Show F M te n M I 1 r d 0 s JW r n e d by GEORGE MARSH service copyright by the tb peon penn publishing co cik CHAPTER XII 18 garth found joan quarrier at the mission school entering the building he be stood for a space in a doorway and watched tier her read to a group of cree orphans As she looked up aware of his cresp presence nee he said it Is not february rebr uary but I 1 have returned I 1 something Is alie matter she said apprehensively what has happened tEl atEl kwan etienne shot himself but you why thy are iou here willy why did aou ou come for you for me to go to nikaan ni rl kwan dazed at the idea her land hand sought her forehead while the chattering children crowded curiously around them lie ile wants you there may be infection and you know wounds bave everything in your kit bandages stimulants antiseptics let me put on my coat and well talk outside she said caid so they went vent to tile the clearing 1 I know well ell what im asking askin ask in he said it means a day on the sled discomfort for you but lie he Is my friend and it may mean his life your coming ner her troubled eyes turned to ills 1 I 1 want to go the trip Is nothing g its going alone with you it means leaving the mission I 1 suppose of course swan will make a fuss to him it will look immoral your going to save a mans life he sal said d savagely but for you an army nurse with a life at stake he be pleaded Is there any choice she smiled wistfully as slie she gazed over tile the frozen river ive got to go its in my blood to help them the wounded ills heart leaped at the words to help the strong to help me Is that in your blood too joan quarreler he asked passionately she shivered and avoided its ills eyes as a wave of color swept up to tier her dark hair the strong need no help she parried again in control of himself the elated guthrie Gul lirie smothered ills his own emotion in this thought for the stricken friend at elkman for whom he had lied to the man he respected and the girl he loved jod ad he wondered what slie she would say to him biro when she learned of the deception that she would have come coine as readily had he told lold the truth he had no debt but the secret of Galbrait hs presence at elkman was wa a trust sacred annio late lie ile had told cameron that tnt tile crew of tile the ghost had died to a man at albany laughing mcdonald was a dead man on the way up tile the coast joan quarrier should learn the truth oh ye of little faith 1 guthrie sadly shook his head what must I 1 do to convince you the girl made no answer looking up tip biath saw bundled in fur cap and coat much too large for him ii short figure blocking their path you tire lire going on this mad journey tile shrill voice of swan demanded do you hold your reputation tl n so cheaply you have hav leard heard i ye yes yer R mrs mr cameron has beld me what tills man lias has come for youre too late swan she has promised to go said garth quietly ignoring guthrie the little man gravely warned you realize miss quarrier it if you yon go 90 you cannot return to the mission I yes sir air swan before I 1 became a mission teacher and my moral welfare tile alie object of your solicitude I 1 lived tor for three years with wounded men A mans life Is at stake it Is worth more than my reputation to garth she sold said abruptly come for me when you are ready ill go and pack my kit hit bravo healer of wounds that was spoken like a holdeer hold ler and walking squarely at the mortified missionary dazed at the flouting of ills his a au U who stepped into the soft snow to avoid the threatened collision the elated guthrie hurried to the trade housse house shell go shell go pol he be announced to the waiting factor take good care of her I 1 know I 1 wish you the test lest of luik my boy sties a rare one Is jon joan 11 11 swan told her she return to the mission anh A nh ah contemptuously grunted the other well send over and get her belongings shell spend the rest of the winter with us but ashes much too valuable ra jable to the swans for them to stick to their high horse be over trying to wheedle her into coming back but I 1 hope she wont well see to that why they know how to feed a husky pup and in charge of twenty children think of it joan turned to and taught em Tom something ething scientific you know oh be bark back after her grinned broadly as he be said so will 1 I 11 well I 1 nope dope you get jet her behind the slab counter garth curled up on it bundle of blankets for A levi hours bours sleep until his dogs doc were fit to take the ninety mile run north to elkman and the sick man who officially fici flici ally had bad died on the ghost at noon he drove his refreshed team to the mission where joan standing beside tier her duffle bags waited in the snow witt with the light load of two passengers tile the big runner sled its wooden shoes shod with ice fee which slips over it hard surface with less friction than steel and can he renewed at will would be sport for the fite file powerful dogs driving as he would to biln bring skill and medicine to the succor of the guest at klowan carth hoped to reach the post before down dawn but much depended on the light A