Show U M ODE tile NOR SYNOPSIS stephen drake with his lour four year old son Is rescued from a blizzard by jim flynn big timber operator whom drake has robbed flynn foigl forgives v es the theft and drake until his death im presses on the boy steve the debt they owe old jim twenty years later steve meets toung young jim flynn his benefactors benefactor a son sent by old jim in capacitated through an accident in which kate his daughter Is tempo bartly blinded to take charge of the company s the polaris woods wood 3 op erat rations ions the youth li to indulging in a drunken screed learning of polaris dire straits and hoping to do some thing for old jim steve hastens to the comp company anys s headquarters H he a finds franz a scoundrel plotting against the flynn interests borsting Wor sting franz in a flat fight the polaris crew by lucky chance assumes that he Is flynn a son and he does not disillusion them steve takes taken charge as young jim A photograph of beautiful kate flynn which steve finds immensely increases his desire to aid old jim he learns macdonald eccentric old scotsman holds timber vital to the interests CHAPTER HI III continued 5 steve decided to watch lafane closely just now he was chaining some setters and after a moment with a final playful toss of the young est child set off into the woods with two bird dogs after he went a great gray creature that had been pacing at his chain length while lafane sat on the bench but which lay flat head on his paws while the man was near rose to his feet ile resumed that restless pacing back and forth back and forth watching the children with ears stiff for another hour steve and mcnally talked and might have continued so until noon had not a shrill long drawn scream brou brought them to their feet steve was first to the window he saw lafane s three children on the beach walking toward the store the youngest with a hand held by each of the others the scream came again and they turned and saw what drake saw a huge wolf like dog a length of chain attached to his collir collar curling and snapping behind him racing along the sand head low the hair along alono his back on end A man appeared in the doorway of the store looked out and whirled back the children stood still an instant and then the eldest with a frightened cry tugged at the baby a hand and ran for sanctuary come cried drake get a gun mac mae I 1 I 1 he ile vaulted out the window and ran to intercept the dog but he could not cover the distance rapidly enough he could hear the ragged roar in the ani ant mals throat as he swerved a bit to circle the quarry could see the orange glitter in his eyes and the flicker of saliva on his lips 1111 he belledin yel ledIn a voice sharp with fear HI III you I 1 he ile might night as well have whispered to the winds of he heaven averil 1 the children had stopped were bud hud died together as the dog lashing with his fangs at the youngest ripping a slash in her dress but evident evidently lv miss ing flech went past whirling to a stop his ills feet clawed in the wet sand for hold to turn and be at them again the man reappeared in the store doorway rifle butt against his cheek don t shoot I 1 steve cried dont don t no need of that warning the man saw that he could not send a saving bullet without grave danger of having it injure the child he ile came down the steps limping badly and hobbled for ward the largest girl sweeping the others behind her stooped scooped her hands full of pebbles and sand and as the dog rushed her fangs bared flung the grit full in his face it drove him blinking and raging from his course made his rush harm less and gave steve drake time to close in 4 no more than time the dog leaped for the baby and bore her down the teeth had bad missed a hold but steve saw blood on the child a cheek where a paw had raked as a he raised a foot for the mck klek that lifted the animal spun him about and threw him clear of the little girl pick her up I 1 get her away I 1 run I 1 he shouted to the largest stamping and kicking at the dog his toe caught the beast on the point of the nose as he leaped in to accept this challenge with a short yelp the creature backed away cir cling and steve not taking his eyes from him stooped and sela seized ed a stout hardwood stick which lay on the sand the dog had forgotten the running children evidently he ile circled the man jaws drooling eyes fixed steve turning as the dog moved braced him self for tl e rush which he knew would come when it d d come it was with that suddenness which only a creature with the wild in his blood could summon he ile hurtled stra at the man with a grunt drake put the whole of his strength into the blow the club caught the animal along the ribs knocked the breath from h in in a belching grunt and sent him rolling he ile went over twice chain wrapping about his body and even though the man closed quickly raining blows he scuttled free and circled briefly at a safe d stanc once again he rushed hurling his hundred pounds of fury through the air straight for steve a throat th a s time the club caught h in m atop the th skull and he went down with a yelp by TITUS copyright by harold titu titus service the limping individual u at with the rifle was close shouting his weapon at his shoulder put up that steve snapped you 11 get me he struck at the dog a back but the animal threw himself sideways going 9 with the blow and scuttling a few feet to safety whirled again now I 1 panted mcnally coming with a gun himself get back I 1 fix him I 1 let him alone said drake lifting his eyes just long enough to see the children disappearing into the doorway of the store to see their mother who had run past him close behind them this seems to be a kind of personal matter indeed it was the look in the dog 8 eyes was vas of such unmistakable hat hatred red so intense so personal that it carried a direct challenge again a rush but this time the ani ant mal feinted went under the swinging club and slashed at steves steve s thigh as he passed the fangs by inches but the next time the club found its mark blood slavered from the dog a up lip and he backed off slowly grudgingly until drake setting his ills toot foot on the dragging chain checked his retreat steve walked down that chain with the precision of a tightrope walker keeping his full weight always on it and the dog d aging his feet into the sand strained backward with all ill his a strength th throwing his head from side to side as he sought to tear free the animal was belly down now and drake raised the club high one fair blow on the skull and let me take tale him said a voice close behind lafane was looking at the great beast face unperturbed but be he was 0 4 but the next time the club found its mark