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Show Uy JOHN It. MUSICK, Aalr.tr at "Wiirlein Mr. IU.rV -The Dlk Sltlill'i" "Cti.tlla AllHidal. ' Hankie," IHC Coarrteal, tW. Vf noaiir tmait'i Hit. AMrl.bUfutrt.4. CHAPTER III. (Continued.) "We've Rot one on m woundod, nn' let's makt mint out o' him we kin afore we lt him go. I ot nnt go an' act like a hull paesel o' fools aa don't know u lint we're niloln' nohow. Save him nn' wot) git Crack 1-Aih's dint bark an' well liana all fmtr together, you alj know that' much better'n hangln' one at a time" The life of the captive win spared for the time being, and the minors proceeded at once to orgaiilte them elves Into a lgllance committee, preparatory pre-paratory to stopping crime at tho very icglnnlng In their new setllcmonL I.) Ins on a low couch In ono of tho lhantlei was tho hero of this stroy. tnown on the Klondike as Crack Lash Caul. Ills wounds weru severe, and io was In a feverish cundltlon. One tt the miners who had somo knowl tdgo of roedlclno and surgery had ox-'traded ox-'traded tho ball and ilrcssed tho wounds Tho name of the doctor will Iferhapa novcr be known. In tho Klon-like Klon-like he was only called "Sawbonos." Tho patient's faco was flushed and lis eyes closed. Ills quick breathing ind nervous movements Indicated that so suffered montally as well as physic-allr. I "Ilo quiet," whispered "Sawbones" In tho ear ot his patient. "Ilore, tako this." Ilo raised the hesd or tho wounded youth and gavo him a spoon Jul of ncrvo-quletlng medicine, Ilo drank It off, and then lay back on his 'tied and slept Tho doctor aroso from tho low stool at the side ot tho couch and went out. N y Ilo quickly turned his gaio toward every projecting branch within raugu of his vision. A look of disappointment came over his faco aa his eyes searched search-ed In aln for some object. "What hato you dono with him!" ho askod of a miner who was cuing or. "Nothln'," was tho answer. "What, hain't you buns hlra yot!" "No." "Why!" 'Glum Italiton ia!d net" . "What's tho matter with alum! Has ho got bata In his belfry!" roared ' . tho Infuriated doctor. "Hold on, Sawbones; don't get off your trolley until somethln's on tho " track. I tell yo Glum's all right." Ho then proceeded to osplaln matters to tho Irato doctor, assuring him thnt ho i would yet have tho satisfaction of soe- Ing tho robber lifted high onough to i get a bird s-eyo view of the new Joru- -gBfji - salcm. but explained that In order to I get tbo othors they must koep tho 4 powers of speech In tho ono tbsy had. 1 "Well, with that explanation I rave L In." growled Sawbones. "Hut I don't I want any fcclln' o' sontlmcntallty " ToamlnR around this camp. Wo don't '. como of a forglvln' stock, wo don't." i Tho patient slept for set oral hours, !nnd when ho awoke as evening began to draw near ho was much Imprmod. tut ho rocoterod slowly, and so did tbo prisoner. Tho tatter's wound, how- ver, was moro severe than 1'aul's, rj and for a tlmo his caiu seemed doubt- ill tul. Tho doctor Impressed with tho V Jbopo that somo information would be I obtained from tho wounded man, used I his skill to tho utmost to bring about ilv speedy recovery, f When 1'aul was ablo to walk about I ho Insisted on going to his shanty to ) I Invosttgato It, though ho was so weak VI bo bad to sit down on a slulco box to . Jest beforo ho approached tho door. I When ho had roiled sufficiently ho 9 rasa and, unlocking tho door, entered 1 i tho shanty. Ha searched tho room I carefully for somo cluo that might J . bavo boon dropped by ono of tho at- i) ;, tacking party after they entered the room, but for a long tlmo found ; none ! At last ho discovered In a narrow .' crack between tho logs and chinking what seemed to oo a bit of paper wadded up and thrust Into tho holo. i i Ilo went to It, pulled It out. and It I proved to bo on onvolope stained with ' blcod. ITho cntelopo was stuck In tha crack , uonr tho cornor where the wounded outlaw had fallen and I'aul at unco -a.