OCR Text |
Show T1IE PAIIGER TRAIL & A GREAT MYSTERY STORY -I CBycJtunesOllvcr Curwood gathering ii n rout in his eyes Mowlam burst Into laugh "iKm't be frightened. Jean, he aook soothing! v. "I'm hurmlwi. Hut I tprorn IN you that I it become violent unlcsi something reasonable m.i-urn pretty "" Hello, hip v.. K-.tri to sturt so soon? "flight aw ;tv. m'seur," said rotei who who stirring up the dogs. "Will yoi walk hi. J run. or rid ? " "Walk nnl Mill, wtlh your perml-Kion Von have It. in 'tr, hut If you attempt at-tempt to e ("' I must shoot w.ii. Kiii! on ibe right of H'A .I.k. eti n Willi no I wilt Ink' tht side." I'nlll Crolen.i i-t..pied iiKHin In th middle of the afternoon How-land w 1 tl.e hMf-kwrfid trail fyr tin .ipi-em j.nee ol Ihc second f.lK", hot tin re w. uu sigh of II. Iiiiip lie "i)tiir"l to Itfiitu up the tih1f lo rpiiKH' l, who did no irn.r than reply with a lium'i of hhoiihlera and m quirk l'-ok whh-h wurned the engineer to ke-p hl f ! After. thelf ron.J meal Hi- journey wm resumed, and b re. ferrtng o -nloiil'v to hie rontpae (lowland (low-land ..I.r t-. that fie trail whs swinging gradually to tit.- i-,tiwant. I-"mk dehor flunk xliHtmtt"ii compelled Mm to ride ' i?m ' tiloit on lh- le,JK.-. Crolm-t e njed tireless, and node, the early glow of ' the Ktnr and I' - r .1 moon he hHH led .,n t!i'- woin pa. k unlil at lam l( Topped or Ho- summit of a nioiinta Inou ridge, with a VMM pIhIm f r't-iiiK Into llo- noilh hk far n the . v mold see through thr liii. gloom. Thr h-tifbrr 'I came ! k wli-r llowhirul wan ea!cd on the n.nU'r. - an- srolirK hot a tilth- farther, n r-tt ' ).. said. "I nmn! r pl t h" rMwliirtt- out vom- mouth an! lh thonaa .ili.oit . our wrii! I a'H ' hut I w ('1 h oiir U st f"' " ThiinkK."1 Hi.l llowhin.1. "Hut r'l. il U unii. -r wurv. Volaft. 1 aju pri-rrH pri-rrH uhftiM-i1 to 1h- fa I that fa' If n-ir-rmtn'l to pl.iv out Hila Int rtt ln tam ..f bull with in-, unit no lina-r knowing I him. I pinmlH' to rto nolhliiK nmrr r-. Uin thai ui.k mv PMW- if on will allow in! to Ro aU'tiK ia -t a.ly at votir hhl-." I'mlKM-l t.ffsllatnfl. "Von will not ailf n-pl to jitul vou will luil.i your toiigu? " nnUrd. "mra"Hyr " -kl H , . , , ... "U-ur in ininl. fn'fur. thai I will Kill von If otl hlak wnir V'ni i go nh'-art.' And hr pointed dnw n Hi "r thr mountain. (Tn he cnntinuiil. CHAPTUB X A Bac Into tha North-That North-That Melseas loved him that she ha1 taken bis head In her arms, an-1 ha klssM him. was the one ionuntin t hous h t In (lowland hra I n f r man y tnlnutea after aha had left him bnund and soired on the snow. That shu haO made no effort to free him did not at first Strike him i sianin. ant. lie atlll felt the aweet, warm imirh of h-r Hps. the preesure of her arms, the smothering softnaas of her hair. It was not until he again heard sppnufhlna aounda that h returned once more to a. f'i'1 -ona-iua-nesa of 'he niyaterlmw thln tliat had happeno1. He heard first of all the rraaktaff of a tnhoKKan on ths hard crust, then the paltering of dog' fet. and flf that th- voice" of men. The sounds! stooped on the trail a doscn feet aay from him. . . With a stranga thrill ha recogntied Croiaset'a voice. "Vou must h sum that you make nn mistake." he nlrJ . ! fl1 Tj lake and heae down a- htg nuk whei the c l open and tha water boiling. Track tip the anow with a pa"- of M me" Howlsnds hlgu heeled booia and leave hie hat tangled In th nusliea. Then leTi tha auperlntendent that he stepid on the stone And that It rolled down and toppli-d Mm Into the chasm. Thry could never And his bodyand they will aand down Mr a new engineer In placa or the toat m'seur." Htupened with horrnr. Hnwland etralnsd his ears to i-alch the rest of tha cold blooded scheme which he was overhearing, over-hearing, but tha voices grew lower and he anderatood no more that was natd until Crolsset. coming; pearer. called out; "Help m with tha m seiir before yoii f. Jackpine. He la a dead weight with ail thoa rawhide about him." As coolly as though ha were not more than a eh unit of atovewood. Crolsset and the Indisn came through the buahea aelsed him by the, head and fet. tarried him out Into the trail and laid hint length wise oq tha aledge. "I hone