Show m e KI Oe M e 0 I M Se lm t By JOHN R. R MUSICK N A Mt of t Mr Howard TIM Tbt Y J Dark rk Str Stranger ng r Charlie Allendale's f Doable Etc BOBBIT by Bo So Ion Box s T All An rights CHAPTER XIV Continued t c The fellow set off orr at a lively pace on his snowshoes and In an hour and anda a half was back saying c They be not there Kate What dye mean mean asked J v Gone r What What Is gone Camp I Where Dun his Dun know and he shrugged shoulders again She h Was was nonplussed and and in fact i frightened Gone It she whispered half aloud 3 t yr I Gone and left left me alone with this I sick man in iri this wilderness Gone t and with that poor child Why I Ir r cant can't hardly believe it and yet my heart has always told me th rascal was a villain Oh Laura Laura 1 where are you now my my poor child she began to sob i 1 promised ye Id I'd f stay by ye through thick an thin au an Ive I've gone an lied Hed to ye That rascal rascal ras ras- r if r cal put this poor sick man off on m me I. I an what could I do In n. n her tier helpless rage She she e looked about for some object to to vent vents fier her wrath upon and seeing Horsa Cummins Cum Cum- mins mins emerging from the s small all tent in which he had slept she rushed at him like a virago crying c You Yo red red headed headed thief where is yer z master I I. I say wh where re is yer m master ster Sp Speak a or Ill I'll chuck yer yer head ead in t the 1 snow snow snow- r a an hold it there till tl ye ye sm smother ther With th a l look ok of surprise he he sa said said rIo Y not t know v. v he it h. h had g g t rs and al took t- t fJ Yi t tik upend e d. d t with y him tm r- r Well that is stra strange that strange ige that that 1 beats ats f anything I ever ver heard What What What- can can he yN r mean I dont don't know but there is some mischief in it and Ill I'll be bound you are at the bottom o 0 it Why my dear good woman you do me a very great injustice began Cummins with mock humility i. i UL Look ok h here re she yelled Dont y ye yO come none o yer monkey monkey doodle doodle i business around me for I wont won't stand t I It Rack out an find that good for master o 0 yours and tell him l t f bring that girl back or Ill I'll make Iff Alaska so hot for you the icebergs will melt elt f- f With this threat Kate turned and j en entered ered the shanty That womans woman's a regular she tiger I he walked over growled Cummins as 51 t. t c the hill Once out of her sight he sat ji down in the snow to think the matter over Blame me if she aint a per per- JJ feet devil of a woman The boss has tF put a hard job on me She knows I Ii i had bad a hand in it Now the youngster f- f V dont don't show show any signs o 0 dyn very fast I 1 wish he would but he dont don't t Jf What am I to do with this tiger cat r Shell She'll Shell She'll snatch my eyes out if it I go goback back r 9 j Meanwhile Kate went into the small shanty vowing she would have harmony harmony harmony har har- mony or know the reason Her patient patient pa pa- tient was wide awake his great dark For the first brown eyes on the door r time Kate realized that he was a ayoung ayoung young man and quite handsome A. A Were you talking to some one out outI I he lie asked I Yes Ves I was just a one o 0 them critters for not to his work I give him a piece of my mind and I reckon after this hell he'll know what's what Kate declared Dont your people agree Yes Ves all agree with each other but none none- dont don't agree with me They go godo godo godo do things without askin me or COI con con- me a bit moren if Ir I was a block o 0 stone and had no more a Kansas badger Paul who felt considerably strong- strong J t I l er raised himself on his elbow and asked What have they done my good goodfriend goodfriend goodfriend friend without consulting you Pulled up stakes an gone Yes gone an not left a sled nor dog to foller em with I dont don't keer so much so fur as Im I'm concerned but that poor child all alone with that man and she told me with her own mouth she mistrusted him and I said Id I'd stand standby standby standby by her and like a head lunk-head let em track sIde me off ot here and then he slopes an takes the pore little thing with him Oh it makes me hot but Ill I'll have harmony yit see if Ir I dont don't What do you mean my good woman woman wo wo- woman man Paul asked in in amazement Who is this man that deceived you That scamp from Fresno called Lackland Lackland from Fresno The patient patient patient pa pa- tient started up in bed staring at her Who is the poor young thing he took away the away the girl asked the patient patient patient pa pa- tient seizing her arm in a vice vice like like grip Laua Kean With a wild wIld shriek he leaped half- half dressed from the bed and rushed from the shanty CHAPTER XV The Old Man of the Mountains Long after day had dawned the little little lit lit- tle