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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1932-07-22, Page 74 y t. t• to nd en a ib- esby eR•e, XIV ,re. ,rad ted d.. A.. 54 - ane me lit es. eta N 86 ek ve rad to eK ro aok 's, d3 se t. t. rs Lo C v I N r 1. , YC • NU 22,1 .912. nee ler u l eg SPECIALIST Rupture, Yarieocele, Varicose Veins Abdominal Weakness, Spinal Deform fty. Consultation free, Call of Write. J, G. SMITH, British .Appli- ance Specialists, 15 Downie St, Strat- ford, Ont. 3202-25 LEGA:). Phone No. 91 • JOHN J. HUGGARD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public. Ete. Beattie Block - - Seaforth, Ont. Nee R. S. HAYS Barrister, Solicitor, Conveyancer' and Notary Public. 'Solicitor for the Dominion Bank. Office' in rear of the Dominion Bank, Seaforth. Money to loan. J + BEST & BEST Barristers, Solicitors, Oonveyan- cers and Notaries Public, Etc. Office in the Edge Building, opposite The ExpositorOffice. • VETERINARY , JOHN GRIEVE, Y.S. Honor graduate of Ontario V, eterin• ary College. All diseases of dotestic an nhals treated,. Calls promptly at- tended to and charges moderate. Vet- erinary Dentistry a specialty. Office 'and residence on Goderich Street, one door east„ of Dr. Mackay's office, Sea - forth. . A. R. CAMPBELL, V.S. Graduate of Ontario Veterinary. College, University. of Toronto'. All diseases of domestic animals treated by the most modern principles. Charges reasonable. Day or night calls„ promptly attended to. Office on Main Street, Hensel', opposite Town Hall. Phone 116. MEDICAL DR. E. J. R. FORSTER Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto. • Late assistant New York Opthal- mei and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye and Golden Square Throat Hos- pitals, London, Eng. At Commercial Eitel, Seaforth, 'third Monday • in each ,month, from 11 a.m. to 3 pare 68 Waterloo Street, South, Stratford. Dr. W. C. SPROAT Graduate of Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, Lon- don. Member of College of Physic- ians and Surgeons of Ontario. Office in Aberhar't's Drug Store, 'Main St, Seaforth. Phone 90. ' DR. A. NEWTON-BRADY Graduate Dublin University, Ire- land. Late Extern Assistant Master *otunda Hospital for Womeu and Children, Dublin. Office at residence lately occupied by 'Mrs. Parsons. ,•, Hours: 9 to 10 a,rn., 6 to 4, p.m., Sundays, 1 to 2 p.m, 2866-26 DR. F. J. BURROWS Office and residence Goderich Street, east of the United Church. Sea - forth. Phone 46. Coroner for the County of Huron. DR. C. MACKAY C. Mackay, honor graduate of Trin- ity University, and gold medalist of Trinity Medical College; member of the College of Physicians and Sur- geons of Ontario. DR. H. HUGH ROSS Graduate of University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, member of Col- lege of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario; pass graduate courses in Chicago ,Clinical School of Chicago ; &Loyal Ophthalmie Hospital, Landon, England; University Hospital, Lon- don, England. Office -Back of Do= minion Bank, 'Seaforth. Phone No. 5. Night calls answered from residence, Victoria Street, Seaforth. DR. •S- .R. COLLYER Graduate Faculty of Medicine, Uni- versity of Western Ontario. Member College of Physicians and ,Surgeons of Ontari . .Post graduate work at New York City 'Hospital and Victoria Hos- pital,'Lend•on. Phone: Hensall, 56. -Office, King Street, Hansen. DR. J. A. MUNN Graduate of Northwestern Univers- ity, Chicago, I11. Licentiate Royal College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over Sills' Hardware, Main St., Seaforth. Phone 151. ' • r DR. F. J. BECPIELY Gradua�te Royal College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over W. R. Smith's Grocery, Main Street, Sea - forth. Phone: Office, 185W; resi- denoe, 185J. ,. 'AUCTIONEERS •OSCAR Kf OPP Honor. Graduate Carey Jonee' Na- tional School for Auctioneering, Chi- sago. Special course taken in Pure Bred Live Stock, Real Estate, Mer- dhandiee and Farm Sales. Rates in keeping with prevailing markets. Sat- isfraction waisted. Write or wire, ()gear Kloppt, Zurich, Ont. 20-93. 