| Show I I CHAPTER XIV Continued During this conference Rouletta stood tood quivering her face a blank completely indifferent to her surroundings surroundings sur sur- made her sit down dawn and but for her ceaseless whispering she might have been in ina ina a trance Doret's Indignation mounted as I the situation became plain to him Im Fine ting he angrily declared Wat Yat for you fellers leave dis gal settin up eh Me I come Jus' Jus in tam tarn for catch a tI loafer makin off oft wit her Again he lie swore savagely Deres some feller feller feller fel fel- fel- fel ler aint wort wart kuhn Vial Wai I got good warm camp I tak her dere den I fl tSam t Sam wont won't be no good good- to to you What she needs Is a doctor and she needs him quick the bartender averred Eh Eli bien I fin him too Mam Marn selle selle selIe turned to the girl girl girl- youre bad dats dat's fac You care for stop In my tent ten t The girl stared up at him blank blankly uncomprehendingly then drawn doubtless doubtless doubtless doubt doubt- less by the genuine concern in his troubled gaze she raised her hand and placed it In his She left It there the small fingers ingers curling about his big thumb like those of a child Poor lil bird The woodsman's woodsman's woodsman's woods woods- mans man's brow puckered a moisture gathered in his eyes Dis is hell helI for sure Come den ma petite I 1 fin a nes' nes for you vou He raised her herto herto herto to her feet then removing his heavy woolen coat he placed It about her frail shoulders When she TV was as snugly buttoned Inside of ot it he led her out ot into the dim gr gray graydawn graydawn y dawn she went with him obediently obedi obedi- en As they breasted the swirling snowflakes Doret told himself that pending Sam Kirbys Kirby's return to sanity sanity san san- ity this sick girl needed a womans woman's care quite as much as a doctors doctor's naturally his thoughts turned to the I Countess Courteau Of all the women women women wo wo- wo- wo men In White Horse the countess alone was qualified to assume charge of an innocent child like j this and he lie determined to call upon I her as soon as he had hd summoned j medical assistance When without protest Rouletta followed him into his snug living quarters Doret thought again of ot the ruffian from whom he had rescued rescued rescued res res- cued her and again he be breathed a malediction The more fully he lie be became became be- be came carde aware of the girls girl's utter helplessness helplessness helplessness help help- I the angrier he grew and the more criminal appeared her fa fathers fathers father's fathers father's fa- fa ther's conduct White Horse made madeno madeno no no pretense at morality It was but buta a o. o relay station a breathing point where the mad rush to the Klondike paused t there ere was neit neither er law nor order here the women who passed through were for for- forthe the most part shameless creatures the majority of the men were unruly unresponsive siva sive to anything except an appeal appeal 1 to their animal appetites Sympathy Sympathy Sympathy thy consideration chivalry had all but vanished in the heat of ot the great stampede That Sam Kirby should have abandoned his daughter daugh daugh- ter to such as these was incredible criminal Mere intoxication did not excuse it it and vowed he would give the old man a piece of ot his mind at the first opportunity I His tent was still warm a few I sticks of ot dry spruce caused the littie little lit little lit lit- tle tie stove to grow red he helped Rouletta to lie He down upon his Isis bed then he drew his blankets over her I You stay here Ill lil while eh 1 He rested a comforting hand upon her shoulder goin find tind I your papa now you goin feel better I The Gold God Belt saloon had haden I I- en en- en enjoyed enjoyed j joyed a profitable night all patronage patronage patronage patron patron- age less than an hour previously Morris Best st had rounded up thelast the thelast thelast last of ot his gay song-birds song and put an end to their carnival The poker game however was still In progress progress progress ress at the big round table Already Aready numerous early risers were hurryIng hurryIng hurry- hurry Ing to fortify themselves against the raw day Just breaking and among these last named by some evil whim of fate chanced to be e the theman theman theman man for whom Sam Kirby had so patiently waited The fellow had hadnot hadnot hadnot not come seeking trouble trouble trouble-no no one who knew the one-armed one gambIer's gamblers gambler's gam gam- bIers bIer's reputation sought trouble with him him but but learning that Kirby was still awake and In Jn a dangerous danger danger- ous mood he had entered the Gold God Belt Bet determined to protect himself In case of eventualities Doret was but a few seconds behind behind behind be be- hind the man but those few seconds were fateful As the pilot stepped Into the saloon he beheld a sight that was enough to freeze him mo mo- motionless The big kerosene lamps swung from the rafter braces above shed over the Interior a peculiar sickly radiance yellowed by reason of ot the pale morning light outside Beneath one of the lamps lampsa a tableau was set Sam and th the man he had struck the night be before before