The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-10

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i'm furs and skins u: N, nIJS; rare
and beautiful kinds. His JACKIE, ana
trousers etrned 20 ist o. isnA- IS "H'
was unmis, akably silver ION.
The blond hair grew in a great mat
about his lips and jaws His nose
was straight. his eyebrows heavy, ali
| his features remarkably even and
well-proportioned. But none Of these
lesser features could be noticed be
cause OF the compelling attraction of
his gray. vivid eyes.
Pardon me for not making myself
/ known sooner" he began in his deep
sardonic voice My name is Dooms-
dorf-trapper, and seemingly owner
of this island. At least I'm the only
living man on it. except yourselves
His speech. though careless ami queer
ly accented. had no mark of ignorance
or iI-breeding. Il told you the islands
name-believe me. it fits it perfectly.
Welcome to it"
| Ned Strengthened, white-faced. Mr..
Doomsdorf, these girls are chilled
| Throughout of them is near a col
! lapse from exposure. Will you save
/ that ill later and help me get them a
fire"
/ For all the creeping terror that was
possessing his veins. Ned made
/ brave effort to hold his voice steady.
/ The man looked down at him, his lip
curling. Pardon my negligence" he
replied easily. "Of course she isn't
used to the cold yet-but that will
come in time" He bowed slightly to
the shivering girl on the shore IF
you follow my tracks up in the wood,
you'll find my shack-and there's a
! fire in the stove
| Ned bent, seized an armful of blank
cts from the boat, chen stepped to Lee
| nOre's side. THE captain will help
/ you Miss Gilbert" he said to Bess.
/ Then he and the golden-haired girl
he loved started together through the
six-inch snowfall toward the woods
Bess. stricken and appalled,. but yet
not knowing which way to turn. took
the trail behind them. But Knutsen
/ still waited on the shore. beside the
| boat
/ D0omsdorf, incredible to Ned and
Bess. was wholly plausible to him.
| He feared him to the depths of his
/ heart. yet in some measure at least
! these three were in his charge, and
| if worst came TO worst, he must stand
between them and this island devil
with his own life He had stayed on
| the shore after the others had gone
so that he might find out the truth
He was not long in learning
Through some innate. vague. almost
ineXplicable desire to shelter his three
charges and to spare them the truth
he wanted to wait until all three Of
them had disappeared in the wood
/ but even this was denied him. Lenore
and Ned, it is true, had already van
ished into the patch of forest: but
| Bess seemed to be walking slowly.
waiting for him. Doomsdorf was
bent. now. unloading the stores and
/ remaining blankets from the canoe;
/ but suddenly with one motion. he
/ showed Knutsen where he stood
| With one great lurch of his shout
/ ders he turned over the empty boat
and showed it off into the sea. The
first wave, catching it, drove it out
/ of reach. You won't need that
| again" he said.
/ With half-uttered. sobbing gasp
/ that no man had heard from his lips
before. Knutsen sprang to rescue it.
| In an instant he had seized it, and
standing hip-deep in the icy water. he
turned to face the blond man on the
shore. The latter roared once with
+ savage mirth. sound that carried
/ far abroad the snowy desolation; then
/ he sObered, watching with glittering
eyes.
/ Let it 60" he ordered simply. His
right arm lifted slowly as If in in
advertence. and rested almost limp
across his breast. His blond beard
hid the contemptuous curl of his
lips.
! Knutsen's hand moved toward his
hip. In the days of the gun fights.
in the old North. it had never moved
more swiftly. In this second of need
he had remembered his pistol.
But he remembered it too late
And his great hand. though fast, was
infinitely slow. The great arm that
/ lay across Doomsdorf's breast sud
denly flashed out and up. The blue
steel Of a revolver barrel streaked
! in The air, and a shot cracked over
! the sea
| Knutsen was already loosed from
| the bonds that held him. Deliver
ance had come quickly. His face,
black before with wrath. grew blank;
and for Il long instant he CROPPED i'm
pOtently. open hands reaching. But
the lead had gone straight home; and
there was no need of a second shot
/ The late captain Of the Charon
swayed. then pitched forward into the
gray waters.
| Bess had followed the trail
! through the snow clear to the
dark edge of the woods when
| the sound of voices behind her caused
| het. To tilrn Naith Dnnnns cnrf nor