866 62 ; ek ( A MATING IN THE .WILDS* -• BY OTTWELL BINNS (Continued from last week) Then a new and a very' real 'trou- ble assailed him. He began to have cramps in the taloses of his legs and it seemed as if his Muscles were tieing themselves into knots. Sharp pains • in the groin made it a torture to lift his feet above the level of the snow; and once or twice he tourer have groaned with the pain. But he sect 'his teeth grimly and endured it in silence, thinking of the girl moving somewthere ahead in the hands of a lawless aced ruthless man. He knew that bhe torture he was suffering was what (was known among the voy- ageurs as mal de roquette, induced by a considerable tramp on snoev- shoes after a long spell of inactivity, and that there was• no relief from it, until it should gradually pass away of its own accord. 'Phe trail was not an easy one, and the dogs whined as they bent to the collars', bolt Jean Benard, with a frame of iron and with muscles like ste•elesprings, ivatiched steadily on, for what to Stane seemed hours, then in the shelter of a cliff crowned with trees he called a halt. "We rest here," he said, "an' wait for zee daylight. Den we look down on zee lak' of zee Lettle Moose. We mak' fire behind zee rock." Without more ado, he slipped the harness from the dogs and fed them whilst Stane collected wood for a fire which was made as an Indian makes his fire, small and round, and which. built behind a mass of rock, was hid• den from any one on the lake -side of the trail. Then a meal was pre- pared of which both partook heart- ily; and over the pipes they sat te await the dawn. After a little whi's Stane, in spite of his consuming an- xiety for Helen, under the genial warmth of the fire and the fatigue induced by the strenuous march, be- gan to nod, and at last fell sound a- sleep. Bat Jean Benard watched through the night, a look of hopeless- ness shadowing his kindly face. CHAPTER XIX A HOT TRAIL ;The cold Northland dawn had brok- en when Sterne was roused from his sleep •by the voice of his companion. `tM'sieu! m'sieu! It ees• time w eat!" Stane rubbed his eyes and looked round. Then he stood upright and stretched himself, every • stiff muscle. crying out against the process. He looked at the waiting b'•enkfast and then at Benard. One glance at the drawn face of the latter told him that he had not slept, but he refrainer from comment on the fact, knowing well what 'thoughts must have made sleep injpos•si'bie for hire.. "Have you 'seen anything yet, Jean?" he asked as he seated himself again. "Not yet, nv'sieu," answered the trapper. "But eef Chief George did not lie we cannot ,miss Chigmok-an zee oders." • ' "But if he died," asked Stane with a 'sudden accession of anxiety. "Then we shall haf to range an' find zee trail.• But I do not tink he, lie. He too mooch afraid! Eat, m'sieu, den we 'can watch zee lak' for zee camin' of Chigmok." ,Stine ate his breakfast quickly and when he had finished accompanied Renard a little way up the trail, which runn'in'g along the base of the cliff by which they had camped,, made a sudden turn between the rocks and unexpectedly opened out ona wide view. Before him lay the snow-covered, lake of the Little Moose, a narrow lake perhaps fifteen miles long. On one side ran a range of high rocky hills, a spur of which formed his own Vantage place, and on the ether side were lower hills covered with 'bush and trees almost to thein crests. From the height where he stood he had an almost bird's-eye vie of t'be lake and he examined it carefully. Noth- ing moved on its virgin surface of snow. It was es 'blank as Modred's shield. He examined the shore at ..the foot of the weed -covered hills carefully. Creek by creek, bay be bay, his eye searched the shore -line for -any sign of life. He found none, nowhere was there any sign of life; any thin column of smoke betokenirig the presence of man. He looked at the othershore of the lake, though without any expectation of finding that which he sought. It was bleak and barren, and precipitous in places, where the hills seemed to rise direct- ly,from the lake's edge. ,Nothing moved there, and a single glance told him that the land trail on that side was as impossibility. He looked at his companion. "Dey"haf not yet arrive," said Ben • ard, answering his unspoken ques- tion. "Dey camp in zee woods for ,zee night." "If Chief George lied---" "I say again I tink he not lie. Wo must haf wee patience, m'sieu. Dere is reeding else dat we can do. We arehere an' we must watch." The mintytes passed slowly and be keep themselmee from, essitzing the two men were