Show ft THE KILLING OF BLACK DOE by TRENTON CLURE copyright by W 0 chalmin 1 annn should never have joined alie rth western J mounted police for of all tapes of men who are out of their ele merit there the moody introspective man comes easily first but dunn had had n after the military life when he went out to calgary two years before now he was in for several ears and cursing his luck dally atiat he liked best was lonely patrols up in the big lake country lie had met marlc dufour there the laughter of an old trapper mho had retired like ills fur bearing beasts before the of lion lie had seen her three times during the past two ears and it had been understood that when he became a corporal lie was to speak to tier fj ther but the covet fed stripes would never be lil so long as sergeant remained in the squadron A liard featured service batten man matchell Ml made dunns life wretched he in his uniform with an eigle eje that discovered the smallest speck or flaw he hauled him before his officers on trivial charges in short he did ills best to break dunn or force him out of the service it was a long time before dunn als covered that matchell Ml had met marlo in the big lake country the air b fore and coveted her ban dunn understood this be privately resolved that some day he would even op the score between them for the present he remained in bar racks doing his duty and suffering under treatment the quiet life was interrupted ai one of those periodic il excitements excite ments that descended upon the barracks black doe had shot a police at and was making for the big lake country AIl was or dered to take two troopers and get him it was a journey of two hundred miles in the blushi period of spring but the police neer postpones its vengeance when it can avoid it and never abandons it dunn could not imagine whit it was that impelled matchell Ml to select him along with crum perhaps matchell Ml wished to see alie man he roost hated in marles as to lie more eure of his bearings whatever alie motive reelected he elected dunn and he gabed gibed it him all the way lie found fault with ailin during the long and painful day with his equipment his care of his horse his manner of riding lie detailed him n one man fatigues in the ui and gave him all alie difficult work dunn s rage smoldered but the idea jn the back of ills mind that he would et matchell Ml hardly assumed ani form in due course they the etore at big lake their visit was a surprise black doe had been een n the neighborhood and evidently was off his guard ascertained eliat lie biad made no purchases without which it would be impossible for him to continue on his wa northward into the barrens ell spend the at johnny nu fours he said to crum as the aline rode anav toward the dunns heart sank when he off addled murle was directly in the doorways to greet the visitors and her eves d with wonder from dunns face to matchell Ml s liike m horse to the commanded and va t anke crum s too and see eliat well groomed before iou in to supper dunn went awn obediently riding bis larse and leiding alie two others biow be began to understand he thought alie reason why matchell Ml had him lie wanted to humiliate alm in th eves of the girt at upper matchell Ml kept up a cross ire of chaff banter and spitefulness directed ut dunn dunn 8 ence seemed tr enrage ailin he have welcomed a chance either for n brawl or for punishment for in discipline but dunn nat walne marle while he en were triumph lie felt biad won biad shown marle his superiority over diann alipy retired to their banks they were to start up the trill at daiy diy break on alie for black doe dunn slept lie was thinking of marle and his heart was full of lie was the farst up and went to groom alie horses As be line bialt 0 o the chuk lie heard a voice and the girl s I 1 the open door had his arm round her wiest and wa drawing hr h r toward him crum was nowhere in aien dunn knew what he meant to do lie crept bak veri to the and loaded his rifle lie took it in his arms carrying it nt n maiber her arst born and alie door agian held he girl in hla anns edw and bufa was struggling as lift tried 0 o kiss bt r dunn alp was conscious of alie open door at the back of lie shack and i clump of clr about a yards then he his upon carefully tu drew bond on hani so us to mold the n ing 11 limped into alie air linns out his arms and pitched head fire buot luot stepped into the then ans no to look more linn ocic at lie dead fact or alood aiom lie heart marle ran to dunn sobbing you did right the beast ehfe cried with me cald bunn chev raced to the stables and in n moment he had freed the horses saddled bliem and placed on the in another moment the across the barrens at lie time daun was conscious if wom darlng where old dufour and crum were nut a moment later the he ml shouts them they galloped frantl forward anywhere so long us the could win free crum was a man of resolution and dunn knew that he would take up the chase and neer leave it he rl boned on the fact that crum horse was the slowest of the time the tall ing snow would hide if the win the country across the rl er bed w liere a series of hummocks swelled into the nig I 1 ake mountain tar behind him dunn heaird a shout lie turned and looked bark us he rode crum was standing at ali door of the stable als arms to bilm A few liter looking back saw arum mounted and in pur suit of them a tin figure upon i horse rode madl for the dip toward the e must be cart fill ild marle as the besan the descent the roc kg are dangerous even as she pol e her borso tripped on n projecting boulder bowlder bow lder stumbled and lung lier face upon the hard bed of lie frozen stream leaped from ahli gioie and beside aci she had been stunned b the fall she opened her ees and looked about lir half con alie horse to its feet ran up the bink and raced hick toward the stable followed by dunn s horse and dunn kneeling at side knew that chance biad settled hit yar problem and in the distance aruin came on inexorably dunn shrugged ahli shoulders as one who his his last aird lie carried the gill up to the top of the bank i and waited for crum who cime galloping up on hh horse lie flun aliu lf to his feet panting like hla steed n hats the mitter m itter with you to play this crazy trick after him be shouted dunn smiled I 1 guess you re right crum he sald take the girl on bour saddle III walk you in trust me crum staring nt him in apparent perplexity lifted marle to the addly before him ache luid fallen into n swoon again he rode lowly back toward the cabin alth dunn walling a little distance in front of him lie turned his horse away when near the fe and went toward the little patch of stunted trees hat biad struck upon dunns attention nt the moment when he raised his rifle dunn saw lie motionless bodi of a man lying iden among them it wai black doe how did vou get him dunn asked crum dismounting and turn ing alie bod bokr see he ind just lou were in the nick of time the dead man a fingers were clutched about the trigger the line had been discharged over his heart was a built t wound dunn unable to speak aled crum back to the shack la where he biad fallen and old du four was muttering in the corner as if he did not understand he got poor AIl a second he fore ou alred said crum thy heart too see 1 dunn looked in horror now mixed with agitation lie saw that track of the bullet through the breast and out anjer hi rah ahe missile lai upon alie floor beside the inert man it was a battered 43 such as the indians use dunn s bullet had been W and it biad been bisiack doc ln ie biad killed not SIl |