Courier Democrat., 1918-11-14
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Iessness. But, so help me heaven, I'll
make you pay for this dirty trick!
You're not man! You're a cur-a
miserable, contemplate scoundrel !"
"Whew!" Roaring Bill laughed.
"Those are pretty names. Just the
same, I admire your grit. Well, here
we go"
He took up the lead rope, and went
on without even looking to see If She
! followed. If he had made the slightest
attempt to force her to come, If he had
betrayed the least uncertainty as to
whether she would come, Hazel would
have swung down from the saddle and
set her face stubbornly southwark in
sheer defiance Of him. But such is the
peculiar complexity Of a woman that
she took one longing glance backward,
and then fell in behind the packs. She
was weighted down with dread Of the
unknown, boiling over with rage at
the man who swung light-footed in the
lead; but nevertheless she followed
him.
All the rest of the day they bore
steadily northward. Hazel had no idea
of Bill Wagstaffs destination. She
| was too bitter against him to ask, after
admitting that she could not face the
wilderness alone. She knew nothing
of the North, but she thought there
must be some mode of communication
or transportation. If she could once
get in touch with other people-well,
she would show Roaring Bill. OF
course, getting back to Cariboo Mead
ows meant a new start in the world,
| for she had no hope, nor any desire,
to teach school there after this epi-
sode. She found herself facing that
prospect unmoved, however. The i'm
portant thing was getting out of her
present predicament.
| Roaring Bill made his camp that
night as if no change in their attitude
had taken place. To all his efforts at
conversation she turned deaf ear and
a stony countenance. She proposed to
eat his food and use his bedding, be-
cause that was necessary. But socially
she would have none Of him.,
Thereafter, day by day, the miles un-
rolled behind them. Always Roaring
Bill faced straight north. For week
he kept on tirelessly, and consuming
desire to know how far he intended to
go began to take hold Of her. At last
they dropped into a valley where the
ter Of which flowed sizable river.
This they followed north a matter Of
| three days. On the west the valley
wall ran to timbered ridge.
Then the stream they followed
merged itself in another, both wide and
deep, which flowed west through a
level-bottomed valley three miles or
more in width. Roaring Bill halted on
the river bank and stripped his horses
clean, though it was but two in the
afternoon and their midday fire less
than an hour extinguished. She
watched him curiously. When his
packs were Of he beckoned to her.
"Hold them minute" he said, and
put the lead ropes in her hand.
Then he went up the bank into a
| thicket Of saskatoons. Out of this he
presently emerged, bearing on his
! shoulders a canoe, old and weather.
beaten, but stanch, for it rode light
| as a feather on the stream. Bill
seated himself in the canoe, holding to
Silks lead rope. The other two he
left free.
"Now," he directed, "when I start
across, you drive Niger and Satin in
If they show signs of hanging back.
Bounce rock or two Off them If they
lag"
Her task was an easy one, for Satin
and Niger followed SILK unhesItat.
ingly. The river Tapped along the
sleek sides of them for fifty yards.
Then they. dropped suddenly into