The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-11-03


have welcomed a chance either for a
brawi or for punishment for indisci-
pine: but Dunn only sat silently.
watching Marie furtiveIy, while the
sergeants eyes were alight with tri-
umph. He felt that he had won, had
shown Marie his superiority over
Dunn.
They retired to their hunks. They
were to start up the trail at day
break, on the quest for Black Doe.
Dunn slept fitfully; he was thinking
of Marie, and his heart was full of
passionate resentment
He was the first up, and went TO
groom the horses. AS he came back
TO the shack he heard Mitchell's voice
and the girls behind the open door.
Mitchell had his arm round her waist
and was drawing her toward him.
Crum was nowhere in sight
Then Dunn knew what he meant TO
do. He crept back very softly to the
stable and loaded his rife He took
it in his arms, carrying it as mother
might her first born, and approached
the door again.
Mitchell held the girl in his arms
now, and she was struggling as he
tried to kiss her. Dunn, aiming DELHI
erately, was conscious of the open
door at the back of the shack, and a
clump of dwarf fir about hundred
yards distant. Then he concentrated
his attention upon Mitchell. Carefully
he drew bead on him so as to avoid
hitting the girl.
Bang!
Mitchell leaped into the air, flung
out his arms, and pitched head fore
most. Dunn stepped into the shack.
There was no need to look more than
once at the dead face, or the blood
oozing from the heart.
Marie ran to Dunn, sobbing wildly
"You did right, the beast!" she cried.
"Come with me-" said Dunn.
They raced to the stables, and in q
moment he had freed the horses,
saddled them, and placed her on the
Sergeant'S. In another moment they
were galloping across the barrens. At
the time Dunn was conscious of won
dering where old Dufour and Crum
were. But moment later they heard
shouts behind them. They gar1oped
frantically forward, anywhere, so long
rs they could win free.
Crum was q man of resolution, and
Dunn knew that he would take up the
chase and never leave it. He reckoned
on the fact that Crum's horse was the
slOwest of the three. The freshly fall
ing snow would hide their tracks if
they could win the country across the
river bed, where a series of hummocks
swelled into the Big Lake mountains.
Far behind him Dunn heard a shout
He turned and looked back as he rode
Crum was standing at the door of the
stable, waving his arms to him.
A few minutes later Dunn, looking
back, saw Crum mounted and in pur-
suit of them. tiny figure upon q tiny
horse. They rode madly for the dip
toward the river.
I'VE must be careful" said Marie,
as they began the descent. "The rocks
are dangerous"
Even as she spoke her horse tripped
on projecting bowlder stumbled, and
flung her face downward upon the
hard bed of the frozen stream. Dunn
leaped from his horse and kneeled be-
side her. She had been stunned by the
fall; she opened her eyes and looked
about her half-conscious.
The horse scrambled to its feet, ran
up the bank, and raced back toward
the stable, followed by Dunn's horse.
And Dunn, kneeling at Marie's side.
knew that chance had settled his par
ticular problem. And in the distance
Crum came on inexorably.
Dunn shrugged his shoulders as one
who has played his last card. He car
ried the girl up to the top of the bank
and waited for Crum, who came gal
Looping up on his blown horse. He
flung himself to his feet, painting. like
his steed.
Whats the matter with you, to play
this crazy trick after killing him?" he
shouted.
Dunn smiled. 81 guess you're right,
Crum," he said. take the girl on
your saddle; I'll walk. You can trust
me-"
Crum, staring at him in apparent
perplexity, lifted Marie TO the saddle
| before him. She had fallen into n
swoon again. Then he rode slowly
back toward the cabin, with Dunn
walking a little distance in front of
him.
He turned his horse away when near
the stable, and went toward the little
patch of stunted trees that had struck
upon Dunn's attention at the moment
when he raised his rifle. Dunn saw
the motionless body of a man lying
hidden among them. 1t was Black
Doe.
How did you get him, DUNN asked
Crum, dismounting and turning the
body over. "See! He had just fired.
You were in the nick of time"
The dead mans fingers were
clutched about the trigger; the rifle
had been discharged; over his heart
i V-oS a hrllat vyoupd