Show AND ROYS hot rushed trailytthout and Jack out Mi moose plucked up the on delay A moment later he was on the spot where he had hit the moose When he exultation came up he gave cry of for there white deeply staining the snow blood leading was a splotch of back into the trees and then doubling ahead again out to the timber a mile He had hit and hit hard! As he took a step forward he was brought up short by something that trembling and for an instant left him without power to move a setnlm A Trail him dulled by the ahead of snow and the distance echoed surrounding faintly from the hills a gunshot had sounded in Somewhere that wilderness was rifle— and man! with an Jack regained his effort as he realized what that shot at full speed he might and mean trail plunged ahead on the crimson the open Before he was half over stretch he noticed that the of crimson at tlie edge of each The gradually growing larger was and wound was evidently bleeding more out Perhaps the bullet had an more artery in which case the great beast would be brought down from sheer loss a a self-control little-splotch leg-print of blood took him a quarter of an hour to deep TO the the cross open for so sank far drifted snow here that his skis trail led at each stroke The down of for nearest clump tree Straight the The shot which he had the far side on at least a mile heard must have boon morning or for the was two distantIt fleathlv still seemed improbable that the had been fired at moose the shot only conclusion & and there was set one Jack's blood racing conclusion that It madly race he was telling time As came to of brush he paused and The on the him by thia first ciump went on slowly it or The rnoose might be far ahead might be waiting for him and the boy of running blindly into had no idea the danger He had penetrated into he forgot timber a good half mile when and weakness in the excitement his hunger :i new had discovery Giant The all! Moose came suddenly on a crumpled space in the trail showing inexperienced eye plainly even to his that the animal had sunk to its knees or As he picked squatted in in the snow growing eagerness he the trail up Who had found larger Would hit wondered the animal? he he obtain any share in the of killing or in death the Giant the credit for the shot after Bo thick was the timber that he could not see far ahead but when he wm within five hundred yards of the ridge that ahead arose bare and rocky through the he heard a faint trees noise of The Giant scraping hoofs Moose That was out of the snow! meant that men who fell In their tracks they floundered along would have as small chance of catching him unless the heavy drain of blood told on the animal Only Slowly hundred yards more! Jack gained tho ledge of rocks swept free of by the wind Here he snow' shook off h!s skis and staggered foot A moment later he came on to still puddle of blood unfrozen and Steaming but within a hundred yards the rocks ended and his view with So dense was tho timber that the young trailer could not see fifty feet ahead The snow was thinner and the tracks were much more distinct how-ever In of excitement a fever desperate the boy staggered across the rocks and into the trees Ills breath came in hoarse gasps and there was a keen in his pain throat but he had no intention of quitting hundred yards from the rocky A ledge while lie was pressing through the dense growth of spruce saplings he heard another shot from close ahead Tho sound was followed by a short sharp bellow crashing of branches and one shout of wild apprehension that thrilled the boy through and through plunged ahead in Jack desperation flinging cartridge Into his chamber and holding his mittened thumb on the of cocked hammer his rifle That shot oould not have been a hundred yards if he could only away move faster! He feeling that he was running the in a nightmare His legs were so heavy his that exertions were so only his dogged determination held him onward Was he too late? Then the trees broke away in front of him and he staggered out into an opening with bewildering suddenness A space of clear ground lay before him which a few on grew stunted bushes but Jack’s eyes were fastened on the sceno twenty-five yards forward Crimson AR of on a XVII CHAPTER his GIRLS’ With this thought he flagging spirits and went fired been He at the a it a a ha-d ill-repaid wind-swept to his left Here stcod the Giant Moose— and what a giant It was! Standing with its head and antlers lowered facing away from the bov who could see nothing of the head itself except that the moose was moving it strangely At one side lay a the Suddenly the man on snow moose swung around and Jack saw his father Clutching the widespreading antlers Seythat threw him to and fro Mr PAPER 5 the boy He had never imagined such creature as this! With great spreading antlers seeming to tower into the sky neck and bristling hair flcry red eyes and huge nose that spouted red froth the snow the tremendous bulk of over the Giant Moose seemed twice its real size to the overwrought boy Jack was absolutely spellbound and could not fire that the again he dimly thought creature was dying and that its squatting was but preliminary to its rolling In over flash he understood the for the Indian superstitions about thia animal and felt once more as he had so often felt the weird influence of gigantic this creature of tho in trackless wilds Then as he awe those towering antlers seemed to shoot forward and upward the huge body the air and tho Giant Moose rose in charged The lad pumped at his magazine Another leap and