Corpus Christi caller and daily herald. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1911-1917, 1914-09-06


ted America incognIto and unknown
20 Seneca Urine via a secret route OF
his own selection
Eight days out OF London. n second.
class passenger newly landed from
one OF tbs G p steamships he walked
the streets ~ Quebec and dropped
out Of sight between dark and dawn.
TO turn up presently IN the distant
Canadian hamlet Of Bale s. Paul ap-
parent'Y "a very tenderfootcd American
woodstraveler chaperoned By tact.
turn indian guide picked up heaven
knows whero
Crossing the st. Lawrence By night,
the two struck on quietly into the
hin,erland Of the Notre Dame range,
then crossed the Maine border
On the second noon thereafter.
trallworn and weary. a. lean az their
depleted packs. the two paused on "A
rldgepole Of the wilderness Mp back
~ the Allagash country. aud made
their midday meal 10 a silence which.
II normal IN tho Indian. was ono Of
deep misgiyinRs on AlanB part
Continually his Raze questioned tho
northern skies that lowered por'cn-
tously. foul With smoke "a country
vide conhagration that threatened ali
northern Maine. bone-dfy with
drought
Only the south offered a fair pros
poct And tho fires were making
southwark FAR faster than man mlght
hope 90 travel through that grim and
stubborn land
Even 40 he stared Alan saw fresh
columns of dun colored smoke spring
up in The northwest
An1ioualy ho consulted tho impaa.
siyo mask ~ the indian. from whom
his questions gained Alan little com.
fort Jacob recommended forced
marches to spirit Iaka. where canoes
might be nend i0 a.d their nirht
ana Withdrew into suilen reserve
They travelled 'ar and fnst by aim
for tra,s before shutdown then
again pnusci faf food and rest And
az Jacob snf 'eriy about preparing
tho meal Alan stumbled ~ 20 whir
tho luilc train side siroam for front
Perhaps hundred yards upstream.
the bach lash of c1rolraa cast hy hls
weary hand hooked the state M Nulno
Too tired even to remember thc ap.
pronrinte words Alan scrambled
ashore. forced through Tho THICK un.
dcreroWth that masked ihe tmH.
found hH n.y. set tbo state of Maine
free ana swinging on hls heel
brought M nose to . saplne. trims
hNod hy rocianrlo OF white paste.
board nxed 10 iia TRUNK troy ~
hearts. % which each pip had been
monthly puncturcd by go cullhsr bul.
lot
He carried n hack ~ camp. mean.
ing To- consult tho mde but ON soc.
ond Thought held ha tongue ~ was
not likely that the Indian had over
looked an object 30 conspicuous on
iho trail
So Alan waited tor him go speak
and meantime determined 90 watch
Jacob moro narrowly. thourh no other
suspicious circumstance had MARKED
tho several laya ~ thclr association
Tho 1rst hnlf of the ulght was. as
tho day. Devoted 90 relentless pror
rcss Hou'hwnrd thirty minutes oi
atondv iogglnr five minutes for rest
and repeat
SO more question as 90 the mood Dor
such urecnt hlgto. overhead tho north
wind muticrod without coasug Thin
,o.la of smoke drlftod through the ior
est. hueEIne tho ground. libe SOME
weird acrid mist. and ever tho eur
taiucd heavens glarcd Iyid with re
ncciod fires
ily midnight Alan had como to mo
bounds ot endurance. nesh bono gri
sinoW could no longer stand tho strain.
Though Jacob declared that Spirit
lake was now only six hours distant.
as TAR as concerned Alnn he miett
have said COO His blanket once mn
rolled, Alan dropped upon n like one
drugRod
The sun was hieh when he avak
onod and sat up rubbing heavy owes
stretching aching limbs. wondering
what had como over the Indian 90 LEI
him glocp so lato
or a sudden he vas assaulted hy sick
oning fears that needed only the bricf
eat Investigation 20 confirm. Jacob
had abscondcd with every valuable
item " their equipment
Nor WIS his motive FAR ~ sock
overnlght tho IRE had made ire
mendous gains. Ana ever and anon
tho wind would BRINK down the roar
OF the holocaust. dullcd by distance
but not unlike the growing ot wild
animals feeding on their Kill
Alan delayed long enough only tr
swallow a few mouthmla OF raw food
gulpod water from spring ana set
out az a dos trot or the train 90 Spirit
Lake
For hours he Numbered hhndly ON
holding 20 the train mainl, by Instinct
AZ length. painting, gasping. hair
blinded. h staggered into a little NAT
ural clearing and plunged forward
hcadlong, 50 bewildered taat he could
not have said whether be was trimmed
or thrown for even as he stumbled a
heavy body landed on his back and
crushed him savagely 70 earth.