The Tupelo journal., 1912-05-03
CHAPTER XVII.
A State of Siege.

Cayley's discovery of the tracks fur
nished the last element of the drama
which YVES to play itself out that win
ter upon this stage which had been
so strangely set for it. 1t was just
three days since, flying slowly north
ward before a mild southerly breeze,
the Ice pack below him, he caught his
first glimpse of tho unknown land
where Captain Fielding had met his
tragic fate so many years before. Three
days since he had witnessed, from
have saved, the man to whom, a
he saved him, he might have turned
for exoneration from a stain upon his
name which vas now ineradicab!e.
Three days ago he had thought his
world was empty, swept clean OF hu-
man concern and human affection.
Three days ago he had not known that
Jeanne Fielding existed.
AS for the identity of the monster
who had left the proof of his existence
in those tracks which Philip had dis
covered in the snow, they of course
had no certain knowledge; neverthe-
less, they entertained but little doubt
that he was Roscoe himself. The foot
prints were immense, Cayley said, and
their distance apart bespoke the stride
Of a giant.
If it we're Roscoe who had been
crouching there behind the boulder,
then 1t seemed to them unlikely that
he was here alone; unlikely that he
had not at least two OF three OF his
crew with him.
That idea, when 1t first occurred to
them, brought little added terror with
it. The person of the monstrous MUIR
derous %ruffian, who vas the chief,
dwarfed his subordinates to pygmies.
Yet when they came to think over the
situation, reasonably, this uncertainty
as to the number of their enemy
proved a vital element in 1t. 1t pu.
an unequivocal veto upon Cayley's
first plan, which was to start out at
once and take the aggressive against
their enemy, before he should have
time to nov against them.
This bit of beach where the hut
stood was practically fortified. The
cliff behind it was absolutely sheer,
and was capped with deep, perpetual
snow. Half a mile to the westward
was the promontory, and about hall
a mile up the beach from the hut, 70
the eastward, the glacier projected
it's ice masses In a long foe out to
seward. This glacier provided the
only practicable means of entrance to
the interior valley and the ledge
where the gold was.
BY means of a large scale map, Cay
ley pointed out to Jeanne this edvan-
tage OF their position so long as
we stick to this bit of beach," he said,
I'VE can't be rushed O surprised. No
one can attack US without either COM
ing down the glacier 1t one end, or
around the promontory at the other.
From either direction they've got to
approach without cover. 4Of course
II there are a lot of Their we sna'n't
have any chance. But 1t may be
tuCTc D 0Aly OuS, Anu hC iAhSAJ
| there are not more than three,"1s
But at night" said the gfrv at
night thereIl be nothing to prevent
their coming as chose as they
please. They may be out there's not
q dozen yards away"
They're not doing much II they are.
| We're securely b~arraoaded here, and
they can't, attempt to break in with
out giving us fair warning. Unless
there are too many Of them we should
beat them at trat game. No; the time
to look out for them 10 when weere
outside the hut, out Of the beach do
ing the things we'll have to do-bring-
ing in frewood, looking for more
game, and SO on"
Shall we have to do that? Can't
We just stay In here, safe?"
"The daylight will answer that CUES
ton for me-" he said. I'VE must make
the most of 1t. A month from now
thereTl be but little. We mustn't make
prisoners Of ourselves until the winter
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