Show RL BI BAIt B- B SON OF F KAZAN w by A x JAMES OLIVER OLVER C NT E G 10 Chapter Continued X-Continued X Continued 18 1 1 B- B Pierrot deep dEp In his own somber thoughts scarcely heard the strange laugh that came suddenly from ht her r lips Nept was listening to the growl that was again In Baree's throat It was a low but terrible sound When halt half a mile from the cabin she the panniers from his shoulders and carried them m herself herself her- her self elf Ten minutes later they saw a aman aman aman man advancing to meet them It was not Pierrot rec rec- reco rec- rec recognized recognized o led him and with an audIble breath of ot relief waved hIs hl hand It was teas DeBar who trapped In the Bar Bar- Barren Barren Barren ren Country north of Lac Dam Pier Pier- Pierrot Pierrot rot knew him well They had ex- ex exchanged ex exchanged changed poison fox They were frIends rind and there was pleasure In the tho grip of f their hands bands DeBar stared then at Tonnerre she has grown crown rown Into a woman 1 l he cried and like a woman looked at him straight with the color deepening In her cheeks as he bowed low with a courtesy that dated back a couple of centuries beyond the line trap line DeBar lost no time In explaining hIs mission and before they reached the cabin Pierrot and knew why he had hod come the Factor at Lac Bain was leaving on a journey journy In five days and he had hod sent DeBar as a special mes messenger enger to request to come up to assist the clerk and the breed breed halt storekeeper In his absence Pierrot made no comment at first Dot But he was thinking Why had Bush sent for him Why had he not chosen some Jome some one nearer Not untIl a fire was crackling In the sheet sheet- sheet Iron Iron stove In the cabin and Was busily engaged getting supper did he voice these questions to the I hunter fox-hunter DeBar shrugged ed his shoulders He asked me at first first If It I could stay But I have haye a wife with a n bad lung Pierrot It was caught by frost trost last winter and I dare not leave her herIon herlong herlong Ion long I alone lIe He has great reat faith In you rou Besides you know all alt the trappers on the Company's books at Lac So he sent for you Jou and begs you not to worry about your lines fur-lines as ns he will pay Ilay you double what you would catch catchIn catchIn tn In the time you are at the Post And And said Eald Pierrot expects me to bring her From the stove stoye the Willow bent her head to listen and her heart leaped tree free again at DeBars DeBar's answer He die said nothing about that But Dut surely surely-it It will be a great change for Pierrot nodded Possibly 1 They discussed the matter no more that night But Dut for hours Pierrot was still thinking and a hundred times he asked himself the same question Why had gart sent for him t t must be he told himself finally that had sent for him because he wanted to win over the father ot of and gain the friendship ot of herself For this was un- un undoubtedlY un undoubtedly a very vety vet great honor that the Factor was conferring on him And yet deep down In his heart he was filled with suspicion When DeBar was about to leave the next morning Pierrot said Tell that I will leave for Lac the day after tomorrow After DeBar had gone he lie said to And you ou shall remain here ma macherIe maCherie cherIe I will not take you to Lac halo I 1 have had a dream that will not go on a journey but brit that he helias has lias lied and that he will be sick when hen henI I arrhe e at the post And yet Jet if It should cn n that you cure care Ire to go- go go straightened suddenly like a 8 reed that has lias been caught by the wind Non l she cried so fiercely that laughed and rubbed his hands hand So It happened that on the second day after the fox hunters fox visit Pierrot left for Lac Inc Balli Bain with In thedoor the thedoor door waving him good good-by until he was vas out of sight On On the morning of this same day y Bush rose from hip hir Led bed while It was still dark The time had come corne He lIe had hesitated at murder murder- murder at the killing of Pierrot and und in his hesitation he had found a better Letter way vay There could be no escape for It was a wonderful scheme so easy ot of accomplishment so o Inevitable In Its outcome And all nil the time wi would uld think I ly ite was away to the East gast gaston Easton Easton on n ft mission I IlIe Ilie lIe He ate his breakfast before beCore dawn and was on the trail trull before It was yet Jet