Show 4 1 1 ZV rb 4 son 6 of f I 1 1 1 kazan I 1 ft OLIM CURWOOD I 1 I 1 I 1 tw elit 0 doubleday pax co service chapter XVI continued lia 26 close to the deep dark pool lu in which he and the willow had disport so BO often daree too had stopped slopped lie he con could hear the rippling of wat watery erp and his eyes shone with a gleaming ore its as he quested for Ne lie he expected to see her there per her slim white hrdy shimmering in some dark shadow of overhanging spruce or gleaming suddenly white as snow in one bf f the warm plashes clashes of it sunlight ills eyes sought out their old hiding biding places tile the great split rock on the other side tho tha shelving banks under which they used to dive like otter the spruce boughs that dipped down to the put face and in the midst of which tile the willow loved to screen her naked body while he searched the pool for tier lier and at last the realization waisa vm borne orn e upon him that she ahe was not there that he had still farther to go he went on to the tepee tile little open space in which they had built their hidden wigwam was flooded with sunshine that came through a break in the forest to the west the tepee was still there it did not seela very much changed to barce and rising from the ground in front of tile the tepee was what had come to lit him faintly on the still air the smoke of a 8 small t over that fire was bending a person jerson and it did not strike beree 0 ing or at all unexpected that this pcr son should have two wo great braids down her back he whined and at AS whine the verson person grew a little rigid and turned slowly I 1 even then it seemed quite the mot most natural thing in the world that it should be Ne and none other he had lost her yesterday today he be had found her and in answer to ills his whine obine there came a sowsing ing cry fA straight raight out of the soul of the willow pillow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 carvel carrel found them there a few inin utes later the dogs head hugged close up against the willows breast and yie oe willow was crying crying like a little child her face hidden from him on barbes neck lie he did not interrupt them hut wafred wafted and nd as he waited something in the robbing voice bocc find the stillness s of the forest seemed to whisper to bim a bit of the he story of the burned catkin and the two graves and the meaning of the call ca that had come to baree baaree from out of the mouth chapter chaefer that night there was a new campfire in the copeli open it was not a small ore fire built with the fear that oiher eyes might see ailt int bat a tire fire sent ats flames high in the glow of it stood carvel carve and as tile the fire had changed from that small smoldering heap over which the willow hail bad cooked dinner 0 o ca carvel 1 ml the officially dead outlaw had twanged the beard ax was gone from his lace face he b had thrown oft off his caribou skin cost coat his sleeves sl eevea were ware bollea rolled up to the elbows and there was a wild flush in his face that kasnot wa was snot nota altogether the tanning of wind and sun and storm and a glow in his eyes ees that hat hod had not been there for five alve years perhaps liker never before ills his eyes were onNe ute sat itt HT the tin light I 1 leaning a toward the her wonderful hair glowing warmly in ili the flash of it IL caral can el did not move moe while she be WOT was it p yint attitude he seemed scarcely to breathe the glow in tits eyes grew deeper all lie worship of a roan man for a woman suddenly turned and caught ill 11 u before he fie could turn his gaze gaye there was nothing to tilde hide in her own eyes like tier lier face they were hushed w with ith a new hope and a new gladness carvel sat pat down beside her on tile the birch 1 lo 10 3 and add in his hand ll 11 he took one or of he her braids and nd crumpled it as a he talked at their feet watching them lay haree tomorrow or the next flay day I 1 am going to LM alii baan 1 he be old harif and bitter note not back of the worship of ills his voice 1 I will enot not come coans back killed ki fled wm the willow loaf looked ed straight stra leht will the are for a time there ther ewas wag it silence broken only by the of the flames and in wit that silence Car carvela vels ward in and out of the silken strands of the willows willow hair his flashed blick W what b lit a chance he had ed that ajon aay on anah me M ay 1 had bad allf ottalle M bega besaw w in tire tile redbait dit viett etythe fite th e gentl when U c hue ti bato had rolv lh ahl irei brer to artig asbe was ly tha leyk diaab 6 ilef marrie I 1 I 1 nit 1 from 1 00 0 nearly dead by old free metro t out ont ot t pity had allowed to rant la in part of ahti d domain lie ie felt himm atthe traudy and the al ar in whick theann y 11 i 1 world for the aulow and in the flames he c could faithful old taboa as a he called on PIS his last tr pirth to bear over the long miles that lay between the chasm and hla his cabin he caught