The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-26

Continued from Yesterday
At one side. quite 20 the edge %
the fireplace. she saw n kyaek-ono
Of those square boxes that are hung
on a pack saddle which seemed 60
be heaped with jerked caribou or
moose flesh. For tho time Of a
breath she could not take her eyes
from u. II was food food In plenty
Go sustain Hen thru his Illness and
the remaining weeks OF their exile
and her eyes molstencd and her
hands tremhled at the sight she had
been taught the meaning Of famine.
these last. bitter days In reality she
was now IN the first stage Of starva-
tion. experiencing the FIRST. vague
Authorizations. the sense OF ncor-
porcality, tho overwhelming strength.
the constant yearning that Is nothing
hut the vitals' submerged demand Tor
food. The contents Of, the kyack
mean life 90 herself and 10 Ben
deliverance and safety whom all
seemed lost
A daughter Of the cities far 90 tho
south--even q child OF poverty
rarely could have understood the un-
utterahle craving that overswept her
az the sight OF this simple food 10
was unadorned. unaccompanied by
the deiicacies that most human
beings have come 20 look upon as
essentials and 20 expect with every
meal; II was only animal flesh dried
In the smoke and the sun. II not
emily attracted her physically; but In
that moment u possessed real ohjcc-
tive beauty for her: as n would have
Possessed for the most cultivated
esthete that might be standing IN her
place. This Girl was down 20 tho
most stern realities. and life and
death hung In the balance.
she went on her hands and knees
creeping nearer. still she did not
make the slightest false motion.
creeping with an uncanny silence IN
the under shruhbcry. And now the
words came plain.
but We must be near" Chan was
saying. They can't he more than
mile or 80 from here. Wen lind
'em In the morning.
III he doesn't ind rs first and
shoot up cur camp" Ray replied. II
wish we'd built our fire further into
the woods Here we've looked all day
without even finding n track except
those tracks In the mud
They might he beyond the marsh. .
Nelson suggested
But Chan went over that way and
aIess Ia a. o
believe wen Ind the devil And then
I'VE can leave this heilish country
and 70 hack IN peace--tf We don't
want 20 wait for the flood"
Beatrice'a eyes were on his face.
wondering what growth OF wicked
ness. what degeneracy had 30 filled
his cruel eyes with Heb, and stamped
hts face with evil This was the man
60 whom she must look for mercy.
Ben's life. n she led tho three men
20 the cave. would be In hts hands.
She scnsed from HIS authoritative
tone that her fathers control over
him was largely broken. She how
cred. terrified and motioniess. in her
covert.
Ray reached for his rifle. giancinr
a. the sights ana drawing me lever
hack far enough 20 see the brass Of
its shells. Cans lean face was drawn
with a cruel giee
You cant keep your hands of
that gun. Ray he said You sure
are rettin' anxious-
II won't use n on him. Ray re-
y.ied. slowly and carefully. TITS too
good for hirn--except maybe the
stock He didn't lead me clear out
here Just to see him puff out and
blow mp in n minute with rife bah
thru hts head. Just the same want
the gun near me. all the time"
The two men looked AZ him. sar-
donic-eyed: and both % them seemed
to understand fully what he meant
They seemed 20 catch more from the
slow tones. 80 fun of lust and frenzy
that they seemed 70 drop from his
Hps In an ugly monotone. than they
did from the words themselves. They
took certain grim amusement In
tb@se auirks OF abnormal depravfty
that had begun 70 manifest them
selves In Ray. The mans fingers
we're wide spread as he spoke.
and his lip twftched twice. sharply.
when he had finished.
The words came clear and distinct
TO the listening girl. She tried 10 take
them Hterally-that Ray would not
shoot Bent Its too good for him
except maybe tho stocki" Did he
mean that tooi Was there any pos
sible meaning In the world other than
that he was planning some unearth-
u. more terrible fate for the man she