-' surmised lie put It there. Ho took I the paper out ot tha cnvelopo and I pared at tho handwriting la amazo- I tncnL It ran as follows: , 1 , "San Krnnclsco, Sept. 1, 1S35. I "Inclosed find transportation and money surilclont to pay our way to Juneau. Whatever jou do, remember that I'aul Miller Is not to return to ' Fresno. Do him no harm If you can acctmpllih your ends without vlo- Ilence. but at all hazards keep him two years longer In tho Klondike. "I T." He read the mysterious paper agsln. He turcod It over and looked on tho back. Who was "I, T." and why should he with to keep htm In Alaska! ' There seemed to be something slight ly familiar about tho chirograph, hut ho was not cortaln, Having a cluo to tho mystory, bo sat down to study tho puzzle. The moro ho read the note tho more ho wis puzzled and the farther bo teemed to get from the solution, "Thero has been a carefully laid riot to ruin me," he said to himself, as ho sat upon the ilcol trylrg to study the mlMlve. "Who Is '1. T,,' and why should he wish uo to remain In tho Klondike!" He left the shanty, carefully lock Ing the door alter blm, and was mak- int his way to the cabin at which he had stayed since the attack, when be met (Hum Italtton "Hello. Track l4uh, gettln' under way agin?' ' I am ablo to be out, Glum," be answered ' Glad on It. boy glad nn It," The ex tailor was about to pas on when the young nan said: "I want to talk some with you, Glum. There was a deep-laid plot to rob and murder no. I hate an enemy or enemies I know not how many who bae designs on my happiness. llalston was not a man to be moved by motion or Jump at a conclusion. He rat a long time listening to the unquestionable eldencu ot the )outh. When he had finished there was no longer a doubt that here was n conspiracy con-spiracy (o Injury Crack I ash. and perhaps per-haps taku his life A new light was breaking In on him and he became more Interested In tho youth than he had been. '.Mwell, Crack Inn1, I think we'd better run 'em down. Wonder bow many wo kin gll to go with ui," "1 want no ono but you. Glum," said tho outh. "ou and I nro enough, for I can trust )ou, which Is mcro than 1 care to do with all. I bollcvo that If I can capturo thosu men they will not only tell mo whero to find my lost treasure, hut alio Inform mo who this enemy 'I. T.' Is." "Then by tho trident o' Neptune wo'll go an' never stop until wo find them." After consulting tho matter, they decided to keep their departure a secret se-cret from their companions, and decided de-cided to atari before they were awako next morning. During tho night a snowstorm raged. Next morning long beforo tho miners were astir our two friends were attired In turs. with several sev-eral dogs, provisions, blsnkets and rifles, and set oft on snow-shoes In search ot tho three men who had robbed and so nearly killed I'aul several sev-eral weeks before. Glum Italston had received reliable Information that the men ho wished to find wcro In a valley up tho Yukon, and they acted on that Information. They fc.und tho snow still falling, though It was net very cold, For sev oral mites they trudged along on tho snow shoes In sllcnio. At but Glum salds "Stop!" "Why!" asked Taut. "Wo'll rest," "I am not tired." "Yo don't think yo are, mato, but you'll have all the wind out o' yer sails aforo jo know It, Set down." There was a log lying near, and both sat upen It, "I am surnclently rested, so let's go on," said tho youth, after a short rest, starting to his feet, "Don't bo too certain yo know ye kin stand tt, lad. I tell ye It's a longer voyago 'n yju think, an' thore'a rough tallln' between this an' tho Chllkoot." They reached Dawson City next day at noon. As I'aul was still weak, he secured a room In tho hotol and went to bed 'to rest. Dclng overcome, by weariness and tho Journey, ho was icon burled In profound slumber. Ho was awakened by somo ono shaking shak-ing blm by tbo shoulder and whispering: whisper-ing: "Tumble up. Crack lash." "What Is It, Glum!" ho asked, starting start-ing up and rubbing bis oyos. "They're hero." "Who!" "Tho rascals that robbed yo. I raw tli' faco ii' ono o' them fcllors we'd scon ahangln' around our dlggln'sbo-foro dlggln'sbo-foro you wcro robbed, an' I'd bet my wolf skin rap th' others ain't fur oft." I'aul Miller hastily donned his clothes, Tbo pale youth drew on his fur boots and buckled his revolvors about bis waist. Ho realized how dangerous an encounter would bo and ho knew ho might bo a corpse In twenty minutes. Ho breathed a silent prayer for I-aura, mother, and lastly himself, and whispered: "I'm ready." They wont down to tho rocm below, whero they found a wild crowd carousing, carous-ing, but no sign of tho man who was suspected of being an accomplice In the robbery. "Walt at tho door, Crack Ijish," Glum whispered. Tho ox sailor left him and hurried nway. Ho was gone hut a few minutes min-utes when ho hurried to bis sldo, saying. say-ing. "They're gone." "Whoro!" "Op tho ukon; wo'll find 'cm In tho alloy." "Let's rn at once," said I'aul. They set out for the upper t alley. An Ksqulmeaux was rrgaged to tako them sot oral miles on