dogs he darted forward, but II Va'
roo late. Behind him the ice crashed
IKE brittle glass and he saw sltuge
a. dogs disappear as II into an
abvss. In an instant he had begun
uaa race 10 the shore hundred Feet
xhsad OF him. Ten PAGES more ana
n would have reached II, when the
tps OF his snow-shoe caught in a num-
mock os snow and ice. For nash
II stopped him, and the moment
uausa was fatal. Before he could
throu himself forward on his face III
= hast effort TO save himself, the ice
gave way and he plunged through
n HIS extremity he thought oil De
Bar. os possible help even from me
autlaw. and a terrible cry for that
help burst from his lips as he telt
himself going The next instant -
was sorry that he had shouted. lie
vas to his waist in water, but hls
feet were on bottom. He saw now
what had happened. that the surface
of the water was a foot below the
shell Of ice, which was scarcely more
than an inch in thickness. IL was
not difficult for him to kick of his
snow-shoes under the water, and he
began breaking his way ashore.
Five minutes later he dragged him
self out, stir with the cold. his
drenched clothing freezing as u
came into contact with the air His
first thought was of fire, and he rem
M the shore, his teeth chatterLg.
and began tearing OF handfuls OF
bark from a birch. Not until he was
done and the bark was piled in
heap beside the tree did the full hor-
ror Of his situation dawn upon him.
His emergency pouch was on the
eledge, and in that pouch was Ills
waterproof box OF matches.
He ran back to the edge OF broken
ice, unconscious that he was almost
sobbing in his despair. There was
no sign of the sledge, no sound of the
dogs, who might still be struggling In
their traces. They we're gone-every-
thing-food, FIRE. life itself. He dug
out his flint and steel from the hot
tom OF a stiffening pocket and knelt
beside the bark, striking them again
and again, yet knowing that his Ell
forts were futile. He continued TO
strike until his hands were purple
and numb and his freezing clothes al
most shackled him TO the ground
Good Cod" he breathed.
He rose slowly, with a long, shld-
dering breath and turned his eyes 10
where the outlaws trail swung from
6 tile lake into the north. Even in that
moment. as the blood in his veins
seemed congealing with the icy chill
of death, the irony OF the situation
was not lost upon Philip.
TITS the law versus God, Billy" he
chartered, as II DeBar stood before
him. The law wouldn't vindicate IL
self back thereto years ago-out
guess It's doing it now"
He dropped into DeBar's trail aid
began to trot.
Eat least II looks as II you're on
the side of the Mighty" he continued.
-But Wen see-very soon-Billy--"
Ahead OF him the trail ran up &
ridge, broken and scattered with
rocks and stunted scrub, and The
sight OF 1t gave him a little hope
Hope died when he reached the top
and stared out over mile OF lifeless
barren.
You're my only chance, Billy" he
shivered. "Mebby, IL you knew what