light There Th re was a vast amount of brutal satisfaction to art In anticipating what was wa about to hap hap- i I w I-en and lie he reveled re In It to the full a arll There hero ro was no chance for disappoint disappoint- disappointment disappointment ment lIe He was positive that could not accompany her father Cather torI to rI Lac lae She h would be at the cabin pa the Uie Cray Crar Loon alone boon alone This aloneness was to bur bur- burdened burdened with no thought of ot danger dangel There were times now when the thought of being alone was pleasant to her when she wanted to dream 11 by herself when she things Into the mysteries of ot which she lie would not admit even Pierrot She Sir was growing Into womanhood Just womanhood Just the sweet sweet closed bud of ot womanhood as an yet still yet still a girl with the soft velvet of girlhood in III luher her eyes yet with the mystery of woman stirring gently In her soul as asIt asif asIf It if tho the Great hand lIand were hesitating be- be between be between tween awakening her and letting her sleep a little longer At these times when the opportunity came to steal hours by herself she would put lot on the red dress and do up her Wonderful hair as n she saw It In the pictures of the magazines Pierrot had sent up twice a year from Nelson House On the second day of ot Pierrot's ab- ab absence ab absence sence sence dressed herself like this but today she let her hair cascade In Ina ina Ina a shining glory about her and about her forehead boun bound a circlet of red ribbon She Sho was not yet done To- To Today Today To Today day she had marvelous designs On the wall close to her mirror she had tacked a large largo page pae from a womans woman's magazine and on this page was n a lovely vision of ot curls Fifteen hun hun- hundred hundred hundred dred miles north of the sunny Cali Call California California fornia studio In which the picture had been taken 1 with pouted red lips and puckered forehead was fight fight- fighting ing fag to master the mystery of the theother theother theother other girls girl's curls 1 I She was looking Into her mirror her face flushed and her eyes ees aglow In the excitement of the struggle to II i nr w it L r I 1 t t I Tell That I 1 Will Leave Leav the Day After Tomorrow fashion one of the coveted rInglets from a tress that fell away m below her hips when the door opened behind her and Bush gart walked In Chapter XI The Willows Willow's back was as toward the thedoor thedoor thedoor door when the Factor from Lac Bain entered the cabin and anel for a few tew startled seconds second she did Ihl not turn Her first thought was of ot for Pierrot-for Pierrot for some reason he had returned But even as this thou thought ht came to her she heard In Baree's throat a snarl that brou brought ht her suddenly to her feet feet- feet facing the thedoor thedoor thedoor door art was standing with his back against the lie door and at In In her wonderful dress and flowing hair lie be was staring as if stunned for fora fora fora a space at what he lie saw Fate or accident was playing u the Willow now If It tHere had been a spark of ot slumbering chivalry of mercy mer mer- merC mercy C cy even en In Lush Bush soul It was extinguished by what lie he lu saw Never ever had looked more beau beau- beautiful beautiful not even on that day when Mac Mac- MacDonald Mac Donald Donald the maker map had taken her heir picture The sun un flooding through u h th the window lI lighted up her marvelous hair her flushed face fuce was ms framed In Its lustrous darkness like Ilke n a tinted cameo Ie lie had dreamed but lie be had pictured nothing like tills this woman who stood before him now her eyes erES wid- wid widening widening wid widening ening with fear and the tle flush leaving her face tace even as he looked at her It H was not a long Interval 11 In their eyes yes met In that flint hat terrible silence terrible to the girl Word Words i were un nn unnecessary necessary ary At last she slie understood understood understood-understood understood what her peril had been lint day at the edge of the ch chasm sm and andin In the forest when fearlessly oly she hind had played with the menace that was as con con- con confronting fr fronting her now A breath that wa was like a sob broke brok 1 from her lips I Ilu she tried to sa say But It was only n u gasp nn gasp an effort She seemed clinking Plainly she hoard heard the click of the theIron theiron theIron Iron bolt holt ns os It locked the