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Show j THE BIG MUSKEG By VICTOR ROUSSEAU BTtWART K1DD COMPANT I H l "I'LL GO WITH YOU." SYNOPSIS. Looking over Big Muakeg, a seemingly impassable swamp In the path of the Misaa-tibl Misaa-tibl railroad, Joe Boatock, builder of the line, and Wilton Carruthers, chief of engineers, are considering the difficulties. A rifle shot instantly instant-ly kills Bostock and breaks Carruthers' Car-ruthers' arm. Carruthers tries to carry the body to a post of the Hudson's Bay company, where McDonald Mc-Donald is the factor. McDonald's daughter, Molly, sees Carruthers struggling in the muskeg and drags him from the swamp, with his burden. bur-den. Unaccountably, her father objects to her saving Carruthers. Weakened by his wound and exertions. exer-tions. Carruthers Is disturbed by the appearance of Tom Bowyer, Bostock's business rival and personal per-sonal enemy. Bowyer Insults Molly, Mol-ly, and Carruthei'3 strikes him. Carruthers declares his low for Molly. She promises to be his wife. Carruthers has to reach the town of Clayton to attend a meeting at which Bostock's enemies plan to wrest control of the Mlssatibl from him. Molly determines to go with him. CHAPTER III Continued. "When Joe's death came home to me I thought things over in there, and It seemed to me that the only thing possible for me would be to go before the shareholders and tell them frankly what lay behind the enterprise enter-prise I mean the clay lands and their development. "Well, Molly, I've changed my mind. I won't tell them. I'll keep control for Kitty. And I'll advise the shareholders share-holders to proceed with the route we've planned. I'll take the responsibility. respon-sibility. Big Muskeg can be crossed. It shall be. "And I'll do more than that, Molly. I'll get the shareholders' authorization authoriza-tion before they know Joe's dead. If they knew that, It'd be all up with the line. Bowyer doesn't know. Nobody knows except ourselves. "I've told you all this, Molly, because be-cause you have the right to know. And just as soon as we've won I shall be In a position to ask you to be my wife. Will you, dear?" Molly turned and put her hands on. his shoulders. "Yes, Will," she answered. "And I hope with all my heart that you succeed suc-ceed In carrying out Joe's plans. And I believe you will. And I believe you will find a way to cross Big Muskeg. I see now that I must let you go, though I can't bear to, Will. But now I must say something. You know my father " "Doesn't altogether approve of me as a son-in-law, to put it mildly," answered an-swered Wilton. "I can't make out the reason for his dislike of me. The "Yea, Will," She Answered. first time I came here we struck up a friendship that looked as if it would be good for all time. Do you know what the trouble Is, Molly?" "I'm afraid Tom Bowyer has been Influencing liim against you. He has a strong power over father. He helped him In some way when he first cume to this country." "Then that's another score against our friend Bowyer," ssiid Wilton. "But I was going to say you see. my father's mind has given way to some extent since his stroke, and I don't know. Will, dear kit I'm almost afraid he is never going to be the same man again. It started even tie-fore tie-fore his attack this feeling against you, and his rnorosenexs. It began when Tom Bowyer was here last autumn. au-tumn. I'm afraid Bowyer slandered you to father. And I think it was my father's broodlfig over things that really v-uused Ids illness. So we'll just have to ve patient. And I'm g"ing to ask you. for the present, not to say anything about this to bin-.." Wilton promised, though with reluctance. reluc-tance. He did not like the concealment. His mind, simple and direct, worked In straightforward ways. However, La luiu been too hard hit over J' a ; death to make room for a new trouble. trou-ble. And he could not have refused -Molly. CHAPTER IV "In the King's Name!" But he worried over the situation all night, and in the morning Molly saw with alarm that he was in a feverish fe-verish condition. He should never have left his bed, and the journey seemed Impossible. "I've got to go, Molly," was all Wilton could say. "Then," she said with sudden decision, deci-sion, "I shall go with you. You can't travel alone. Your men may be faithful faith-ful enough, but it is my right to go. And you'll never get to the meeting without some one to tuke care of you on the way. That's my condition. Promise me or else I'll lock the store door, Will, and I've got n padlock that even you couldn't force." Molly seemed to be animated by a resolution as feverish as Ills own. Jules Ilalfhead had not fulfilled his intention of absenting himself, prob-ubly prob-ubly on account of the storm, which had made the security of the store seem preferable to life in the forests. He was faithful to the factor, and had never deserted him in need. He could take care of him during the four or five days of her absence. Wilton was forced to yield. "But you must make sure that Jules will stay," he said. "He'll understand. He'll stay," answered an-swered the girl. "He's never run away when I was gone to Moose Lake or Winnipeg." Molly went up to the factor's room with the faint hope of reaching some understanding of plumbing her father's fa-ther's feeling against Wilton and overcoming over-coming it. "Mr. Carruthers is getting ready to go," she said. "He is very ill. He Is too weak to travel alone, but he must take Joe Bostock's body back to Clayton." Clay-ton." "Oh, aye I" said the factor, sneering. "He Deeds care and attention during the journey. So I am going