The evening world. Newspaper, February 18, 1916, Page 17

~ ereaned. bis ( A Love-and-Mystery Romance 6f the Frozen North CHAPTER Xil. (Continued ) The Price of a Minute’s Sleep. |W, shucks!” Buck re- $ “What's the use f ‘uh yuh.taliin’ like that? You're goin’ all the wa: @ame as the rest of us, Brace up! It's only another day—two at the most. Why, we'll carry yuh on our backs, if we have to.” Howe passed up Buck's cheerful as if it were of little mo- and focused his sombre gare PI 2 g fernal monstrosity,” he oool- “I don't exactly know why the eight of you, but I do. I'd cheerful right here in ig I could cut a hole in the Qnd shove you through first.” ‘waa the lengthiest speech he had week, and when it was to staring into the heart Buok, close beside him, into @ brown study. Be Mg! the idea,” he suddenly |. “T'll fix a travois—ever seo t—and we'll make this big stift all the trouble haul him. "8 caused baggling off pendous contract for us, even e skinning knife mulcted from at the time of his capture— took up his rige and plunged into the woods. Hi ded a hide to make @ travois, he explained. He was back in a couple of hours with @ hide, and a saddle of caribou meat on his back. The green hide ho Jashed on two poles in such a man. ner that tt formed a sort of ohairlike seat, Another shorter stick he put on 48 @ crossbar, to keep Howe's weight from drawing the long poles togetier. When done it was a simple enough arrangement; like a litter, one end resting on the broad shoulders of the Ape and the other trailing in the snow, The Ape came near balking outright when ho sensed the modus operandi, ud, contrariwise, Howe was pleased 9 if he enjoyed being a burden on enemy. Not that he sald anything of the gort, but from the expression on bis face when Buck ordered the Ape to pick up the travois end. The Ape sullenly refused, more, I think, through dread of having Howe sO perilously close behind than for any other reason, Buck merely clicked back the hammer of his gun with ominous deliberation, and the Ape bent to his task with a an. The rest of that day Howe literally rode on the Ape’s back, save for such times as he was forced to walk for fear of freezing. When dark overtook us that eve- ning we were in the shadow of a pepiag © nk that down to the lake ré, bare of shelter or wood. Se we were forced to climb toilfully to the timbered crest to make our cam @ made a good supper off the bm ca RS and huddled about the fire in better spirits than we Fae Sepated of for many days; for just sundown Buck had point- e@ gouth to where a wide-mouthed , barely visible in the waning u opened into the lake, The post aits up in Yuh can buckle your a hole Sgutee and step out brisk 4n the mornin'’,” he cheerfully in- / tormed us. “If we make good time to- morrow we can sleep at Resolution— Ly wool blankets, and with a over our heads. Holy smoke! t hot coffee and reai tobacco good once more. I'd suro give @ heap for a smoke right now.’ apa because we were nearing our goal and felt leas the need of ; perhaps it was the natural of pure physical weakness— Buck's tanned face was pinched drawn, and his step laggard, thoge Jast days, and Dick and I were replicaa of the careless hunters had paddled gaily down the Peace in the drowsy Indian summer— eat blinking around that fire, one by one fell fast asleep, our clasped over our guns, our heads gunk forward on our breasts; so eat Buck and Dick when I wakened with a start. And we three had the fire to ourselves—Howo and the Ape were gone. I wakened the others with a violent hand. Dick stared about him tn sleepy bewilderment, but Buck com- prehended at @ glance. Beyond the halo cast by the red embers, gun in band and muttering angrily, he cir- » oled the camp till he came upon their trail—a double track, plain as print in the misty sheen cast upon the snow by the glowing Northern Lights and a host of cold, winking stars§ The trend of it was toward the lake, At the top of the steep slope that fell away to the boulder strewn beach he halted for an instant. One track turned from the brink, back to the north in the shadows cast by a fringe of nodding spruce; the other—there was no other track, only from the Uttle eng of blurred footprints ran @ shallow groove through the drifts, down, down below. Buck pointed significantly to a black lotch in the white at the foot of the hill; then he dropped flat and slid to. bogganw: to the bottom, and with forebodings of tragedy, followed closely after. y in an ugly heap where bank and beach met, and in the misty light We could not be sure which it was til we turned his face up to the etare. It was Howe, and, with the freshly torn and the old wounds