you have not caught cold lying tn the snow, m'seur." sa.d irolast. bol-atertng bol-atertng up tha engineer's head and shoul dera and covering him wllh heavy fura, "We should hava been back oonar but It was Impossible, lioo-la. Woonga!" he calisd softly to hla lead dug. Oet up there, you wolf hound!" Aa tha aledga atarted. with f'mlssai running elot to tha leader. Howland heard The low snapping of a whip behind him and another voice urging on other dogs. With an effort that almost dt-lotaied dt-lotaied his nerk he twisted himself so he could look hack of Mm. A hundred yarda away he discerned a second tem following follow-ing In his trail; he saw a shadowy figure running at I he head of tlie dogs, but whst there was on the sledge, or whst It meant, he otild not s or surmise. Mile after mile tho two sledges continued without a stop. Cro'saat did not turn his head; no word fell from hla llpa, axcpt an occasional signal to the doga. The trail ha4 turned now atralghl Into th north, and soon Howl and could make out ho sign of M. but knew only that they were twisting through the moat open place In the forests, and that ths play of tha Polar Hghta was never nver his left shoulder pgr hla right, but always la bis faca. They bad t ra velad for several hours - whan Crolsset gave a sudden shrill shout to tha rearmost sledge and halted hla own. The dogs fell In a panting group on the snow, and while they were resting the half bresj relieved his prisoner of the soft buckskin that had beffn used as gag. "It will be perfectly aafe for yo to talk now. nVeur. and to shout as loudly as ynq pe." he nalri. "After 1 have looked into your not-sets 1 will free your hands so that you can smoke. Ara you comfortable?" "Comfortable be damned!' were the Mrst words that fell from Howland s lips, and his blood boiled at the soclshle way ta which Crolsset grinned down Into his face-. "Ho vou'ra ni It, too, eh? and that lying girl" The smile Uft Cmtsat's face. '! vou mean Meleese, M scur How-land?- "Yes. Crotsset leaned down, with his black yea gleaming like coals, "Do you know what I would do tf I was her. m'seur T he aatd In a low voire, and vet one nUed with a threat which tilled the words of paaslon which th engineer was on the point of uttering.. utter-ing.. "o you know what I would do? I would kill you - kill joh Inch bv Inch-torture Inch-torture vou. That la what I would do.' "Por God S sake, Crolsset, tell me why -whv-" Crolsset hsd fotiml Howland' a pistol and treat; hla hand, and the angliieer stretched them out entreatlngly. "T would gtva toy life for that girl. Crolsset. t fold her i back there, and she earns to me when I waa In tba snow and" He caught hlmeif. addi1 to what h iiad left iiicompieta. "Thare la a mistake, f minaet. am not the man they w mi lo kill!'' Crotsset wa smlMng at him again- "Pmokand think, m'seur. It ! Impossible Im-possible fo- me tn le you why vou should K Uea4 but ymi ought to know, unles -our mentorv la ahorier than a child's." H went to the docs, stirring them up with th cracking of his whip, snd when Howland turned to took back he saw a bright flare of llaht where ths other eledra had stopped A man' voire came from the farther gloom, calling to Cpne-set Cpne-set n French. "He leil me I am lake vou en elope." Mid Crotsset. after he hsd replied to the words spoken In a pnto, whl. h. Howland f-ouki not understand. "They Will totn us sgatn very soon " "ThavV exclaimed Howland- "Hw many wilt II take l kill me, my dear rrolsfer The hatfbree am 114 down Into Ms face gsln. "Tfou mar thank the blessed virgin that thev are with us," he replied sftlv. "If you have any hope outside of heaven, m'seur. rt ta on ths sledge behind." Aa he went again to the doga, straight-, fling the leader In hla tr.