thick night would slow the dogs to a walk while crossing the mouths of the big rivers where tide cracks opened and closed ocr night and the troll trail led through hummocks and ridges bad going by day nt at night heartbreaking heart breaking to driver and dogs youre not sorry badent bavent regretted promising to come ile he asked as he wrapped tier her in robes and stowed tier her bags she shook her head not in the least mr exile im reconciled now nov to the loss of the last shred of my reputation it was a wild scene in the house kitcy even prayed for me when they realized threats were futile prayed for you you bound on an errand of mercy in the name of all the saints let an innocent man die for want of proper care because of my reputation I 1 must be a monster to them she laughed yes I 1 can truthfully say that after what my brother told them they think you are a terrible person do you he countered leaning over the sled well her dark eles elas flashed up into ills his not exactly terrible rather what shall I 1 say stubborn SI A arche larche Ca castor anil and the he hu huskies with shot ahead g galloped to the trade house bouse there the camerons Caroe rons were waiting for the girl who had also burned her bridges shortly down the cliff troll trail and over the riverlee river lee raced the team carrying hope for craig galbralth galbraith deep in delirium at elkman ninety white miles away As they left the river and turned up tile the coasts coast guthries Cuth rles anxious eyes circled the gray horizon for indications of what would follow the haze smothered sunset over ever the keewatin muskeg for days now the weather had softened to above zero temperature 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 of craig cragg galbralth and ills own part in the climax of the pitiful history the tha decision lie had roade made beside the bunk in the ghost once he had find struck on a feasible plan of procedure was ine ineita liable ble to the man who owed ills his life to the heroism of the stricken galbralth galbraith cut but the situation which guthrie faced as lie watched the high barrens ot or catch and hold the veiled light of the dying sun might easily result not only in dismissal from the company but in arrest by the authorities ills 1113 clear duty to ills his employers had clem demanded that he report to cameron the presence of 0 laughing mcdonald at the information that a hudsons Hud sons bay factor had concealed from the government a man suspected of murder would raise a hornets nest in ottawa all this garth guthrie had seen with clear islon ision the night before when lie shared his plan with etienne Et lenne but as his eyes rested for an instant on the tragic face of the friend who that day in front of allens amiens list had not counted tile the cost there was in ills his face the look of a man who would repay to the last farthing ottawa tile the company lie he had served so well were nothing there lay craig galbralth galbraith sick hunted by the law lie had defied deserted Laughl laughing ng mcdonald whom he had fought for the trade lils his friend and he would see it through craig should hole ills his chance slight as it looked with the woman of the great henrt heart slid and the skilled hands he was hurrying in over the sea lee ice as fast as five un gavas could travel hold on galbralth V 0 as you held at many a disputed parapet antl and shell hole 1 they had talked little through the first miles tile the thoughts of the man centered on his bis problem with the skill of long training she had gone into the details of ri lennes wound and garth had had no do heart so early barly in their journey for a confession of ills his duplicity iut but when off tile the mouth of the big willow he announced that it was time to rest the dogs and eat cat the supper prepared by sirs mrs cuin eron lie felt that over the hot tea joan quarrier should be told the facts with tile the old aid of cedar kind lings carried on the sled he soon had bad a 0 lire fire under tins tile teakettle do you realize how you have ignored your passenger mr exile tills this Is my first ride behind the dogs and I 1 wanted to talk about them the huskies except shot who was wag inspecting the willow thicket were wera sprawling in their harness sniffing hungrily at the odor of bacon now NON v that he was alone with joan wa was to 3 be alone with her through the long IX miles to elkman guthrie felt strangely diffident until he be had laid the truth before her told of the love he be bore this broken thin thing once feared as Laughl laughing ng mcdonald waiting in such sole need of her ministrations and rece reveled led her absolution tor for his deception lie he would feel ill at ease with the woman who faced the world with the start stark truth in tier her eyes let me le see she went ment on 1 I know castor and pollux but that cream col ored one oh dido li he elau laughed bed and tile the white gray one Is aeneas aeneas and does lie he run away from her like his namesake run away hardly ashes hes the fastest dog in the team more lie he try iles hes more constant than hero the name of that surly one who growls so much oh achilles