Nebraska Newspapers

    THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
tFWqlH "ykF II BTrl T1 Am Alaskan Love
Jl fee ukn Jl rani
II copyright, wiiiinm Macicod ituinc. , By William Macleod Raine
CHAPTER XIX Continued.
11
So far tho mind of the Scotsmnn fol
lowed tho probabilities logically, but
nt this point It mndo n Jump. Thoro
were nt least two robbers. Ho wns
morally vura of thrtt, for this wns not
a onM&an Job, Now, if Holt had with
hln ?l companion, who of all those In
Baslnk wa3 the most likely man? lie
wns a friendless, crabbed old fellow.
Since costing to Kuslnk old Gideon hnd
been seen constantly with ono man.
They had been with each other nt din
ner and had later left tho hotel to
gether. The nnmc of tho mun who had
been so friendly with old Ilolt was
Gordon Elliot and Elliot not only was
nnother enemy of Macdonnld, but had
.very good reasons for getting out of
the country Just now.
Tho strong Jtiw of tho mine-owner
(stood out sallently ns ho gnvo short,
sharp orders to men In tho crowd. Ono
W08 to get tho coroner, a second Wally
Selfrldge, another tho United States
district attorney, no divided the rest
Into squads to guard tho roads leading
out of town and to sco that nobody
passed for tho present.
" Tho coroner took chargo of tho body
and Wnlly of tho bank. Tho mine
owner nnd tho district attorney walked
up to tho hotel together. As soon ns
they had explained what they wnntcd,
tho landlord got n pnsskcy nnd took
them to the room Holt had used.
Apparently tho bed had been slept
In. In tho waste-paper basket tho dis
trict attorney found something which
he held up In a significant silence.
Macdonnld stepped forward and took
from him a small cloth' sack.
"Ono of thoso wo keep our gold In
at tho bank," said tho Scotsman after
a close examination. "This definitely
ties up Holt with tho robbery. Now
for Elliot."
"Do loft tho hotel with Holt about
llvo this morning, tho porter enys."
Tills was tho contribution of tho land
lord. Tho room of Gordon Elliot was In
great disorder. Garments had been
tossed on tho bed and on every chnlr
and had been left to Ho wherever they
had chanced fcto fall. Plainly their
ewner had been In great haste.
Macdonnld looked through tho closet
where clothes hung. "Ills new fur
coat Is not hero nor his trail boots.
Looks to mo as though Mr. Gordon bad
hit tho trail with his friend Holt."
All doubt of this was removed when
a prospector reached town with tho
bows that ho had mot Ilolt and Elliot
traveling toward tho dlvldo ns fust aa
thoy could drlvo the dogs.
Tho big Scotsman ordered his team
f Siberian wolMiounds mndo ready
for tho trail. As ho donned his heavy
furs, Colby Mncdonald smiled with
deep satisfaction, llo had Elliot on
tho run at last.
Just ns ho closed tho door of his
room, Macdonnld heard tho telephono
bell ring. Ho hesitated, then shrugged
his shoulders and strodo out luto tho
storm. If ho hnd answered tho call
ho would havo learnod from Dlnne,
who was nt tho other end of tho line,
that tho stage upon which Shebn had
started for Katma hnd not reached tho
roadhouso nt Smith's Grossing.
Flvo minutes Inter tho winners of
lb' grcnt Alaska sweepstakes wero
The Winners of tho Great Alaska
Sweepstakes Wero Flying Down the
Street
tying down tho streot In the teeth of
tfeo slorin. Armed with a rlfio and
revolver, their owner was muBhlng into
tho hills to bring back tho men who
fead robbed his bank and killed tho
ashler. Ho traveled nlono because ho
fould go faster without a companion
it nover occurred to him that ho was
ot a match for any two men ho might
face.
r
CHAPTER XX.
i In the Bllizard.
