Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-24

away from America.
But Alan had more than once Wis
tied America incognito and unknown
to Seneca Trine via secret route of
his own selection.
Eight days out of London, a second
class passenger newly landed from
one of the C.-P. steamships, he walked
the streets Of Quebec and dropped
out of sight between dark and dawn.
to turn up presently in the distant
Canadian hamlet of Bale st. Paul, ap-
parently very tenderfooted American
woods-traveler chaperoned by taci-
turn Indian guide picked up heaven
knows-where.
Crossing the st. Lawrence by night,
the two struck of quietly into the
hinterland Of the Notre Dame range,
then crossed the Maine border
On the second noon thereafter,
trail-worn and weary, as lean as their
depleted packs, the two paused on a
ridge-pole of the wilderness up back
Of the Allagash country, and made
their midday meal in a silence which,
If normal In the Indian, was one of
deep misgivings on Alan's part.
Continually his gaze questioned the
northern skies that lowered porten-
tously. foul with smokea country
wide conlagration that threatened all
northern Maine, bone-dry with
I drought.
Only the south offered a fair pros
pect. And the fires were making
southwark far faster than man might
hope to travel through that grim and
stubborn land.
Even as he stared, Alan saw fresh
columns Of dun-colored smoke spring
up in the northwest.
Anxiously he consulted the impas,
siye mask of the Indian, from whom
his questions gained Alan little com.
fort. Jacob recommended forced
marches to Spirit lake, where canoes
might be found to aid their flight;
and withdrew into sulIen reserve.
They travelled far and fast by dim
forest trails before sundown, then
again paused for food and rest. And
as Jacob sat deftly about preparing
the meal, Alan stumbled off to whip
the little trail-side stream for trout.
Perhaps hundred yards upstream,
the back-lash of a 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 a sapling, trans
fixed by a rectangle of white paste.
board fixed to its trunk, q trey of
hearts, Of which each pip had been
neatly punctured by 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 au UDJect 50 oonspizus.as VI.
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.
tanned heavens glared, livid with re
flected fires.
By midnight Alan had come to the
bounds of endurance; flesh, 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 600. His blanket once un.
rolled. Alan dropped upon it like one
drugged.
The sun was high when he awak-
ened and sat up, rubbing heavy eyes,
stretching aching limbs, wondering
what had come over the Indian to let
him sleep so late.
OF a 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 tire.
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 on the trail to Spirit
Lake.
For hours he blundered blindly on,
holding to the trail mainly by instinct.
At length, painting. gasping. half