, 1923-02-05
The lad of North Star
INsTALLNIENr NO. TWELVE.

fully. THE woman nurses the man
who dies, what is she to him?"
SHE is. his wife"
But she loves him not! I have
seen the light in her eyes He broke
of abruptly. But the spring comes.
and with the spring comes life and
the kindling Of the heart"
Roger asked abruptly. "IIow long
will tho ice hold. Sibou?"
That is not to be told" SIbou
pointed across the river to whore n
tributary flowed into the river. The
wateS down there and adds
to the strength of this. It may break
the ice here. and spread over the
surface. Listen"
The corporal listened. The air was
full OF an indescribable sound. n
moaning and growing. quite differ
cnt from the sound of the soft wind
in the trees.
There came n sudden crash far
out IN trent. and the next ome n
gaping assure showed in the ice.
Tha is the first. and there will
he others" shouted the Indian. Tho
break " has come! The spring has
arr3ved!'
X cry from the camp startled them.
and divin!ng what had happened, the
white man began to run. When he
reached the fire he found Joy. and
as their eyes met, she answered the
question in his.
Yes" she said. "a moment ago.
He knew me again at the last"
With the help of Sibou he bent n
couple Of young spruces. that his
COUSINS body might have the aerial
sepulchre practiced by tho Northern
tribes.
Half an hour later the dead man
was lnshed to the young trees which
were released. carrying the body
high in the air. Such portions of
the burial service as Roger could
remember were rccitcd.
1--WE will start in an hour, IL you
like" he said later. The ice is not
very good. but it will be worse to-
morrow, and We can get some way
towards Chief Louis camp. Once
there. ice or no ice will not matter.
We shall ba able to get Canoes
Yes" she said, Yes, in an hour.
There is no reason why We should
linger here now"
They started before the hour was
out; and Travelled hard until the
edge of dark. In the night the cor
poral was awakened by a crash and
in the morning he new that sled
travelling was over. A stream OF
water was flowing on the surface OF
the ice. Something caught Shouts
keen eyes. something moving. He
pointed it out to BraCknell.
There is a man there. lie is
coming this way
"Hr will never get across com
mentcd BraCknell. land we cannot
warn HIM. He will have to return"
He walks strangely commented
Sibou.
The man seemed to be making an
crratic course. and more than once
just skirted II nssure.
Suddenly S:bCu started.
THE man is blind" he said. See
how he walks. hands in trent crop
ing for the way. lie did not see the
ice"
The stranger, whoever he was,
stumbled over n cake of ice thrown
out on the surface. and as he picked
himself up. he took his next step
into n stream running fast over the
yielding surface. He withdrew the
foot instantly and half turned to try
another course.
at is the snow-blindness." said
! S.bou. He cannot see. He only
{ feels. and there is danger everywhere
i for him"
oh" cried JOY, can nothing be
done?"
Something can be tried" answered.
the corporalS
S"bou and he moved towards the
blinded man in immineat risk OF
their lives. \ providence seemed to
watch over the man. lie had turned
again and now was running towards
them. They were but fifteen yards
apart. when suddenly Sibou stood still
and gripped his companions arm.
"Behold!' he said quickly. THE
man who was with me when the trail
was blown IN before Mr.. GarErave."
Roger B~rackncll also stood still,
and looked at the figure shambllnS
towards them. There was a dis
traught look On the mans face, a
madness of fear that convulscd It, but
in spite Ct that Roger Bracknell rec.
ognlzed It. It was the face Of Adrian
Rayner.
The ice parted. and a little lane o.
turgid water appeared between then
and the s%now-blind man.
Look out, Rayner! For Gods sake,
look QUIT" Rayner gave n great cry
of fear, and began to run away from
the bank. He ran only a little way.
a stretch of open water appeared in
the line he followed. and unconscious
or its existence. lie dashed straight
INTO It. They saw the plunge. and
watched painfully. There was no
further sign Of him.
AS they gained 1t, the corporal saw
a look Uf horror on Joy Gargrave's
face.
You recognized him." she nsked.
"Sibou recognized him first re-
Piled the corporal mcaningly.
"SibOu. Oh, l remember. Then
Adrian was with the man responsible
for my fathers DEATH
joy nodded. and looked nce more
TO whore the broken foes were grind
ing each other in the waters which
| had cngulfed the guilty man.
1t is the Judgment OF God"
II was five and n half months later
when Roger Bracknell, fresh from