forced to do sentry -go on the somewhat narrow p abform where they stood, ecca.sionaily vary- ing bhe lints of their' short march by turning do'wnr the trail towards their camp, a variatioe which for perhaps a couple o'f minutes hid the lake from view, Every tithe they so turned, when the lake carne in sight again, 'Stine looked down its length with expectation in his eyes, and every time he was disappointed. , An bmir passed and still they watched) with- out any step of ;their quarry to' cheer theta. There Jean Berard spoke. "We tire • ourselves fat •noding. m'sieu. We walk, walk, walk to - eamoneas geder, an' when' Chigmok come we too tired to follow heem. It ees bet. ter' dat we watch in turn." 'Stan ad'm'itted the wisdom of this and since he felt that it was impos• si'ble for himself to sit still and sus- peeted that hie companion was sadly in need of rest, he elected to keep ttlie first watch. "Very well, Jean, do you go , anii rest first; but tell me before you go where the party we are looking for should strike the lake." "Ah, 'I forgot to tell you dat, m'sieu." He pointed towards the southern shore of the lake, where a small tree -covered island stood about half a mile from the shore. "You see zeeisland, nt'sieu. Just opposite dere ees a creek. Zee regular trail comes out to zee lak' just dere, an' it .ees dere dat you may look for zee oomin' of Chigmok." Stave looked+, at the island and marked the position ef the creek, then an idea struck him. "Would it not be better, Benard, if we removed our .camp to the, island? We could then surprise Chigmok when he same." ."Ne.ne &Riegle. d tin'kgf dat las' night; but I rememlber dat we must build a fire, an' zee smoke it tell zee tale; whilst zee 'odour it ees perceiv- ed afar. Den zee 'clogs, dey give tongue when odor dbgs appear, an where, are 'we? Anoder thing, s'pose Ohigmok not come zee regular trail; s'pose he knew anoder way through zee woods, an' untie out further up zee lak', Eef we on zee island we not see heem, but up here-" he swept a hand in front of•him - "we behold zee whole lak' and we not miss him." "Yes," agreed Stane "You are right, Jea,. Now go and rest, 1 will keep a bright look -out." :"I not doubt dat, m'sieu. You haf zee prize to watch for, but I--" He turned away without finishing his sentence, and Stane, resumed his sentry -go, stopping from time to time to view the long expanse of the snow covered lake, and to search the woods along the shore. As the time passed without bringing any"change, and as the unbroken surface of the snow mocked, hien 'with its emptiness, he grew sick at heart, and a feverish anxiety mounted within him. He felt utterly helpless,and a fear that 'Chief 'George had lied, and had de- liberately misled 'them, grew in him till • it reached the • force of convic- tion. Watching that empty. valley of the lake, he felt, was a'waste of time. To be doing nothing, when Helen was being hurried to he knew not what fate, was torture to him. It would,.he thought, be 'better to go back on their trail, and endeavour to pick up that of the- kidnappers, since that way they would at least be sure that they wete on the right lines. So strongly did this idea appeal to him that he turned down the trail to the camp to propose the plan to his com- panion. But when he• turned the corner of the cliff, it was to find Jeae Benard fast asleep in front of the fire, and though his first impulse was to. waken him, he 'refrained, remem- bering how tired the mean niust be, and how necessary it was that he should be as fresh as possible when the moment for action arrived. "No," he whispered, as he looked at the bent he, of the sleeping man. "I will wait one hour, and then we will' decide." He himself was beginning to feel the strain of the steady marching to and fro, and decided that it would be wise to spare himself as much as possible. Accordingly he seated him- self by the fire, contenting himself by waikin'g to the top of the trail to view the lake at intervtals of from twelve to fifteen minutes. Twice he did this, and the second time. was made aware of a change in the at- mosphere. It had grown much cold- er, and as he turned the corner of the cliff a gust of icy -wind smote him in the face. He looked down- wards. The surface of the lake was still barren of life; but not of move - Ment. Films of .snow, driven by.the gusty wind, drove down its narrow length, were lifted higher, and then subsided as the wind fell. Overhead the sky was a uniform leaden hue and he knew that before long there would be snow. And•if snow came - His heart, stood almost still at the thought. It might snow for days, and in the storm, whet all trails would be obliterated, it would be an easy matter to mass Helen and her captors altogether. As he returned to the fire, his mind was full of fore- bodings. 