The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-07-01

we. Then, you know, there are not
many who woulG relish the job"
Relish the jobl Bah! / thought
you fur men were
The speaker was interrupted by q
! voice suddenly grown hard with i'm
patience. 'It's getting late. My name
Is Guthrie-this Is my assistant.
Etienne Savanna. You'd better step
that mast. You'll need the sail or
you won't make Elkwan before dark"
'Tm DR.. Archibald Quarter, sir,
geologist. We've been prospecting for
iron and copper on the east coast"
snapped the other, visibly annoyed.
'sThis is my sister, Miss Joan Quarter.
How far did you say we were from
| Albany?'
Guthrie smiled into the amused eyes
of the girl, who seemed to enjoy the
discontinue of her brother
you're ninety miles from Albany.
Your boat can't be beached like ca
noe. 1t would depend on the wind"
Then, as he glanced at the sun, dread
Of what he might find at Elkwan led
Guthrie to finish abruptly: Follow
me into the river mouth Our accom-
modations are limited, but you are
welcome" And delivered of this lie,
with a sweep of his paddle, he sepa-
rated the boats.
"How about my stuff over on the
island; it's very valuable?"' called
Quarter after the retreating canoe.
'You can send men for that and bring
! 1t to Albany?"
But the paddles of the now fast
moving PeterbOro lunged and swung
In unison, the question ignored.
Beyond the river valley the muskeg
was smothering a sun yelled In haze
when the Peterboro approached the
log landing below the huddle of build
ings on the high shore, which was
Elkwan. The problem of caring for
| the guests which the storm had
brought Guthrie had been swiftly
crowded from his thoughts by solicit
tude for those he had left at the post,
a week before, when the necessity for
| beginning the hunt of their winter
supply of geese had compelled his abb
sence. He was overdue, ana Anne was
old and ignorant He would never
forgive himself-never cease to be
haunted by the eyes of the doomed
girl he had left In the care of the Cree
women, if But no! 1t was unthink-
able-too hideously tragic that 1t
should have come to her, alone with
pressed him on his summer trip to Al
bany-had harassed him through the
last two days, prisoner to the wind.
The ache of his own loneliness
through the first weeks at the saAa-
torium had lent him deeper under
standing Of the frightened look In the
eyes of the girl whenever of neces-
sity he had left her, even for a few
hours, in the care Of old Anne. But
always he had returned to find her,
and the joy in her wistful face had
been fit recompense for his haste to
turn back-to keep his word to waif
of half-breed, that he would be
with her at the end
Guthrie leaped up the cliff trail to
his quarters. Opening the door, he
announced his coming in a voice that
belied his fear.
Back again How's all my family7''
A squat InQfan woman shuff1ed into
the living room, her wide mouth split
ting swarthy face in a grin Of de-
light.
"'Alloi We glad you GOMEZ"
Guthrie expelled a deep breath Of
relief A voice from an adjacent room
called family:
mia! MIA! You come backl 1t ees
long taml"
"Yes, Ninda." He bent over the cot
where lay the wrath of a girl In
whose face, thin to emaciation, great
dark eyes glowed feverishly as she
smiled up to him In her Joy.
Guthrie drew a chair to the bedside
and took in his the hot hand which
lay on the coverlet The fever was
worse.
cit was the storm, Ninda-the wind.
We could not travel"
The blue-black hair, heaped In
braiGs on the pillow, accentuated the
pallor of the dusky skin, shot over
the high cheek bones with the flush of
fever. She had failed rapidly since
he left, but in her hour of extremity
she would not be alone.
"You go-no more?" she whispered,
searching his bronzed face.
He shook his head. No more, Ninda. I"
Anne came In with some hot con-
densed milk. The girl slipped little,
then smiled at the plying face of the
man with its scar furrOwing the right
cheek.
"You here all tam now, Ninda Sleep"
With a sigh her eyes closed As
Guthrie left the room. he looked back.
On the pinched oval of her face how
cred a smile
"Where the boat, EtienneY he
asked, huskily, entering the trade
house, which stood in the clearing out
side the dog stockade.
"She come slow along the shore
not far now"
Guthrie went down to the landing
to meet his guests The lack of space
at his quarters-at first thought en-
barrassing-was now a source of salts
faction, for there would be room for
Miss Quarter, only. Her pompous
brother and the rest would sleep in
the trade-house. He would take
Quarter in to meals and the others