The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-05-02

to abrupt attention. On the hillside,
not ten yards from him, something
stuck out of the snow like a signpOSt-
It was the foot of man.
Slowly Macdonald moved toward it
He knew we'll enough what he had
stumbled across-One of the tragedies
that in the North are likely to be found
in the wake of every widespread biz
gard Some unfortunate traveller. blind
ed by the white swirl, had wandered
from the trail and had staggered up
draw to his death.
With a little digging the Alaskan
uncovered a leg. The man had died
where he had fallen. face down Mac
donald scOOped away the snow and
found pack strapped to the back Of
| the buried man. He cut the thongs
and tried to ease it away. But the
gunnysack had frozen to the parka.
! When he pulled, the rotten sacking
gave way under the strain. The con-
| tents of the pack spilled out.
The eyes in the grim face of Mac
donald grew hard and steely. He had
found, by some strange freak of
| chance, much more than he had ex-
pected to find Using his snowshOe as
a shovel. he dug the body free and
turned it over. At sight of the face he
gave a cry of establishment.
Gordon oversight. His plan had been
to reach Kusiak at the end of a long
days travel, but that had meant get
ting on the trail with the first CLEAN of
light. When he opened his eyes Mrs.
Olson was calling him to rise.
He dressed and stepped out into the
cold, crisp morning. From the hill
crotch the sun was already pouring
down a great, fanlike shaft of light
across the snow vista saltwater
Pete passed behind him on his way to
the stable and called cheerful good
morning in his direction.
Mrs. Olson had put the stove outside
the tent and Gordon lifted it TO the
spot where they did the cooking.
Good morning, neighbOr," he called
to Sheba. "Sleep weIl?'
The little rustling sounds within the
tent ceased. A face appeared in the
doorway, the flaps drawn discreetly
close beneath the chin
Never better. Is my breakfast
ready YETI"
"Come and help me make it Mrs.
Olson is waiting on Holt"
''When I'm dressed" The smiling
face disappeared. Dublin Bay" sound
ed in her fresh young voice from the
tent. Gordon joined in the song as he
lit the fire and sliced bacon from a
frozen slab of it.
! The bowling of the huskies inter
l
heard something that excited them.
Gordon listened. Was it in his fancy
only that the breeze carried TO him the
faint Jingle of sleigh-bells? The sound,
if it was one, died away. The cook
turned to his job
! He stopped saving at the meat, knife
and bacon both suspended in the air
On the hard snow there had come to
him the crunch of q foot behind him
Whose? Sheba was in the tent, Swift
water at the stable, Mrs. Olson in the
house. Slowly he turned his head.
What Elliot saw sent the starch
through his body. He did not move an
inch, still sat crouched by the fire, but
every nerve was at tension. every
: muscle taut. For he was looking at 6
. rife lying negligently in brown, stead!
a hands. They were very sure hands
: very competent ones. He knew tina
: because he had seen them in action
: The owner of the hands was Cobb,
!, Macdonald.
The Scotch Canadian stood at tn
edge of n willow grove. His face wa
grim as the day of judgment
Don't move" he ordered.
Elliot laughed irritably. He was bot
annoyed and disguised.
what do you want?" he snapped.
"You."
whats worrying you now? Do 20
think I'm. jumping my bond?'
you're going back to Kusiak wit
me-to give a life for the one 20
took"
whats that?'' cried Gordon. SUI
prised.
"Just as I'm telling you. I've bee
on your heels ever since you left tow
You and Holt are going back with m
as my prisoners"
"But what for?"
"For robbing the bank and KILN
Robert Milton. as you know we
enough"
"Is this another plan arranged fo
u1e DN NOu anu oSl1LtOSS. 0SAldnOC
Elliot
Macdonald ignored the question an
lifted his voice. "COme out of thR
tents Holland come with your hand
up unless you want your head blow
Off"
Holt isn't in that tent. you idiot.
, you want to know"
"COme now. if you expect to com
alive" cut in the Scotsman ominouSl.
He raised the rife TO his shoulder an
covered the shadow thrown by the su
+. on the figure within
Gordon flung out a wild protest an
AZ threw the frozen slab Of bacon at tn
X head OF Macdonald With the same m'
he ton he launched his own body acros
q the stove. a fifth of a second earle
st the tent flap had opened and Sheb
$ had come out
I'd The sight OF her paralyZed MacdoI
aid and saved her lovers life. It di
N tracted the mine-owner long enoug
as fer him to miss his chance a bulIt