door Me- Me Me To Taggart advanced a n step Only a single step art ad- ad advanced advanced ad advanced On the floor Barel Baree had re- re remained re remained like a n carven carver thin thing lIe He hind hael not moved loved He lie had not made a n sound but that lint one warning until snarl snarl until Mc- Mc Mc rc- rc Ta- Ta Taggart art took the step And then hen lII like e II a flash he lie was up and In front of epe E every hair of ot his Ills body on end and at the fury In his growl crowl Mc- Mc Mc Taggart lunged back against the Ic-I Ic barred door A word from In that lint moment and It would have havo been O f over r But nn an Instant was lost lost- lost Ian nn Instant before her cry came In that moment mans man's hand and brain worked swifter than brute under under- understanding understanding stan standing and as Bares Baree launched him him- himself himself him himself self at th the Factors Factor's throat there came a flash and a dt deafening explosion al- al almost almost al almost most In the Willows Willow's eyes It H was a chance cliance shot a shot from the hip with garts gart's automatic Baree fell short lIe He struck the floor with a thud and rolled against the log loe wail all There was not a kick 01 or of a quiver left lert In his Ills body hody ody lau laughed hed nervously as he shoved his pistol back In Its holster ter He lie knew that only a abran abrain bral bran stint shot could have done that lint Wit W 1 her back against the further I wall peee NE was waiting gart art could hear her panting breath lIe fie advanced halfway to her I have come to make you my DY wife he said Mid She did not answer lIe He could see that lint her breath was choking her She Sheral ral raised ed a hand to her throat He Ill took two more step steps and stopped lIe He hud had never seen een such eyes ees I have linTe come to make you my wife Tomorrow you will go on to Nelson House with me and then back to Lac Bain forever forever He ne add added ed the last words as nn an afterthought Forever he lie repeated He lIe did not mince words Ills His courage cour courage o age e and his determination rose as he h saw her body droop a little a against the wall vall She was powerless There was no escape Pierrot was gone Jone Baree was dead lIe He hind had thought that no living crea- crea creature crea creature ture could move mo as swiftly s as the Wil Willow low when his arms reached out for her She Slie made no sound as she dart dart- darted darted ed under one of his outstretched arms lIe made a n lunge lun-e n 8 brutal grab and his fingers caught a bit of ot hair lIe heard the snap snail of ot It as she tore her her- herI herself herself I self fr tree free e and flew to the door She Sh had thrown hock back the flue bolt when he h caught herand her and his arms closed about aboul i her He lie dragged her back and non nO she cried out cried out cried out In her d de despair spain for tor trot Pie for Baree Bare for some mIracle of God that might save ave her And fought She twisted In his Ills arms until she he was facing him She could no longer see She was WOJ smothered In her hair It covered her het face and brea breast t and body her entangling her hands and arms arms- arms and still she Rhe fought In th tim the struggle le stumbled over the body of Baree and they went down was up fully five seconds ahead of the theman theman theman man She could have reached d the He thedoor door But again It was her hair ne pained to fling back the thick masses mases I of It so that she could see and Mc Mr Ic- Ic Taggart was at nt the door ahead of or her lier I IlIe lie did leI not lock It again but hut stood facing her Ills His face was scratched and bleeding He lIe was no nn longer loner n a aman aman man but a n devil was broken panting panting-a a low sobbing came with her breath She bent down lown and picked d 1 up a n piece Ilece of oi firewood gJ tl could see that her strength was at- at al almost mot most gone She clutched the stick as lie he ap approached her again But Hut hind lost nil all thought of ot fear Cear or caution lie He sprang upon her like nn an animal I IThe The stick of firewood fell And again fate played against the girl gin In Tn her het terror and hopelessness ness she he hll hint caught ht up the first stick her hand liand ha I a d-a d a light one With her last strength she slie struck at nt with It and as It fell on his Ills head ht stal staggered erd back But It did not him loo loose e his Ills hold TO nE na I CO D |