with him." The factor sat up in bed, transfixing her with a look of fury. "You, lass you will go with Wilton Carruthers to Clayton!" he cried. "Ye winna come name, then ! Mark me, now, I've done with you for aye ! Molly, lass, ye winna go !" he pleaded, with a sudden change of tone. "Think of your good name in Clayton !' I havena reared ye to have ye desert me in my old age and sickness, sick-ness, Molly." She turned quickly away to keep her tears from falling. "Jules can take care of you for a few days, father," fa-ther," she said. "It's not as if you were helpless. And his life Is at stake." "And mebbe he'll die if you don't stay with him when ye get to Clayton, eh, lass?" rasped out the factor in withering scorn. That scorn nerved her; to his weakness weak-ness she had almost yielded. She went down and dressed herself for the journey. jour-ney. She helped Wilton on with a macklnaw, and put a caribou robe in the sleigh. Then, while the men were harnessing the dogs, struck by a sudden sud-den thought, she stooped and began to examine the tracks of the snow-shoes snow-shoes about the edge of the portage. They ran confusedly in all directions, for the marks had been made by seven different pairs those of Bowyer and Chambers and their Indian ; those of Wilton and his two half-breeds; those of the deaf-mute. Of these Wilton's were blurred and almost Indistinguishable, made by his dragging feet as she pulled him up from the swamp. But even had the vague purpose in Molly's mind been clear to her, there would have been no need to examine those. The rest were all similar in one respeet none had a broken string. Wilton and Molly had arranged that he was to travel In the sleigh, to which a second had been attached, bearing Joe's body in a roughly made coffin constructed by the men. The dogs were harnessed, and tlwy started. It was a little more than fifty miles to Clayton. Traveling along the cleared road, the distance could he covered easily in two days. The dogs ran wetl, the weather was clear and fine, and Wilton felt well enough to walk a good deal. Their dinner was almost like a picnic. By evening the railhead had come into sight in the distance,' the empty camp, the long sheds with the miscellany of supplies, the locomotive shops, and the great ballast pits beside the line. As the dogs climbed the last hill there come yelping from the cleared way behind them. Looking back, they perceived a sled approaching. Two men walked beside it. and the dogs, sighting Wilton's, yelped in challenge, which was taken up In an outburst of answering growls. The sled drew in toward I hem, and the men resolved themselves info a sergeant and a constable of the mounted mount-ed police. Wilton had stopped Ids doss, tint the newcomers did not halt, and went on, with enrt greetings, toward the cache. A little surprised at their abruptness, Wliton let the sled precede his sleigh. As the dogs were enger for their meal, be sent I'apllloD ahead with them, and followed more leisurely with Molly. They arrived at the cache a few minutes min-utes after the half-breeds, to find the two policemen waiting for them, while the two men were unharnessing the dogs. Andersen, the old Swedish caretaker, care-taker, was standing beside Joe's coffin with a stunned look on his face. The policemen were not of prepossessing appearance. The elder man, the sergeant, ser-geant, was about forty years of age. He had fair hair, drooping mustache, a slight cast In one eye, and an expression ex-pression of sullen Insolence. His companion, com-panion, a short, stocky young fellow, looked hardly less surly and evidently til at ease. "Evening, Mr. Carruthers," said the sergeant bruskly. "I'm sergeant Peters, Pe-ters, and this Is Constable Myers. That's Joe Bostock's body you're bringing bring-ing in, I guess." Wilton was staggered. "Yes, it's Joe," he said, gulping. "How did you get the news?" The policemen exchanged glances. Peters smiled scornfully under his long mustache. "It's known, all right. The Two Policemen Came In. It's our job to know them things," he answered. "I'm taking charge of it to bring It In for the inquest." "But you are not from Clayton," said Wilton, who, of course, knew all the members of the small force of police that was stationed there. "We're from the Pas," answered the sergeant shortly. From the Pas! That explained how the sled had come along the road behind be-hind him. Bowyer must have discovered discov-ered the fact of Joe's death, in some manner, and had probably spread the news. Wilton surmised that Jules Halfhead had somehow managed to indicate the fact to him. The constable solved his problem. "We was on patrol," he vouchsafed. "And we met parties who told us about Joe Bostock having met with an accident, and that you was bringing him in." "That'll be all !" snapped the sergeant, ser-geant, looking angrily at Myers, who subsided promptly. "I guess this young woman Is Molly McDonald?" he continued. "This lady Is Miss McDonald." said Wilton angrily, "and you'll keep a civil tongue in your head, sergeant." Peters looked him up and down insolently, inso-lently, and for a moment or two the men faced each other in an aggressive attitude. Then the sergeant, sneering, swung on his heel. Wilton did not know what to make of his attitude, for the police were always friendly. Andersen's room was placed at Molly's Mol-ly's disposal, and after Wilton hud seen to her comfort he went outside (he shack. The dogs were yelping and snarling over their fish from the cache. Pa-pillon Pa-pillon had jtist finished feeding them, and Wilton thought Peters had been speaking to him. Probably the sergeant ser-geant was trying to obtain information. informa-tion. The Swede came up to Wilton, holding hold-ing a pan of sizzling brown potatoes. "I can't believe it. Mr. Carruthers." he said. "Only last week he passed through here with you'. Gosh, he was a fine man. Joe was! How did It happen? hap-pen? And you're hurt yourself, sir." he continued, glancing at Wilton's arm. "Joe was shot at my side in the woods. The same bullet hit me. I don't know who fired the shot. But I'm going to know," said Wilton grimly. "My Cod. It's all up with the line yet!"