Show M or X edff E effal NE w 1 q i ihnat i na C CHAPTER apter X Contin continued tied vt avii fv ii 16 V Qua you know my ish if you choose to disregard t guthorle Is an educated gentle broke in joan not a cave got vai hlll be home hoine by ton ten doob night I 1 and crowding past the Isco mated swan joan wi door of the mission in hla his 1 1 11 face T 1 lis not dot difficult to tell chos p Crawn ding here chuckled guthorle guterl Gu thrle 0 lu like to the lit attle tle m asbe ile nicana means well enough but if v in send weak men to work in and tile tha oblates ablates strong your friend pere rousseau will flock floch to the french tells mo me youve youe lone done wonders w I 1 t h the orphan crees esl I 1 ive been useful to them alir ho he anre exert tile the authority my honorable brother bestow bestowed d upon him alro imagine nursing in ermnee and having amr Mr blyan Swan to guide my faltering feet W 1 iner merrily rily ns as they swung through tho tha stinging air of the clear X nam 4 ite man beside her was hardly aware aware bof of ills his nio touching tile 1 4 snow so lifted in spirits was ho the nearness of tile girl who whose se A 4 v range d decision to winter nt at albany i ayou OYO G toll tell nie me this afternoon 1 I 1 wh 0 u deceived me as aa to yo your ur whereabouts in your s our christmas I 1 letter s 1 h it told yol 1 vi you come coit i ato fee niel she blie asked turning chood b r and aind in acting tits his eyes wit ith i impei agne f yes xai V 1 ank hat Is in the reason you nican mean you iou llant want to eee cee ifal Im ean can that you jou lind hall your to M dolt 1 would have interfered for a space in silence fi il to tier her you yon art are that va kincl I 1 of fl a oman you ou understand I 1 1108 am hope so ahe nv atas as thrilled by the thought that botn friendship was ilke that kut but alliy had find afie stayed could va 11 the ba that after the photographs she hadt ideen nt at elkann with alth their in I 1 L eions site she had stayed staged nevertie 3 A at albany because because lie ile could tell her now that lie he I 1 kw a i i free since his reply to ethels sr r which went ment out afternoon loose but what had tits his fre freedom edorn 10 lo the gari whose overshoes over overs shops boes arched ached the snow enow beside hini him I 1 would like to ask you a question imald aid at length ler ar laugh rippled on tile frosty air Ms Is sounds interesting mr ille A ito to avoid ant antl clomax you iou should t t for our alk back the alio moon be up UD then ho he question wont wait he re p d ilas has your 5 our brother written you hainy my 1 I c engagement t yes chauk you youl I 1 I 1 wanted to tell you al I 1 R it t it lias has been broken by lier her in at this christmas innel tan jaja silence the girl walked stiffly IX thought watching her with t n A r u FW 1 V p 21 A 1 F F she laughed merrily 1 end turned to the river lie he looked ui lut could not see tier her face burled in the fur hood the reason given was nanda 11 it j she turned tinned fiercely questioning tyes eyes as she demanded lie ile told your family fain lly that story I 1 evidently said garth grimly if f there was capacity y for feeling in this N itri he thought shell show it now I 1 I 1 t it t uy my brother lias has done with me you see ive disgraced the family 1 p no I 1 dont see she said hoarsely gazing straight ahead my brother I 1 has ins told that story etory in montreal Monti eal ln in aured you beyond repa reparation ratton my brother I 1 im sorry I 1 told you he replied shocked nt at the depth of her emotion but I 1 wanted you to know that my shackles are off im it free rann man I 1 wanted yon to know in the tide of emotion which stirred him guthrie faltered stopped the shoulders of tile the girt girl lifted in a iolj sol aas us she turned to conceal her distress I 1 ile he touched her thrilling nt at the contact please im so sorry ill I 1 he t jd by GEORGE MARSH copyright by the th perm C 6 Berv arvi lct C a MY aly brother 1 ilow how low utterly owl be heard her say then site she got herself in hand straightened and said 1 I will write at once to your brother do no such thing do you suppose id allow you to soil yourself with this family faintly row your brother has unintentionally dono done me ine a service for which I 1 thank him joans dark brows contracted as she g ravely gravely searched scar chad ills face you are not joking you mean lt 1 I mean every syllable of it now lets leta forget it till nil and get on to the came camerons rons before you freeze out horel herel its growing sharp lie he said but what ile he meant was it you stand there another second looking nt fit me like that joan quarrier ill kiss you the talk of the factors was not allowed by that jubilant fur trader to stray fur far from the mad raid laid on akl aid fishl by garth and anti ami the medicine lied tellie nial making ing of old saul from the mouth of cameron joan quarrier learned the details of the desperate effort to save the trade and its ita ultimate success arent you ion proud of yourself sir mr alle slie site said as cameron finished anti and her patent joy in tits hla success wits was like villo to ills his blood and shot too lie he earned tits his citation but how bow gruesome it was awfully att ful As lie he walked beside her under the frosted