The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-07-31
PHILIPSTEELE
Notwithstanding
y JAMES OLIVER CURwOOD
Auhc Of The Donaer 1rall. Iheibn~Of ,te6e Sacwsde
- c.vyrisAt 1911 The Bobbs Merrin Company

legs and back began TO show signs OF
the strain. In spite OF this fact, his
spirits rose with every mile he placed
behind him He knew that IL would
be impossible for lsobel and her fath-
er 10 stand the hardship OF fast and
continued travel Al the most they
would not make more than 20 miles
In day. and even with his scrub team
he could make thirty, and would PROB
ably overtake them at the end OF the
next day. And then IL occurred 10
him with a pleasurable thrill, that 10
find lsobe again on the iran, as ne
had first seen her would be . nun
dred times better than finding her at
Lac Balm lie would accompany her
and the colonel 20 Churchill. They
would be together for days, and at the
end OF that time
lie laughed low and joyously, and
for spell he urged the dogs into a ,
swifter pace That he had correctly
estimated the speed OF those ahead or
ham he was convinced, when, two
hours later, he came upon the remains
OF their midday campfire, nine or
ten miles from Lac Balm. II was dark
when he reached this point There ,
were glowing embers still in the fire.
and these ne stirred into life, adding
armfuls OF dry wood TO the flames.
About him in the snow he found the
prints OF Esobel's little feet, and in
the food OF JOY and hope that was
sweeping more and more into his lie
he sang and whistled, and forgot that
he was alone in desolation OF black
ness that made even the dogs sink
nearer 20 the fire He would camp
1 "A
few hours before. If he travelled hard
| he would ofertake them by the next
noon.
! But he underestimate his own eX-
! haustion After he had put up his tent
before the fire he made himself bed
J OF balsam bouehs and fell into a deep
sleep, from which neither dawn nor
/ the restless movements OF the dogs
could awaken him When at last he
opened his eyes it was broad day He
jumped 10 his feet and looked at hisi
| watch. II was nine o'clock, and after
/ ten before he again took up the pur-
| suit OF the two sledgcs. Not until sew
! eral hours later did he give UP hope
| OF oyertaking Isohel and her father as
1 he had planned and he reproved him
+ self roundly for having oversight. The
/ afternoon was half gone before he
! struck their camp of the preceding
| evening. and he knew that, because OF
! his own loss of time, lsobel was still
! as far ahead OF him as when he had
! left Lac Balm
! He made up some OF this time by
! following the trail for an hour when
! the moon was at its highest, and then
( pitched his tent He was up again
the next morning and breaking camp
before IL was light Scarcely had he
! travelled an hour over the clear-cut
trail ahead OF him when he suddenly
halted his dogs with loud cry OF
! command ana astonishment In
small open the trails OF the two
sledges separated. One continued
straight east toward Churchill, while
the other turned almost at right
angles into the south. For a few mo.
ments he could find no explanation
\ for this occurrence Then he decided
that one OF the Indians had struck
southwark either TO hunt, or on some
short mission and that he would join
the other sledge farther on Conyinc-
! ed that this was the right solution,
i Philip continued over the Churchill
trail little later, to his despair, *
began 10 snow 50 heavily that the
Itrail which he was following was
quickly obliterated. There was but
one thing for him to do now. and that
was TO hasten on TO Fort Churchill,
giving up all hope of finding lsobel
land the colonel before he met them
there
Four days later he came into the
post. The news that awaited him
struck him dumb Isobel and her
father. with one Indian. had gone with
the sledge into the South. The indian
who had driven on TO Churchill could
give no further information, except
that he knew the colonel and his
daughter had suddenly changed their
minds about coming to Churchill Per-
haps they had gone TO Nelson House.
or York Factory-or even to Les Pas.
He did not know.
(ContInued)