"Swlftwnter" Poto, tho driver of the
i stago between' Kusluk and Katma, did
not like tho look of tho sky as his
sonleif breasted tho long uphill climb
Vst vaiai at tho puss. "Glttia' her
bnck up for a bllzznrd. looks like.
Doggono It, If that wouldn't Jest bo my
luck," he murmured fretfully.
Shcba hoped there would bo one, not.
of course, u really, truly blizzard such
as Mncdonald had told her nbout, but
tho tall of u mnko-belicvo one, enough
to send her glowing with exhilaration
Into tho roudliouso with tho happy
sense of an ndventuro nchloved. Tho
girl was buoyed up by a senso of free
dom. For a time, nt least, sho was es
caping Mncdonald's driving energy, the
nppcnl of Gordon Elliot's warm friend
liness, and tho unvoiced urging of
Diane. Good old Peter nnd the kid
dles wero tho only ones that let her
ulonc.
Sho looked bnck nt tho horses labor
ing up tho hill. Swlftwatcr had got
down and was urging them forward,
his long whip crackling nbout tho
cars of tho leudcrs. Ho wus worried.
Ho would have liked to turn and run
for It. But tho last roadhouso was
twenty-seven miles back. If tho bllz
znrd enmo howling down tho slopo
they would hnvo a sweet tlmo of It
Teaching safety. Smith's Crossing was
on tho other sldo of tho divide, only
nlno miles nwny. Thoy would hnvo to
worry through somehow.
Miss O'Neill knew thnt Swlftwatcr
Pete wns anxious, and though sho was
not yet afraid, tho girl understood tho
reason for It. Tho road ran through
tho heart of n vnst snow-field, tho sur
faco of which was being .swept by n
screaming wind. Tho air was full of
sifted whlto dust, and tho road furrow
"was rapidly filling. Soon It would bo
obliterated. Shcba tramped behind tho
stnge-drlvcr nnd In her tracks walked
Mrs. Olson, tho other passenger.
Through tho muffled scream of tho
storm Swlftwatcr shouted back to
Shcbn. "You wnnta keep closo to me."
Sho nodded her head. His order
needed no explanation. Tho world
was narrowing to a lnno whoso walls
sho could almost touch with her fin
gers. A pall of white wrapped them.
Upon them bent n wind of stinging
Blcet. Nothing could bo seen but tho
blurred outlines of tho stngo and tho
driver's figure
Tho bitter cold searched through
Shoba's furs to her soft flesh nnd tho
blast of powdered Ico bent upon her
fuco. Tho snow wns getting deeper
ns tho road filled. Onco or twlco sho
stumbled and fell. Her strength ebbed,
and tho hinges of her knees gave un
expectedly beneath her. How long
wns It, sho nsked herself, that Macdon
nld hod enld men could llvo In a bliz
zard? Staggering blindly forward, Shoba
bumped Into tho driver. Ho had drawn
up to glvo tho horses n moment's rest
beforo sending them plunging nt tho
buow again.
"No chnnco," ho cnllcd Into tho
young womnn's cnr. '"Never mnko
Smith's In tho world. Goln' try for
miner's cabin up gulch llttlo wny."
Tho team stuck In tho drifts, fought
through, nnd was blocked ngnln ten
yards beyond. A dozen times tho
horses gnvo up, answered tho sting of
tho whip by diving head first nt tho
white banks!, nnd wero stopped by
fresh snow-combs,
Pcto gnvo up tho fight, no begnn
unhitching tho horses, while Slieba nnd
Mrs. Olson, clinging to ench other's
hands, stumbled forward to join htm.
Tho words ho shouted across tho back
of a horso wero almost lost ln tho
roar of tho shrieking wind.
", . . hcluvntlme . . . rldo
. . gulch," Shcba iiiude out
Ho fiung Mrs. Olson nstrldo ono of
tho wheelers and helped Shebu to tho
back of tho right leader. Swlftwnter
clambered upon Its mato himself.