the creature would be on topIn of him’ he must stop it shot He longed and stop ono of father’s that hit for that his of like tlie Iwnmer Thor He remembered that the moose was a thought of his father’s body lying — and at the edge of the A snow wave of cold anger swept over him as he raised a high-stretched a reason g-azed fren-ziedly !t ’ 45-70 man-killer the rifle All through his brain as head the Giant Moose his forward The brow first st ring under those great scooping antlers was his only mark Wt Jack knew that tho steel vlad pullet striking against the plate of the skull would spread like an umbrella and split a ghastly holo through the animal’s brain tho bounded again Jack As moose pulled the trigger and flung himself to one side in a last effvrt of bloody froth There was a spun across his face a gasping choking as almost in his ear and the boy rolled over on the ground a hoof of the Giant Moose cut a neat slit in the side of his coat Then came one great crash In a heap and the huge mass collapsed in Jack scrambled up excitement That leap aside had without doubt saved his life as he knew later when ho in his coat He still the slit his held gun but as he pulled it up swift glance at the' inert dnubled-up one of body the moose showed him that another bullet was not needed After all these years of hunting and being hunted those hoofs that had life of Jean Lareau and ground out the of spilt the skull old Pete Gllbault were rtill for ever The Giant Moose was of dead lulled by no cunning or but by the Indian or skilled 'hunter Jack despised little rifle of a lad of 17 Seymour with took this pas-cd lowered soft-nosed bellow discovered half-breed $ fl'l j I 1 I ’ half-breed ' -you? i KI dil ! al l I WilWW Him W vW s -sb ’ Wk - - 11 t taste a fX’ bite I ?00’'’ Tntl-’n v U to good Jack sa-Id nearly for haven't had hours” Air Seymour “1 twenty-four asked XXV HJUUlUl aoruptly "She was pretty much worried must get word to her as soon as Wo wa can” "That's mat else bothered me more than But how does'lt happen you 113 VOn’ kin mnirhe to eat iof over twenty-four hours?” went on "You say you have a camp back on tlie Enghsli "Yes but don’t know where and l’ve been trailing this moose now sine® iesterday afternoon” ")yhrre 'vcre y°u in the blizzard?” Under rock and the moose under another not a hundred yards away Where were you?’’ fu'nd a rock wilh some bushes rolled n in 4IUU UU4 nianKels aven we you any blankets Jack?” en?uCtiA2 £One fom — a loner ssfnrv cainI‘ vuaiiu Milt Let’s have something to eat first’’ Even Mr ’Niles brisked at up ths prospect of food lav mnvni 4— the carcass of the moose "We’ll have to cat raw” said Mr “I Seymour haven’t a match” have said Jack as with a grin he produced the waterproof mine!” cried Mr Seymour 4 i a ni - 1 - s anything t v a j - almost ! I "Out timbered on the plain the a -v I I I muttered im-pressiuu I I ' a along He his anxiety to forgot in order to overtake the strange men las Every step was a own life gave terrible effort to his overtaxed muscles he set ills teeth and struggled on but grimly th base of the final slight incline At led of the top the low that jo still ridge nearly mile away that astonished Jack saw something him food and and gave new for By the side of the thought trail there of the imprint in the snow was at full a man's body lying length All about this tho snow' was trodden into as though there had been struggle Bonio soil of funny’ thought Jack pausing "That's “Mebbe they had a fur an instant leaned Scrap’’ He over the sign As so he he did swayed anti swung headlong his into the snow overcome by or weakness a moment he lay there his helpless then struggled up regained balance and swept onward Before he he did so noted dully that the of his body in me snow was much dke that other which he had just found of the two men fallen from Had one Ills exhaustion? heart sank if those whom he men on was depending for aid were ready to drop they were not likely to be of much assistance to him But there iu11 was food waiting the examining I it the interrupted I I absence in!” bonesbroken be-fore trail I'm ’bout all he shuffled the moose in him-self it -was he remembered that Air Niles Then had laughed at moccasins and had said in would wear that the wilderness he Stopping suddenly heavily nailed boots at a point where the footprints showed he plainly enough in the moose-trail examined them Both were moccasins and he was now sure that only two men ©had come into the trail He hurried on with anxious heart It seemed tint ho had been mistaken after all and these two men must be Indian why the hunters But in that case of lie caught up a snowshoes? handful of snow to quench his thirst Instead of and was instantly sorry quenching the snow' only increased It him feeling and in addition gave iusea toiiy as hoe ' I a n seriousness a I r “By Seymour’I I a of exclaimed rubbing although it the hurt ’It’s Jack dad’’ "Jack? My Jack?" The man struggled to a sitting posture "Yes and I’ve got tho Giant Moose Look there!" Ho pointed to the body of the great animal where it lay humped in the snow The astonished man looked from tho dead animal to his son and then back again Presently his found Mr eyes Niles still loaning against the tree where Jack had first seen him "Niles’’ he said "what d’you think?” "We’ro saved!” replied the man hoarsely "But Jack boy boy” my my Mr Seymour sitting up and his head "where’d you come from? Ilow’d you get here?’’ "TH tell you dad when we’ve time Are you hurt?” not sure" replied Mr "Pm got a good bump on the head whep lie Ixiwled Let’s I’m me over see If nil here” He stood up and examined himself limb by limb with a slow that was intended to be little comical— and was Jack actually laughed There was more or less reason for his laughing though Tie had found his father and ho had got the Giant Moose "By cracky!” ho said to "I suddenly right was after alL Tho moose did bring me to dad!” “flow’d happen the moose had you down dad?” asked Jack aloud "AV ell —No no I'm all right no and blood let—"’ ho no himself to say as he finished himself “Well as was going to say we were pluggin’ along through-the woods headed for Lac Seul or th® "English we didn’t know which when Mr saw Mooso about three hundred yards ahead making tracks right hit fired and knew Tho across us moose was so surprised it squatted right down in tho snow and looked around Then it made off and we after him it "I wasn’t sure was the Giant Moose but from its size thought It was Well got here finally we to had pick Niles out of the times—’’ snow several "Yes know” interrupted Jack do “How you know?” "I followed you and saw where he had been down” "Oh! Well we got here and found his nibs waiting for ns looking pretty let savage him have another The beast squatted just the way he had and sure had finished him But he jumied Into the air and came at me wasn’t ready and down went The next thing knew somebody was calling me and saw you” "Where’s your camp?” tne boy asked eagerly when his father finished We’ve been traveling "Wefor haven’t any three or four days now with what we have on our backs and In our pockets But where did you come from? And how did you get here?’’ Jack grinned at Ids surprise "Why Jan and Axel and came out to look for you when we didn’t hear from vou Jan and Pierre Tacne a we got to guide us arc in camp back on the English river—somewhere Axel and Sandy McNieolls have started around the south side of Lac Seul” "Is that so? So you came out for your old dad did Niles dyou think o’ that? Here's a lad what that came out and found his old dad perishing in the wilderness!” don You mean you’re perishing oad?” Jack cried “Did the Indians leave you? "We’ve been up against it boy from the start” returned hia father "And let me Is tell you that some of that mooso ait going to mighty I leg-holes of baldly not I further on and his first few steps A the for into question wasof answered the plunging moose came bloodv trail of Jack could not the men whether there were two or at three gee that each for the snow was so deep have sunk to the pursuers must step evident that This made their knees the trail snowshoes but they had no itself puzzled the boy strangely Instead of or three distinct tracks two one there would be sometimes a single deep Then would come trail for few steps two trails and again queer confusion leg of and footprints that made the boy wond hard Evidently the moose had been hit this second rifle Instead of a by mark in the trail there little crimson of splashes darker now great were Increased and the bloodTheir size bounds of the animal itself slowly grew Jack shorter: with rising excitement realized that he must be getting close to nd ' I blood-spiotches the could puzzle out things tho best he while he ran to the sldo of his father "ather! ather! Are you huct?" th® boy cried kneeling by his parent’s sldo and straightening out his head Mr Seymour was lying In a twisted position with his head at one side and Jack had a horrible fear that tho neck was broken "Who’s mumbled that talking?” ho his opening painfully By the eyes of his vigor voice the boy knew he was Giant Moose stopped short antlers went up” Vidently far The mour was gone lift him and the moose wis unable to roach his razor-like hoofs could not body while the great antlers were to With a dragged down the ground gasp of honor Jack recognized the danger of his father’s situation and even loosed as he did so the weakened hands their grip With one toss the Giant into the cd go Moose flung the man back of and raised his forefeel the snow happened that 6o rapidlv had this ail until he saw Jack scarcely realized and tho moose his fatner go tackward rear up up pulled In his the gun very and nick fired of a time ho shot snap waiting to animal’s neck not alm He know that tho shot would at least divert the moose from his father Which was all he thought of This It did most effectually for tho bullet actually knocked Lhe sideways The animal fell back moose haunches facing Jack and the on its of terrific aspe the paralyzed beast at the soft-nosed I Where tremendous the a 3 CHAPTER ' It and the XVIII Moose Led JACK heard a voice at the edge of It dealing was not the voice his of father and from came another direction He looked and Niles saw Mr leaning against the tree Mr Niles?’’ cried "How do you do Jack with the first impulse of polite ness "Hello hello hello” muttered tho to He did not think it man seem strange that tlie son of his companion shouhi suddenly appear of out the wilderness and shoot down-the beast that was about" to destroy them both He seemed to take ft as matter of course Jack suspected that the man But he could was probaily dazed spend no more time just then in politeness toward Mr Niles He left him to the it a 3 t eveS? - It o s i I it box‘‘Xhat Where "Where Point "I’d d you find it?” lost It you at orty Mila have given sawmill for that last night" said Mrmy Seymour “I’d have given it to you for nothing dad” said Jack Seymour patted him on the back Mr Then they fell to the moose sending to Niles gather wood He gathered (CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN) |