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Show - Men Marooned By QEORGE MARSH WNT' Sorvlt-o. Coiyrli;lit by Tim IN'im Pul.lbhlim f'o. 5 . ; , : 1 sprawling In llii'li' harness, snll'l'lm: hungrily "I the oilor nf bacon. Now lull III' whs alone willi Joan, was Ii ho nlniit! with her through (lie long miles In Elkwan, Guthrie fell strange-I.V strange-I.V (llllllll'lll. fnlll hi' I1111I lnlil Hi'1 tnilli before her. lnlil nf Hie love ho bore this broken thing, imi't' feared 11s Laughing McDonald, walling In sin-li sure need nf her inliilsl rut Inns, mill received licr nhsolul inn fur IiIh deoep- linn, lie Wlllllll fl'l'l 111 lit CIISC Willi tlic wiiiiuin wlin fnccil tlic world Willi the stark truth In licr eyes. "Let me sec," sin- went on, "I know t';i:;lor mill Pollux, but t!inl cream -colored one?" "Oil. Mint's I lido," lie lunched, "mid Ilic white-gray one Is Aenens." "Aeneas? And does lie run nwn.v I'iiiiii her like his namesake?" "K1111 nwnyV Hardly. She's the I'nslest dog In the team. Wluil's more, lie doesn't try. lie's more constant than Virgil's hero." "What's the name of that surly one, who growls so nuiehV" "(Hi, that's Achilles, of course, tlic stilkor. Hut lie's not so much of a hero, lie's deathly nl'rnld of Castor, and Shot fought him to 11 standstill, once." Pouring her a cupful of the steaming steam-ing tea and making a sandwich with "I understand nil that. Tin-It pra c enn't hurt mc, can ll V i don't undei tlaml. Where Id the lie?" Ili sucked In 11 deep lircalh and leaned toward her, all lie said: "Kllciuio was not shot. You're oq your way to help me save a friend -a friend who crawled with me on hi hack through gas anil shell lire. They broke his arm mid got him In Ihfl chest, but he came through, ('an yon guess who It Is 7" Her dark brows coiitriiclcd as she met the pleading look of the man standing by the lire. Slowly sh shook her bead. "You said Ellenne. was hurt. Now you say It was .some one else I don't see " "Laughing Mel lonald." "Laughing Mel lonald?" she cried. "You said you found him dead on the schooner?" "lie was alive, but very sick 'llu,' pneumonia, I'm not sure Ellonne and an Indian look him to Elkwan while I came to ask you to go to help- " "He whs this friend who saved your lifi In France?" she askoil, wide-eyed with surprise. "Yes, ('apt. Craig Galbrallh. Hft tool; the name of McDonald " "When he disappeared after the murder'.'" she broke In. "That Is unworthy of Joan Qiiar-rler," Qiiar-rler," he demanded gently. "I'.ut his description tallies with thai of the man wanted In Halifax. You forget that I've seen liim." Guthrie wanned to the defense of his friend. "Suppose he N the man? Is It strange thai a man branded for life w ilh that grimace," he pleaded, "a man, proud, sensitive, coming home with I he Victoria Cross twice won should go mad when the wife he cherished, cher-ished, as I know he did. turns, in horror of Ids scars, to a lover? Tell me, Is II strange?" "It was murder," she objected, halfheartedly. half-heartedly. "No. not If the man was struck in the heat of passion as Galbraith could strike. It was retribution." "After all, be was n gallant soldier." she mused aloud, "and he saved your life." Ignoring the Inference, Garth pressed his point, for lie saw to his Joy that his story had touched her. "Think what his bitterness his agony must hae been, doomed forever to wear that mask, when the woman who should have been proud to bear his name failed him. Imagine his loneliness his despair, when, In his need, she turned to another." There was n mist In Joan Quarrier's eyes as she said: "Yon must have loved him g.ently to defend him so well." "He threw away his hope of reaching reach-ing the lines, when he followed Shot to my shell-hole end started hark with a gassed man; is It strange that I'm lighting for his life, oh. Healer of Wounds?" For an Instant, ns he waited for u" answer, she m-' the fierce plead-I'ij plead-I'ij of his eyes, thoi looked into the u.icVening night as she said gently: "YuO have won. I'll give all 1 have to Save him for lie was a gallant soldl.v and has suffered." lit to take the iilncly-iuile run north to Klkwan and the sick man who, of llelall.v, had died on the Ghost. At noon he drove his refreshed team to Hie mission where Joan, standing beside her dullle hags, walled tn the snow. With the light load of two passengers, passen-gers, the big runner sled Us wooden shoes shod with Ice. which slips over a hard surface with less friction than steel and can lie renewed at will, would be sport for the live powerful dogs. Driving, as he would, to bring skill and medicine to Ihe succor of the guest at F.lkwan. Garth hoped to reach the post before dawn, but much depended on ihe light. A thick nb.dit would slow the dogs to a walk while Crossing the moulhs of the big rivers, where tide cracks opened anil closed over night and the trail led through hummocks and ridges, had golm: by day at night, heart breaking to driver driv-er and dogs. "You're not sorry haven't regretted regret-ted promising to come?" lie asked, as he wrapped her In robes and slowed her bags. She shook her head. "Not In Ihe least. Mr. Exile. I'm reconciled now ro the