The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-15


laughed again. mirthlessly. "And nov
you've got to gol can't leave yOl
here, to go back and tell them.
can't harm you, Ellen never
could harm you unless you try Il
get away again. :"
He moved to the cupboard, opened
the doors and surveyed the contents
Salt. tea. sugar. he took down anC
carried to the table. He eyed the
utensils next, picking up kettles one
by one, examining them, selecting ont
of the lot eventually. placing II also
on the table. A frying-pan next; Q
teapot.
Flour and other articles. until the
end of the table was heaped with
them. After this he started rummag
ing, peering under the bed. tearing
aside the calico hanging at one end OF
the room to paw over the deep shelves
behind it. muttering to himself.
Then, he asked:
Where's he keep his pack-sacks"
Ellen geStured toward the fur loft
and tried to speak. The words would
not come; the inspiration, the hope
.throbbing in her heart, choked them
back.
"In there" she finally said.
For a moment he stared at the door
and it's fastening, and then looked al
her.
"You bring the lamp" ne said.
Without response she moved to obey
and he watched her walk to the table
lift the lamp in both hands. He stood
aside, showing the door open. and she
passed within.
A single pack-sack was hanging from
a rafter and he took 1t down. Ellen
started to move into the outer room.
"Waitl" he said, and with a queer
chuckle went first "Now you may
come" he remarked when he crossed
the threshold. "That hook it'd
hold person in there a long
time. :"
He had seen the opportunity as
Ellen had seen 1t. Upset as he was,
Paul Gorbel's mind still pursued its
function of guarding his own In
terests!
Time was what she needed now ;
time and daylight. She watched the
clock, ticking it's way through the
growing hours. marking the death of
night. Her heart tripped faster than
the clicks of the mechanism.
He selected rifle ammunition. NUT
tering. now and again making a sound
that was hybrid between sob and
chuckle. He gathered his plumber in a
pile on the floor and reached for the
pack-sack. A dangling strap caught
his eye and he cursed savagely.
'Rivets" he demanded. "Where
does Wolf keep emf"
81 don't know, Paul. I'll I'll
look"
Look then"
She began to look, searching In those
places where she was certain rivets
would not be kept, using up minutes,
counting even seconds so spent as
precious. Wolf might come. some
wayfarer might come but day
light would surely come A girl can
take strength from daylight. can COM
mand resources which darkness makes
unavailable.
Gorbel looked up at the clock and
cursed.
mo time to fool!' he snarled. "Get
to be going, you and ~"
His look chilled her and she turned
her face away. making motions towards
searching In the table drawer.
Timel She needed time!
Gorbel found the rivets on small
shelf behind the door, He repaired
the cut strap of the pack-sack and be.
gan slowing the appropriated supplies
in it. He had found jerked venison
and chewed on chunk hungrily.
"You must eat !" Ellen said. hot with
inspiration. "You can't take the trail
on just coffee, Paul"
The girl made great clatter with
utensils.
1.-THE bacon's in the fur room Will
you get it?" she asked.
Cunning showed in his face. "You
get 1t.
She took a knife from the table, q
long. thin-bladed knife; she picked q
flashlight from her own pack. went
quickly through the door of heavy
planks.
Bacon hung there from peeled log
that lay across rafters, but it was not
at bacon that the girl looked. She
gagged the length of that stick Eight
feet, probably: four inches through at
its smaller end; stout, slow-growing
cedar.
The fur room itself was the width
of the cabin but barely six feet in
depth. The far wall, like the others,
was of tamarack logs. She dropped
the knife, reached upward, rolled the
peeled cedar across the rafters until
one end was clear, pulled on it, brought
it sliding down.
Gorbel had turned to look.
"Herel" be cried. Here, you. -
She showed the far end against the
bottom of the wall. she Rugged the
other in her arms and swung ii In q
brief arc, crying out as she set II
with a thud against the plank of the
closed door, throwing her weight on II
"Open that door, Ellenl' he shouted
thickly. "Open it, say. or I'll beat
1t down"
She knew that he could get In.
but breaking down the door would
take time =. time I. the most
precious thing she could win
He tried to break through by hurI
ing his weight against It repeatedly
and failed. He retreated. muttering.
"Stay there, theni' she heard him
say. until I'm ready"