of course the su iker gut but hes not so much of a hero iles hes deathly afraid of castor and shot fought him to a standstill once pouring her a cupful of the steaming tea and making a sandwich with watched the murk slowly slot blot out I 1 the stars J I 1 the bacon he passed joan her supper sly my im hungry ilow how good the tea tastes hut but arent the do dogs S to hae bae some fish after their work yo no they were toil fed tills this morning it if I 1 feed them now it would make them lazy we reach elgvan before noon and im worried im afraid were going to be too late as its it as slie she looked up puzzled at his tone why you said lie he bleeding badly DO artery involved its only a matter of keeping the wound clean the moment had come 1 I have a confession confess IOD to make to you joan quarrier he began 1 I have lied to you brought you front from it warm shelter up tills this coast tonight on false pretenses false pretenses what do you mean she was curious but not disturbed 1 I have been the coule cause of your breaking with the swans given fit the missionary people the chance to raise their saintly eyebrows in horror for what why my dear man she protest ak A 1 I understand nil all that thel Pro pr nite lilo cant hurt me can it itt I 1 dont tand where Is 1 the ithe ner her lie he sucked in a deep breath and conned toward tier lier as a he said gald denenno Kt ienno was not shot youre on your way to help me save a friend a friend who erat crawled vied with me on his hi back through gas and shell fire they broke ills his arm and got him in the chest but he be canie came tb through rough can you guess who it Is her dark brows contracted as she met the pleading look olt of the man standing by tile the fire slowly she shook her lend head you rou said etienne was hurt now you say it was some one else I 1 dont see laughing mcdonald cDonald SI laughing laughin Uc Donald ahe he cried yon ton said you found him dead on the schooner lie ile was alive but very sick til flu pneumonia im not sure slid and an indian took him to elkman while I 1 came to ask you to go to help lle lie nas tills friend who saved your life in france she asked wide ulde eyed with surprise yes capt arah galbralth galbraith he took the name of mcdonald cDonald SI when he disappeared after the murder slie she broke in that la Is unworthy of joan quarrier he demanded gently hut but ills his description tallies follies with that of the man wanted in halifax you forget that ive seen him guthrie warmed to the defense of 0 his friend suppose he Is the man danl Is it strange that a man branded for life with that grimace he pl pleaded ended a man mad proud sensitive coming home with tile victoria cross twice won should go mad when the wife lie cherished as I 1 know lie he did turns in horror of ills his scars to it lover tell me Is it strange it was murder she objected halfheartedly no not if the man wa was struck in the heat beat of passion as galbralth galbraith could strike it was wag retribution after all he was ft gallant soldier she roused mused aloud and he be saved your life ignoring the inference garth pressed ills his point tor for he saw to his joy that his story had touched her think what his bitterness his agony must have been doomed forever to wear that mask when the woman who should have bare been proud to bear his name failed him imagine ills his loneliness his despair when in his need she t timed to another there was a injian in joan quartiers rs eyes as she said you must have loved him gi batly to defend him so well ne ile threw away his hope of reaching the lines when he followed shot to my shell hole and started back with a gassed roan man to 1 it strange that im fighting for his life oh healer of wounds for an instant as he waited for be hf answer she nut the fierce pleading of his eyes then looked into the thickening might ns as she said gently tou have won icon ill give all I 1 have to save gave bim for lie he was a gallant soldier and has suffered joau joan quarrier did not see the pride the gratitude and the love that shone down vit on tier her from Guth guthries rios eyes 0 0 0 0 0 for as an hour after the stop at the big willow for the hot tea the weather had been gradually thickening As tile dogs followed the coast guthries Guth rles restless eyes watched the murk slowly blot out vie vic stars it meant feeling their way avay past tile river mouths and across the delta of the attawapiskat a sharp gateb on the compass to avoid entering the river itself clearly caution dictated turning into the kapiskas kapiskau Kapi Kapl skau and spending the night at the post hut but the chance of the man at El elliean might hang bang on the hours saved by pushing on through the sable blanket which shrouded the coast lie ile turned to the girl muffled in robes on the sled behind him its not going to be cold but a cold night with the stars would be better than tills this how can call aou ou tell where were going I 1 cant see a thing tin illi telling letting castor pick the trall trail just checking him with the compass it lias bas a luminous dial ahl cut but lie cant see any more than we can TO nn 1313 CONTINI CONTINUED TED |