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Show Bj JOHN R. MUSICK, Aatkar "Mralarlaaa Mr. M.w.rV "Ta Dark Ilium," -Charda Allaudata'a OwibU," Etc All nttta raaaraa. CHAPTER XVI (Continued. "I'M o leave the other there?" "Ve an' Icmme loll ye, It'll tako four to manage that woman I couldnt slay In the same camp and jet up quarter by n big black Mump half a mil? away from her" 'Curse aurb luck' 1 with the men hail stajed" Why? Who are you afraid of?" "I don't know who he In. only he I calls himself the Old Man of the Mountain ' "Where la he? ' "In her tort " "Where did "ie come from?" "Look a If ho had slid down the peak of some Irebcrg do and take a squint at lilm " Cummin tlniigl, n roward when there wan n woman In the rafe. had Utile fear of men Creeping Meallh Hy up to the tent tie ix-tped In und beheld the "Old Man of the Mountain." Moun-tain." seated on n ramp stool before the fair I aura, hi rifle, between hi knee, while ho u telling lilm her tory. "Umpht If old St. Nick or an escaped Selkirk. look a If h B bristled with weaHin. nml I don't doubt hut he enn um 'em. The bos ) right, for a glimpse o' that faro and the nrsenal he carries I enough to glvo a polar bear the agcr" Notwithstanding the iiiirepoie ins appenrnnro or the matt from the mountain, he pressed Ida par cloo to the tent to listen to the, converea lion between tho two "Why dlil you oumo to Alaska, my poor child?" "I ratno to find the man I love. My Paul, who wo lout " Ijiitra told the old man her story and at the conclusion said- "Ho tell me Paul I dead I do . not believe him He ha deceived me on more than one occasion, and he will do mi again If It serve III pur pose. M) bean tell in Paul lle" "My clillil that allenl monitor I neter wrong; Voilr Paul lle Ilo la not far away, hut he you nnd I nre In treat peril. We mutt act with minion and iccrecy ur we will nil be dead before morning Thee men are dea perato rrlmlnnl Will on trutt mo?" "Ve, with my llfel" "Pretend n If jou had heard nothing, noth-ing, but bo ready to net n I direct." "I)o you know where Paul l?" i"Yc, hut be I under a atronR iruard. la there no 0110 with the train ou can trust? No Indian or Eaqulmo?" ' I do not understand them nor they mo; but I havo my truaty aor-vant. aor-vant. Hen llollnn." "Where I hn?" "Ho waa sent to-day to eo If tho T could be opened" "Tho pan ha not been cloicd," aald tho hermit "My dear daughter, aonding him off wa only an oxcuio to got jour friend out of tho wnyj hut V all la well 1 1 onion I on your aide and directed me here" "Humph' Wo'll ee about that!" growled Cummin, ruins from hi kneea "They kin put their trout In what they like but It the bona will lot me hno mj wnj, I'll put mlno In about ten Inrhe of cold alee)'" Ho hurried to lackland, who waa sitting on a alcd. hi fare expressing the deepeat nnxletj Ir. n fow word a poilblo he narrated the Interview between the ni)lerloit old man nnd Ijiura Lackland made acvcrnl of fort to apeak beforo he dually aur ffl caeded, then, In a voice alrangely un I natural, ho nld "It ha coma ut laatt I hoped I n would bo iparod bloodahed, but there H I no help for It Hlnco It mint come. H let It come Wo will do our worat If the old man and Paul Miller are In our waj, let them diet" I "Well, there will bo little time K to act." "I know It." Lackland, who till ahrank from the thought of cnmmlttlnR murder him elf, began to plan to hato hit myrml don do oil the work, and agreed very readily to have reinforcement "I think It would bo well for you to atart back and set two of tho men," he tali! "Can't you do It In a few houra?" "Ve! on tnowahoe I can make it by tomorrow noon Let ua Icao I tho valley and atart down tho trail" They had to cro the rlvor to reach tho trail, but by thli time, tho Yukon waa frozen over, o they crotaed on tho Ice They had scarce Rot over when thoy aw lliroo forma coming along tho trail "There they nre now," ald Lackland Lack-land The three form could tie een coming com-ing hurriedly up tho path and, when the drew nearer, tho form of the old man could bo aeen coming along behind. be-hind. "Hnlton, como here!" unld lackland At the old man advanced toward htm, tho Indian were