Middletown transcript., 1922-07-01
The Big Muskeg
By
VICTOR ROUSSEAU


against Wilton-Molly was sure Of
that. She suspected that Bowyer had
some hold over her father. She knew
that, years before. he had secured him
his position with the company. AS 1t
happened, the company needed men
FOR training-Scots; for the service
had become tradition in North
Britain since the days of Mckenzie.
And the company does not pick its
employees out of the highways and
byways.
Molly had known Tom Bower since
childhood, although his visits to
the trading post had occurred not
oftener than once in two or three
years. She had heard much to his dis
credit in Winnipeg, and had verified it
when ne spent day or two at the
portage In October. Bowyer saw big
ger game in prospect than the moose,
and. as beginning, resolved to rid
himself Of possible rival-Wilton.
Molly had spoken well of him, and
Bowyer was a keen reader of mind
When the storm Of her fathers rage
had passed, the girl went down and
stood miserably in the doorway. His
insane outbursts were driving her to
the very course he feared. Only his
illness kept her from going away. She
looked out, her mind in turmoil of
doubt.
Big Muskeg was at its loneliest. The
gale was driving the snow before 1t in
| clouds like spray, and the wind howled
through the gap in the bluffs. AS the
girl stood there she funcied that she
heard cry come across the frozen
| swamp.
She slipped on the hooded coat
which she had left In the store, and
went slowly toward the portage, lis
| tening intently. The driving wind had
swept portion of the trodden road
clear OF the fallen snow. In this. near
the edge of the muskeg. she saw the
| imprint of mans snowsoDe coming
from the swamp. Her eyes, trained to
observation. detected instantly that
there had been loose string under
| the ball of the foot, which had trailed,
leaving an Oblique blur across the
impression.
There was the one imprint, and no
more. And, as she looked Mt it, gust
of wind drove cloud of snow over it,
Obliterating it. Molly stood up. The
discovery, which seemed of no Impor-
tance, passed from her mind. Again
she listened.
Then, with the uncomfortable feel
ing that she was being watched, she
started and peered into the under
brush. A pair of beady eyes watched
her. They were those Of Jules, the
half-witted Geaf-mute. For the mo-
ment Molly was startled. Then she
vanished soundlessly among the under
| brush.
| AS the girl stood there she thought
| she heard the cry once more. At once
| she was running down to the edge of
the swamp and, standing her ground
peered out, sheltering her eyes with
her hand.
Then, dimly out Of the whirllng
snow, she saw figure stumbling to-
ward her, bearing on Its shoulder
something that looked like a railroad
sleeper.
Sometimes 1t vanished from her
sight in the circular whirl Of sleet.
at others reappeared, stumbling into
the drifts, but ever nearing her. It
was within twenty-five feet of her
when 1t slipped, and there followed
the crash of the rotten ice beneath its
feet. The figure broke through the
slushy layer into the muskeg below.
| Thus Wilton Carruthers came to the
portage for the fourth time. And on
this occasion he was saved by the dead
man, for whose lifeless body he had
risked his own life. For, as he fell,
still clutching Mt what he bore, the
stiffened form slid out over the un-
broken surface and held him head and
throat above the bog.
In moment Molly was running to-
ward Wilton. Once his head went un-
der, and she cried out in despair, but
he reappeared, and seemed to cling
| dutohiotiNoiiy " mo ouppOlt, lOT lllS
eyes were closed and he was uncon-
scious. His face was frozen white :;
1t was only the contraction of the
frozen sinews of his fingers that gave
| him his hold on Joe's body.
1t was then that, in her horror,
Molly recognized Wilton. She crept
toward the break, and lay down on the
ice, cropping toward him with her
hands. She shouted to him to hold fast
and, finding that he was already un-
conscious, crept cautiously nearer over
the cracking surface.
Then she saw what it was that Will
ton had been carrying, and she recog-
niZed Joe. Stunned mOmentarily by