stars to the mission guthrie strove to shift the conversation to tile the personal to recapture the note struck with such poignancy when slie she learned tile the aftermath of tier her brothers brot liers story lit in montreal but tile the armor of tier her reserve defied him hauled by tier her mood but respecting it he asked it if he might como come to say goodby the following morning and left tier tit at the mission door to the man whose love loe tin had been on tits his lips when tits hand touched tier her shoulder the new mood of tile the girl defied analysis ile he had find left tile camerons full of what joan quarreler hail had corne come to mean to him hungry to tell tier her there above the white albany what alint lie he had bad clr first t sensed that september night caught in tile the magic of tier her nearness liere here on the rim of tile the world with only the glittering stars to see he would have offered the scarred face and tile the love of garth black sheep but she hall had known tits his purpose and closed lips yet why ii unless n tile the exile up tile coast had meant moret more than hrin a passing friendship had bud she stayed staged on to the drudgery the unspeakable monotony of the mission CHAPTER XI she was waiting in tile the clearing when shot loped up sniffed looked at her curiously then pawed tier her joyfully with fore feet shot you know me aae and she rubbed the theeart ears rs il 71 the he wriggling alre dale lie ile hns has a good memory for his fits fre friends ads said gaertn as the dog leaped in the snow around the pleased girl 1 I think it quite wonderful though that he should remember me lie knew me but five days barths mouth curled ills ilia master knew you no longer and tile the factor of elkman reveled in the slow color that touched her temples the swift flickering ot of heavy lashed lids ills master had reason to remember the guests who insulted him in tits his own house one of tits his guests countered guthrie was tin in angel of mercy we seldom forget tile visitation of angels do we and the other an ungrateful scan dal monger 1 I told you last night he was a blessing in disguise she looked squarely in his eyes as she said but I 1 did not believe you mr exile with a gesture of helplessness he insisted but how am I 1 to prove it to an unbeliever iler her eyes clouded lets walk along the shore 11 she parried and led the way shot circling tier her begging for a frolic youre trying again for tire the spring trade from the island she asked oh with there and the echo of tits hla spirit voices in their ears cars we shall hold the hunters who crossed the strait then elkman will have a wonder ful year 11 yes the best in its history because of its new factor because of etienne Sav savonne rinne and saul houct no vehemently because you went inland and found and had the nerve to crofit the channel through the ice aco in a york boat then took a long chance ov overl erthe the new ice to reach tile the island in time mr cameron knows ile he glanced sharply at tile the clean profile crowned by a plume of wind tossed hair youre a doughty champion no im only a fair critic may I 1 never have a fairer nor noi one more unfair unfair what do you mean sir mr exile she had given h opening 1 I 1 mean joan quarrier that you h hav ays shut jour heart to the truth troth he plunged in impetuously 1 I mean that thai you are coupling roe me with ghosts dead memories that you will not see understand in ills his eagerness to clarify tier her vision of him blin eraso tile the memory of ethel with whom in spite of tits ills denials lie he still seemed hopelessly involved garth floundered britne to a halt through sheer excess of emotion cant we continue the good friends wo we tire are mr exile we ave need friend phlp un understanding der jig up here bore on tills this lonely coast cant we like ilke two good comrade coin rades hold to what we have dazed dozed helpless in the face of tier her obsession her evident conviction that her brother had been the cause of his ultimate bi break eak with keliel falconer guthrie walked on in silence cant we hold to our friendship she repeated facing him and slipping on off tier lier mitten extended her hand lie ile took it at tile the raw pain in tits his eyes jonn joan quartiers rs lips opened in an involuntary catch of 0 tile the breath lier her eyes widened in a look of wo wonder rider as if startled by what she eho saw you know you diw always ays will have my friendship lie ant sald thickly im coining eown down tho in february to see my friend may IV I 1 your friend will be very glad to SL eee e you yell at tile the door of tile the inis mission sion she mot met ills reluctant goodby good eod by with a so personal so like it caress that eliat the hand lie ile gave her shook like a lent in tins tho wind 11 my friend lie he repented under tits hla breath as lie he followed shot back to ettenne and the waiting in biting dog t team cam my friend tuy my world hour flour by hour over the coast ice the light sled reeled off the miles allies so good waa tile the going so keen the alio five great huskies for the trail that tile nien men left their robes only to stretch their legs the forty miles to tile the big willow river slid ild past by early after moon lioon and the hungry nien men turned in