ordered across the rler on the Ice "What do want Mr Lackland?" "Your mU.ro ent for jou to go back and meet Ml Willi" "Mo go back!" gained old Den. "ThU do seem monster queer Why, I'm about petered out I don't bcllovo I kin go n mllo Janler" 'It's not over a mile ' "We'll try t' eViiu) It." lackland look the nrn of the tired, faithful old fellow nnd ItJ him ai rap Idly a he could travel until the cavern cav-ern wa reached 'I that tho place, Cummin?" he asked ' Yee " "Come In here In thle cavernl" "What for" 'Snut jour Infernal mnttth and come on, ou taik too much' ' I won't go' he cried for hi u-plrlon u-plrlon liegnn to be aroused, and he made an effort to pull away The rnlthful old man teemed to reallte that In tome wa thl attack bad referenre to hit tnlttre, nnd he fought with the desperation of n madman; but be wet choked Into Insensibility, and I arkland ald Take hint up' Drag htm In there, and tie hint hard nnd font'" Cummin obced Instructions, and n few momenta Inter emerged from the cave, saying "Well, tmee, that' done " "Yea, but there I not n second to loae. for the old man at the ramp will not lie dealt will so eally You mutt get two or three of the other. If they hae not gone, and hrlrg them here nt once Don't wate a moment, for ever) thing depend on gtttlng reinforcement re-inforcement before da) light." Tho nlghta In Alaska were long nt thl season, nnd It wa olbla for reluronemnnt to arrive before dawu CHAPTER XVII. A Oroan In tho Dark. When Paul Miller leaped from hi pallet and ritihed from tho door of fie hut, be wn na lnano a any luraato of n manhoute "Oh, atop! nop' atop'" shrieked Kato Willi "Where are jou goln where nre )ou goln ?" "Laura! 1 aura! ho shouted. "Laura! Oh, my goodne take nllve, doet ho know her? cried Mlt Willi, clapping her hand na n new nnd wonderful thought bitrtt on her mind. "It can't be It mutt be ho la tho girl' loer! He mutt bo her Paul!" Bho ahouted to aomo of tho Indian portora left to look after tho cnmp: "Stop him!" Tho Indiana wero oon on him, had him tied with mooaeakln thong and carried lilm back to tho hnnl, where he waa lain on the bed Kate followed them, nobbing fraiitlcnlly and groan lug- "He deod! Thoj'vo hilled him and I'm to blame for It. Oh. what n fool I've played all tho way through!" Ilo breathed and. placing her head on hi brenat. the discovered that lilt heart Mill beat S'lo placed tho kcttlo over tho little oil atove nnd prepared soma nourlihment hound up hi hend, which waa (lightly bruited, and toon had hit eye open. No aooner waa he ratloonl enough to recall what bad happened II an ho began to tob. "Don't take on o!" tho khid hearted woman aald. "I tell ye, ye couldn't have Rot a mllo away from hcrol Ye would havo died and yo mutt know It!" "Hut I-ntira, my darling. In tho power of that manl" "Hay, Ufa you and I understand each other, an' then thero won't bo any danRcr of making inUlake. Aro )ou Paul Miller, who'a been dead 10 long?" "I am Paul Miller and they may havo reported mo dead " "From Fresno, California?" "Yet from I'reniio, California." Have )ou n awcothcart 'called Laura Keau?" "vn )e! It waa tho ou told mo had gimo on nnd I will" "Now, look hero! I am jour friend I am tho beat friend jou and Ijiura ever had atlde from jertelve If yo1!! Jlt lltten f me. wo'll outwit tho whole caboodle nn' how 'cm what' whnt ylt " Kate told him ho mutt pretend to bo n great deal worao thnn ho really was, nnd aha would report that tho believed he wa going to dlu Ho at once fell In with tho plnn, with the ntttrnnra that a toon aa he wn strong enough ho wa to start secretly secret-ly for tho inmp whero Ijiura wa waiting for her companion to Join them jvieanwnne thero waa a chnngo In guard Cummlna waa relieved and four men cnt to tnko hi place. Tho Indians went with Cummins, and Kate bad four whlto men to contend with. 810 often eavesdropped the four men when at quarters, nnd gained enough of their plana to rcallto that they must act promptly. The very night the "Old Man of tho Mountain," a ho ralltil hlmtelf, to suddenly appeared In the tent whero I nura vvna expelling lur unwclcomo suitor, thej act out. On nnd on they haatened over tho frozen enow, and Paul'a heart began to beat with pica ure Hut hark! What nro thoto oml nou tounilt in their ear? They havo been four or fivo hour on the roulo when they bear tho sound of feet rushing tho hnrdened snow. 