Show comm i ie tie t af ur 0 40 M CM wa A STORY OF THE GUAT GREAT NORTH N H wat eat cy e ROE al ay ass 1 ti OY ov COW neav HEAP MO r CHAPTER Is 16 tho the red death so they were loft left these two tho east and tho the west alone aion upon tho the might pyro of the jumbled peaks only the forbidding of the ilog hog hack back running like a groat great thin blade blada high between tho the red surf creeping at itta base carried a passage out of tho the roaring death had planned ahat hat tho the splendid black should make it first now she alie turned back to tho the two ni men on she aho loved the preacher silent under tho the shielding forns ferns with iila his and hla his flute sundry sandry prone upon the earth hla his faco face in tho the pine needles she passed him and knelt beside the other her oyna oyes were dim with the old look of emotion she bared the white face and gazed long upon it the call of blood had over ever hold held her to this man mysteriously though both were ignorant of the vital tie between them the preacher because of the dreamy blank in his mind since tho tragedy of that far off day siletz because kolawole wise beyond his generation had soon how bow blood takes to its own oven even at its cost ile he had loved her mother end and had bad tried to mako make her indian though she aho was wan white a wait of the old frontier and ho he had soon seen break her heart and die therefore after silent client hours by the groat waters ho he had bad accepted the mandate of destiny and had taken tho the babe of tho the broken sign and given her to tho the only white woman ho he would trust ma dally daily who took her with tow fow questions when she saw ho he would her history so bo now beletz looked for the first brat and last time consciously ly upon her own presently sho she loaned leaned over and kissed him softly ro placed the forns ferns and rose beside sandry she stopped stood a moment gazing around at tile tho pine boles that loomed like alko fearful earful ghosts in the smoke and out eat down beside him tucking her foot with the ago old motion of the blanket bearers wearers beneath her skirt so deeply had bad she abo absorbed the ways of tho the dusky people whom she abe loved she did not speak when at last the man his faco face drawn out of all semblance to itself rat raised a ed his eyes to her she was calm as the hills before the tire ahro lie he looked at bar raising himself on his bis elbow looked long while knowledge was born in him so bo this was the west the world he be had once thought so BO unbearable ablo this was wa the wild tho the untaught the crudu crude this slim forest creature who served him without question tion because ho bo had bought her with a kiss who asked nothing who stayed by him to dlo die because sho she loved lavod himl who still bo llovet in him despite that others declaration la that she vaa ims his bis promised wifel and yonder onder went his world ills his cultured polished east riding down to lite and safety her lovo love forgotten in tho the faco of danger I 1 yonder wont went what ho he had thought the best beat blood of tho the landl nay h hu hi i had bad been wrong 1 it was here beside him its feet tucked under itt ill in meekness the savagery hidden in ilta dim black eyell the last barrier want vant bovim dov n in walter gandry the last last lafit strand of prejudice broke with a snap ile he rolled near and caught the tha hem bom of her ragged skirt little glotzl he be said brokenly oh little matz what am I 1 that you should have done this thing she bhe looked down at him film and the rare amile carlod up tho the corners carriers of the lips above the sign you are my man sho she sala said softly the king of the whole world I 1 you are the on the waters sandry tho the mist in tho the valleys alloys tho the path to the feet of godl only I 1 have lost my tooting footing thereon A tender wistfulness rang in her voice abe fell silent after her fashion when great emot emotions ioni stirred her jandrys San drys eyes smarted blind ing tears hla his chin was quivering with the mighty emotions that swelled his bis heart to bursting and hla his scorched and blackened hands bands clung trembling to siletz skirt see little ono one I 1 come at last to your god above tho iea aea take ray my hand that wo we may go together and pray dut but the girl raised a calm face to the unspeakable heavens beavens a face in which all struggle had bad been stilled where there was neither hope nor fear only great content no she said 1 I 1 cannot pray fol foi I 1 have no soul 1 I 1 is e lost it as thu the price of love the mom co u d not speak and she answered the look in his face we will go together you have had no god I 1 have forsworn mine wo we will go to hell it Is the right law tho sure and just wage of sin gin she ohe was waa falling into tho the stately bible language taking on the simple dignity ol of the preachers preacher way and manner bus bul we will go together I 1 give my soul to ito you biting his ashen lips sandry bandry ro roio io on hla his iknon and gathered her antu hit his arms anna lie he hold held her to him with all the th yearning of hla his breaking heart and hurled ats face in her bey throat the dull rumbling again broke through the howling of tho the storm ot at ire fire that was fast