Il lifting visions of the that ay iy followed i in i that cabin aka of b andoe intense cold I 1 in which life hung by 4 41 single thread and lit at last when the knee deepest taboa had died garvels Car par vels liti finfera geril clenched in ID the strands of tho the A deep breath rose out of hl chest and ho he said starin ing deep into the farei tire tomorrow I 1 will go to lae bala for ek a moment did not answer slid loo was looking into the fire then she sheli said ald taboo meant to kill hini him when the spring came and ad he could travel when vohen dac d knew that it wa was 4 I 1 who must kill him so go I 1 cattle came with will gun tt it w froli loaded yesterday and beem she looked up at him a triumphant glow in her eyes as site she added in a wills per you will not pi go to lite baan I 1 have hav e sent a messenger A messenger yes jeeni a ines two days daya ago I 1 sant word that I 1 had not hot died but was here waiting for him and that 1 I would be now ills wife oo 00 oo he will come beem hv hc will conie come fust fast and you aall not kill him non slie she smiled into hla his face aria and the throb of car vels heart a dream the gun to Is loaded site bhe said softly 1 I 1 will shoot two days dg agn said cariel and from lae lac baldit Is 1 ile he will be here tomorrow ne answered him tomorrow as the sun goes town down he will enter the clearing I 1 know my blood has bus been singing it all day dayi Toi tomorrow tomorrow for ll 11 he will travel fast Oo klinow beem TVs res he will come fast carvel had bad bent hla his head bead the soft tresses gripped in his fingers were crushed to his lips the willow looking again into tile the fire did not see but she felt and her soul wits was beating like the wings of a bird Oo klinow beela Jee ift she whispered a 0 breath a letter flutter of the lips so soft that carve carvel heard no sound it old taboa had been there that night it Is 18 possible he would have rend r strange frange warnings in the winds MAE dial whispered now ind and then softly in tile the then still very quietly yi he drew aside the flap treetops tree tops it was such ft a night eight a night when the red gods coda whisper armong the themselves melves it a carnival of glory jn in which even the he dipping shadows slid and the high stars seemed to quiver W with ith the life of a potent language it if Is barely possible t that hat old with his ninety years behind him would have le learne arneil I something or that at least lie he would have suspected a thing which in his tind and confidence did not see tomorrow he be will come tomor tomorrow crowt the willow exultant had sold said that hat but to old aboa the trees might havo bavo whimpered why not I 1 tonight it was midnight when the big moon jonn stood full above the little open in n t the h e forest in the tepee 44 he willow was sleeping in the balam shadow lack back frein the fie fire slept caree and still farther back in the edge of a spruce thicket slept carvell carvel dog and man were tired they had traveled far and fast that day and they heard no sound but they had traveled neither so go far nor so BO fast as husli bush between sunrise and he be had colne forty miles when he strode out oat into the he clen clearing 1119 where pierrot cabin bad blond 9 twice from in the edie edge of the forest he be had called and now when he found no answer he stood under the light of the moon and if lla bened was wage to be here z waiting lie ile was waa tired but exha exhaustion giors could not dot still the ore that burned tn in his bis blood it had bi blazing azling all day dai and now so BO near its realization and its iti triumph the old passion was like a drunken ling aln e in his vein veins somi atre near where heg he batow toA ne was waiting tor forb ahlm ln waiting for or I 1 him once 1 again nyc ailed his heart an fn a 4 tierce here 6 anticipation in as tie listened there theresaa was 66 and then for a his breath topped ue he I 1 alari aar abid carac came io him jointly the smell niell 0 1 o I t with willi the first instinct 0 of the ferm anan nan betton he fronted ted the wind that ft faint breath under the starlit its did not call apin again but hastened ic across the clearing was off there somewhere sleeping benid e her fire ahdout and out of hid tile there rose lov lor ery cry of exultation he came cam tol to the edge of the for forert elit thanet chanco directo his steps to the th b overgrown trail I 1 he be followed it and the mok amell canis came stron stronger gei to his 1 it was wag the forest mans instinct too tm that added adde 1 I the element of caution to chiq lit advance stat and the utter stillness of Ih alto Night beltt lie fie broke no sticks under his bis feet he disturbed the brush so me quietly that it made no sound when he cable at last to the little open where carpels Car vels ore bre was still sending bending a spiral 0 ot spruce scented smoke up into tile the air it was with a stealth that failed even to rouse oa ba ree perhaps deep down in