Show the h e TRAIL idail rr OF J 9 90 t A northland romance by ROBERT W SERVICE vav W service Must illustrations rations by irwin myers STORY FROM THE START athol fil bl eldrum young scott man ataras out t to seek his tor for tune he arrives at t san francisco practically pr act c ally broke br ke and meets meet a fellow adventurer whom he d dubs ube the prodigal g al with jim hubbard they jo join in the rold gold rush to alaska on the boat athol meets herna derna a young woman traveling with her grandfather a and nd a hard bard looking couple named who figure as her aunt and uncle landing at skag way athola party at once takes take the trail in a snows lido on the chilcoot trail which berna and tier her companions had taken hundreds d of lives are lost fearful for de pernaa brims safety athol hastens to the scene he finds the old neAt man dead at sennett cennett derna comes come to athol confesses her ave ive and begs him to marry her 0 to o save her from the harsh fate she h foresees ile he Is in unwilling to hillka such a decisive step and tells her they must wait some days afterward derna berna tells tell athol madam bladas Winkles tsin plans to sell bell her to mack clack jacl jack locasto Loca ato millionaire miner of evil reputation reaching the gold bold fields athol and his party find and the cla 11 me all taken unable to locate cat berna ama seeks information from locasto black ack jack disclaims knowledge of her whereabouts and lures meldrum rn to a lonely spot and beats hi him into unconsciousness through b a lucky chance athol finds Dern ir a they set a date for their marriage the first of june CHAPTER VIII to 10 better quit said the prod gal it was the evening of my ruly liap and he hud had arrived unexpectedly from rom town it just fits in with my plans getting jim to come in ia too ive realized on that stuff I 1 bought inide over oer three thousand clear profit and with it ive ande a dicker for a property on the beach above bonanza gold cold hill they call it ive a notion its all right anyway well tunnel in and see you and jim will have i a quarter quarte r share each tor for your work 1 while il ill I 1 lia ve nn an extra for or the capital capita ive put in im Is it i a go I 1 said it was next day found us nil three surveying our claim the first thing to do abs to build a cabin night away we befanto be ganto level on off the ground tho work was pleasant and conducted in such friendship that the time passed most happily indeed my only worry worn wua was about berna I 1 schooled myself into the belief that she was alt all right but thank god every moment was bringing her nearer to me we had lin tiled the logs for the cabin and the foundation was laid every day saw our future home near er completion one evening I 1 spied the saturnine ItIl lwood climbing down the bill hilll tu to our tent lie ile balled roe me say we want a night watchman up at tile claim to go on four hours a night at a dollar an hour yuu you see isee theres been a lot of sluice bux rob herles berles tritely lately and were ivere scared foi our clenn cleam up ui theres tour four hours every night the place Is deserted anti hoormann proposed we should get you to keep watch wiit cli yes I 1 bald ril ill run up ever evening it the others dont object they did not so the next nest night and for about a dozen after that I 1 spent the darkest hours watching on tile claim where previously I 1 had worked it was tile and most uncertain flour of the four and I 1 was sitti sitting fig at my lily post of guard As tile the night flight wua was chilly I 1 had brought along alone an old gray blanket similar in chloi to tile mound of the puy pay dirt there had been quite a cavity dug in the dump during the day and into thin I 1 crawled and wrapped myself in mj m blanket from my position I 1 could see the string of boxes containing ohp rimes by iny in side lay a loaded shotgun it the swine comes had raid bald let will have a clean up tip ot of lend lead instead of gold lang there I 1 got to thinking of tile robberies they were remarkable all had heen been done by an ex pert each time the robber bud bali cleaned yv pit front from two to three thou sand dollars und all within the past lixon month th there wits was some mysterious ronk ook in ili our midst one who upended led swiftly and surely and teft left absolutely no nip cleyon cleY of his identity I 1 was quiet for a while watch ln drel dreamily luilly lie hie dark shadowed of the dusk what was that surely th tin hushes bushes were moving overa there bythe by the hillside I 1 strained tay illy eyes I 1 was right they were I 1 and waited A man loan was putting parting lie ilia bust bushes les cautiously crawling crawl ing I 1 like life it A snake he worked hlf his way to the lie i nice boxes none but a keen wait baitcher cher could bave seen him again und and agnall he paused peered around listened intently very lery care with willi my eyes fixed on him I 1 lifted the gun to my shoulder I 1 had film rover cl 1 I 1 waited u alter somehow I 1 was loath tv tu shoot aly nerves were ii a quiver more I 1 said eisaw 1 saw him working busily wag lying flat alongside the boxes how flow crafty how skillful he was I 1 tie ie was disconnecting the boxes lie ile would let the water run