surging its way to the cup among the peaks e 0 behold tho the ilog hog back running out from tho the jumbled peaks a blado blade between tho the surges far below behold a great black horse carrying a double burden staggering blindly see a D mammoth mongrel who tugs at tho the rein tied to hla his collar and strains to follow the dim trail which calls only to the heavy muzzle hugging the earth and listell A womans comans golden voice shrill with exquisite agony golpl helal my godl dodl oh my godl im choking 1 I 1 cant brea breathe savo save mol met save sava me you great brute cant you do something in her wildness sho she turned and struck the man behind her and she ehe never knew that her beautiful hand was waa red with the blood of his wound As looked into lier her face distorted like a maniacs acs his hard bard eyes softened lie ile know knew how slim the odds that they would beat tho the flames to tho the oot foot of tho the trail also ho know knew in that moment that they would never make it yes ho he said swiftly there Is so methin I 1 can do ile he slid off the horse with heavy hands ho he seized seize d the skirt of the womans comans gown ind ripped it from her tearing it into strips which he bo wound about her and fastened securely to the saddle born when you come to th lh hog flog hack back shut yer eyes an dont look down hell take you nil all right now goodbye ile iio stopped stepped back then caught her arm for one fleeting second poppy girl he said hoarsely kiss me just once im done for but I 1 lovo love you aly dodl how I 1 toys love youl out but poppy ordway shook lifs his hand band loose and shrieked to the horse which started forward with renewed heart under the lighter load out upon the two foot blado blade of 0 the ilog hog dock back crept Coot niah his long lone body flattened natto nod to the rock his pale balo eyes contracted to pinpoints pin points dlack black dolt bolt stopped nt at the awful point whore where tho the spine loft left the mountain trembling in every limb and snorted with fear far below in tho the sea of smoke long red streamers licked up toward them and blazing torches lighted them like searchlights dut but tho the dog pulled ahead on tho the lung long reins cs as ho was hidden bidden to do ile he was going home faithful wistful hybrid that he was and the horse was of that line fine mett bottlo ae which does its best beat in the face of at danger therefore Thor eforo ho he shook himself slightly gathered his feet and n veat A gi oleat dlack black horse carrying a double burden stepped out carefully on the narrow path almost fainting the woman in n tho the saddle shut her eyes and clung tv to the saddle horn born every nerve in her body stretched to the utmost and her breath hold held hard once she swayed opened her bor eyes unconsciously and saw tho the pine tops tape far below where a cross gust of at wind vind blow the smoke aside CHAPTER the blessed rain at camp at the upper railway johy dally daily was searching wildly in the crowds of silent exhausted men for trace of sandry of blietz and of miss hiss ordway ilia his faco face was ghastly f fv jve ive tore tit lit his bis heart with double force ala dally daily had not seen him for two days and when she met him she said straightly went into th fire son after sandry that was hours boura ago an th jezebel woman went vent too that was the hardest knock of tho the big mans lite and he came near not taking it standing ile he staggered as from a blow and looked away to the In inferno forro they had left at tho the north the great dun canopy that covered the sky then ho he started on a wavering run among tho the men calling for v volunteers volun olun teen shrieking hoarsely that two women were lost up thero there and that ho he was go ing after thorn them an ito ho ran looking up something fell from the hidden heavens and splashed upon his face it stopped him film in his tracks then another foil fell and another big plash ing drops that struck him like stones station la a their portent they thick thickened enod swiftly beating up the light ashes in tiny puffs and from the gathered men busy ausy with roll call and accounting thoro there came first astounded exclamations and then as the drops gathered headway a mighty cheer that rent the covered skies even as a heavy clap of thunder hunder shook the hills the rains I 1 they cried the ordinal the first brat rains I 1 and it was even so BO nature took a hand and sent destiny skulking from tho the havoc at 0 t her carnival the plas bings turned to a downpour among the mountains the effect was indescribable the thing that took place was too big for or man to grasp it was waa greater than the fires had been alone long sheets of water fell athwart the world slanting from some tilted sea of tho the infinite they dashed in among the canyons played along tho ridges lashed slope and ledge and valley tho the smoke was beaten to the earth tn in a blanket that spread over a hundred miles and more it writhed and twisted and was lost in the clouds of stearn steam that fled hissing high above the hills the gods played with the coast country dally turned his face away from any man and tho the general wont went to tho the little south room in the cook shack for unaccustomed prayer tho the world turned blue with rain