The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-25
xxx

the rest OF him and they watched over
| him while he slept. They aroused
him from sleep as soon as 1t was light
enough to pick his way over the rough
ice that lay in front, yet as if in rean-
cation of his physical need Of rest, not
an instant sooner. He sprang up to
find the dawn, gray over the ice-bound
sea.
But the miracle of the morning,
even the possibility that Doomsdorf
had made time while he slept and was
now almost upon him did not hold his
thought an instant. His mind could
not reach beyond the tragic fact that
he was alone. Bess was gone, van
ished like a spirit that had never been
in the gray dawn.
Her last words swept through his
memory. They gave him the key; his
deductions followed swift and sure by
the process of remorseless logic. In
a single moment he knew the dreadful
truth; Bess had not gone on in the
expectation of Ned overtaking her;
thus saving a few moments of his
precious time. She had not gone east
at all. She knew the stars as well as
he did; she would have never, except
by some secret purpose, turned north
instead of east. He saw the truth all
too plain.
She had chosen the direction that
would give Doomsdorf the longest
chase and take him farthest from
Ned's trail. He couldn't follow them
both. The morning light would show
him that his two fugitives had sep
arated, and she had reasoned soundly
IN thinking that their enemy would
pursue her, rather than Ned His
lust for her was too commanding for
him to take any other course. While
he pursued her Ned would have every
chance to hurry on eastward to the
safety of Tar Island.
Never for a moment did he even
consider going on and leaving her to
her fate. He could not aid her, and
vet in one moment more\ he had
launched forth on her trail, faster
than he had mushed before. He had
no inward battle, no sense of sacri.
flee. There was not even a temptation
to take the way of safety. In these
last months he had been lifted far be-
yond the reach of any such feeble
voice as that.
He sped as fast as he could along
the dim trail she had made. The
dawn, icy-breathed, soon outdistanced
him, permitting him to see Bess' fee
ing form before he had scarcely be-
gun to overtake her. She was lust
dark shadow at first against the
stretching fields of white; but he
never lost sight of her after that.
With the Frightening dawn he saw
her ever more distinctly.
And in the middle distance, west-of
both of them, he saw the huge, dark
form Of Doomsdorf bearing down upon
her.
She had guessed right as to Dooms-
dorf. Catching sight Of her, he had
left their double trail to overtake her.
Hoping and believing that Ned had
taken his chance of safety and was
fleeing eastward, she was leading his
enemy ever farther and farther north,
away from him.
He was a strong man, this Cornet
who had fought the North. but the
bitter, scalding tears shot into his
eyes at the sight of that strange,
hopeless drama on the ice. But not
one of them was in self-pity. They
were all for the slight figure Of the
girl, trying to save him. running SO
hopelessly from the brute who was
even now upon her.
A moment later he saw her slip on
the ice, and in dread silence, Dooms-
DORIS arms went about her. Neither
OF them had apparently observed Ned
They only became aware of him as
his great shout, half in rage, half in
defiance, reached them across the ice
Even at the distance that separated
them the startled movement of
Doomsdorf' head revealed his untter-
able Amusement Doubtless he thought
that Ned was miles to the East
by now. The Amusement gave way
to boundless triumph as Ned walked
calmly toward him. Then while he
held the girl prone on the ice with
his great knee, Doomsdorf's rifle made
blue lightning in the air.
Ned's response was to throw his
arms Immediately into the air in to-
ken of complete surrender He was
thinking coolly, his faculties in per-
feet control; and he knew he must
not attempt resistance now. Only
death lay that way; at that range
Doomsdorf could shatter him life
less to the ice with one shot from the
heavy rifle. 1t wasn't enough just