before be- be fore were facing each other in the center of the room and Doret heard the gambler cry Ive been laying for you ou Kirbys Kirby's usually impassive face face- was a sight it was fearfully con contorted contorted contorted con it was the countenance of E a maniac His words were loud and uncannily distinct and the sound of them had brought a a. breathless hush over the place At the moment moment mo mo- ment of Doret's entrance the occupants occupants occupants pants of the saloon seemed petrified jj petri- tIed fled they stood rooted In hi their tracks as If It the anger In that men menacing menacing acing voice had halted them In mid mid- action too turned cold for it seemed seemed- to him that he had opened the door upon a roomful of wax figures posed in theatric pos pos- pos tur tures s s. s Then in the flash of Ian ey eythe eythe eye the scene dissolved Its itself lf into action swift and terrifying What happened was so ted t- t ed It came with such a lack lackor or I w warning that few of ot the witnesses even though they beheld every move were able later to agree fully upon th details Whether Kirby actually fired the the- first shot or whether his attempt to do so spurred his antagonist to Ii lightning quickness was long IonS a matter of ot dispute In a flash the room be became became became be- be came a place of ot deafening echoes Shouts of protest yells ye-Ils of fright the crash of ot overturning furniture the stamp of fleeing feet ml mingled with the loud explosion of gunshots pandemonium fortunately the troupe of women who had been here earlier were gone and the tent w was s by no means crowded Even so there were enough men present to raise a a. mighty turmoil Some of ot them took shelter behind the bar others behind the stove and the tables some bolted headlong for the door still others hurled themselves bodIly bodily bod bod- ily fly against the canvas walls and ripped their way out The duel was over almost as quickly as It had begun Sam Kirby's Kirbys Kirbys Kirby's Kirbys Kirby's Kir Kir- bys by's opponent reeled backward and fetched up against the bar above 1 the din his hoarse voice rose He started it It You saw him Tried to kill dU me He waved a smoking pistol barrel barrel bar bar- rd rel at the gambler who had sunk to his knees Even while he was shouting shoutIng shoutIng shout- shout Ing out his plea for Justification Kirby slid forward upon his face and the fingers of his outstretched hand slowly unloosed themselves from his gun It had been a. a a shocking a sickening sickening sickening sick sick- ening affair the effect of it had been intensified by reason reason of ot Its unexpectedness and now although It lt was over excitement gathered fury tury Men burst forth from their places of concealment and made for tOr forthe forthe the open air all the structure vomited its occupants out Into the snow Doret had been swept aside then borne backward ahead of ot that stampede and at length found himself into a corner corner cor cot ner ncr He heard the victor repeating Ton Toil aw law him Tried to kill kiil me The speaker turned a blanched face tace and glaring eyes upon those witnesses witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses who still remained HesSam Hes HesSam Ies Ie's Sam Kirby I 1 had pad to get him or hed he'd have got me He lie pressed a hand to his side then raised It it was smeared with blood In blank stupefaction the man stared at this phenomenon Doret was the first to reach that motionless figure sprawled face down upon spon the floor it wa was he I who lifted the gray head and spoke Kirbys Kirby's name A swift examination was enough to make quite sure that the the- theold theod old man was beyond al all help Outside curiosity had done Its work and the human tide was setting setting- back into the wrecked saloon When rose with the body in his arms he was surrounded by a clamorous crowd Through it he I bore the limp figure to the cloth- cloth covered card table and there among among- the scattered emblems of ot Sam Kirby's Kirbys Kirbys Kirby's Kir Kir- bys by's calling deposited his burden By those cards and arid those celluloid disks the the- theold old gambler had made his living Jiving grim fit was in the fact that they should carpet his bier When Doret had forced his way by main strength out of ot the Gold Belt saloon he removed his cap and turning his face 10 to to the wind he breathed deep deeply of the coo cool clean air His brow bro was moist he let the snowflakes fall upon it the while he shut his eyes and strove to think Engaged thus he heard Lucky Broad address hIm I With the speaker was Kid Bridges that they had come hither I I on the run was plain for they were I panting this this' about Kirby Lucky I gasped I We heard hes he's Just been i croaked the tle Kid exclaimed I i Pole on nodded I seen it all He HeI I I had it comin to him an null anft with a a. gesture he ho seemed to brush a hideous hide hide- I t ous picture from before his his' eyes I Old Sam Dead Broad It seemed was Incredulous He undertook to bore hl hi his way yay the crowd that was pressing through the saloon door but Doret seized him Dat Wait Walt cried the latter aint all dat aint de worst Say Wheres Where's Letty Bridges Inquired Was she with him when it happened Does