-es. Howland! Stared ha-k at the fl relit apace tn the forest for-est gloom. He a-oiiM ee man adding fuel to the blase, and beyond him. nnid-ed nnid-ed In tha dee ledwa ,,r the trees, an mdlstlnrt tangle of do- and sledge. a he strained hla ee in die- over more i there was a movement teond the fiaure over the fire and 1 1 voting engineer' i heart leaped with a sudden thrill Crolsset Crols-set a voice sounded in a shrill shout behind be-hind blm. snd at that warning .'ry tn I French the emni flgure- sprang ha k tniol th gloom- But Howland had recognised It. and the chilled hlooj In hla veins leaped into warm life acain t the knowl. edae that It wa Melees who was trailing behind them on that aeoond sled' "When vou yell like that give me little lit-tle warning tf you please. Jean.' he as id. speaking as eoollv aa though he had no recognised the figure that had come for an instant Into the, niehght. "It 1 enough to startle the life out of one!" It s our way of sat lot goodhve," m'sleur. replied Creet tth a Oerce snap of his whip. "Hoo-la, get along tbereT' he cried to the doga, and In half a dn breathe the Are waa lost to lew. Dawn uome at about o cro. g In live northern midwinter; beyond tha fiftieth degrao the Prat ruddy base of the aim begina to warm the aoutheairrn skies r 9. and ls blow had already risen above the foreais before rroisset siopj-rd his I team again, for two hours be had not ! spoken a word to hie priaotwr and aftr several nnsvalllng efforta tu break the other a taciturnity Hnwland lapsed Into a silence hie own. Wliew be had i brought his tired doers to a bait, Croteset . spot, for the first tun. "We are going to camp here for a few nours." he explained. "If "l plk me your word nf honor that -t win make no attempt to rwap I will gie 1 you th- use ,,f yo'ir leua until afw r breskfHst, m'seur. Whai -b '.ti nay'.'" "IIihh vHi m lilhle. Cm I see C' "No in sen r. l-ul 1 have the croaa ol our virgin. gK-n to in by ih. inieslon.-r i at York fa-lorv." 1 "Then I will ewear hv I' ' f,'t' j bv all tlf rn.-a and all th" Hlbh-e hi th- world I hat I will mak- no ffort to -; I am pralvd, Ciolf t' I mldn I nm ! for a week !" Crolsset ws aearchlng In his M-tp.. "Moli lh-u! tie -rled ' H'-.1U ' I (mv lost IC Ah. come to liilnk. ni'a nr. I kv , ilv croaa to my Maria m he fore I til Into the south. But J will tak- jiuir "And who Is Marlane, Jean? Will ..h-also ..h-also he In at the kill ?" "MHriane Is my wife, m'seur. Ah. mn helle Martane - ma i-herl-ihr iIhiikIU 'i of an Indian prlncces and the grnuddMiightcr nf a 'hcf hattallon. oi "Hfiir ' Could there hi better than that" Ami ahn Is he-e-e-utirul, m'seur. with hair like thv shining on U. and -' "You oe tier a great deal. Jmh?' "et to thu vliKln -and It may he a tittle better." Crolsset had severed Hie roe wtnuit the engineer's teg, and a he raised hla glowing glow-ing eye Howland reached out and put both hands on his shoulder. "And In lust that way I love Mceeae." he said softly-. "Jean, won't ou he m. friend? I don't want to escape. I m not a coward. Won't yuu think of what your Mariana might do, and be a friend tu me? You would die for Ma riant if 11 were neeessarv. And I would die for the girl back on that aledge." He had staggered to tils feet, and pointed Into thu forests through which they hsd come. "I saw her in the firelight. Jean. Why-Is Why-Is he following us? Whv do they want to kill met If you Would only give me a chance to prove that It la all a mistake -that I" Crolsset reached out and look his hand. "M'seur. 1 would like lo help you." he interrupted. -l liked you that night we came In together from the tight on the trail. I have llkad you sine. And yet. If I was In their place, I would kill vou even though I like you. It la a great duty to kill you. They did not do wrong when they tied you In th coyote. They did not do wrong when thev tried to kill you on tha trail. But I have taken a solemn oath to tell you nothing: nothing heyond this that so long as vou are wllh me, and that sledge la behind lis, your life la not In danger. I will tell you nothing more. Are you hungry, m'seur?" "Htarvsd:" said Howland. He atumhled a few atena out Into the snow, the numbness in his limbs forcing him to catch at trees and saplings to save himself from falling. He was avion. Ished at Croisest'a word and more con fused than ever at the half breed a assurance as-surance that hi life waa no longer In Immediate peril. To him ihle meant thst Me)eae had not only warned him hut was now piayiag an active part In preaervlng hie life, and thla conclusion added lo hi perplexity. Who waa thla girl Who a few hour before had deliberately