Gunnison news-champion., 1915-03-12


Trin.ss ae~sA sssa Cor yossr s~aasr For
ss'si sase. ssos 10 yss.EsaE .ss ssas
tsas from Ansari1a.
Bat Alsa has more than once viz-
itea America iacoenite and unknosu
- Seneca Trias wa . seorss route Of
has o~n seseossoa
hight asys out of Loudou. . SECOND
class pazseaess ne<ly LANDED from
one of the ca steamships. he xslsed
the streets ef Quebec-aas aEoppod
Qua % sight bet~eea ears and as~n
- tsrn up presently IN the distant
Canadian hamlet Of Baie ST Paul ap
parently a very tena.rfooted AHerican
Soosis.trsveier chapeFoned by a taci
tuzn Indian guide picked up heaven
snoNs. u-here
Crossing the 81 Lawrence by nichf.
The tue STRUCK on quietly into the
hiuterlaad Of the Notre Dame range.
then crossed the Maine border
GA the second noon thereafter.
trali-worn and weary as lean as their
dapleted packs. the two paused oa 8
ridse-pole Of the wilderness up bach
ct the Ailagash couutry. and made
their midday meal Ia a silence which.
II normal in the Indian. vas one OF
deep misgiviags on klan's part
Continually his gaze questioned the
northern skies that lowered porteR-
tuusly. foul with smoke-a county
vide cnnfagration that threatenea an
rrrthern Maine. boRe-dry with
drought
Only the south offered a fair pros.
rect And the fires we're making
snuthward far faster than man might
hone 20 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.
sive 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 fight:
and withdrew into sullen 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 on TO whip
the little trail-side stream for trout
Perhaps a hundred yards upstream.
the baoklasf 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 ny, set the state Of Maine
free-and swinging on his heel
brought up, nose to . sap,ing. trans
fixed by . rectangle Of white paste
board Axed to its trunk. . trey OF
hearts. Of which each pip haI been
neatly punctured by . 22-calibss bul
let.
He carried II hack to canp, mean
ing TO consult the guide, but % Sec
ond thought, held his tsaOUs. n vss
not likely that the lndian had over
looked ~ object % eoaspscuous %
the trail
So Alan waited for him to spsak-
and meantime Aeterminsl 70 watch
Jacob more narrowly, though no other
suspicious circumstance had marked
the several days OF their association.
The FIRST half of the night yes, %
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
tsined heavens glared, livid with re-
fiected 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 900. His blanket once un-
rolled. Alan dropped upon 1t like ore
drugged.
The sun was high when he awak-
ened and sat up. rubbing heavy eyes,
stretching aching limba wonAering
what had come over the indian to let
him sleep 90 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 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 a few mouthfuls of raw food.
gulped water from spring, and set
out at a 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 a little nat