train of porter Indians dogs and sleds continued their way over the snow Laura protested against this separ separation tion from her friend but it was all in vain When the tents were pitched Laura met Lackland and asked Where is my companion Kate Willis Willis Wil Wil- lis from whom you promised I should not be separated She is back with the sick man he answered It was our wish to bring her but the storm came up so sudden that we had no time to send to-send send for her Can you not do it now He shook his he head d and said sald the avalanche vA che had fal fallen en in to th pass 1 be bey hind them and they were were completely shut shut in where the there e were were ere Will there be no esca escape escape she she asked asked ased Not until spring unless we can cut our way through Laura went to her her- tent and wept She realized how helpless she was wasand wasand wasand and began to distrust the man who professed to be her friend Oh God she groaned to Thee rhee alone can I now appeal for help I 1 need expect none from these men men Mr Lackland seemed very much distressed that she was cut off from her female companion and selected four men to go back as he said and bring her over the fallen avalanche If possible The four selected were Ben Allen Morris Ned Padgett and Tom Ambrose When Lackland took them apart to give his final Instructions instructions instructions he said I Take the woman and wounded man back to What An have him hang us for holdin him prisoner in the mountains mountains moun moun- asked Allen But he Is insane insane You are four witnesses to one Ned shrugged his shoulders and muttered something about never wantIng wanting wanting want want- ing to see especially while their late prisoner lived Very well then start with them toward but dont don't reach the place Become lost You understand how to do that At least he must not know anything of the young woman woman woman wo wo- man here and she must have no knowledge that Paul Miller is alive His final instructions were s so clear and imperative there could be no possible possible possible pos pos- sible mistaking them and when he had finished they took their departure The story about the avalanche ava fallIng falling fall fall- Ing in their rear and blocking up the way was all a clever invention on the part of Mr Lackland Lackland went to Lauras Laura's tent his white face wearing a careworn and troubled look The lines of his features features fea fea- tures seemed more deeply drawn and his face was expressive of the greatest greatest great great- est concern Laura Miss Laura Miss Kean he be began in 1 i J f if t 1 r his cautious considerate manner manner I 1 hope bope you will believe me when I say that this lamentable accident causes me unaccountable annoyance on your account When awakened in the night with the intelligence that a storm was coming and the pass would be Impassable I decided that for you I must act at once If we were aboard a sinking ship and I should rescue you and take you ashore would you deem it an act of hostility because I 1 did not wait for some companion of yours She bowed her head and was silent In argument the subtle villain always always always al al- ways beat her but when left to herself herself herself her her- self to con over what he be had said and commune with her own heart she Instinctively instinctively instinctively in In- felt the man was a villain Intuition or whatever you may choose to call it It told Laura her lover lived She was conscious of his presence somewhere in this vast world and felt as instinctively drawn to him himas as the needle to the magnet Days Dars passed and the small party was still in the valley hemmed in by the mountains and eternal snows Lackland made frequent visits to Laura after the four men mento mento mento to give an account of their progress in cutting their wa way through the pass Laura he said in a low gentle tone which would have thrilled any I other woman I have tried to hope against hope for your sake I r have tried to believe your lover lived but butI I must yield to facts All this journey journey journey jour jour- ney hardship and suffering this passing the winter in an an Alaskan wilderness is to no purpose Is it not Laura are you very strong She gave him a swift wild look look look-an an imploring glance and gasped What do you mean Can you bear a great shock What shock what shock what is it speak it-speak speak out I beseech you is Paul dead It Is false it It is true tru 4 What evidence have haveThe pU m The evidence of men who saw him die He died three weeks ago ago I His face was so white he expressed I such concern that she was strongly impressed with his manner yet she crl cried d What you say say cant can't be true My heart tells me he lives Nevertheless her eyes grew dim with tears which trickled her ber damask cheeks Lackland for se sev several