The Washington herald., 1912-08-04

have been just about the time you wer'
starting for Churchill, for on the thirc
day up met sledge that turned m,
off the Lac Balm trail to take up the
nearer trail to Chippewayan. With
this sledge were the two who had beer
at Lac Balm, Col. Becker and hi:
daughter"
For a moment Philip could not speak
He caught the others hand excitedly.
| "You-you found where they vert
going?' he asked, when McGill did moi
continue.
"Yes. We ate dinner together, and
the colonel said they were bound fol-
| Nelson House, and that they would
probably 60 from there to Winnipeg.
| didn't ask which way they would go.
From Nelson House it would be by
the Saskatchewan and lie Pas trail,
cried Philip. He was looking straigh,
over the little doctors head. IF il
wasn't for this daninable De Bar
whom | ought to 60 after again"
Drop De Bar" interrupted McCill
quietly. Hes got too big start of you,
anyway-so what's the use? Drop i'm.
l dropped whole lot of things when
l came up here"
"But the law"
Damn the lawI" exploded the doctor
with unexpected vehemence. Some
times / think the world would be just
as happy without it.
Their eyes met, sharp, and under
standing.
You're a professor in college"
chucded Philip, his voice trembling
aova.,, ,,r,tt, h1a. "Na,t
ought to know more than / do. What
would you do if you were In my
place"
I'D hustle for a pair of wings and
fly" replied the little professor prompt
ly. Good Lord. Phil-if it was my
wife-and / hadn't got her yeti
wouldn't let up until I'd chased her
from one end of the earth to the other.
What's a little matter of duty COM
pared to that girl hustling toward VIM
nipeg? Next to my own little girl at
home she's the prettiest thing l ever
laid my eyes on
Philip laughed aloud.
Thanks, McGill. By heaven, I'll go!
When do you START
''The dogs are ready, and so is Mrs.
William Falkner."
Philip turned about quickly.
an go over and say good-by to the
detachment, and get my pack" he
said over his SHOULDER III be>back in
side of half an hour"
1t was slow trip down The snow
was beginning to soften in the warmth
of the first spring suns by the time
they arrived at Lac Ia Crosse. Two days
before they reached the post at Mon
treal Lake, Philip began to feel the
first discomfort of strange sickness,
of which he said nothing But the sharp
eyes of the doctor detected that some
thing was wrong and before they came
to Montreal House he recognized the
fever that had begun to burn in Philips
body.
You've set too fast pace" he told
him. ats that-and the blow you got
when De Bar threw you against the
rock You'll have to lay up for a SPELL"
In spite OF his protestationS, the doc
tor compelled him to go to bed when
they arrived at the post. He grew rap
idly worse. and for five weeks the doc
tor and Falkner's wife nursed him
through the fever. When they left for
the South, late in May, he was still too
weak to travel, and it was month later
before he presented himself, pale and
haggard, before Inspector MacGregor
at Prince Albert. Again disappoint-
ment was awaiting him. There had been
delay in purchasing his discharge, and
he found that he would have to wait
until August MacGregor gave him a
three weeks furlough. and his first
move was to go up to Etomani and
lie Pas. Col. Becker and Isobel had
been at those places six weeks before.
He could find no trace of their having
stopped at Prince Albert. He ran
down to Winnipeg and spent several
DAYS in making inquiries which proved
the hopelessness OF any longer expect
himself that BY this time they were |,
probably in London and he made his !
plans accordingly His discharge would |
come TO him by the 10th OF August. and |
he would Immediately set off for Eng
and.
Upon his return to Prince Albert he
was detailed to big prairie stretch OF
where there was little to do
,ut wait. On the first day of August
ne was at Hyners when the Limited
plunged down the embanknent into
Blind Indian River The first word of
t came over the wire from Bleak House
Station a little before midnight, while
lie and the agent were playing cribbage.
oink-cheeked little Gum, agent, oper-
Itor, and one-third of the total popula-
ion OF Hyners, had lifted a peg to
make a count when his hand stopped in
nid-air, and with a gasping break in
lis voice he sprang to his feet
The instrument on the little table near
he window was clicking frantically 1t
vas Billinger, at Bleak House, crying
,ut for headquarters, clear lines, the
light Of way. The Transcontinental-l
ngine, tender, baggage car. two coaches
nd sleeper, had gone to the devil.
Those, in his excitement, where his first
words. From so to 100 were dead.
Sunn almost swore Billinger's next
words to the line. 1t was not an &C
ident! Human hands had torn up three
ections of rail. The same human
ands had rolled two-ton bowlder in
he right OF way. He did not know
whether the express car-or what little
emained of it-had been robbed or not
From midnight until o'clock the
mes were hot A wrecking train was
n its way from the east, another from
ivision headquarters. to the west.
>easelessly headquarters demanded new
and bit by bit the terrible
ragedy was told even as the men and
fomen in it died and the few souls
ron, L. ,ro,pI PiaaL- HnuSa