- irintlered the old man. withdrawing with-drawing to his fire. Wilton looked at Molly, who had come out of the bedroom and was standing near him. Andersen's exclamation excla-mation had gnicd the whole situation. Wilton felt physically nauseated by the heat in the shack, the unpleasantness unpleasant-ness of the situation, and a recurrence of pain In his wound. He went over to Andersen. "Do you happen to know either of those fellows?" fel-lows?" he asked. "1 never saw thejn before, sir," stud the old man. "I guess they ain't from those parts, from the looks and th9 ways of 'em." , "There's a new lot come up from Yorkton lately. Maybe they shifted these to the Pas when they sent some of the Pas men on to Clayton," Wliton reflected. He turned to Molly. "Anyway, "Any-way, we'll start bright and early," he said. "I suppose we'll have to have those fellows' company as far as Clayton. Clay-ton. But I wonder" He paused. "I wonder whether Joe would forgive me for leaving him In the hands of strangers for a while, If It were for Kitty?" lie mused. The two policemen came In, looking surly and uncommunicative as ever. After a hurried meal, eaten almost in silence, Molly snid good-night to Wilton Wil-ton and went Into the caretaker's room. As the door closed behind her Wilton saw the two men look after her. The constable whispered something some-thing to the sergeant, and both chuckled. , Wilton's blood was boiling, but he controlled himself. This was for Kitty, and his debt to Joe. The policemen prepared to lie down. Andersen was already snoring upon the floor. The half-breeds, however, had not come in, and Wilton, going to the stables, found them curled up among the huskies. "You fellows had better come Into the shack," he said, "unless you want to freeze." Papillon refused. "Them d n dogs will fight each other," he said, "if we don't stay here." "Just as you like," said Wilton. It was not unusual for rival teams of huskies to attack each other, but such antipathy generally developed from the first, and the dogs seemed contented enough. He went back to ' the shack and lay down, turning over in his mind what he was projecting, but he was utterly worn out. and fell asleep before he was aware of it. When he opened his eyes it was already al-ready dawn. The policemen were dressed and standing outside the shack, conversing in low tones. Andersen An-dersen was peeling potatoes for breakfast. break-fast. Wilton heard Molly moving within with-in the room, und his doubts fell from him. He had been upset by the surliness surli-ness of the two men ; he hnd had vague - suspicions not justified In fact. He determined to put his proposal to them. He walked over to the sergeant, who was just re-entering the shack with his companion. "I suppose you fellows are thinking of starting at once, after breakfast," he suggested. The sergeant looked him up and down. "That's about the size of It," he growled. f'Got any objection?" Wilton resolutely ignored the af front. "I've got Important business In Clayton, Clay-ton, affecting Mr. Bostock's Interests," he sold. "It is very Important that his death should not be known there until midday tomorrow." The constable, who was leaning against the door-post, chewing the eid of a twig, started 'slightly. Petrs fixed Wilton with his crooked start-, "P-ather a nervy thing to proiiose, Mr. Carruthers !" he sneered. "Maybe, but it's a business ntter affecting Mr. Bostock's wife," sail Wliton, Wli-ton, loathing himself for mnklag the request, but nerving himself t do so by the thought of Kitty. "If (he news of his death reaches Clayton before the time I've mentioned, souie people who are antagonistic to Mr Bostock's Interests will jump at the chance to turn it to account. It v 111 mean a heavy loss to Mrs. Bosttck. You've come a long way, and yaj could quite reasonably wait till afternoon on account ac-count of the dogs. That will bring yon in before noon tomorrow. And if you can see your way to II, you two won't be the losers." The sergeant eyed him more Insolently Inso-lently than ever. "So that's the program, pro-gram, is It?" he ansv ered. "Well, keep your mind easy. The news won't be known In Clayton 'onlght. nor tomorrow tomor-row neither. We ; in't going to Clayton." Clay-ton." "You're not. ell Then where the devil are you grlng?" cried Wilton, nettled almost bi'yond endurance at tlie man's demean vr. "We're inking Joe Bostock's body back to the Pa:" retorted the sergeant. ser-geant. "That's ivhnt we come here for." "Tile Pas? Tiiis isn't in the Pns jurisdiction!" "It ain't, eh? Perhaps it's in yours, then?" "See here." ered Wilton In exasperation, exas-peration, "Clnytty.i has its own police detachment, ns you know perfectly well. Your roufp doesn't He In this direction. Jo? Bontock's home's there. He's going to be burled there. And his body isn't going to he dragged here and there about the country by a "ouple of fool pp.Iicemen, I'll make things pretty warm fur you If you try any game like that." "Keep your hinds up, both of j you. Give me the --evolver, : Molly!" j i ITO BE COMVlNlIJa |