lured him among hla enemies and who waa now fighting to aae him? The question held a deeper algnlfhwnee for him than when he had asked himself thla same thing at Prince Albert, and when Cmlaset called for him to return lo the ramp fire and breukfast he touched ome more the for-hldden for-hldden subject. "Jean. I don't want to hurt vur feel-fnga. feel-fnga. he aM. aeatlng himself on the sledge, "but I've got lo get a few things out of my system. I behove this Mekcse of your Is a had woman." I.Ike a flssh Oolaaet smirk at tha bait which Howland threw out to htm. He loan a little forward, a hand quivering on his knife, his aye flashing fire, rn-wuiintarlly rn-wuiintarlly the engineer recoiled from that animal like crouch, from the black rrf-,L,,'h ro'"g each Instant In the halfhreed s facs. Yet Crolaaet spoke aofily and without excitement, even while hla shoulders and arms were twitching like a forest cat about to spring. 'M'senr. no one tn the world must sav that about my Maria ne. and next to her they must not say it about Meeee. p ther and he pointed still further Into the north "I know of a hundred men twe.,.n Athaba.- and I he bay W,o would kill you fur what you have said And It ia nut for Jean Crolsset to listen Uka'it bT.'-kl' m kl" OU UnU'"" uu "lod!" breathed Hnwland. He looked atralght Into Crolsset a f-ice. -I'm gUd -It s so Jean' he added slowly. "Don 1 you understand, man? I inv her I didn't mean what I nahl. I would kill you for her. too. Jean. 1 said that lo.flml out what you would do" . M!?w,y. f'"t smile curling hi thtn Up. One1' " m "m,r " " "It wssn't a Joke." cried Howland. '"It WSS a serloii Wfort to make you tell me something about Meh-ese. I.llen Jerin -she told m back there that It was ant wrong for me tti oe her. and when I lav bound and gagged In the snow she rame to me and -and kissed me. I don I understand" Crolsset Interrupted him. "Did she do that, mseur?" "I swear It." "Then you are fortunate." arnllel Jean softlv "for I will stake mv hope In the blessed hereafter that she h never done that to another man. m aeur. But It will never happen again." "I believe that It will -unless you kill roe "And I shall mt heaitaia to kl'l vou if I tuiiik that it is likely in happen again There are others who would kill yon -knowing that It haa hanpene.i but ome But? you must top thla la'k mseur. If you persist 1 shall put the rawhide over your mouth again. "And If I nhlect- fight?" "You have given me your word of honor. hon-or. I'p here In the big snow (he keeping keep-ing of that word la our first law. If you break It I wilt kill you "Oood Lord, but you're a cheerful ronv pan! on." ev latmed How lam t, laughing In spit of himself. "! you know. Crolsset.. Crols-set.. tlte whole situation has a good deal of humor aa well as t raged v about It. I muat be an Important mi, w hoevcr I am. Aek me alio 1 am. Crolsset?' "And who r you, in sen r?" "I don't know. .lean. Fact. Wl. 1 used to think that I waa a tnoni ambitions ambi-tions voting cub In, a big engineering establishment es-tablishment in Chicago. Hut I gueaa 1 waa dreaming. Kunny dream, waun t It? Thought I came up here to build a roa.l somewhere through theae Inw-rnal--no. I mean tliee beautiful snows hut m mind must have been wandering again Kver bear of an Insane asvtum. Cmis-set? Cmis-set? Am I In a htg alone building with Imn-bnra t the windows, and are- vnu my keeper, lust come tit to amuse me for a time? It kind of you. frotsaet, ani I hope that eome day I ahll gel mv mind iM'k si that ran thank ton decently Perhaps you'll go mad some dav, Jean, and dream about pretty girls, and railroad, rail-road, and forests, and snows -and then I II be your keener. Have a cigar? I've got Just twti lefl." "lion Dieu!' gaaped .Jean! "Tee. I will smoke, nt ur. J that moo a leak good?' "Fine. 1 haven't eaten a mouthful since yeara ago. when t dreamed that 1 sat on s case of dynamite Just about to blow up. Did you ever sit on a ras of dynamite Just about to blow up. Jean?' "No. m'seur. It must be iiurdeaaant." "That Uream waa what turned my hair white. Jean. iee how whit rt is -whiter than th now!" Croisaet rooked st -him a Utile anxiously anx-iously as b si hla aaeat, aoU at tit, |