'He was afraid, and though Jean Renard slept on, he himself could not rest.'He made up the fife', prepared bacon and moose meat for cookieg, set same coffee to boil. It would be as well to have a meal in case the necessity for a start should arise. These things done le: went once more to the outlook, and sur- veyed tihe • snow-covered landscape. , The' wind was still for the moment, and there were no wandering wisps of snow. His first glance was to- wards the creek opposite the island. There was nothing there to arrest at- tention. His eyes travelled further without any light of expectation in them. Creek by creek, bay 'by bay, he foilewed the shore line, then, in a eegond hie geese grew fixed. The lake was no longer devoid of life. Far- off, of least ben miler, as he swiftly calculated, a blur of black dots *hew- ed on the eurfa4e of the snow. In- stantlay he knew it for what it was - a team of sled dogs. Itis heart leap- ed at the stgiht, and the next moment he was running towands the camp. "Jean! Jean!" he cried, "Jean Bert- ardl'" The sleeping man passed from slumber bo full wakefulness with the conspleteness that characterizes a healthy child. ` "Ah, m'sieu," he said, standing up- right. "Dey haf arrive?" "'I do not know. But there is a' dog -train a long way up the lake." "I weel tak' one look," said the tapper, beginning' to walk quickly towards the head of the trail. 'Stan went with.' him end indicated the direction. "There, where the shore sweeps in- ward! Do you see, Jean?"' ".O'ui, •misieu.k, With •bent.brows the trapper stared at the blur of dots on the white sur- face and after a couple of seconds began to count softly to himself. "Un, deux, trois, quatre- ,-" Then he stopped. "Four dogs and one man," he said, turning to his companion. "But Chigmok it ees not. Behold, 'rresieu, he comes dis way." "dhen who-"\ " • "Date ees not to be told. Zee men in zee wilderness as e:.,many." As he finished speaking a gust ' of wind drove suddenly in their faces, bring- ing with it a few particles of snow. and he looked up into the leaden sky. "Presently," he said, "it .weel snow, nesieu. Let us go and,eat, then eef iChigmok has not appeared we we*ei.. go meet 'dat man out --dere: He may- haf zee news." Reluetantly Stane turned with him and went back to the camp. Ile had no desire for food, but he forced him- self to eat, and when the meal was finisheenhe assisted his companion tb load the sledge. Then Benard spoke again. "We weel ta' one look more, m'sieu, before ws harness zee dogs." • They went up to the outlook to- gether. The lake once, more showed its white expanse unbrken, the little 'blot of moving dots having with- drawn. Stane cured on the waste. with an expression of blank dismay upon his face, then he turned to his companion. • "Zee man, he camp," ,explained Benard. '"He not pushed for time, an' he know it sneer blare long. We find heern, en'sieu, an' den' --By gar! Look dere!", As he gave vent to the exclamation he pointed excitedly up the lake, two moles beyond the island, the neigh- borhood of which Stane had gazed at so often send hopelessly during the last three hours. A dog train had 'broken from the wood, and taken to the surface of the lakeeethree men accompanying it. "Chigmek! Behold, m'sieu!" • ;On a mutual impulse they turned, and' running back to the camp, be- gan hurriedly to harness the dogs to the sledge. A few minute later they were on the move; and' turning the corner of the Cliff began the de- cent towards the lake. As they iia so both glanced at the direction . of the sled they were pursuing. it was moving straight ahead, fairly .close inshore, having evidently sought the level surface of the lake 'for easier travelling. More than that -they had not leisure to notice, for the descent to the lake was• steep, and it required the weight and skill of both to keep the sled from over -running the dogs, but in the space of four minutes it was accomplished, and with a final rush they took the level trail of the ,lake's frozen and snowscovered sur - 'face. As they did so' a gust of wind brought a scurry of- snow in them faces, and Benard 'looked anxiously up into the sky. 4`By an' by it snow like ariythin', mesieu. We must race to catch Chig- mok b'fore it corner" Without another word he etepped ahead, and began to make the trail for the dogs, whilst Stane took the gee -pole to guide the sledge. 