she know know know- J Dats Dat's wat Im I'm goin to tell you In a few words made known the girls girl's condition how he had happened happened happened hap hap- hap hap- to encounter her and how he ho had been looking for her father when the tragedy occurred His listeners showed their ther amazement and their concern Gosh That's tough It was Broad speaking Me Ien n the Kid CId 1 Id had struck camp and was on on our way down to fix up our bo boat t when we heard bout about the the kuhn We I couldn't believe It f for r Sam Sam Sam- I I Seems like it was wal a waste of ot effort ef effort ef- ef I et-I fort fort to save sav that outfit Bridges broke In Sam dead and Letty dy- dy In all In all in this length of ot time She's a good kid she's goin to feel awful Who's goin to break the news to her herr j I I don know frowned I In deep perplexity Deres Dere doctor doctorin i in dere now he nodded towards the Gold God Belt BeIt Im goin to tak him to her but she mus mus' have woman woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man for tor to ta tacare care care of ot her Madame la Ia a Why the Countess is gone She left at daylight Me n the Kid are areto areto areto to follow as soon as we get our I skiff fixed I I I Sure Gone I I I Sacre De Dc one decent woman in inI indis I dis place Val Wal shrugged Dose dance hall hail gal Is got good goodheart goodheart I heart heart heart- I I Hell They pulled out ahead of ot our gang Best ran his boats through the White Horse late yesterday yesterday yesterday yes yes- and he was off before it wasI was I light I know Phillips told em em me Hes He's Joined out with blew in early and got his war bag Ho He left the Countess tat flat Doret was sas at this news news' and he showed his dismay But But deres dere's deres no more jor women I here he stammered Dat young young lady she's she mus mus' be nurse By Gar Who's goin to do doit doit doit it eh The three of ot them were anxiously discussing the matter when they were Joined by the doctor to whom I Polon had referred Ive done all there Is to do here the physician announced Now about Kirbys Kirby's daughter You say she's delirious The pilot nodded Ho He told of Rouletta's Rouletta's Rouletta's Rou- Rou lettas letta's drenching on the afternoon previous and of the state In which he ho had Just found foun her het Jove Pneumonia most likely It sounds serious and Im I'm afraid I 1 cant can't do much You see Im I'm all ready to togo togo togo go but but ot of course Ill I'll do what I 1 can goin to nurse her Po leon demanded for tor a second time Dere aint no women In dis place pace The physician shook his head I Who indeed Its It's a wretched situation situation sit sit- If It she's as ill as you seem i to think why well we'll have to do the best we can I suppose She probably probably probably ably wont won't last long Come Together Together Together To To- gether he and the French Canadian hurried away CHAPTER CHAPTER It was afternoon when I Lucky Lucky Broad and Kid Bridges came to toI Doret's tent and called its I owner outside Were Yere hitched up and ready to to fay dap gU dap but we came back to see how Lettys Letty's getting along the former explained Poi PoM jn shook his head doubtfully doubtful doubtful- ly jy his face was grave baa i Does she know about old Sam She aint know She's I altogether Poor lil gal she's Jus' Jus lak baby Im I'm scare as az hell The confidence men stared at atI I each other silently then the they r stared at Doret What we to do about it the Kid InqUired I finally was at a loss for al' al he made no ecret anxiety Je De doctor say ay she n stay right t here here here- t Here lie He say If she get cold once pouf She die more lak ak dat Pr 11 ty fire plenty blanket medicine hour hour dats dat's au all Im I'm acome a- a ever tor come come along ong some woman woman any any kl ll of woman at all I all I don care It if si squaw v. JS There aint any skirts bat bac us Bests Best's outfit was the las ot of t to leave There won wo b bi any more till after the freeze if Eh bien blen Den I 1 spose I bes' bes I 1 can She's poor ga beeg cold countree wit no nono frie no money money money- No money Broad was stat start Why Sam was as fat He h bay d 1 bank roll roll roU- He lose five dollar p Ia I in card las' las night Less j ji eight dollar dey lef let him Eighty dolL an an dis From the pocket r. r I mackinaw drew Kirby volver that famous acS j I six shooter the elaborate ivory iii M of of which was notched in se er al il ili i i pac places s. s Broad and his partner the weapon with Intense Interest Bridges was even more de deeply ply Impressed by the Kirbys Kirby's losses than was his Sam must of been easy drunk like that He was a gambl fool when he was right but I sP he couldn't thInk ot of fresh meat for tor Agnes Letty af him tagged proper and I 1 bet sh s1 d tl of saved him If she hadn't oroff ot or g ione off chance her nut think she's go a For get well shrugged mm his wide shoulders De Dc I its it's goin be hard pull Hes He's goi I stay so long he can den den wal wal m m metH be noder doctor come aon alon along 1 I I hope so I If It she does win out then w Broad inquired I considered the qUes question OD 1 I I 1 spose I 1 tak her back to D an send her home I 1 got some d dog dog To be continued |