Tho girl paid no attention to whero
thoy wero going. Tho urgo of life
wns so fnlnt within her that sho did
not greatly euro whether sho lived or
died, ncr f aco was bluo from tho cold,
her vitality was sapped. Sho seemed
to herself to hnvo turned to Ico be
low tho hips. Numb though her fin
gers were, sho must keep them fns
tened tightly In tho frozen inane of tho
animal. Sho recited her lesson to her
self ltko a child. Sho must stick on
she must sho must.
whether sho lost consciousness or
hot Shcbn never knew. Tho next alio
realized was thnt Swlftwatcr Pcto was
pulling her from tho horse. He dragged
her Into u cnbln whero Mrs. Olson luy
crouched on tho floor.
"Got to stable' tho horses," ho ox
plained, and left them,
After a tlmo ho came back and lit a
flro In the ulieet-lron stove. As tho cir
culation thnt mennt life flooded bnck
Into her chilled veins Shcbn endured n
half-hour of excruciating pnln. Sho
hnd to clench heHHceth to keep back
the groans.
Tho cabin was empty of furnlturo
except for n hdmo-mado table, rough
stools, Und tho frnnio of n bed. The
Inst occupant hnd left a little firewood
beside tho stove, enough to lust per
haps for twenty-four hours. Shcbn
did not need to bo told that If tho bllz
znrd lasted long enough, they would
starve to death. In the handbag loft
In tho stngo wero u box of candy and
an Irish plum pudding. She had
brought tho latter from the old coun-
try with her and wus taking It and the
chocolates to the nustcd children. But
Just now tho stngo was as far from
the.ni ns Droghcda.
Like many rough frontiersmen,
Swlftwatcr Pete was n diamond In tho
raw. So far ns could be he made a
hopeless nnd Impossible situation com
fortablc. Ills Judgment told him that
they were caught In n trap from which
there wns no escape, but for tho sake
of tho women he put n cheerful face on
things.
"Lucky wo found this cnbln," ho
growled amiably. "By this time we'd
h' been up Salt creek : If we hadn't.
Seeing ns our luck hns stood up so far,
I reckon we'll bo all right. Mighty
kind of Mr. Last Tenant to leave us
this firewood. Wo uln't so worso off."
"If we only hnd some food," Mrs.
Olson suggested.
"Food I" Pcto looked nt her In ns-
sumed surprise. "Huh J What nbout
nit that llvo stock I got In tho stable?
I've .heard tell, ma'am, thnt broncho
tenderloin Is n fnvorlto dish with them
thcro French chiefs that do tho cook
ing. They kinder trim It up bo's It's
most ns good ns frawgs' legs."
Shcbn had never before slept on
bnro bonrds with n sealskin coat for n
sleeping bag. But sho was very tired
and dropped off almost Instantly,
Twice sho woko during tho night, dls
turbed by tho stiffness nnd tho pnln
of her body. "When sho awakened for
tho third tlmo It wns morning.
It seemed to her thnt tho hard, whlp-
sawed planks wero pushing through
tho soft flesh to the bones. Sho was
cold, too, and crept closer to tho stout
Swedish woman lying bcsldo her. Pres
ently sho fell asleep again to tho
sound of the blizzard howling outside.
When sho wakened for tho third time
It wns morning.
In the afternoon tho, blizzard died
nwny. As far as tho eyo could see,
Shcba looked out upon n wnsto of
snow. Her eyes turneu from tho deso
lation without to tho bnro nnd cheer
less room In which they hnd found
shelter. In Bplto of herself n little
shiver rati down tho spine of tho girl.
Hnd sho como Into this Arctic soli
tude to And her tomb?
As soon ns tho storm hnd moderated
enough to let him go out with safety,
Swlftwnter Pcto had taken ono of tho
horses for an attempt nt trail break
ing.
"Me, I'm after that plum pudding.