bruised anew, he was not a pretty sight to see; but he moaned and mo teebly when we lifted him up: he was alive, and for that vs gave heartfelt thanks—even whilo # remembered that the Ape was aeroad to plan new deviltry, ‘We took him back to the fire and hurts as best we could, 4 3 if 3, ff i and waited anxiously for day. What “took place while we slept we could only guess at. Buck surmised, from the tracks, that the Ape stole away from the fire, and that Howe fol- - lowed craftily, and leaped upon him at the brow of the hill; and that the Ape, with the strength of despera- tion, had thrown him over the hill- brow—that much, at least, was writ- ten in the snow, CHAPTER XIII. The Little People of the North. HEN the eastern horizon grew gray and then streaked ‘J with color we loaded Howe into the travols, wrapping Ms fect and hands in gar- ments we could ill spare from our bodies, and went on. I can’t tell the details of that last, long tramp, be- cause I was in a daze most of the time. I know that it was cold, and growing colder, as if the North was putting forth its mightiest efforts to break us down on the homestretch, I know that Buck dragged the travois with a maniac bound in it; a maniac who cursed and reviled us for thieves and murderers one moment, and in the next breath sang college songs, and rent the frozen atmosphere with our old gridiron yell. Behind staggered Dick and I—gaunt, weak, and shaken with fear of the never-ending trail. All day the eun- dogs leered at us from their aerie in the sky; and near night, for the first time in our wanderings, the gray wolves howled menancingly at us from the wooded shelter of the shore. By all the signs and tokens we were nearing the end of the trail, whether it led to Fort Resolution and safety or to a lasting sleep in the deep snows. The latter part of the day my feet moved mechanically; a curious apathy took possession of my mind, The racking pains that shot through my Mmbs at cach step disappeared, and Pv would have been fairly comfortable only for the dismal howling of the wolves—and the sight of the sun- dogs overhead; somehow those flash. ing mock suns gave me the horrors, But there was nothing I could do, ve follow the lead of Buck as best could, though my knees wobbled strangely at times, Once, near sundown, Dick stumbled and fell in the trail ahead of me, He didn't get up on his feet; just sat up on his haunches in the snow and rested his head in his hands, his body bent forward and swaying slightly, I spoke to him, but he didn't seem to hear. Buck called back to him, and he paid no attention, Then Buck laid the end of the travols down and came back. I suppose he'd seen men lie down on trail before. He didn't waste any time in useless persuasion; he imply Kicked Dick in the ribs, and swore at hin until Dick got to his feet, and we moved on again, ‘Thus we forged slowly ahead and In the starlit evening turned into the mouth of Slave River Valley, and came in sight of Fort Resolution, a dark, bulky shadow in the prevailing white, I may come to many a jour- ney’s end before my life is done, but never, though I should live to be twice the age of the oldest inhabitant, will any sight of the dwellings of men bring such joy to my soul as did the first glimpse of that grim stockade. But even then, within a scant mile of our goal, fate reached out a firm hand, and, taking us by the shoulder, turned our feet away from the path we had chosen, As we rounded a point that jutted out into the river, a puff of smoke from a wood fire greeted our nostrils. Fifty yards further we came plump upon a cluster of lodges, and a score of yelping Indian dogs sallied out to meet us. Probably we could have made it to the post, though Buck was near to complete exhaustion from the load he had dragged all day. We couldn't help him, I had scarce strength enough to move my own body, and since noon Dick had stumbled along uncertainly, like a child learning to walk, With food and shelter at hand, such ag we hatin't known for weeks, that last mile seemed a long, long way. ‘The red man has the name of a con- firmed stoic, @ being to whom fear and love and pity and such like emo- tions are either unknown or carefully repressed. Maybe he Is that way take him on the warpath or among people of allen blood, 1 don't know Indians very well; the raid of the ‘Ape’s band has been my first experi- ence with them at close range, But the bunch that crowded around us and listened while Buck mado terse explanation in guttural Cree woren’t chary of either pity or hospitality, They got Howe out of the travois— he'd sunk into a sort of lethargy and I believe another hour of exposure would have