13enard !bent to his task and made a rattling lace, travelling in a bee -line for therr quarry, since the lake's surface offer- ed absolutely no obstructions. Stant at the gee -pole wondered howlong he could keep it up, and from' time to time glanced at the sled ahead, which, seen from the same level, now was half -hidden in a mist of snow. He noted' with ,satisfaction that they seemed to be gaining on it; and re- joicdd to think that, as Jean Ben- ard's dogs were in fine 'Mettle and absolutely fresh, they codld not 'be long before they overhauled it. Pres- ently the trapper stopped to rest, and Starve himself moved ahead. "I will take a turn at trail-break-- ing," he said, "and do you run be• hind, ,Jean." - It was a different matter going a- head of the dogs one the unbroken snow. In a little time his muscles began to ache intolerably. It seem- ed as if the ligaments of the groin were being pulled by pincers, and the ,very bone of the leg that he had broken seemed to burn with pain. But again, as on the previous night, he set his teeth, and defied the dread- ed mal de roquette. New hope sus- tained' him; before him, within sight as he believed, was the •girl, whom, ,in the months of their wilderness so- journ he had learned to love and who on the •previotas night (how long ago it seemecl! •, in the face lof imminent death, had given herself to him un- reservedly. His blood quickened at the remembrance. He ignored the pangs he was enduring. The sweat, indurced by the violent exertion, froze on eyebrows and eyelashes, but he mored the discomfort, and pressed on, the snow :swirling past his ankles in a miniature stern. Twipe or thrice he Iifted his bent head and measured the distance beneseen hiqe and the quarry ahead. It was, he Thought, ',tearer and e>fueered, he hent his Body again to the nerve-racking toil.. Half ale hour parsed, and though the wind was ricirr • steadily, blow-* ing straight in their teeth and adding greatly to their Tabora, the enow kept. off. They were stiff gaining slowly, creenin.g forward yard by steed, the men with the train' ahead apparently unaware of their', pureeit, Then they struek the trail 'made by their quer- ey and the work 'beeaMie less ahsjirteka and the page quickened, "'By gerreeried Benard as they hit the trail, "we get dem now, dey make ze trail ter us." "Yes," answered Stane, his eyes ablaze wi`h excitement. • A mile and Three-quarters •now sep- arated the two teams, and as they followed in The trail that the othere had to make, their confidence seemed justified. But nature and man alike were to take a hand and upset their calculations. In the wind once more there carne a smother of snow. • It •was severe whilst it lasted, anti blot- ted out all vision of the team ahead. As it cleared, the two pursuers saw that their -quarry had turned inshore, mowing obliquely towards •a tree= crowned' bluff that jutted out into the lake. Jean Benard marked the move and spoke almost gleefully, "Dey fear zee snow, an' go to make camp. By zee mass, we get dem like a wolf in zee trap!" The sledge they pursued drew nearer the bluff, then suddenly Jean Benard threw '',back his head in a li;;- tening attitude. "IHlark!" he , cried; "what was dat?" "I heard nothing," answered Stance; "what did you fancy you-", The sentence was never finished, for borne to him on the wind can,',• two or three sharp sounds like the cracks, of distant' rifles., 1.1e looked at his companion. "The detonation of bursting trees far in 'the wood," he began only to be interrupted. "Non, non! not zee trees, but rifles, look dere, m'sieu, something ees hap- pening." It certainly seemed so. The sled which had almost reached the bluff, had swung froril„,,jt again and • had turned towards the'-apen-lake. But now, instead of three figures, they could see only one; and even whilst they watched, again came the distant crack of a rifle --a faint far -away sound, something felt by sensitive •nerves rather than anything heard - and the solitary man left with the sledge, and making for the sanctuary of the open lake, plunged suddenly forward, d'isappearin'g from !tight in the snow. ' Another fusilade, and the:, sled halted, just as the two men broke from 'the cover of the ',bluff and be- gan to run across the snow in the direction of it. "By gar! By gar!" cried Jean Ben- ard in great excitement.