as it had boon been white with smoke and the pygmies men who had bad fought so long and failed tossed their blackened hands in triumph and shouted with the last of their voices for an hour two wo it rained until the black spikes on the dev devastey devue asted led slopes wore blotted out itu its mighty on unusual usual a rains hards this thib specially the brat rains said a man from toledo earnestly dont ever remember ones hard ayou bill and dill bill presently in tho the second hour atthe 0 tho downpour a strange procession loomed out of at the gray blue sheets startling martling the men who were out in it too glad to shirk its worst standing like ilka ducks in the ashmun it was the long shining body of a klant glant dog still tugging at the rolna retno tied to lite his collar a dripping hack black horse tired to the point of falling failing and a woman who sat fastened to the cantie with strips of and whose face was not good to look upon it bore bare upon its features the brand of too much horror they flocked around her with cheers and eager hands and questions that tumbled over each other dut but john dally daily thrust them all aside to seize her wrist and demand word of sandry and up behind the hog flog gack back she shuddered as she spoke that namo name we found hampden setting the abo fires witti with candles here her thero there were awed mutterings rings ile he shot that preacher lie ho said the east belt deed was recorded all right but that he owned the recorder she seemed duly dully bent on straightening out soth soine 0 tangle sandry Is 19 a man all get lt if hes alive no I 1 dont mean that he le sent roe me down the horse was near done As she sha slid down into bailys arms sho she said with her last ounce of strength but with such commanding spirit that he bo lwow knew she was in deadly earnest get rae nie a conveyance at once I 1 want to be ta in toledo for the night train out thus it came that as night closed down blue with rain over tho the tortured country two things of import to the fortunes of the Dilling killingworth worth and its owner were taking place poppy ordway stood on the platform of at the dreary station ai at the lost little town on the backwater bound tor for the outside world and the far cities at the same moment yet one more procession was nas coming slowly down from among the peaks a line of men a long line for weary as they were dozens had followed the foreman into tho the wrecked mud deep forest who boro bare tenderly among them two slings it was a significant tact fact that scattered along that scarecrow line was every man of at jandrys Sand San drys rya old crows crews who had gone over to campdon Hamp don in one sling there swung gently the cbill figure of 0 tho the preacher its hook book upon Us its breast its martial flute berido it its glimmerings glimme rings ot at the past forgotten its wistful anderl in the other lay sandry his right hand clasping two small email dark onea whose owner trudged faithfully beside him refus ln all offers of at assistance A holy lay joy was wan in his heart his lips moved noiselessly in tho the rolling latin of at a to doum deum this was the hour for which ho be had carelessly learned it at collese college unashamed ho he acknowledged the ex istance of that power which he bo had once denied to and the little maid who had bad lost her soul tor for lovo love lifted wondering eyes toward the west ridge hidden in tho the dim diat distance atice where her sanctuary the seven foot fir stump waited la in vain tor for her rites ft ef worship thero there was waa a wistful pathos in fit her calm acceptance of the mighty price which had bad been asked of her and yet she was content she had offered both her soul and body exalted glorified in that she might serve man where her soul had been there was a sweeping burning glorious passion which tightened her clasp on jandrys Sand San drys rya hand neither she nor the young owner realized that they had exchanged places on the path dath of life the profession slon headed beaded by john dally dalli who carried one end of sandras Sand San drys sling and was filled with a generous joy in that he be had bad found those these two alive wound slowly down from the cup behind the hog flog back penetrating that fringe of pines at its foot which had formed tho the trap they were wera now but hideous blackened shapes monsters that towered frightfully into the rain their bases basea smoking here and there where a boulder bowlder abl shielded elded stubborn fires close along alone the face of tho giant cliff they pressed taking the shortest way suddenly without warning they came full upon a huddled heap neap that lay at tta its base it was pitifully flat bat and broken as it if it had fallen from 1 V A huddled heap liy lay at its base a great height and it bore bare upon a shoulder a dreary cri crimson stain washed and widened by the rain dally daily halted baited and sent a cry along the line they touched the thing with awed amaze turning up in the blue dusk tho the heavy face ot of the yellow pines owner hampden with tho the aid of tho the tow eying ering spine and tho the sheer depths had bad mado good hla his words they would nover never send bond him to tho the chair and with the passing ot of the wondrous face under the disheveled gold |