The daily Alaskan., 1922-08-03

or move: and now he was nOt waiting for her answer. Something's sound had caught him about. Once It echoed. low In Its reyerberatlon but penetrating and quite distinct. It rnme. so fur as direction could be as-' ~f.med to it, from the trees toward the shore; but lt was like no forest sound. Distinct. too. was 1t from any noise of the lake. It was Ike Drum! Yet when the echo had gone, it was a sen sarl1n easy tU deny-a halluCinatlOn, thnt wns all. But now, low and distinct it came again; and, as before, Con. stance saw It catch Henry and hold him. Ills lips moved, but he did not speak; he was counting Two" she saw his lips form.
 The sound of the Drum was COntlnu. ing. the beats a few seconds apart "TweIve." Constance counted to her. self. The beats had seemed to be quite measured and regular at first; but now Constance knew that this was only roughly true; they beat rather ID rhythm than Qt regular intervals. Twcnty-twenty-One - tweuty-twow w Constance caught breath and waited for the next beat; the time of the in. tervul between the measures of the rhythm passed. and still only the whistle of the wind and the undcrrone of water sounded. The Drum had beaten Its roll aud, for the moment, was done
 Twenry-two had been her count, ns nearly as she could couuy at all; the reckoning agreed with wau; rhe Indian woman had heard. Two had dind then. since the Drum las, had beat. when itS roll was twenty Two more than before; that meant i've were left!
 Constance caught up her wooden hood from the table and put it on Her action seemed to call Henry Co him. self.
 What are you going to do?" he de- mauIeI
 "Tm going out"
 He moved between her and the door. "Not alone. you're not" His heavy voice had deep tone of menace in it; he seemed to consider and decide something about her "Therp's a furm- house uhour a mile back; I'm going To take you over there and leave you with those people"
 "I will not go there {"
 He swore. "ru carry you. then"
 She shrauk ruck from him as he urchcd toward her with hands out stretched Co seize her; he followed her. and she avoided him again f his guilt and terror had given her mental ascendeucy over him, his physical strength could still force her Co his wW and. realizing the imno<sihiity of evading him or overcoming him, she stopped.
 "Not yhatm she cried. Don't touch mel
 "Comc with me then l" he command ed and he went ro the door and laid hls snowshues on the snow and stepped into them, stooping and tight euIug tine straps; ne stood by while she put on hers. He did not attempt again to put hands upon her as they moved away from the IIuIe cuhin to- wurd the woods back of the clearing; but went ahead. breaking the trail for her with his snOwsh0es. He moved | forward slowly; he could travel. if he had wished. three feet to every two | that she could cover. but hp seemed | not wishing for speed but rather for delay. 4 deep. dull resonance was booming above the wood; It b0omed 1 again and ran Into a rhythm No longer was It above; at least it was not only above: it was an about them here. there. to right and to left. before, ! bchind--the booming of Jhr Drum. 1 Doom was the substance of that sound 1 of the Drum beating the roll of the | dead.
 Henry had stopped in front of her, ! half turned her way; his hoIy sw0yed l and bent to the booming of rhp Drum. | as his swollen lips counted its sound 1 ings. She could see him p'u.nly in the | moonlight. vet she drew nearer Co him | as she followed his count. Twenty 1 one" he counred-"Tweuty-,wow The | drum was still going ou. Twenty l four-twenty- y-fvc-twenty-sIx :" Would | he count another?
 He did not; and her pulses. which | had halted. lcaped with relief. He moved on again, descending rhe steep l side of little raviHe. and sine fol- lowed. One of his snowshorS caught | in a protrudlng root and, instead Of | slowing to free it with care he pulled | it violently out. and she heard the dry, | seasoned wood crack. He looked down, sworc: saw that the wood was not 1 broken through and went on: but as he reached the bottom of the slope. she leaped downward from n little height behind him and crashed down upon his trailing snuwShoe just Hshlnd the heel The rending snap of the wood came beneath her feet. Had she broken through his shoe or snapped her own7 She sprang back, as he cried out and swung in an attempt to grasp her; he Iuuged to follow her. and she ran a