--•••"Tings dey 'happen. Dere are oder men who want Chigmonk, an' dey get heem, too," Then with a clamouring wind catn.e the snow, blotting out all further vision of the tragedy ahead. It hurt. led about them in fury, and they .could see scarcely a mid in front of them. It was' snow that was vastly different from the large, soft flakes of more' teeaperate zones -a "wild rain of ice -like particles that, as it. struck, stung intolerably, and which, driven in the wind, seemed like a solid sheet held up to veil the land• seape. It swirled and drifted about them and drove in their faces as if directed by some malevolent fury. It closed their eyes,' clogged their feet, stopped their breathing, and at the moment when it was most essential made progress impossible. Dogs end leen bowed to the storm and after two minutes of lost endeavor in al-- tempting ttempting to face it,, the course was altered and they raced for the shore and,the friendly shelter of 'the trees. When they reached it, breathless and gasping, they stood for a moment, whilst the stdrtn shrieked among the tree tops and drove its „icy hail lil;e small shot against the trunks. In the shelter of one of them Stane, as his breath came back to him, swung his rifle off his shoulder, and began to strip from it the deer -hide cover- ing. Jean Benard saw him end in order to make himself heard shouted to 'him. "What you do, m'sieu?" "I'm going after them, Jean. There's something badly wrong." "•Oui! But with zee storm wha: can you do,. m'sieu?" 1 can find that girl," he said. "Think, man, if she is bound to tha sled -in this-" "Oui! Oui! m'sieu, I understand, but----" shall. work my way in the cover of the trees till I reach the bluff. If the storm abates you will follow, but do not pass the bluff. There wi'1 be shelter in the lee of it, and I will wait your coming there." "Go, and God go with you, m'sieu, 'but sin not forget zee rifles . which were fired dere." "I will keep them in mind," an- swered Stane, and then setting his face to the storm, he began to work his way along the edge of the wood. • CHAPTER XX A PRISONER When Hubert Stane left the burr,- ing cabin, Helen did not obey his in- junetions to the letter. A full min- ute she was to wait in the shadow •of the door before emerging, but she disregarded the command altogether in her anxiety to know what fate was to befall him. She guessed that on his emergence he expected a vol- ley, and had bidden her remain under should have passed; and being mor- ally certain that he was going to hi; death, she had a Mad impulse to die with hien in w,tlat was the supreme hour of her life. As the yell greete,i his emergence, she caught the sound of the rifle -shot, and not knowing that it had been "tired by Stane him- self,. in an agony of fear for him, stepped recklessly to the door. •She saw him running towards. the tree. saw hint grappled by the Indian who barred the way and beheld the sec, and figure rise like a shadow by the side of the struggling men. The raised knife gleamed in the firelight ^and with a sharp cry of warning th tt never reached Stine she started to run towards him. This next moment someehinng thick and heavy envelop- ed her head and shoulders, she was tripped up and fell heavily in the snow, and two seconds later was enn- scious of two pairs of hands binding her with thongs. The covering over her head, a blanket -by the feel of it, was hormd about her so that •she could see nothing, and whilst she could still hear, the sound, that reached her were enufiled. Her feet were tied, and for a brief space -ef tiErl�e @h,9 tvondoring xn a4 mew what was grointis PPiI:... self, but What a.a d ixead APISO ni i to her lover; -Then there cage,. a,sod,.that 1 ., her 'heart leaf with bellteneve that was the,uninistalcable crook* midie, Again hifke elSei~e, tri;nuete, in rapid sue,eession, and the soun3rs'he conjectured