I gotta get a feed of oats from the
stago for my bronchs too. Tho scenery
hero Is suro flno, but it ain't whnt
you would call nourishing. Huh I
Watch our smoko when mo and old
Bnldfnce git to bucking them drifts."
Ho hnd been gono two hours and tho
dusk wns already descending over tho
whl to wnsto when Shcbn ventured out
to sco what had becomo of tho stago
driver. But the cold was so bitter
that sho soon gnvo up tho attempt to
fight her way through tho drifts nnd
turned bade to tho cnbln.
Somo tlmo Inter Swlftwnter Peto
camo stumbling Into their temporary
home. Ho wn3 fagged to' exhaustion
but triumphant. Upon tho tnblo ho
dropped from tho crook of his numbed
arm two packages.
"Tho makings for a Christians din
ner," ho snld with a grin.
Mrs. Olson thnwed out tho pudding
and tho chocolates In tho oven nnd
mndo n kind of mush out of somo
oats Pcto hnd saved from tho horso
feed. They uto their one-sided mcnl
In high spirits. Tho freeze hud saved
their lives. If It held clear till to
morrow they could reach Smith's
crossing on tho crust of tho enow.
Swlftwatcr broko up tho chairs for
fuel and demolished tho legs of tho
table, after which ho lay down beforo
tlio stovo und fell at onco Into a sod
den sleep.
Presently Mrs. Olson lay down on
tho bed nnd began to Bnoro regularly.
Shcba could not sleep. Tho bonrds
tired her bones nnd sho wns cold.
Sometimes sho slipped into cat naps
that wero full of bad dreams. When
she wakened with a start It wns to find
thnt tho flro had died down. Sho was
shivering from lack of cover. Qui
otly tho girl replenished tho flro and
lay down again.
When sho wakened with a start It
was morning. A fnlnt light elftcd
through tho single wlndqw of the
sbnek. Slieba whispered to the older
womnn thnt sho was going out for a
llttlo walk.
As she worked her way down tho
gulch Shcbn wondered . whether tho
news of their loss hnd reached Ku
Blnk. Wero search parties out already
to rescue them? Colby Macdonnld
had gono Into tho blizzard years ago to
save her father. Pcrhuns ho might
hnvo been out nil night trying to suvo
her father's dnughter. Peter would go,
of course nnd Gordon Elliot. Tho
work In tho mines would stop nnd
men would volunteer by scores. Thnt
wns ono flno thing nbout tho North
it rosponded to tho unwritten Inw
that a mun must risk lils own life to
save others.
From a llttlo knoll Shebn looked
down upon tho top of tho stngo three
hundred yards below her, and while
sho stood there tho promlso of the
new day wns bluzoned on tho sky. It
camo with amazing beauty of green
nnd primrose and amethyst, whllo tho
stars flickered out and tho- heavens
took on the bluo of sunrise. Sho drew
a, deep, slow brenth of adoration and
turned away. As sho did so her eyes
dilated and her body grew rigid.
Across tho snow waste n mn wns
coining. Ho wns moving townr the
cabin and must cross tiro trencb '.lose
to her. Tho heart of tho girl stoned,
then beat wildly to make up tho last
stroke. He had como through tho bliz
zard to snvo her.
At that very Instant, ns If the stngo
had been set for it, the wonderful
Alaska sun pushed up Into tho crotch
of the penks nnd poured Its radiance
over tho Arctic wnstc. The pink glow
swept In u tldo of delicate color over
the snow nnd transmuted it to mil
lions of spnrkllng dlnmonds. The
Grcnt Mnglclnn's wund hud recreated
tho world instantaneously.
CHAPTER XXI.
Two on the Trail.
Elliot nnd Holt left Kuslnk In a
spume of whirling, blinding snow.