ran to tile the ground then there in the exposed rift les would be hla his harvest would I 1 shoot now now i then in tile the midnight hush bush blazed forth with one scream the man tumbled down carrying along with him the disconnected box the water rushed over the ground in n deluge I 1 must capture him there lie he lay in that pouring stream now lowi I 1 lind find hani in that torrent of icy fey water I 1 grappled with my illy man over and ovet ove we e rolled lie he tilled ivied to gouge me ile hc was wan small tin but toh oh how strong 1 up or held lon down hla fils race face fiercely I 1 wre wrenched ached it up to the he light it was the worm I 1 gave ave a cry of surprise and ma m clutch on him must have weakened forat for at that moment cioni ent he gave a violent wrench a ent ilke twist and tore him self free men alen were running in front from all directions catch him I 1 I 1 I 1 cried yonder he be goes but the little ninn mon was shooting forward wa rd like it deer flight and left ran pan his pursuers each other fur for the robber in the semi gloom yelling frantically mad with the excitement cit ement of a man hunt and in the midst of it all I 1 lay in a pool of mud and water with a sprained wrist kind anil a bite on my lily les leg why you hold bold him shouted 1 I I 1 answered 1 I 1 saved your clen cleanup and lie he got some of the lead besides I 1 know who he be Is pat doogan ayou you dont say wel yell pro pm darnel darned well get him ill go into town first thins thing in fit tile the morning and get out a warrant for him ue ile went but tile the next nest evening back he returned looking very surly and disgruntled well what want about the warrant sold said get it snapped look here flo I 1 met locasto black jack saya boys flat was cached away dead to nil all the world in the backroom bac kroom of tile the omega saloon all night theres two loafers find and alu barkeeper to back him apt up what can we e do in the face of that say young feller I 1 guess you mistook your man 1 I guess I 1 did not I 1 protested stoutly they both looked at me for ama a i mo ment and shrugged their shoulders time went on and tile the cabin was waft quietly nearing completion the roof of poles was in place it only re to cover it with moss and thawed out earth to make tt it our fu ture hortie ilore afore and more my dream houn were jealously consecrated to ile berna md itow flow ineffably sweet were they flow full of delicious imaginings 1 how flow pregnant of high hope bobel 1 0 1 was born to love I 1 think and I 1 never loved but one this story of my illy life to Is th story of berna it Is a tiling thing of wont and words und words yet every everi word Is berna berna feet feel the heartache heart nehe behind it all read between the lines berna rema berna tile the prodigal was always adoo snoop P ing around and gleaning information from most mysterious sources one evening tie he cattle came to us boys get ready quick theres a rumor ot of a stampede for a new creek ophir creek they call it away on the he other side of tile the divine divide A prospector went down ten feet and got fifty vent cent dirt weve got to ge in on this theres a mob coming from dawson but well got there be fore the rush quickly we got together blankets and a little grub arid and keeping out of sight we crawled up the hill andev cover of the brush soon we came to a place front from which we could corn com mend a full view of the lie volley valley here hen we lay down a awaiting walting developments on tile tie far slope of eldorado dorado Cl I 1 sava so hawk soar upward surely a 0 mrm wasi moving nold the brush two meo men a dozen men moving lit in single file very ery I 1 pointed them out its the file stampede whispered jim weve velve got to get on to ro the trail of that flint crowd travel like blazes we can cut them off tit at the head fiend of the valleys valley throw away your blankets boys said raid the just keep a little littie grut grub we must connect with that bunch if we break out om necks r it wits hours after when we over took them about a dozen men oil nil in tile the maddest hurry and casting behind thein glances of if furtive apprehension the lender leader was going like one pus pos jessed we e blundered on behind it IL the same asunte mad hurry nille mile after mile little lincir after hour con cm tent to follow file lie mm ut it iron fron who was guiding gidding us no to the virgin treas ure i re we ve find heen pounding along nil Ill ii lelit gift up ap hill and down doun ditle the sun rose it won was ni morn orning lne still we kc kept pt up our fierce gall would oui nut lender p arler never coi conic nofo to hla fils by abai roundabout route wile he guiding us we panted p cited air 09 we belled on parched and weary faint and toot sore but still our forder loader kept on suddenly the prodigal said bald to me say you boys will have to go on without me im all in lie dropped in a limp heap on th the e ground and instantly fell asleep se several va of tile the others had dropped out too they fell ell asleep where they gave up utterly exhausted we tind find now been going sixteen hours and still our lender kept on it was about four in hie tife afternoon when we reached the creek up it our leader plunged till 01 lie