done for him—and hustled the lot of us nto a roomy lodge, turn- ing out @ + of squaws and pa- pooses to make way for us. Oh, but it was like entering into paradise—no knife-edged wind cutting to the bone; a busy little fire, cracking and waving yellow tongues of flame, burned in the centre, filling the double-walled lodge with Hfe-giving warmth furry robes and soft blanke weary man to rest his bone you've never wanted, never suffered for days and days on end, and almost perished for lack of such, you can never know what food and fire and shelter really mean They stripped the clothing from Mowo; clothing that hadn't left his body for twenty-nine consecutive days and nights (consider it, ye men of pajamas and dressing gowns and regular. morning plunges), and chafed his limbs till the red blood pulsed afresh. Then they poured a cup of broth down his unwilling throat, rolled him in blankets close by the fire, and let him go to sleep. To Buck and Dick and me. they brought a supper of moose meat stew, broiled fish and orisp, hot, baking powder bread. It was clean and fresh, and bread was a thing of joy. A round-faced squaw carried it in, and watched us with a broad smile while we ate, But even while I stowed away unmerciful quantities of food, phystcal weariness roso up and overmastered me; the sleep my aching body craved drew my heavy eyelids together, and 1 blinked drowsily over a cup of steaming tea, spilling the hot stuff on my knees, Hastily I gulped what was left in the cup, and stretched out a robe, a bear- skin that to my tired body was a bud HANDS AND SHaatk AND SHOOK MY HEAD WITH REAT VIOLENCE AND Took 4 (EN bn hee ld IN PULLiNa f ORCE THAT IT was PULLED 5 WHAT HAVE UGH D, FOU St NDAHEs YOU To SAY D TWILL CALL THe MONSTER 76 THe HEIS A BRUTE, Jucaeé of down, The crackle of fresh wood mighty soon fix up for the winter— on the fire sounded faint and far ably well as @ nurse—and he must and we'll hear from the jasper again hi ‘e@ certain kinds of food, which away. Some one dropped @ blanket before we get out uh tils country; you'll have to get from the post. over me. Half consciously I felt the yuh can put that down in your littio Meantime, let me eee what Jack warm weight of it, then everything book.’ Frost has done to the rest of you. grew blank; I was dead to the world and no dreams disturbed my sleep. When I awekened again the sun was bright on the blackened smoke- vent in the top of the lodge. It took me some moments to adjust myself, and then I sat up, fervently thankful that my waking was not among deep snow, with all outdoors for house walls, and the cold sky its roof, Across the lodge Howe still slept, Near him Dick snored audibly, stretched flat on his back, Buck, squatting on his haunches, a stone pipe sagging down one corner of his mouth, regarded me with a quizzicai smile. “Well, we made it,” hi “Though we're what @ hard-lookin’ bunch." “We certainly are. I'm afratd an- other day of it would have put the finishing touches to some of us,” I said, with a shiver at the remem- brance. “Oh, T guess the rest of us could ‘a’ toughed it at while longer, but one more night out would sure have fixed f a , provided a past of its own-~a past to him,” Buck motioned to Howe. “A natch his wilderness surroundings. 1 camp fire wouldn't have been any use cannot say. If aught puazied him, he to him, the shape he was in.” gave no sign. Capable, woodwise be- “T hope he'll wake up in his right yond our understanding, he was euf- mind,” T sighed, felent unto himself, “Oh, he'll be all right," Buck hope- “No, I don't feel so bad fully declared. “Kinda queer thing., ed me. “Indian camp, eh wasn't it, him not knowin’ any of us. ‘Yes; we didn't make Resolution— Buck's prediction didn't alt very heavily on my mind just then, I was willing to take chances of a future encounter with the flat-faced rene- sade so long as he had no power at present to deprive us of creature comforts, Howe rolled over with a yawn and stared about him in utter amazement. Evidently he had no memory of our coming to the Indian camp (which, of course, when I came to think of it, was natural enough, seeing that he'd been delirious all day and was only semi-consclous when we pulled in at night), and I leaned over and spoke to him, hoping that he'd pushed the mental obsession into the backgrouad and come to his own, But be hadn't. He was the same—taciturn, and inte- gral part of the wiid—as the night Dick and I came to his camp fire and shared his food, Whether he butted blindly into a mist’ of uncertainty when he consid- I ered the past, or whether the person- ality that had saddled {tself upon him “Superficial mostly. Time and a carbolic