breathing quickly and when he turned his gaze to the others an expression lay in the eyes such as drake had never seen before what you were going to do would spoil my chance he said quietly chance steve demanded in credulously chance for what to save myself in the eyes of my children perhaps let him go please I 1 amazed drake hesitated then took his weight from the chain the do dog turned to skulk away licking his chops lafane larane spoke duke dukel 1 the word was crisp and sharp not loud come in I 1 the animal hesitated stopped the tall dropped between his legs he low ered his head in shame or fear come in binl I 1 his owner insisted an and d snapped his thumb slowly then belly to the sand the dog slunk tov toward ard him good lord man are you going to keep that thing around after what al at most happened yes said lafane and because of what almost happened he searched drakes face and his mouth twitched if I 1 killed him before I 1 made him sate safe for them what would the rh children ildren think of me steve scratched his head well that a s one way to look at it lie muttered but what lafane evidently was not interest ed in what drake had been nebout to ask I 1 heel I 1 he said and started for the store dog close behind he ile did not look at the creature again the children and his wife were in the doorway the woman trying to still the frantic crying of the youngest the man brushed her aside almost roughly he ile took the babe in his hands and held her out before him then with a quick movement he crushed rushed her close putting his cheek to her scratched cheek wrapping his arms about her he ile started off for his home as others approached the dog slunk at his heels As he passed drake saw that tears were on the man mans s face A queer one for sure he said thinking of mcnally a words that afternoon steve found lafane in the store 1 I want to send a telegram tele grim in to town he said can you start early in the morning 1 I will start now he said that a fine of you but it isn t nee essary anything you want of me I 1 will do foung young jim lapane la vane said quietly if you had not been here he shrugged I 1 have you to thank tor for something which Is priceless he went out abruptly and steve felt that in those few words he had con keyed as much feeling as most men could in an oration the message which steve sent out addressed to La katharine tharine flynn was as follows am on job situation bad but nothing Is impossible dont don t expect letters until I 1 have something to report jim lie ile had experienced some qualms about the signature but it had to be no concern would be content to know that a stranger held its destinies in his hands and he knew that the truth would be the last straw for the burden which old jim and his daughter bore immediately he commenced inform ing himself of the polaris holdings he went to inspect the proposed route of the railroad temporarily at least blocked ile looked over other ble routes all he agreed were out of the question because of the nature of the terrain it looks he told himself as though well we have to beat either franz or this other man macdonald on the fourth day after meeting with wartin bartin and the wood choppers and conceding to their demands feel ing guilty at spending another a money and yet bolstered by the knowledge that it was the only way out steve set out to inspect the lower river mcnally was busy and steve want ing in 9 some one familiar with the coun try along asked lafane to go in the canoe with him for a mile no word was spoken then lafane said this Is the laird s line steve was wondering about the own er and how he might be approached when they shot around a sharp bend coming from strong current to a quiet velvety pool it was a surprise to see another canoe there and a sort of shock to ob serve franz in the stern holding it in the shallows by a paddle against bottom A decided shock however to meet the peculiarly angered glare turned on him by the white haired alred mountain of a man who sat in the bow a fly rod in his huge hands thanks I 1 was his first word spoken bitterly thanks lafane larane nd yer companion I 1 thanks fer doon th grandest fish that swims th stream I 1 steve turned the canoe quickly into the shallows and brought it to a halt I 1 in sorry sir air I 1 he said we couldn coulden t see around the bend I 1 didn dian t know see seel I 1 know knowl I 1 what gude d lave it ve done had ye what gude to me I 1 id d choose to knowl nis his gray eyes burned I 1 wouldn t have done it for the world sirl steve protested I 1 know what it Is myself to work over a fish ayl aal wl spinner likely 1 most yoong men ue th spinner they re not anglers it takes tales an angler to ken I 1 yes steve agreed A spinner fisherman a wouldn t under stand for them a fish Is meat for the dry fly lies ile a something else again I 1 in sorry come on lafane larane ile spun the canoe about and they proceeded he was conscious that the scotchman was eyeing him something like puzzlement evidently mingling with his ill III humor lafane spoke after a time its little things that touch him off or win his friendship likely be he wont won t speak to you for months they rounded a bend or two and the voice of the river became a mutter we stop here lafane larane said that s twenty mile rapid below us A man don dont t run it unless he has to and then only some get through they beached at a trail and stepped out A sharp bend was below and following the narrow ledge of rocks they moved along to where they could see W the beginning of the rapid steve shrugged as he surveyed the rock strewn torrent franz did it once lafane said as though sensing what his companion s shrug indicated two years ago its it s what got him into good standing with macdonald macdonald t do it even in his younger days and he was a good man too some men are like that they 11 have nothing to do with any other until he can beat them at something they re good in franz Is no fool steve thought this last might have been added as a warning and he thought again that this companion was a strange creature the laird was not in sight on their return and when they came to the pool where his great trout lived steve called a halt and sat there for many minutes peering down into the darb dark water it was a superb lair for a big fish presenting hazards which would put the best of anglers to a d sad vantage for some time they remained there moving up and down while steve though saying little studied the character of the bend As they entered good re lake again lafane apropos of nothing at all said old jim left a fly rod and tackle here two years ago I 1 have hane fre fresh a h I 1 lead ead ers thinks thanks muttered steve and grinned th s fellow was good I 1 tto ITO BE J |