to the river mouth to build it a fire anre from froin driftwood and boll their kettle twenty miles allea directly across the strait the gray hills parted to form seat seal cove id give a good deal to know how they took tile the news over there 0 of f the loss of the northern fur UV ettenne enne said guthrie Gu thrle busy with tits hla plate of beatis beana and bacon Illel nelton lol theres there I 1 s a team coming 1 L l the alie ice wonder who V lio it IS for a time etienne studied the black object through tile binoculars but when the kettle and try fry pa pan n had been stowed find and the sled cover re lashed two rifles lu 16 their skin cases rode by the sides of the alie passengers A mile from tile the noon camp at tile the river the sled evidently headed for tile the mouth of the Kapl skau drew inshore A hunter from do de Kapl skau we veel teel now hear how ley dey swear on de schooner dis Christ christmas the dog team slowed to a walk and shortly were within speaking distance IC equay ill called savanne were you yell go leaving ills his ranting panting doge who straightway lay down on the ice the stronger hurried to the sled from elk wan As he approached it was evident to tile the two men mea that the cree was laboring under strong excitement tits ills sled bled was loaded and hla big hurd hard breathing indicated that lie he had run much crossi nir the strait staggering up lie he gasped de boat ovala bovair dere I 1 all gonel BIc Donal ilal hal ual bill dead till nil dealt dead I 1 what cried garth the schooners ners crew dead I 1 you corne come from dere you yon see dem demanded the astute helenne Et Ht lenno lenne A sinewy hand shot out and gripping the crees shoulder shook him film violently you see dem how macyll many repeated the halfbreed half breed searching tile the indians face in ill an attempt to probe the truth of tits his statement 1 I see one dead man no answer when I 1 yell insisted the other und and seemingly at the llie memory of tile ship of the dead ills his small eyes falle filled d with dread what happened was this man shot deni demanded garth exchanging glances with Say savanne arilie alue ue dle die of sickness I 1 look an run it tas ver bad down dere een flat dat boat said the indian with a shudder were the dogs there 1 I see no dog were you froni from snarled savanne thrusting a face berco with suspicion luto into the crees from rom le do I 1 go to do de bout boat to trade some fox you get dat lour flour from de boat steal idill hazarded Kt tt lenne guessing at the nature of the bulky load on the Ind indians lans sled the creo cree nodded dey not use it now the swart face of 0 the head man at ulkowan hardened into creased leather ns as ho to turned to garth and whispered 1 I don ink dla dis ving lie ile see ono one man bobbe do odera winbush us what we ire to do im lit going over to find out its my duty boucher louch cr will walt wall for or days they tuny may riot not till all bo be dead im li going suppose cot act ees a trick suppose do ones riot not dead wait for or dor der re rc vanalie van clie wen wo we come well stalk em ein and see dropping ills wittens anil dellmot dellget dell bot itchy reaching under ills ids lilt letine drow drew tits his skinning knife cool ly running a thumb over the edge lie ho thrust fla face into that of the dis indian while tits ills slit like ulo eyes snapped na as lie he bit oft off the words worda you ff 1 lit L W A the indian had seen but one body hot 1101 mcdonal hal ilal hal sen you to you sl salk ilc do i or I 1 find seizing the lie indian by his hood lie he made a quack puss pass at ills throat threat overawed Over awed by the fierceness of the strangers the undersized creo cree swayed on lila ills feet repeating in liln libi seeming terror 1 I apik do tru V you go to do boat you seel we go to do borit boat au an you go wid us snarled etienne at tile the words lie he indians face went gray do dd spirit I 1 am scare to go back he protested but the inexorable etienne ordered him bilm to turn ills his dogs and lead the way bade back it was liard hard on the hunter it if his story was straight but boarding bearding a waiting mcdonald in his lair was not to be lightly hazarded 1 I think the alie nian man la Is honest etienne Et lenne lie ile naturally hated bated to go again to tile the phlp L kut but what could have happened nu flu smallpox 7 savanne shook ills head only recently the bay had been swept by influenza lu flu enza brought in by a whaler impartially striking down eskimos indians and dogs but tie lie was still suspicious of a counterstroke by tile the schooner people sore from their defeat and confidently expected a confession front from tiro the dog driver ahead before the tusk dusk caught them guthrie Ou thrle on oil the contrary believed that some epidemic or possibly scurvy had stricken the crew and wondered it if the grent mcdonald Mc Donnld in the pride of hla his strength tit had found a grave in the ice fee the alie indian had find seen but ono one body and led fled so lie he suld said but the schooner had been silent as a tomb queer that all had died so soon As AR he left he had called repeatedly from the deck without answer except once faintly he be had heard something like the voice of a spirit when the cree had reluctantly cached its hla load |