The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-08-20
Chapter XIV-Continued
wNu Service


The mans hatred was different from
the beasts, but perhaps even more i'm
placable. With McTaggart it was not
hatred alone. There was mixed with
it an indefinable and superstitious
fear, a thing he laughed at, a thing
he cursed at, but which chung to him
as surely as the scent Of his trail
chung to Baree's nose. Baree no
longer stood for the animal alone; he
stood for Nepeese. That was the
thought that insisted in growing in
McTaggart's ugly mind. He had not
ceased to hate Baree; he still hated
him as he had never hated a man, but
he had an even greater reason now
for wanting to kill him. 1t came to
Him first in his sleep, in a restless
dream, and after that 1t lived, and
iived-the thought that the spirit of
Nepeese was guiding Baree in the raw
aging of his trap-line
1t was in January that McTaggaft
caught his first glimpse Of Baree. He
had placed his rifle against tree.
and was a dozen feet away from it
at the time. 1t was as If Baree knew,
and had come to taunt him; for when
the Factor suddenly looked up Baree
was standing out clear from the dwarf
spruce not twenty yards away from
him, his white fangs cleaning and
his eyes burning like Goals. For
space McTaggart stared as If turned
into stone. 1t was Baree. He rec
ognized the white star, the white
tipped ear, and his heart thumped like
a hammer in his breast. Very slowly
he began to creep toward his rife.
His hand was reaching for it when
like flash Baree was gone.
This gave McTaggart his new idea.
He blazed himself fresh trail through
the forests parallel with his trap-line
but at least five hundred yards distant
from 1t. Wherever a trap or deadfall
was set this new trail struck sharply
in, like the point of v, so that he
could approach his line unobserved.
BY this strategy he believed that In
time he was sure Of getting shot
at the dog. Again 1t was the man who
was reasoning, and again it was the
man who was defeated. The first day
that McTaggart followed his new trail
Baree also struck that trail. For lit
tie while 1t puzzled him. Three times
he cut back and forth between the old
and the new trail. Then there was no
doubt. The new trail was the fresh
trail, and he followed in the foot
steps of the Factor from Lac Balm.
McTaggart did not know what was
happening until his return trip, when
he saw the story told In the snow.
BARGE had visited each trap, and with
out exception he had approached each
time at the point of the inverted V.
After week of futile hunting, of
lying in wait, Of approaching at every
point of the wind-a period during
which McTaggart had twenty times
cursed himself into fits Of madness,
another idea came to him. 1t was like
an inspiration, and so simple that it
seemed almost inconceivable that he
had not thought of 1t before.
He hurried back to Post Lac Balm.
The second day after he was on the
trail at dawn. This time he carried
pack In which there were a dozen
strong wolf traps freshly dipped in
beaver oil, and rabbit which he had
shared the previous night. Now and
then he looked anxiously at the sky.
1t was clear until late in the after
noon, when banks Of dark clouds be-
gan rolling up from the east. Half
an hour later a few flakes of snow
began falling. McTaggart let one of
these drop on the back of his nit
tened hand. and examined it closely.
1t was soft and downy. and he gave
vent to his satisfaction. It was what
he wanted. Before morning there
would be six inches of freshly fallen
snow covering the trails.
He stopped at the next trap-house
and quickly set to work. First he
threw away the poisoned bait In the
"house" and replaced 1t with the rab-
bit. Then he began setting his wolf
traps. Three of these he placed close
to the door" of the house, through
which Baree would have to reach for
the bait. The remaining nine he
scattered at intervals of a foot or
sixteen inches apart. so that when
he was done q veritable Gordon of
traps guarded the house. He did not
fasten the chains, but let them lay
loose In the snow. If Baree got into
one trap he would get into others and
there would be no use of toggles. His
work done, McTaggart hurried on
through the thickening twilight of
winter night to his shack. He was
highly elated This time there could
be no such thing as failure. He had
sprung every trap on his way from
Lac Balm. In none of Athose traps
would BARGE find anything to eat until
he came to the NEST" of twelve wolf
traps.
Seven inches of snow fell that night,
and the whole world seemed turned