'Paul!" Knto whispered, "wo nro pursued' Can )ou run? "I can- and I can do more I can hoot!" "Itun first and shoot when jou tave to Olmme yer hnnd " Tho strong woman took his hand In her own and thoy ran along tho snow-covered snow-covered trail awlftly as harea They were almost nt the point where tho river was crossed on tho Ico when n voice behind them cried. "There thoy go!" "Halt top. or we'll fire!" Paul wheeled around and loveled hi rifle at one of tho dark objects eomlng toward him, but Juat aa hla finger wa ready to press tho trigger he wn struck a blow between tho shoulders, which sent him sprawling In the snow. It was Cummins, going after rein-forewHient. rein-forewHient. who enmo up at thla Inopportune In-opportune moment. The two prisoner were lifted fro the ground and carried to tho caver j vhere they were left lied hnrd at I faet, their fate to be do:ermln. I later ') Paul Miller wa not unconrlou I any lime, nnd when he found hlma. M tied. l)lng on the hard Boor of tho ca it? em. he began to cnlculnte on b chance k Suddenly he heard a groan In U ,,, dnrknes "Kate Kale w a that you?" I J whispered I "No!" was the) answer. 1 "Who waa It?' I And another hollow Rroan came 01 their ear (Ireat goodne grnrlou' What li It?" hrlekod Kate Willi What I lit" "Hmdi, Kato!" whispered Pau "Some other unfortunate Is hero a well at ourselves! ' Then eamo another deep groar whlrh seemed to bo only a few pace away. "Who aro you?" asked Paul ' I'm Hen llolton," camo a fecbl answer. ' I nln'l done nutbln' t' b . tied up hero nn left t' dl In thl wny!" ( "I know him!" gasped Kate "II ( wat Ijiura't faithful servant!" I lu tho anguish of his aoul Pau)! groaned. I 'Oh, Laura, Laura, why can I nof, reach jour aide and savo you from thoe flendt?" ,' Paul had deep thoughts, but kept thoto to himself Ho still had faith that heaven would never permit such , an evil as thcto untcrupulou men contemplated to auccoed, How dlvlno Interposition would como liC' had no Idea, but ho holloved It would) como. At that very moment Paul had a faithful friend of whom he bad novcr, thought coming to him. The dog courier that had borno tho tidings ' that he nnd hla companion wero perishing per-ishing In the forest had always shown a strange fondness for hlra. On the night Paul left, hi canlno friend wa tied with tho other dog, lest he should follow nnd betray their lllght Tho dumb brute determined to follow, and when Paul was gono set to work to deliberately gnaw tho seal rlatn In twain His sharp Incisors Incis-ors did tho work nud his keen sento of smell soon told him tho courso they hnd gone, and ho finally brought up at the cavern. Paul wa lost In painful thought when ho suddenly felt tho touch of a cold noso tip on his cheek and became be-came aw aro that a friend waa near. Tho dog sniffed about him for a moment, mo-ment, and, reaching hla wrists, at last, realizing that something waa wrong, seized tho thongs with his teeth and began pulling at them. "What la that nolso?" asked Kate Willis. "Do quiet!" Paul answered In an undertone. The sharp teeth of the doj WJf" ' silently cutting tho thongs, wlilrtTfl tied his master, in a fow minutes Paul's hands woro freo. Then untjlng nls nnklea, ho crept to whero Kite sat against the big rock, her arms tied around IL "Who's that? sho asked. "K(op qulctl" ho whispered. Kato waa a bit norvoua and very amtout to know If thero waa any chance for escape, but she restrained her ntt ttral Inclination and aald nothing Paul released her and went next to old Hen llolton who waa groaning as If he was breathing hla latt The old fellow, dumb with aiton Ithment for a moment, blurted out "Ho yo agoln' t' untlo me?" "No, no, yo won't!" roared tho ten try, who begnn to suspect what was up. Lighting a torch, ho started to tho Interior of the cavern, whero they had left tho captives, when sud denly there enme a sharp growl, an oath, a cry and a man was on bit back, a furious dog at his throat (To bo continued,) |