several eral moments overcome with his own emotions at last said Laura its it's your noble sanguine nature na na- ture which ture-which which I admire that admIre that makes you hope against hope But alas t Is useless for you to feed yourself on hopes longer I know It must be true for men whose word I cannot doubt tell me and it must be true But Laura whatever may happen believe me I will ever be your friend Let me weep with you over your loss Dont dont don't talk so so You frighten me me she gasped Frighten you darling darling he whisp whisp- ered Frighten you Oh if you knew the pangs of this heart heart If if you only knew how tenderly devoted I am to you if you only knew how willingly I would change places and lie in the unknown mountain tomb until the sounding of that great trump which shall wake walie the dead you would not have the least cause f for r fear Hush Hush hush Dont Don't talk so She was stunned and and confused by hi his Impassioned speech Poor girl alone In an unknown forest with forest with a madman madman no no wonder she was fright fright- ened She had started up from the camp campstool campstool campstool stool and taken a step toward the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the tent as if she would fly but he quickly put himself before her herand herand herand and said No no dont don't leave me dearest I will not harm you I will not touch you I only only- want to say one word When convinced our poor dear Paul Paulis is no more will you oh will you look with more favor on m my mx suit suit- She found her voice now The words words the the stinging insult fired her herr fi f o J r o J y f f s. i iJ soul soul and and in a voice In which grf grief t rage and disgust were strangely blended she cried No no no-a no a thousand times no If it was for this you have followed me across the ocean and wilderness you youcan you youcan 71 can go yes go-yes yes go I will have no more to say to you you you-go Drawing herself up to her full height with all the scorn which an injured injured in in- soul can depict in a handsome face she pointed toward the door of the tent Unable to stand before the proud defiant creature whom he had hadIn hadin 1 in his grasp he started toward the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the tent when one of the strangest figures either had ever seen entered It was a man fully fifty years of age his long white hair and beard evidently evident evident- ly many years strangers stranger's to either razors scissors combs or r brushes In his h hand nd the old man carried a Winchester Winchester Winchester Win Win- chester rifle the butt of which he placed on the ground while he leaned rf h on the muzzle and fixed his curious eyes on the man man before him So piercing was that glance that it seemed to penetrate the very soul of the scoundrel The old man might have been taken for a Rip Van Winkle but for the fact that his arms were all of the latest improvement Advancing a pace or two and pausing he leaned on his rifle glancing from first one and then the other but uttered not a word After a moments moment's amazed silence Lackland gasped Sj Who in Satans Satan's name are you The old man of the mountains was the answer in a low husky voice which seemed to chill the blood In the veins of the rascally Lackland There was firmness in the voice a steady gleam in the eye which indicated he had met a man whom it would not do to trifle with Where did you come from asked Lackland quaking From the mountain was the answer an an- t it here are y you u doing here doIng With Without ut paying any heed to him the tha theold old man of the mountains none other than our hermit friend the captain turned his eyes upon Laura and Y asked Are you going to the Klondyke I was going she answered ICA ra And alone A woman companion was with me but she remained back on the trail twenty twenty five five miles and an avalanche has filled the trail so she cannot come There has been no avalanche th the theold theold old man answered in his deep voice There has been no avalanche She quickly fastened her gaze upon the face of Lackland who began t U 14 r retreat toward the door So you have deceived me mon monster monster w ster she began If you listen to that old fool you will believe anything He lie is crazy cried Lackland and und darted from the tha r I tent leaving Laura alone with the old I man of the mountains CHAPTER XVI Driven to Desperate Straits Once outside the tent Lackland was like one dazed and confused He saw sawa a figure coming toward him and recognized recognized it as one of his hIs' men He hurried hurried hur hur- ried toward him saying Cummins y you u have come at last Yes Ves they relieved me and told x me to to report here Right glad I am of it t too o for for if if ever ever there was a fiend in woman form its it's that down there To be continued 1 10 0 o f |