The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-08
BELOW
ZERO
A Romance
Of fine
North Woods
BY
HAROLD TITUS
Copyright. 1882.
wNU Service
CHAPTER XI-Continued
HAROLD TITUS
Copyright. 1882.
WNU Service

1--WE will mind you! That's the first
thing we will mind. Nat !"
Doctors comingI" McWethy whis-
pered hoarsely. ION his way. He was
at the drug store"
herei The minute he gets In I'm
after Gorbel." He drew a pistol from
BradShaw's pocket and deliberated a
moment, kneeling there, the sheriff's
head on his knee. "Macl Call the
Jail at Shoestring and tell them. Send
bells wanted!"
He saw the stares on the growing
group of faces about him-incred-
ulOus. shocked looks
NAT had warrant for Gorbel's ar
rest on charge of arson, for planning
TO burn out the Richards camps" he
explained bitterly. "And now theren
be another warrant, so help me
Heaveni"
He addressed McWethy again:
Get team out on every road from
town. Phone every Belknap 4 Cor.
bel camp and tell 'em to report GorbeI
if they see him, or they stand chance
of taking a trip with himl I'll go to
his rOOming house the minute the doc
tor comes and"
Here he is ~
The physician was shouldering his
way through the group. young man.
cool and collected in emergency.
Don't stop at anything. doctor"
John said. Spend any amount that
will help in any way If this case has
got you stopped. You men stand by
to help the doctor. Then report to
McWethy. I'll get back herei"
He was gone then. running through
the falling snow. around corner and
laundering up well-swept steps.
No. Mr.. GOrbel was not at his room
ing house; he had not been there since
noon. His supper was waiting.
Look for the womanI The phrase
was flashing through his mind as he
ran along the street
He rounded the post office corner
and flung himself up into the storm
house where he had stood with Marie
Varnell and listened to her story of
Gorbel's Duplicates
He entered TO confront the girl who
stood on the stairs, hand at her
cheek. lips parted in something like
terror.
where's Gorbel?" he asked sharply.
'My Cd. how should | know?
What's happened? He came in here
like like he was crazyl He
said everything was all off and for me
to get TO hi out of town and In
stead :. and he gave me dirty
fifty dollars and said II was"
STEADY, Marie!" John said, steady
himself. "rm looking for Gorbel; I've
got to find him"
land he wouldn't listenp' she
screamed. "He gave me lousy fifty
dollars and said TO get to HI out of
town as fast as | could or they'd be
after me, tool" She laughed shrilly.
HE said was in it. that they were"
John grasped her other hand saw
agely.
"Hold your tongue!' he cried sharp
~. Hold your tongue, Marie"
His roughness had the planned eff.
feet, shocked her out of the mounting
hysteria.
There's nothing at all for you to be
afraid Of" he said then, trying to make
his voice sound reassuring. 81 just
want you to tell me what happened,
Marie. and where he went"
She wiped her eyes.
'T'd been buying some things and
was a little late getring home" she
said unsteadily. "He came up the
walk behind me on run. He scared
me, the way he looked Oh. Mr.. Belk.
nap. it was awtIill What's he done?"
she begged "Have you got 1t on himi
] never saw a man look like he
looked!'
81 knowi | knowl But what did
he say and do? Give me your story
first. then I'll fell Miner"
"He said ii was all off between us |!
Everything was off. was what he said
He couldn't talk straight. He swore
awful and said was in the jam along
with him and they'd be after me and
to get TO HI out of town as fast as
] could before they nailed me. He
grabbed his skis out of the storm
house where he'd left EN- yesterday
and beat II off across the tracks! Oh.
what's happened Mr.. Belknap"
"He shot the sheriff. Probably killed
him. Which way'd he go? Just
where'd he cross the tracks? Tell me
thatl Hang to yourself a minute
longerw
But the girl was past giving him fur
Their aid for the moment. Slowly she
sank to the steps. head falling back
ward. He gathered her in his arms
swung down into the living room and
laid Marie gently on a couch.
He had left the front door open
when he burst in. The light from the
hallway streamed out into the storm
house. A shovel was there, a broom
pair of skis stood against the wall
and, in far corner. snowshoes. He
grabbed them up and leaped down the
steps, searching for tracks in the new
snow.
Easy to find, these were, under the
street light He saw where a man
had crossed towards the railroad |;
other tracks had followed and turned
back: those were Marie's. The trail
was distinct, but already filling In
with the light. large fakes He wal
lowed through the deep snow between
the street and the railroad tracks,
bending low TO be sure he trailed this
man He saw where he had stopped.
where skis had been dropped into
the deep snow; where they had been