lotion will heal them nicel: was his verdict, after an examina- tion, “Now—ah, how about the feet Dick reached down and felt gin- gerly his toes, “This right flipper of mine feels like a botled ham, marked in a matter-of-fact way, if a frozen foot was a commonplace thing of little consequence, “A-ha!” the doctor snortedat sight of it. “You'll need somo attention, my adventurous friend. Now, Mr, Morton, you must bundle up and come with me. I'll be delighted to have you as guest as well as patient -indeed, 1 insist, Possibly one of you will wish to stay with Mr. Howe until such time as he can be moved to better quarters, but there's no earthly reason why the rest of you shouldn't take advantage of what comfort the post affords,” We settled that without much parley, ted to stay with Howe; more 1 skin-deep frost-bites and sheer leg- weariness there Was nothing much the anatter with me, Dick, of course, had no choice in the matter, But when L urged Buck to betake himselt to the post he flatly refused. “This gulls me," he said briefly, k folks ain't none too cheerful is I'll stay with yuh Ull we move together.” inwardly L blessed Buck for that. observed. yuh might call pnd seomin dead willin’ and anxious quite,” I returned. “Would you like Not that } had any real qualms about to paddle his own canoe? Still, T a bite to eat?” y alone, Foolish? Maybe. T suppose I'd be kinda batty 1fmy head — “Uh-huh,” he grunted, ‘Then @ud- wasn't cut on the herole pattern; and had been worked over like his has, | denly: “Did he get away?” 4 the nightnare happenings of that long tramp had got sorely upon my nerves, 1 was to go up in thesleigh with the rest of (hem and bring back some spe- clal grub for Howe. As Dick and I «ot on our clothes to go, the old Indian beeped in, and on the doctor's nod drew back again, and an Indian wom- An stepped iightly through the open- ing. skipped up to the post a while ago and told that pill-thrower uh old MacDonough's to come down and take a look at him. Maybe Doo can straighten out the kinks he's got in his think-factory. He ought to be along pretty quick. “Say, this bunch oh natives {fs all right, ain't they?” Buck continued I noddea, ng that he meant the Apo; his eyes flashed, but he said nothing, He had said that he didn't feel so bad; maybe he wasn't in any great pain; but he was woefully weak—so weak that when he tried to sit up he got no farther than on one elbow, and fell back again before elther Buck or I could “We got roast caribou and some darn reach him I said “Indian woman"—I take It 1 in the pot for yuh, Wl And while we bolstered him and back, Dressed as a squaw she cer- wake Morton, and we'll eat—and piled robes around him came a jingl tainly was, buckskin. beaded and smoke. Cet onto this ancient war- of sleigh-bells outside, and Buck, af- f, quill-decked moccasins, and pide wh mine. 1 got it from Howlin’ ter & hasty glance, announced with in a blanket that rivallod JoR—peach of a name, eh?-—and I satisfaction: “Here comes the man ‘h's cont for gay coloring; but if Indlan bloo rajsed some tobacco at the post.” uh_ medicine." pulsed under that white Buck aroused Dick, and we in- Doe Morrison, bulky with furs, skin the grace of it was hidden, Hor ulged tn the luxury of a wash, Ina ¢Fowded through the oval hole that hair was copper-brown, and wavy tin basin, before breakfast—which T ©bodles an Indian's idea of a door, wavy as Jean Holiday's; her eyes a am sadly misnaming, for {t was long “4 behind him came MacDonough deep, soft Every feature, every Past noon when I waked up, grim old Seot he was, but as big line of h 1, face ‘gave the le to While we were sampling the con- Of heart ax he was scant of speech, her dross Fe Tie, OF the Tats tents df the pot an old Indian lifted sentially a man of action sree hasan Galt and eeetonele the lodge-flap and How-de-do, how-de-do, gentlemen? ~Anglo-Baxon, Celt; and Teuton—is stepped in, Ho siniled, said “Flow” to each of us in turn, and squatted tmpassively by the fire, Not till we had finished, and were good-naturedly squabbling about which should have the first whack at Buck's pipe, did he speak again, and his first sentence brought a sharp ex- clamation from Buck “The devil he did! Buck snorted. Then he grunted something in Cree and the old fellow went on, his speech punctuated by many curlous motions of his withered hands. When he'd finished Buck turned to us. “What d'ye think!" he grumbled, a a Cree if she was one! Doc paused in a jovial diatrihe against the length and rigor of the Northern winters and turned the fool of his speech on her, in the throaty tongue of the tribe.’ He pointed to Howe, to Buck and me, and she nodded assent to all he sald “Now we'll go; everything {sa ranged,” he chattered to us. "This, Mr. Hedrick, 14 Miss Ponoka"—laugh- ingly--"the ‘good fairy of the Little People of the North, In whoge loi you abide, With her assistance we'll soon have your friend on his feet again I'm both glad'and sorry to see you upon my soul! I'm afratd the North hasn't used you very well. Frost- bitten, every last one of you. And Mr. Howe—shocking, shocking!" The doctor's tongue wagled like a leaf in the wind while he was getting out of his coat. He bridled his volu- bility, however, when he began to ex- amino Howe, ‘which he insisted on doing before Howe breakfasted, For twenty minutes there was no sound f the lodge but the snick of scissors as he clipped away clotted hair and black, deat flesh from the ragged cuts, When he'd finished, and Howe's note of pure disgust in his t head was enveloped in a turban of We clambered Into the sleigh and ‘That baboon-faced reptile actually antiseptic soaked lint, the doctor went jinaling back to the post. At had tho nerve to foller us up, and closed his inatrument case and turned the doctor’a we unloaded Diek, and some time last night he sneaked into tc pur elderly Indlan visitor, I never the camp here and got away with a earned the lingo, 60 I can’t tell what MacDonough piloted me to the com- pany store. gun some damn fool Injun left stand- he gaid, but the old fellow folded his — “Man, man, but ye'd a fearsome tima {n’ outside the door uh his teepev. blanket about him and left the lodge. o't!” he commented, warmed Got an axe anda knife too. Ifthore'’s ‘An Indian teepe isn't the best our hands at a glow . “Yon anything in the devil takin’ care un place in the world for a man in that Ape's no'a mani hes reunnin’ bene his own, he's sure got an arm round conditlo Doc Morrison told us wi’ human shape. But bide ye easy the Ape's neck. They've started three uh their young men on his t If they don't take him briskly, ‘but he tsn’t in shape to by il, moved at present iu, bell ure ree-sponsible, yet the wiate: n' However, th 1 yk by the he 4p Indian girl bere who will do pass- are wuly welcome here soy rd 3 but should ye wish—syn ‘re rested an" healed—tae be hame, “I'll gi'e ye a body-guard tae Edmonton wi’ gude- wilt—I ha’e nae doot the devil's whelp wad tak’ anither birl at ye, If he got a fair chance.” I started to express the hope that we'd seen the last of the Ape, when the doctor came, Ho brought with him @ sack of stuff, and as I was about to sling it across my shoulder MacDonough bade me wait for the slelgh—which offer 1 gave him no chance to withdraw, for the sake of my aching legs. When tho sleigh ap- peared and L was climbing stiffly in he came out with a bundle and passed it to me with a dry simile, “Maybe ye'll need some bit assiat- ance tae murder the lang ‘oors,” he grinned, and stamped back into the store, May the Land o’ Cakes breed many more of his kind! When I got back to the lodyo and opened the package Buck and I offered up incense to dour old Soot, for he'd given a box of cigars, fat, fragrant Havanaa --which, when you're a thousand miles from nowhere and hungry for @ smoke, is better than gold and sil. ver and garments of superfine weave, CHAPTER XIV. Once More to the Trail. j JOR many days thereafter wo } rested on our oars, ao to speak, The dead skin peel- f} ed from our faces and fin- gers, the raw places healed quickly and we grew fat and high- spirited in the lodge of the Little People, Tune dulled the keen edge of recollection; in perspective the hungry days and ghelteriess nights seemed not eo terrible, The sun rose, hovered for @ brief span of time a hand's breadth above the tree-rimmed skyline, then sank from sight in a welter of reds and yellows, while the afternoon was yet young, Betimes, a“ blizzard swept gustily the valley, and @ shifting, dancing snowfall out sight of everything ten pace: from our lodge. Hut mostly it was y cold, ne weeks, and total of weeks footed a calendar onth, by which time Buck and | » took to tramping restlessly from camp to post and from post to camp again, tolling each other that we were fit for further pilgrimage But Dick's foot wa Loo tender to bear the weight of a was Also Howe's a6 confronted us like a Chinese puzzle Howe worried me Ww he was well enough to be moved with safety he stubbornly refused eave ndian « p As he w stronger into his shell, and farthor seemed to look 0 busybodies when we tnadvertent cluded him in our plans. I speedily learned to curb my tongue in his presence, for he always got sullen and distrustful when [ tried to rouse ‘hia dormant personal ity. He told me flatly o hat our trail forked from there