They traveled light, not more than
Across tho
Snow Waste
Coming.
a Man Was
forty pounds to tho dog, for they want
ed to make speed. It was not cold for
Alaskn. They packed their fur conts
on tho sled and woro mittens of
mooschldo with diiffel lining, on their
feet mukluks abovo "German" socks,
nolt hnd been a sour-dough miner too
long to let his pnrtner perspire frpm
overmuch clothing. Ho knew tho dnn
gcr of pneumonia from a sudden cool
ing of tho heat of tho body.
Old Gideon took seven of his dogs,
driving them two abreast. Six were
huskies, rnngy, muscular nnlmuls with
thick, denso conts. They wero In tho
best of spirits nnd cnrrlcd their tails
erect llko their Malemuto lender.
liutcn, tiiQugu n Malemuto, hnd a
strong strain of collie In him. It gnvo
him n souse of responsibility. His bus
lncss wns to seo thnt tho tenm kept
strung out on tho trull, nnd Butch wns
pnst-mnster In tho mntter of disci
pllno. His weight wns 03 fighting
pounds, and ho could thrash in short
order any dog In tho team.
Tho snow wns wet nnd soft It clung
to everything It touched. Tho dogs
cnrrlcd pounds of it in tlio tufts of
hair that roso from their backs. An
Icy pyramid hnd to bo knocked from
tho sled every hnlf-hour. Tho enow
shoes wero heuvy with whlto slush,
Densely lnden spruco boughs brushed
the faces of tho men and showered
tnem with unexpected llttlo ava
lanches.
They took turns In nolng ahead of
tho team and breaking trail. It was
heavy, muscle-grlndlng work. Beforo
noon they wero both utterly fatigued.
They dragged forwnrd through tho
slush, lifting their lnden feet sluggish
ly. They must keep going, nnd they
did, but It seemed to them thnt every
step must bo tho Inst
Shortly after noon tho storm wore
Itself out. Tho temperature had been
steadily falling and now It took a rapid
drop. They wero pnsslng through Urn
ber, and on a little slopo they built
with a good dcnl of difficulty a Are,
By enreful nursing they soon hnd
great bonflro going, in front of which
they put their wet socks, mukluks,
scarfs and parkas to dry. Tho toes of
tho dogs had becomo packed with little
Ico balls. Gordon and nolt had to go
carefully over tho feet of ench animal
to dig theso out.
Tho old-timer thawed out a slab of
dried salmon till tho fat began to
frizzle and fed ench husky a pound of
tho fish and a lump of tnllow. Ho and
Gordon mndo a pot of tea and ate somo
meat sandwiches thoy had brought
with them, to save cooking until night.
When they took the trull ngaln It
wns In moccasins Instend of mukluks.
Tho weather was growing steadily
colder, and with each degree of fall In
tho thermometer tho trail was easier.
"Mnshlng at fifty below zero Is all
right when It is all right" explained
Holt in ho words of tho old prospec
tor. "But when it isn't all right It'
h 1."
"It Is not fifty below yet, Is it?"
"Nope. But she's on tho wny. When
your brenth makes a kinder crackling
nolso she's fifty."
There soon wns a crust on the snow
that held up tho dogs and the sled so
thnt trail breaking wns not nccessury.
Tho llttlo purty pounded stpadlly over
tho barren hills. There wns no sign
of llfo except whnt they brought with
them Into tho grentcr silence beyond.
Each of tho men wrapped a long
scarf around his mouth and noso for
protection, nnd ns tho pnrt In front of
his faco became n sheet of Ice shifted
tho muffler to another place.
Night fell In the mlddlo of tho aft
ernoon, but they kept traveling. Not
till they wero well up toward the sum
mit of the divide did they dccldo to
camp. They drove Into a little draw
nnd unharnessed tho ,wcary dogs. It
was bitterly cold, but they were forced
to set up the tent and stove to keep
from freezing. Their numbed fingers
made a slow job of the camp prepara
tions. At last tho stovo was going,
the dogs fed, nnd they themselves
thnwed out They fell UBleep shortly
to the sound of the mournful howling
of the dogs outside.