he came tos toa place where a rude shaft had find been dug we gathered around film here hera it ts Is boys bois tie he said heres my discovery sanle now you fellows go up or down anywhere youve a notion to and put lu ili your stakes may we had now seen been going sixteen houra and still our leader kept on be stake a million dollor dollar claim maybe a blank einings Min ings all a gamble but go ahead boys I 1 wish you yon luck so we strung out and coTt cattling ling lo in rotation jim and I 1 staked seven and eight below discovery then I 1 throw threw myself down on a bit of moss and covering lay iny head with my coat to ward off tile the mosquitoes in a few minutes I 1 was dead to the world I 1 was awakened by the prodigal up lie he was saying baying youve slept right round the clock W weve eve got to get back to town find and record those claims jims gone three hours ago I 1 was sleep stupid sore abiff in every joint rocking paeng made me groan at every movement and the night nighta air lr bad brought oti oa twinges twinge of rheumatism but we started olt off it was about nine in the morning when we g got of to the gold office there was quite a number ahead of me and I 1 knew I 1 was in for a long walt wait I 1 will never forget it IL for three days with the exception of two brief sleep spells I 1 find been in a fierce helter of excitement and I 1 had find eaten no very satisfying food As I 1 stood to in alint sullen crowd I 1 swayed with weariness and my legs were doub doubling liag un der me I 1 staggered forward find and straightened up suddenly I 1 was waa near tho the wicket only two were ahead of 0 me A clerk was recording their claims one on had thirty four above tile tho other fafty two below tile the cle clerk rk looked flustered fatigued it was my turn 1 I want to record eight below on ophar I 1 said what name lie ho asked I 1 gave cave it lie he turned up his book eight r ight below you say why alint already recorded cant be I 1 retorted 1 I 1 just got down from there yesterday after planting my stakes cant help it it its recorded by some one else recorded early yesterday look here I 1 exclaimed what kind of a game are you putting up on me I 1 tell tel lyou you I 1 was wa tile the flat on the ground I 1 alone staked tho the claim ll inta strange lie ho sald bald there must be some mistake anyway have hae to moe on mid and let tile the others get up to the he wicket youre blocking the he way all I 1 can do la Is to took look into inlo the matter for you and lo ive 10 got no time nw now come balk back tomorrow tomo irow next please the next man pushed me asi there I 1 stood gaping and gasping A I 1 man m tin in ilia waiting uniting line looked at me pityingly its no use young fellow better make up nil your nand wild to lose losa that claim dim flam you out of it somehow sent rent some one out now to stake over you jou it if you kick they II 11 say you iou stoke stake proper them government Is ig if the e crook edest bunch that ever mad anda f fuel e 1 for hellfire hell fire lire I 1 was stunned with disappointment what you want he continued 1118 la to get a pull with some of the get B n stand in young fellow well I 1 said im not going to be client chanted ed out of ray my claim if ive got to move heaven and earth do nothing of tile the kind it if you ret get bossy theres the police to put the lid on you yon you can talk fill til youre oure purple round tile the gills it wont eq cut oo no figure got us all cin cincher cinched ched weve ee just got to take our medicine its ita no use coln round bellyaching better go away and sit down and I 1 did to 0 alron I 1 find to sebern see berna a at once ce already uy I 1 had find paid a visit to the paragon restaurant that new and glittering place of resort run by the winkle steins but slie she was not on duty in tile the evening I 1 returned I 1 took a s seat eat in one of the curtained boxes the place was brilliantly lit up ninny mirrored and flashily ornate in gill and white in tile box before me a 0 white holved halica lawyer was entertaining a lady of easy virtue in the box behind a larrikin quartette from tile fhe pavilion theater was holding high revelry there was no mIst mistaking ahIng th character of tile the place in ili tile heart P 0 of athe the otys tenderloin it was a haunt of human riff lafr a palace of gilt and guilt built and it was tn in this place berna worked she walled waited on these wan van tons she served those swine she heart heard their loose talk their in relesa oaths slie site knew everything oh it was pitiful it sickened me to the soul I 1 ent ant down donn and buried my face in my hands order older please I 1 knew that sweet voice it thrilled me and I 1 looked up suddenly there was wan berne bema standing before mo me slie site gave a quick start then ered herself A took look of delight come came into her eyes eager vivid delight oh I 1 am so glad to see you again nerna berne I 1 sold said what fire are you doing with that flint paint on oil your face oh im sorry site she was rubbing distressfully stressfully dl at a dab of rouge on her cheek check 1 I knew you would be cross but I 1 had to they made me its just a little pink nil all the women do it it makes me look happier and it hurt roe me any TO BE CONTINUED |