that the fight was not yetaver, and fel'._ surge ofi ,placiness n her heart 'Then she was lifted from the„ ground, cud- denly , hurried forward and quite roughly' dropped on what s'he guessed was a sledge. Again hands were busy about her, and she knew that She was being lashed' to the . chariot of the North. There was a clamour of excited voices, again the crack of the rifle, them she felt a quick jerk, and found the sled was in motion. She had no thought of outside in- tervention, and as the sled went for- ward at a great 'pace.,, notwithstand- ing her own perilous condition, she rejoiced in spirit. !Whither she Was being carried and what the fate re- served for her, she had not theslight- est notion; ',but from the rifle shots, and the manifest haste of her cap- tors, she argued that. her lover had escaped and 'believing that he woul follow, she was in good heart. That she was in any immediate danger she did not 'believe. Her cap- tors. . on lashing .lter to the sledge, had thrown some soft ,warm cover- ing over her, and that they should show such care to 'preserve her from the bitter- cold, told her that, what- ever might ultimately befall, she was in no imminent peril. With her head covered, she was as rwartn • as if she were in a sleeping 'bag, the sled ran smoothly without a single jar, and the only discomfort that she suffer- ed eante from 'her 'bound lints. Knowing how vain any attempt at struggle would be; she lay quietly, reflecting on all the events of the night. Strong in the faith that Stane had escaped, she rejoiced that these events had forced from his lips the declaration that in the past few weeks she had seen him repress a- gain and again. He could never re- call it; and those kisses, taken in the veryface of death, those were hers until the end ef time. Her heart quickened as she thought of them and her lips burned. tlt was, she felt, a great thing to have snatched . the deepest gladness of life in such an hour; and to have received an avowal from a man wiho believed that he was about to die for her. And what a man! The -.thought of Miskodeed occur- red to her; but now it did not trouble her very 'greatly. That visit of the Indian girl to the cabin had at first ',been incomprehensible excepton one hateful supposition; but Stane'a wards had made' it clear that the girl had come to warn them, and, if there was anything behind that warn- ing, if, as she suspected the 'girl lov- ed Stane with a wild, wayward love, that was not the man's fault. She remembered his declaration that he 'had never seen 'Miskodeed except on the two occasions at Fort Malsun, and though Ainley's evil suggestions recurred to her mind, she dismissed them instantly. Her lover was her own-- "•. The sledge came to a sudden stand- still; and lying there she caught a clamour of excited voices. She list- ened carefully, but such words as reached her were in a tongue un- knoiw•n to her. ,4 few minutes pass- ed, -something was thrown on the sled close by her feet, then a whip cracked, a dog yelped andagain the sledte moved forward. • She was quite warm ••apd, except for the thongs about her, comfort- able, and presently her eyes closed, at first against the rather' oppres- sive' darkness resulting from the cov- ering blanket, then remained closed without any conscious volition, and she slept, heavily and dreamlessly. She was awakened by the sled com- ing to a'standstill; and then followed the sounds of men pitching camp, the crackle of a fire, the growling and yelping of dogs quarrelling aver their food. She did not know how long she had slept; but after awak- ening, it seemed a very long tune be- fore any one came near her. Then she caught the sound of steps crunch- ing the, frozen snow. The steps halt- ed by the sledge, and hands busied t'hemselv.es with the fastenings. A minute ter she felt that her limbs were free; and as the blanket was jerked from her head, she looked round. It was still night, but by the light of a fire by which two men were sit- ting smoking, she caught the sight of overhanging trees and of a man who was standing by the sledge, looking down upon her. His face was in sha- dow and could not be seen, but the voice in which he addressed her was harsh• and guttural, hi"s manner al- most apologetic. "You sten' up now, m'ees," As the blanket was jerked from her, Helen was conscious o'f a