Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-03
FLOWER OF THE NOR7H|
By JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD

/, not allow himself an hours rest from
early dawn until late at night. EachI
night he went to bed exhausted, Wity.I
the hope that sleep would bury hi
grief. The struggle wore upon hfu3
and the faithful MacDougall began tdI
note the change in his comrades faoelI
The fourth day Thorpe dissr-'>srsdI
and did not show UP again Gsftn theI
following morning. Every hour Of hieI
absence was like the stab Of q knifoI
in Philips heart, for he knew that thoI
gang.foreman had gone to see Jeanno.I
Three days later the visit was rel
peated, and that night MACEDONIAN
found Philip in a fever.
You're overdoing," he told him.
You're not in bed five hours out 6l.
the twenty-four. Cut Il out, or youIIy
be in the hospital instead of in tho0
fighting line when the big show conaesI
to town."
Days of mental agony and Of physi}
cal pain followed. Neither Philip n0fI
MacDougall could understand the fnysI
terious lack OF developments. Tho1I
had expected attack before this. and
yet ceaseless scout work brought In mo-
evidence of an approaching crisis. |
Neither could they understand thel
growing disaffection among Thorpo'g|
men. The numerical strength of thoI
gang dwindled from nineteen to ~
teen, from fifteen to twelve.
At last Thorpe voluntarily asked
Philip to cut his salary in two, because
he could not hold his men. On that
same day the little sub.foreman and.
two others left him, leaving only nine
men at work. The delay in BrokaY'G
arrival was another plzzle to Philip
Two weeks passed, and in that time.
Thorpe left camp three times. On0
the fifteenth day the Fort Churchill
messenger returned. He was astound4 8
ed when he found that Brokaw wa
not in camp, and brought amaxinG/
news. Brokaw and his daughter ha<I
departed from Fort Churchill two dayG.
after Pierre had followed Jeanne aYdI
Philip. They had gone in two canoes
up the Churchill. He had seen no signz|
Of them anywhere along the route.
No sooner had he received the news
than Philip sent the messenger aftoxI
MacDougall. The Scotchman's red
face stared at him blankly when he
told him what had happened.
That's their first move in the real
fight" said Philip. with a. hard rihkI
in his voice. They've got Brokaw{
Keep your men close from this hour
on, Sandy. Hereafter let five of them
sleep in our hunks during the dayJ
and keep them awake during the
night"
Five days passed without a sign o1
an enemy.
About eight o'clock on the night of
the sixth MacDougall came into the
office, where Philip was alone. The
young Scotchman's usually fiorid face
was white. He dropped cuIse as he
grasped the back of chairlRi both
hands. 1t was the third or fourth
time that Philip had heard Mac
Dougal swear.
Damn that Thorpe" he cried, in 7
low voice.
Whats up?" asked Philip, hia
MUSCLES tightening.
MacDougall viciously beat the ASH
from the bowl of his pipe.
II didn't want to worry you about
Thorpe. SO I've kept quiet about somd
things" he growled. Thorpe brougl
UP load of whisky with him. I kne
it was against the law you've set dow1
for this camp, but l figured you werd
having trouble enough without getting
you into miX.up with him, so didn't
say anything. But this other-1d
damnable! Twice he's had wonnay
sneak in to visit him. She's thery
again tonight"
A choking, gripping sensation ros(
| in Philips throat. MacDougal w9d
not looking, and did not see the conU
vulsive twitching of the others facoI
or the terrible light that shot for ~
instant into his eyes.
"A woman-Mac-"
CTo BE coNTINUED)