Long beforo dnybrcuk they were
afoot again. Holt went out to chop
somo wood for the stovo while Gordon
mndo breakfast preparations. The
llttlo miner brought in an armful of
wood and went out to get n second
supply. A few moments later Elliot
henrd a cry.
no stepped out of tho tent nnd ran
to tho spot whero Holt wns lying under
mnss of Ico nnd snow The young
mnn threw nsiao tho broken blocks
thnt hnd plunged down from n ledge
above.
"Bndly hurt, GId?" ho nsked.
"I done bust my lulg, son," tho old
mnn answered with n twisted grin.
"You menn thnt It is broken?"
"Tell you thnt In a minute."
He felt his leg carefully and with
Elliot's help tried to get up. Groan
ing, ho slid back to the snow.
"Yep. She's busted," ho announced.
Gordon cnrrlsd him to tho tent and
lnid him down carefully. Tho old
miner sworo softly.
'Ain't this a devil of a note, boy?
You'll havo to get me to Smith's Cross
ing and leave mo there."
It was tho only thing to bo done.
Elliot broke camp and packed the sled.
Upon the load ho put his companion,
well wrapped up In furs.
Two miles up the road Gordon stopped
his team sharply. He had turned a
bend in the trail nnd had como upon
ap empty stage burled in tho enow.
The fear that had been uppermost
In Elliot's mind for twenty-four hours
clutched at his throat. Wns It trag
edy upon which ho had como after
his long Journey?
Holt guessed tho truth. "Thoy got
stalled nnd cut loose tho horses. Must
hnvo tried to rldo tho cuyuses to
shelter."
"To Smith's Crossing?" asked Gor
don.
"Expect so." Then, with a whoop,
tho man on tho sled, contradicted him
self. "No, -by Moses, to Dick Fiddler's
old cnbln up tho draw. That's whero
Swlftwnter would aim for till tho bliz-
znrd wns over."
"Where is It?" demunded his friend.
"Swing over to tho right nnd follow
tho little gulch. I'll wait till you como
buck."
Gordon dropped tho gee-polo and
started on tho Instant Eagerness,
anxiety, dread, fought In his heart Ho
know that any moment now ho might
stumblo upon tho evidence of the sad
story which Is repeated In Alaskn
many times every winter. It rang in
him like a bell that where tough,
hardy miners succumbed a frail girl
would hnvo smnll chance.
He cut ncross over tho hill toward
tho draw, and at what he saw his pulse
quickened. Smoko wns pouring out of
tho chimney of a cnbln and fulling
groundwnrd, as It doeskin tho Arctic
during very cold weather. Hnd Shcba
found safety there?
As ho pushed forwnrd tho rising sun
flooded the earth with pink and struck
a million sparkles of color from tlio
snow. Tho wonder of It drew the eyes
of tho young mun for a moment toward
tho hills.
A tumult of joy flooded his veins.
Tho girl who held In her soft hnnds
the happiness of his llfo stood looking
at him. It seemed to him Hhat 6he
was tho coro of all that lovely tldo of
radiance. He moved toward her and
looked down Into tho trench where she
waited. Swiftly ho kicked off his
snowBhoes and leaped down beside her,
Tho gleam of tears was In her eyes
as sho held out both hands to htm.
During tho long look they gnvo ench
other something wonderful to both of
them was born Into tho world.
When ho tried to qpenk his hoorso
volco broko. "Sheba little Sheba!
Safe, after nil. Thank God, you
you" Ho swallowed the lump in his
throat and tried ngnln. "If you knew
God, how I havo suffered I I was
afraid I dared not let myself think."
A live pulso bent In her whlto throat.
Tho tenrs brimmed over. Then, somo
how, sho wus In his arms weeping. Her
eyeu fliowly turned to his, nnd he BMt
tho touch of her surrendered Hps.
Nnture hnd brought them together by
ono of her resistless and unpremedi
tated impulses.