little prich of fear; but as the man spoke the fear vanished quicker than it had arisen. From the fact that he ad- dressed her as miss, it was clear that he held her in some respect whilst his manner spoke volumes. The words though harshly .spoken, were an in- vitation rather than a command, an•i accepting it as such', she first sat up waited until a little attack of dizzi- ness passed, and then rose slowly to her feet. She swayed a little as she did so, and the man stretched a goitre hand to steady her. "Vait min'te," he said, "zee seeck• ness et veel pass." + . it passed quicker 'than the -roan knew, and as the man had moved, bringing lois face to the. light; Helen used the meaqrtunity to survey the man behind the m',ittoned hand which she had lifted to her head. He wee, •she saw, a half-breed of evil, pock- marked counbenauce, with cruel eyes Who he wast she hal not The slight- est notion, but curiosity was strove?) within her, and as she lowered her• hand she waited tor him, to epeale a- gain, "Ve veit here, let>'tle taima--erreo hour, deux, maybe trees. Zee doge dey tire. Taut you veel not runs a - 'Way. flat 'airs fool ting to do. Zee wood et ees s" vast, an' zee wolves are plenty. Yoe ceane te.cee fire an eat." He moved towarel the fire, as if eertain that she would follow, and t rs.- oa �laaya u; CARBON LEAF CARBON BACK VQUROOSER. U$oP Look Fr• Mille The Leaf Tula: ile Si .n. • Q ;• ohs' THE HURON gXP4sITOR S.eaf orth, Ontario. Phone 41 after one glance into the deep sha- dows of the forgot; -she did soy OW e- - r,..w- ever the man• was, and whatever his enhentions. towards her, he talked sense. Plight without equipment or food, in •a ,strange country; and in fame of the menace of the untie north, would be the wildest folly. She seated herself .on a- -tog -which- been placed for her convenience, ac- ' eepted some fried moose -+meat and unsweetened tea, whilst the other two men by the fire, both Indians, smok ed stolidly, vwithout bestowing 'upon her a single glance whilst she ate. When ane had finished she . "pushed the tin plate from her, and -:looked at. the half=breed, who has seated him- self a yard or so away from her. "Who are you?" she asked. • "eAh, not tell, you •cat!" said the man with a grin. "Then tell me what are you going to do with me?" • "You fin' dat out for yourself in a vaire lettle taime," was'' -the an- swer, n-wer, "Then where are you taking me?" "Oh -ah. tell you dat, mees!" was the reply given in a manner that im- plied that the speaker was glad to find something in which he could oblige her. ' "Ah, ta' you toi see lak' of zee I,ceetie Moose, ten, may be douze miles away." • • "But why shout you ' take me there?" asked Helen. ''e`Non! Ah, not tell you dat! You. fin' opt 'all in zee good time," was the reply stolidly given. • FIelen looked •at the evil, cunning face, and knew that .it was no use pursuing inquiries in that direction. She waited a full minute, then sho began to ask another.question to her of even waster mo'rmitit: • "That man who was with me in the cabin, he -e-" "Sacree!" cried the half-breed in a sudden burst of fury. "Dat man he ees dead. Par Dieu! an' eef he was not, I ,roast heem alive!" "SDeadr" As the edfelamatien• broke from her, the girl looked at the half- breed with eyes in which gleamed a sudden fear. Then hope came to her as she remembered the, shots that she had heard. "Bet," she protested; "he was firing on you as you left. It•cannot ;be that he-----" ., ('Continued next week) LONDON AND WINGHAM South. p.m. Wingham 2.05 Belgrave 2.22 Blyth 2.33 Londesboro 2.40 Clinton 3.08 Brucefield 3.28 Kip,pen 3.33 Hensall 3.39 Exeter 3.53 North. Exeter. 10.59 Hensall 11.12 Kippen 11.18 Brumfield 11.27 Clinton 11.58 Londesbero 12.16 Blyth 12.23 Belgrave 12.33 Wingham 12.47 C. N. R. East. a.m. p.m. Goderich 6:35 2.40 Holmesville ... 6:50 2.56 Clinton 6.58 3.05 Seaforth 7.12 , 3.21 Columban - +7.18 3.27 Dublin ... ... 7.23' 3.32 West. • Dublin s 11.24 9.12 St. Columban 41.29 Seaforth 11.40 9.25 Clinton 11.55 9.39 Holmesville 12.05 9.53 Goderich 12.20 10.05 C. P. R. TIME TABLE East. Goderich Menset liffoGaw Auburn Blyth Walton McNaught Toronto West. a.m. Toronto 7.40 MreNa' ght 1L43 Walton -12.01 ' Blyth ...... ' e'2.12 ...12.2'1 12.84 12'.41 12.46 4 a.m. 5.50 5.55 6.04 6.11. 6,25 6,40 6.52 10.25 Auburn 'McGaw Meneet l oolericb R4GAti&^,we1 • • e •