loss of the last shred of my reputation. It was a wild scene in the house. They even prayed for me when they realized threats were futile." fu-tile." "Frayed for you you, hound on an errand of mercy? In the name of all the saints, they'd let an Innocent man die for want of proper care, because of my reputation? I must lie a monster mon-ster to them." She laughed. "Yes, 1 can truthfully say that after what my brother told them, they think you are n terrible person." "Do you?" he countered, leaning over the sled. "Well " her dark eles flashed up Into his, "not exactly terrible, rather what shall I say? stubborn." "Marche, Castor:" And the huskies, with Shot ahead, galloped to the trade-house. There the Cameroc.s were waiting for the girl who had, also, burned her bridges. Shortly, down the cliff trail and over the river-ice raced the team, carrying hope for Craig Galbraith, deep In delirium de-lirium at Elkwan, ninety white miles away. As they left the river and turned up the coast, Guthrie's anxious eyes circled the gray horizon for indications indica-tions of what would follow the haze-smothered haze-smothered sunset ever the Keewatin muskec. For days, now, the weather CHAPTER XII 18 Garth found Joan Quarrier at the Mission school. Filtering the build lug, he stood for a spice In a doorway ond watched her read to a group of Crce orphans. As she looked up, aware of his presence, he said: "It Is not February, Put 1 have returned." "Something Is the matter?" she said, iipprehenslvely. "What has happened nt Klkwan?" "Etienne shot himself." "l'ut you, why are you here? Why did you come';" "For you." "For me to go to Klkwan?" Dazed at the Idea, her hand sought her forehead, fore-head, while the chattering children crowded curiously around them. "lie wants you. There may be In feel Ion and you know wounds have everything In your kit, bandages, stimulants, antiseptics." "Let me put on my coat and we'll talk outside," she yaid. So they went to the clearing. "I know well what I'm asking." he said. "It means a day on the sled discomfort, for yon. Hut he is my friend, and it may mean his life your coming." Her troubled eves turned to his. "1 v.-ant to go t he trip is nothing. It's going, alone, with you it means leaving the mission. I suppose." "Of course. Swan will make a fuss. To him It will look immoral your going to save a man's life.'' he said, savagely, "but for you an army nnr.se. with a life at stake," he pleaded, plead-ed, "is there any choice?'1 She smiled wistuilly as she gazed over the frozen river. "I've got to go. It's in my blood to help them the wounded." His heart leaped at the words. "To help the strong to help me is that in your blood, too. Joan Quarrier?'' he asked passionately. She shivered and avoided his eyes, as a wave o." color swept up to her dark hair. "Ti e strong need no help," she parrieii Again in control of himself, the elated Guthrie smothered his own emotion in t ns thought for the stricken strick-en friend at E'kwan, for whom he had lied to tl e man he respected and the girl he lo -ed. And he wondered what she would say to him when she learned of the deeepMon. That she Tould have come as readily, had he wild the truth, he had no doubt, hut me secret of Galbraith 's presence at F.lkwan was a tvust, sacred, inviolate. invio-late. He had told Cameron that the crew of the Ghost had died to a man. At Albany, Laughing McDonald was a dead man. On the way up the coast, Jo.in Quarrier should lecrn the truth. "Oh. ye of little faith!" Guthrie sad.v shook his head. "What must 1 do le convince you?" The g.'r made no answer. Looulng up, Gifrth saw. bundled in fur cap and coat much too large for him. a short figure blocking their path. "Y'ou re going on this mad jour-ney?" jour-ney?" the shrill voice of Swan de-Vf de-Vf manded. "Do you hold your reputa tion so cheaply?" "Y'ou hav heard?" "Y'es! Mis. Cameron has told me what this man has come for." "You're too late, Swan, she has promised to go." said Garth quietly. Ignoring Guthrie, the little man gravely grave-ly warned: "Y'ou realize. Miss Quarrier, if you KO, you cannot return to the mission:" "Yes." Mr. Swan. Before I became a mission teacher, and my moral welfare wel-fare the object of your solicitude, I lived for three years with wounded nun. A man's life is at stake. It is worth more than my reputation." To Garth she said abruptly: "Come ; . 4 ..-4 :J had softened to above zero temperature, tempera-ture, a characteristic of James bay winters, which are milder than those of the forest country to the south, and he prayed for a bright night, as his thoughts were busy with the tragedy trag-edy of Craig Galbraith and his own part tn the climax of the pitiful history. his-tory. The decision he had made beside the bunk in the Ghost, once he had struck on a feasible plan of procedure, was inevitable to the man who owed his life to the heroism of the stricken Galbraith. But the situation which Guthrie faced as he watched the high barrens of Akimiskl catch and hold the veiled light of the dying sun, might easily result not only In dismissal dismis-sal from the company but in arrest by the authorities. His clear duty to his employers had oemanded