The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
CHAPTER XI.
The Law Versus the Man,

- through Philip, and for an in.
slant he stood rigid. What wa!
that he saw out in the gray gloom ot
arctic desolation, creeping up, up, up
almost black at its beginning. and dyins
away like a ghostly winding-sheet? A
gurgling cry rose in his throat, and hs
went on. painting now like a broken
J winded beast i'll his excitement. Il
grew near, blacker, warmer He fan.
cied that he could feel its heat, which
was the new FIRE of life blazing within
him.
He went down between two great
drifts into pit which seemed bottom
less. He crawled to the top of the sec
ond. using his pulseless hands like
sticks in the snow, and at the TOP
something rose from the other side oi
the drift to meet him.
| II was a face, a fierce, bearded face
the gaunt starvation in it hidden by his
own blindness 1t seemed like the face
of an ogre, terrible, threatening, and
he knew that it was the face of William
DeBar, the seventh brother.
He launched himself forward. and
the other launched himself forward, and
| they met in struggle which was pa
I thetic in its weakness, and rolled to-
gether to the bottom of the drift. Yet
the Struggle was TO less terrible because
of that weakness. II was a struggle be-
tween two lingering sparks of human
| life and when these two sparks had
fiickered and blazed and died down. the
two men lay gasping, an arms reach
from each other.
Philips eyes went 10 the FIRE II was
a small fire, burning more brightly as
he looked, and he longed to throw him.
self upon 1t so that the flames might
eat into his flesh. He had mumbled
something about police, arrest, and MUIR
der during the struggle, but DeBar
spoke for the first time now.
You're cold" he said.
Pm freezing to DEATH said Philip.
And Pm-starving."
DeBar rose to his feet Philip drew
himself together. as if expecting an at
| tack, but in place Of it DeBar held out
warmly mittened hand.
You've got to get those clothes off
I-quick-or you'll die" he said. Here T.
Mechanically Philip reached up his
hand. and DeBar took him to his sledge
behind the fire and wrapped about him
a thick blanket. Then he drew out a
sheath knife and ripped the frozen legs
of his trousers up and the sleeves OF
his coat down. cut the string of his
shoe-packs, and slit his heavy German
socks. and after that he rubbed his feet
and legs and arms until Philip began
to feel a sting like the prickly bite of
nettles.
Ten minutes more and you'd been
gone," said DeBar
He wrapped a second blanet around
Philip, and dragged the sledge on
which he was lying still nearer 10 the
FIRE. Then he threw on fresh armful
of dry sticks and from pocket of his
coat drew forth something small and
red and frozen, which was the carcass
of bird about the size of a robin. De
Bar held it up between his forefinger
and thumb. and looking at Philip. the
fash of a smile passed for an instant
over his grizzled face
Dinner he said. and Philip could
of humor in his voice. Its a Whisky
living thing I've seen in the way of
fowl between here and Fond du Lac.
He weighs four ounces if he weighs an
OuIlCe, dIlu VIC III IedSl Ou Hlfll SnOItlV-
/ haven't had full mouth of grub
since day before yesterday morning,
but you're welcome to half of him.
if you're hungry enough"
"Whered your chuck go," asked
Philip.
He was conscious of a new warmth
and comfort in his veins, but it was not
this that sent a heat into his face at
the outlaws offer DeBar had saved
his life, and now. when DeBar might
have killed him. he was offering him
food. The man was splitting the bird
on the siarpened end of a stick. and
when he had done this he pointed to
the big Mackenzie hound. tied to the
broken stub of dead sapling.
Il brought enough hammock to carry
me to Chippewayan, but he got into Il
the first night. and what he left was
crumbs. You lost yours in the lake,
eh?"
Dogs and everything" said Philip.
Even matches
Those ice traps are bad said De-
Bar companionably, slowly turning the
bird. You always want to test the
lakes in this country. Most of 'em
come from bog springs, and after thew
freeze, the water drops. Guess you'd
had me pretty soon II IT hadn't been
for the lake. wouldn't you."
He grinned, and to his own astonish- |
ment Philip grinncd