his dog sleds, and frcm thero they traveled on tout, sleeping on the snow securely wrap- pod In their blankots. On tho morning of the third day they camo upon the trail of those men and followed 11 until nightfall. Next morning they woro early on their trail again, and after four hours' bard travel Glum llalston said: "Thero they aro, Crack I.ashl" Ilo pointed down a narrow valley which dlvergod frcm the main valley, and three spects could bo seen upon a slight elevation. Glum Italston was an experienced scout, and began at onco to put In play his woodcraft. They crept forward for-ward to some trees and advanced rap-Idly, rap-Idly, keeping themselves screened from tho observation ot tho men they wero trying to overhaul. Night foil again without coming up with then, but a glimmer far up the mountain side told them they bad ramped thero. Tho pursuers slept and rotted a few hours and then again started on tha trail. At last they camo In sight of the threo raon not over two hundred I paces away. Halting their rifles, they snouted to them to halt Th fM" cast quick glances behind, and tho, with defiant yells fled. Two darted around one side of huge, projecting cliff that formed 0j extreme spur of the mountain. ad went the other way. Two rifle nts rang out on tho mountain, and tt bullets whined thrtugh the air. m "Y winged yer man. Crack I.M. cried Glum "Follow him and III chase to the others " I'aul needed no second commaad, but darted after the man at whom he had fired The fugitive threw away his spin and fled fur life, and for an hour I'aul was In doubt whether ho was gaining or him or not. Attboeau of that time, to his great chagrin, he saw blm uiah Into a thick forest of pines and flr. When next he saw him ho was creeping along n ledge five hundred feet nbote hl-n With no other thought than the capturo ot the fugitive and loeotcry of his Irraiure, I'aul threw oft his snow shorn and clambered up tho sleep precipice with great labor and no little danger. Up ho went, heedless of everything but the solution solu-tion ot the mystery which threatened his life, and happiness of himself snd Laura, Ho reached tho fork and began be-gan to climb tho great dead limb of a trro which touched tho coveted ledge. At that moment ho heard a crackling at tho root of tho trro and became romclous ot a descending motion In tho limbs to which he clung. He knew ho was falling, and that' with tho vast mass ho must descend Into the valley beneath. Ho left himself him-self rushing downward through the air; ho closed his eyes, thero camo a horrid crash on his ears, and ho knew no more. When Taut regained consciousness ho was lying on a pllo ot aklns and furs In a catorn. A man clothed wholly In bear and seal skins stood over him, gszlng at him with a pair of strango gray eyes. Ills hair was long, falling; to his shoulders, shoul-ders, and his beard, which was almost white, csme to his waist. Ho had a halfsavago and halt-clvlllzcd appearance appear-ance I'aul gazed Into tho strango, wild faco and asked: "Who nro )oul" Tho sttangor, without taking bis eyes off him, atked: "Who aro you!" "I am a minor from tho Klondike who was robbed. I was In pursuit of tho robbers when tno accident bofell me. You found mo!" "Yes." I'aul at first supposed that somo of his limbs were broken or dislocated, and dared not move, but after a few moments ho dlsrovorcd that ho had suffered no greater Injury than a severe se-vere sheck. Ho bad fallen Into-n deep snowdrift, which had broken tho fall and no doubt saved bis llfo. "Won't you tell me who you are!" atked I'aul after a tow tnlnutoV gazing Into tho faco of tho m, Jtorlous stranger, Tho man turned away for a moment as If ho wished to avoid tho arawcr and then slowly turning back answered: "1 am a hermit; will that suffice!" "Do ou llvo hero!" I'aul askod. "Yes." "How long bavo you lived In this mountain?" Then rnmo n longer silence than usual, when the hermit of the cave answered: "What dlfferenco can that make to you! I found ycu In a perlihlng condition con-dition and brought you here and tntcd your life. It that not enough without telling all tho secrets of my lite?" Ho turned slowly about and went to a small flro that smoldered on tho stones scmo distance away, and began to toast seme slices of mooso strak. Paul closed his eyes and tried tn reason thst he rould be In no Immediate Imme-diate danger. If tho man had Intended Intend-ed to kill him, ho would no dcubt have dono so while ho was unconscious. He also rrnsnrrd ho might bavo some design In sating his llfo. (To bo continued.) |