that he report re-port to Cameron the presence of Laughing McDonald at Elkwan. The information that a Hudson's bay factor fac-tor had concealed from the government govern-ment a man suspected of murder would raise a hornets' nest in Ottawa. All this Garth Guthrie had seen with clear vision the night before, when he shared his plan with Ftienne, but as his eyes rested for an instant on the tragic face of the friend who, that day In front of Amiens, had. not counted Watched the Murk Slowly Blot Out the Stars. the bacon, he passed Joan her supper. sup-per. "My, I'm hungry! Iluw good the tea tastes ! But aren't the dogs to have some fish after their work?" "No, they were fed this morning. If I feed them now, it would make them lazy; we wouldn't reach Elkwan before noon, and I'm worried I'm afraid we're going to be too late as it is." She looked up, puzzled at his tone. "Why, you said he wasn't bleeding badly no artery Involved. It's only a matter of keeping the wound clean." The moment had come. "I have a confession to make to you, Joan Quarrier," he began. "I have lied to you brought you from a warm shelter up this coast tonight on false pretenses." "False pretenses ! What do you mean?" She was curious but not disturbed. dis-turbed. "I have been the cause of your breaking wilh the Swans given the missionary people the chance to raise their saiully eyebrows in horror for what?" "Why, my dear man !" she protest- Joau Quarrier did not see the pride, the gr'i'itude. and the love that shone down en her from Guthrl'-'s eyes. For nf hour after the stop at the Big Willow for the hot te8 the weather weath-er had l.een gradually thickening. As the dogs fi-tlowed the coast, Guthrie's restless cjes watched the murk slowly slow-ly blot out the stars. It meant feeling their way p.'itt the river mouths; and. across the delta of the Attawapiskat, a sharp warch on the compass to avoid entering the river itself. Clearly Clear-ly caution dictated turning into the Kapiskau and upending the night at the post. But tne chance of the man at Klkwan might hang on the hours saved by pushing on through the sahle blanket which shrouded the coast. He turned to the girl muffled in robes on the sled behind hiin. "It's not going to be cold, but a cold night with the stars would be better than this." "How can you te'J where we're going? I can't see a thing." "I'm letting Castor pick the trail just cheeking him with the compass. It has a luminous dial." "Cut he can't see any more than we can." CTO EE CONTINUED.) for me when you are ready. I'll go and pack my kit." "Ur.-ivo. lleaier of Wounds! That was spoken like a soldier," and walking walk-ing squarely at the mortified mission- i ary. dazed at the flouting of his authority, au-thority, who stepped into the soft snow to avoid the threatened collision, colli-sion, the elated Guthrie hurried to the t ra de-house. "She'll go. she'll go!" he announced to the wailing factor. "Good! You'll take good care of her. I know. I wish you the best of luck, my boy. She's a rare one is Joan." "Swan told her she couldn't return to the mission." "A-ah !" contemptuously grunted the other. "We'll send over and get her belongings. She'll spend the rest of the winter with us But she's much too valuable to the Swans for them to stick to their high horse. They'll be over trying to wheedle her Into coming back." "But I hope she won't." "We'll, see to that. Why, they didn't know how to feed a husky pup, and In charge of twenty children I Think of it! Joan turned to and taught 'em -. something, scientific, you know. Oh, they'll be back after her." Guthrie grinned broadly as he said: "So will I." "Well. I nope you get her." Behind the slab counter Garth curled up on a bundle of blankets for a lew hours' sleep, until his dogs were I the cost, there was in his face the look , of a man who would repay to the last farthing. Ottawa, the company he had served so well, were nothing. There lay Craig Galbraith, sick, hunted hunt-ed by the law he had defied, deserted Laughing McDonald, whom he had fought for the trade his friend, and he would see it through. Craig should have his chance, slight as it looked With the woman of the great heart and the skilled hands, be was hurrying hurry-ing over the sea-ice as fast as five Un-gavas Un-gavas could travel. Hold on, Galbraith, Gal-braith, V. C. I as you held at many a disputed parapet and shell-hole! They had talked little through the first miles, the thoughts of the man centered on his problem. With the skill of long training, she had gone Into the details of Etienne's wound, and Garth had had no heart so early In their journey for a confession of his duplicity. But when, off the mouth of the Big Willow, he announced that it was time to rest the dogs and eat the supper prepared by Mrs. Cam eron, he felt that, over the hot tea, Joan Quarrier should be told the facts. With the aid of cedar kindlings carried car-ried on the sled, he soon had a fire under the teakettle. s "Do you realize how you have ignored ig-nored your passenger, Mr. Exile? This is my first ride behind the dogs and I wanted to talk about them." The huskies, except Shot, who was Inspecting the willow thicket, were |