The Ordway new era., 1914-10-16

the NEAR. Alan stumbled on to whip
the little trail-side stream for trout.
Perhaps a hundred yards upstream,
the back-lash Of careless cast by his
weary hand hooked the state OF Maine.
Too tired even to remember the ap-
propriate words. Alan scrambled
ashore. forced through the thick un-
dergrowth that masked the trail,
found his fly. set the state Of Maine
.free-and swinging on his heel
brought up. nose to sapling. trans
fixed by a rectangle of white paste
board fixed to its trunk. trey of
hearts. OF which each pip had been
neatly punctured by q 22-caliber bull
let.
He carried It back to camp, mean
ing to consult the guide. but on sec
ond thought. held his tongue. 1t was
not likely that the Indian had over
looked an object 30 conspicuous on
the trail.
So Alan waited for him to speak
and meantime determined to watch
Jacob more narrowly, though no other
suspicious circumstance had marked
the several days OF their association.
The first half Of the night was, as
the day, devoted to relentless prog
ress southwark: thirty minutes Of
steady jogging, five minutes for rest
and repeat.
No more question as to the need for
such urgent haste: overhead the north
wind muttered without ceasing. Thin
wells OF smoke drifted through the for
est. hugging the ground. like some
weird acrid mist: and ever the cur
tained heavens glared. livid with re-
heCteu i,r.o. e--a--
BY midnight Alan had come to tho
bounds OF endurance; ffcsh, bone and
sinew could no longer stand the strain.
Though Jacob declared that Spirit
lake was now only six hours distant.
as far as concerned Alan he might
have said 500. His blanket once nm
rolled. Alan dropped upon II like ene
druGgsa. ~ s q. ; !.
Ths sun wslr nigh whed he swak-
ened and sat up. rubbing heavy eyes.
stretching aching limbs. wondering
what had come over the Indian to let
him sleep 20 late.
OF sudden he was assailed by sick
ening fears that needed only the brief
est investigation to confirm. Jacob
had absconded with every valuable
item Of their equipment.
Nor was his motive far to seek
Overnight the fire had made tre-
mendous gains. And ever and anon
the wind would bring down the roar
of the holocaust. dulled by distance
but not unlike the growing of wild
animals feeding on their kill.
Alan delayed long enough only to
swallow few mouthfuls of raw food,
gulped water from spring, and set
out at dog-trot or the trail to Spirit
Lake.
For hours he blundered blindly on.
holding to the trail mainly by instinct.
At length, painting, gasping, half
blinded. h, staggered into little nat
ural clearing and plunged forward
headlong. SO bewildered that he could
not have said whether he was tripped
or thrown: for even as he stumbled q
heavy body landed on his back and
crushed him savagely to earth.
In less than a minute he was over.
come; his wrists hitched together, his
ankles bouEd with heavy cord.
When his vision cleared he found
Jacob within yard, regarding him
with q face as immobile as though It
had Jeen cast in the bronze II resem.
bled.
Beyond. to one side. a woman in
mans hunting costume stood eye
Ing the captive as narrowly as the In
dian, but unlike him with countc-
-1opna fhok aoop,pd oyIpu, u-itb 6ar,.,
exultancy over his downfall.
But for that look. he could have be-
lieved hers the face that had broufht
him overseas to this mortal pass. Fea-
ture for feature. even to the hue OF
har tumbled hair. she counterfeited
the woman he loved: only those eyes.
afame with their look of inhuman
ruthlessness, denied that the two were
one.
He sought vainly to speak. The
breath rustled In his parched throat
like wind whispering among dead
leaves.
Thrusting the Indian roughly aside.
the woman knelt in his place by
Alan's head.
NO" she said. and smiling cruelty.
shook her head-"no. I am not your
Rose. But am her sister, Judith. her
twin. born in the same hour. daughter
of-can you guess whose daughter?
But see this!" She flashed a card
from within her hunting shirt and held
1t before his eyes. You know It, eh?
The trey of hearts-the symbol OF
Trlne-Trine, your fathers enemy.
and yours. and-Rose's father and
mine! So. now. perhaps you know"
A gust of wind like a furnace blast
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