The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-03-19
CHAPTER vlI-Continued

in his hand, as an insignificant OBJ
stacle between himself and the
pallid faced loneliness of the girl
whom chance had so fortunately
placed in his way. The cry, dis
guised by guile and habit, betrayed
only trace of the white man. 1t
was cultural exultation of one lost
to all the obligations of blood and
race, a cry loosed not so much by
heat and passion as by the prom
Use of what he saw as his eyes ap-
praised Toinette.
lToinette had possessed herself of
the empty gun and stood at Jeems'
side, prepared to fight.
Jeems was so near that his arm
pressed against her and he gave
a sidewise thrust which sent her
headlong among the bushes. In
the same moment he hurled his
hatchet at the scalp hunter, who
was slowly advancing. AS the
other lodged to avoid the hurting
missile Jeems snatched one of his
scattered arrows from the ground
and ran to his bow. Toinette saw
what happened then. She saw the
the slim, beautiful figure of Jeems
draw as tensely as his weapon in
the pathway. She saw the paint
ed monster descending upon him.
She heard the musical twang of the
bowstring and saw a silvery flash
"a flash which passed in at one
side of the blue-eyed Indian and
went out at the other, flash which
fell to earth a score of PAGES be-
yond, bloody and broken arrow
that had done it's righteous work.
That the explosion of the gun
would reach the ears of the Mo
hawks was in Jeems' mind as he
comforted his shocked companion.
For a few moments it was difficult
for her to believe the combat was
over and that the fiend who lay
like a great spider on his back was
no longer menace to them. To
her relief and her faith in Jeems
was added an emotion of joy when
she saw that Odd was alive. The
dog had dragged himself to his
feet and stood watching the slain
man grimly.
The dead man stared up at them
as they passed. In their path lay
the arrow which had gone Clearly
through him. Toinette could not
keep back the hysterical sob which
came in her throat, but she looked
at Jeems with such wonder and
love in her face that he heard only
the throbbing tumult in his heart
and brain. He had fought for her
and won! And he had fought on
that same ground where almost six
years before he had failed to whip
Paul Tache!
1.-THE Indians have heard the shot
and will return" he said. This
white man must have discovered
some sign of us and came to do
murder and have his spoils alone
Dear God, when | think"
He was looking at Toinette's
tresses, which had burst free from
their plated bonds.
I'VE must rum" he said.
They passed the barn and went
through the deserted field behind
it, Odd following them.
''There is a stony ridge less than
a mile from here" he encouraged.
IF we can reach it, know of
twenty places where bare rock will
let us throw them off our trail"
"We will reach it," breathed Toi-
nette.
He pointed the way and let her
go ahead of him, turning his head
every dozen steps to look behind
Along the hardwood knoll where
the Lussans had gathered their
fuel, Tonette sped like a graceful
nymph, her long hair streaming
about her in the sun until at times
Jeems saw nothing but its beauty
and in the contemplation of it's
loneliness a shuddering horror ran
through him. In the stump field at
home Hepsibah had told him how
both the English and the French
had begun to make use of women's
hair, and that many a gentleman
and courtly dandy wore shining
curls taken by the scalping knife
in wilderness orgies of rapine and
murder. In the narrowness of Tot
nette's escape, the thought OPP
pressed him with sickening force.
aSoon her lack of endurance COM
PEELED them to slacken their pace,
and when they reached the rocky
ascent which led to the crest of
the ridge, Toinette's breath was
breaking sobbingly from her lips
and for a while she could go no
farther. She gazed in the direc-
ton from which they had come, un-
terrified, and almost with challenge
in her look, her breast wildly
throbbing, her hand reached out to
Jeems.
Each of the few minutes that
passed seemed an hour to him.
Then they climbed to the crest
of the ridge. Here Jeems picked
his way, choosing the places where
their feet would not touch scat
tered stones or grass or soil, and
half an hour of slow and tedious
progress lay between them and the
point where they had come from
the valley.
eff they come this far, they will
think we have taken the wider ant
easier country" he explained. "Car
you hold on a little longer?'
lit was the running that turned
me faint" said Toinette. II am al
strong as you are now, Jeems. Bu1
may I stop and braid nv hair? L