A stress of emotion had swept her
Into hla nrms. Now sho drew away
from him shyly. The conventions In
which sho hnd been brought up assert
ed themselves. An nbsurd llttlo fear
obtruded Itself Into her happiness. Had
she rushed Into his arms llko a love
sick girl, tnklng it for granted that he
cared for her?
"You came to look for -us? ahe
asked, with tho llttlo shy stiffness of
embarrassment
"For you yes."
Ho could not take his ores irom her.
It seemed to him thnt n bird was sing
ing In his heart the gladness ho could
not express. Ho hnd for mnny hours
pushed from his mind pictures of hot
lying white nnd rigid on tho snow. In
stead sho stood beside him. her dell
cntc benuty vivid as tho flush of a
flame.
"Did they telepliont that wo were
lost?"
"Yes. I was troubled when tho
storm grew. I could not sleep. So I.
called up the rondhouse by long dls
tuncc. They hud not heard from tho
stugc. Later I culled nguln. When X
could stnnd It no longer, I started."
"Not on foot?" '
"No, with Holt's dog tenm. He Is
bnck there. His leg Is broken. A
snow-slide crushed him this morning
whqro we cumped."
"Bring him to tho cnblu. I will tell
the others you nro coming."
"Hnve you hnd nny food?" he asked.
A tired smile lit up the shadows of ,
weariness under her soft, dark eyes.
"Boiled oats, plum pudding and choco
lates," she told him.
"Wo have plenty of food on tho sled.
I'll bring It at once."
She nodded, and turned to go to the
cnbln. He watched for a moment tho
lilt in her walk. An expression from
his rending jumped to his mind. Me
lodious feet I Some poet hnd said thnt
hndn't he? Surely It must hnve been
Shebn of whom he wns thinking, this
girl so vlrglnnl of body and of mind,
free nnd' light-footed as a caribou on
the hills.
Gordon returned to the sled nnd
drove the tenm up tho draw to the
cnbln. Tho three who hnd been ma
rooned came to meet their rescuer.
"You must 'a' como right through
the storm llckltty split," Swlftwater
said.
"You're right wo did. This side pard
ner of mine wns bent on wrestling with
a blizzard," Holt answered dryly.
"Sorry you broko your lnlg, GId."
"Then there's two of us sorry, Swift
water. It's ono of the best lnlgs I've
got."
Shebn turned to tho old miner Im
pulsively. "If you could be knowing
whnt I urn thinking of you, Mr. Holt
how full our henrts are of the grati
tude " Sho stopped, tenrs In her
voice.
"Sho I No need of thnt, miss. Ho
dragged me ulong." His thumb Jerked
townrd the mnn who wns driving. "I've
seen better dog punchers thnn Elliot
but he's got tho world bent nt routln'
old-timers out of bed nnd persundln'
them to kick in with him nnd buck a
blizzard. Me, o course, I'm un old fool
for comln' "
Tho dnrk eyes of the girl wero llko
sturs In a frosty night. "Then you're
He (Viet the Touch of Her Surrendered
Lips.
tho kind of a fool I love, Mr. Holt I
think It wns just fine of you, nnd 111
never forget It as long as I live."
Mrs. Olson hnd cooked too long In
lumber nnd mining camps not to know
something nbout bone setting. Under
her direction Gordon mnde splints and
helped her bundngo the broken leg.
Shebu cooked nn appetizing breakfast
The aroma of coffee and tho smell of
frying bucon stimulated appetites that
needed no tempting.
nolt, propped up by blankets, ala
with the others. For a good many
years ho had taken his luck as it came
with philosophic endurance. TSbw he
wnsted no time In mourning what
could not bo helped. He was lucky
tho Ice slldo had not hit him in the
head. A broken leg would mend.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Change Bad Ways.
Instead of trying to mend thclij
ways some people would snvo n lot
of tlmo by getting new ones.