him there smoldered an old suspicion perhaps it was because tie he wanted to conse come to tier her white while slig sho was sleeping the sight right of the tepee niale nia le his heart throb faster t jt it WW aig lit abday am day where W hope it stood it in the he and he raw paw hanging banging it a few bits of woman apparel he fae advanced soft footed aa a fox and mooil a moment later laler with ills his hand on the cloth lap flap at tilt the afghani door ills his head bent beat tor forward ward to ehleb the nit merest rest birath of sound lie neild hear lier her breathing for nn all instant his its face turned so that tile lie ills his pes eyes they were aflame with ath n mail mad tire then still very quietly he drew aside the gap flap fit at tile the door it could not have ben bem be n sound that rou roii t d ba barap barep ree hidden in tile black bit disimi shadow a dozen paces away perhaps lerl mis it was scent ills his nostrils twitched first then be awoke for a few seconds ills eyen glared at the lent figure lit in the tepee door lie he knew that lt was not carvel carrel the old aniell the inan beasts smell filled his no nostrils stills liki like e a hated poison ue he sprang to ills feet and stood with hla his lips back slowly from his bla I 1 lone fangs Al cTaggart had dig disappeared a speared ppe ared froni from inside the tepee there aber e came a sound bound n sudden movement 0 of f bodies a startled ejaculation of one awakening front from sleep and then a cry a low half smothered frightened cry and la in response to that hat cry bai batee se shot out gut from under the balsam with a sound in his that had in it I 1 the note of death 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 in the edge of the spruce thicket carvel carrel rolled uneasily strange sounds were rousing him film cries that lo in his exhaustion ha came to him as if in a dream at last lie he sat gat up and then in sudden horror leaped to his feet and rushed toward the tepee was la in the open crying the name site she had given him OAkl mow beem cokl mow beem beem she was standing there white and allin her oyes ves wath the blaze of the stars la in Q kiei i e und land when she saw carvel she fluris dut tier her arms to him still crying Oo klinow beem oooo oo oo beem tn ait the tepee he heard ae the rage of a beast tile the moaning cries of a man ile he forgot foi kot that it was only last night he had come and with a cry he swept tile the willow to his breast and the willows arms tightened around his neck at as site she moaned Oo klinow beem it ft Is the man blast lin L in therel it Is I 1 the auau faiia lac niilo nad baree baaree truth flashed upon carvel carrel and lie he caught ne eese up in va hla arma arnis iid and ran away with tier her from the bounds that hall grown sickening and horrible in the ft spruce thicket he put pit heifert her hei feet once mo more re to the ground tiler iier arins anni were still tight around his neck he h felt the wild terror of her bolf godyas lo dyas as it 11 throbbed against him her breann sobbing and her eyes were jou III hie face he fie drew her closer alq and sud denly he cru crushed clied his taw taci down doge close against lars and felt tir for an aim instant the warm thrill of her lips against ills hla own and he heard the whisper whisp iF soft and troubling oo beem 11 when carvell carvel returned to the rire alone his colt in his bis hand blind bares was in front of tilt the tepee waiting for him cit carvel vel up a burill bunting ng brand I 1 and entered tit h wigwam when when I 1 he iel dime came out ills his face was white alel H t tossed eased lie brand braind in the ore fire mind and went buck back to ro Ne lie he had wrapped cil her in hla blankets ind end now tie he kneff down beside her and put tile his arm about tier her I 1 ile he Is dead Ne I 1 pend dent klinow Oo Ool dinow beem ay iy yea karpe ilaree killed him 1 she old hl not icem spent to breathe fleig let aly with ills his lips in tier her hair carvel Ms his plans for their paradise yo no one tie will know my sweetheart tonight I 1 will bury lafin and burn tilt lie tepee tomorrow we will start for nelson house where there Is a amli bloner awl and after that will come caffie hack and I 1 will build lit new cabin where the lie old one burned do you love lore me ka sak i yes deem 1 I lv you I 1 suddenly there came an interrupt Inter rup tion hon baret at a last was giving jill my cry i of or triumph jt rose to the it walled waited over ever the routs roofs of the forest and aid filled died the quiet ckles a wolfish howl of exultation of achievement ot of vengeance fulfilled its echoes died slowly away and silence came al agnlin tillin I 1 I 1 A great brent pence peace whispered ered in the soft ift breath of the tree tops out of an oe fn norto north came the mating rail call ota ofa loeu about Car carrels vels shoulders cho alders the willow lt terras rm 9 crept chiv ci iser user and nd carve carrel ou on ot his hl heart thanked goa cod andl |