on, thet he could take care of himself, and didn't give @ continental what we did or where we went, What under heaven he purposed to do, U never learned; still he must have some course of action mapped out; @ man doesn't go to and fro on the of the earth without some bject In view. He'd talk occasional always of the present, Once I entioned the Ape, and he eut in black oath, but when I eager d him if he remembered where and when he first met the Ape, a baffled, bewildered look spread over FOR! [1 You Could Get Your Hands on $30,000,000 You Might Find Yourself in the Same Queer Plight as the People in Next Week’s Complete Novel in The Evening World It le the story of eeveral men and @ girl aboard an ecean liner that was carrying tone ef gold frem New Vork te England. TREASURE, BAFFLING MYSTERY and an ABSOLUTELY UN- his face, and he shut up like a clam, We came near to an open rupture at last, precipitated indirectly by that other enigma, Ponoka, ‘The first few daye of his sickness she was in our lodge from dawn to dusk, hovering Nike @ guardian angel over Howe. After he began to mend and could up and move about unhelped, «) didn't stay there #o much, but she came for @ while each day. I liked her, and admired her, just as one would admire any dainty picture, but —I_ could see whither Howe was drifting, and I began to wonder ap- prohensively if his madness was to leave black shame and misery tn ita wake, Thia day I'd been out prowling around among the lodges, curiously observing life ag these nomads lived it, Buck was at the post. I camo back to our primitive domicile and stopped heedieasiy by the door, not with any thought of eavesdropping. I simply hesttated, one hand on the flap, ag# a man in a@ fit of abstraction might stand a pecond at hia own threshold. But that bit Ponoka's votco drifted out to me as distinctly as though she were at my elbow, and hor apeech, words, accent, inflection, everything, was the tongus @ white man learns at his mother's kneo! For a second I was dumfounded, Tho eternal “Why?" rose up and mocked Then [ reflected that even if Ponoka could speak Di and was minded to reserve the a complishment for Howe's benefit, it was really none of my concern, And no, trying not to appear conscious, I opened the flap and atepped in, But Howe's preternaturally acute ears had noted my momentary halt at the door, I knew it the instant his eye caught mine; there was hostility rampant in his glare. I'd barely seated myseif when Ponoka got up and went quietly out, and the fringed hem of her buck- ekin dress had barely cleared the opening before Howe cut loose on me, 1 won't repeat the things he said or the names ho called me; decency for- bids And after a little, when my patience threatened to fraszle out, I left him to himself and went up to the post to talk it over with Dick, As I swung along atop of the rippled enow - drifts the harsh creak of my stops kept time to the question I could find no answer for: “How the devil are we going to get him home? And what of his people—and Jean—whea we get there?” I headed for the estore first, and there found Dick and the doctor deep ina of chess, the game was finished I interrupted the ine of another, and blurted out what wan is my mind, The dootor turned back in bie chair, gravely turning over and over in hia Angers @ pawn from, the ; “ “I's a peoullar oase—most peoul- jar,” ho said thoughtfully, “I've been in hopes that as he gained in strength and nervous energy hia mind would gradually return ¢o tte normal condition, But there seems no pos- sibility of that now,’ Then you don't think,” I added, caused by pressure on the head quickly. “I don't think #0, I've examined the eiull carefully, Only one place gives indt- cauon of fracture, and there ts no de- pression Besides, pressure would produce @ different eet of symptoms, If not severe enough to induce pro- Lraoter coma, he would be subject to inooherent vagaries, and on the con- trary he is entirely consistent tn bia hallucination No, I have anot! theory—-you are both, take it, life- time friends of Mr. Howe?" he ab- ruptly queri “Of course,” Dick answered, and I by nodded assent. “Were you aware that he has, up to @ comparatively recent date, been ad- dicted to the use of morphine—the hy- podermio form" “What!" Dick raised in his seat, blank increduulity writ large upon his countenance. To me it wasn't so much of a #ho Not that I'd over suspetted such « thing. But my newspaper experience had schooled me in many phases of life that are hidden away from most people; it taught me that no class or breed of men has 4 monopoly on vice. re all weak vessels and prone to fall, and the least a fellow can do is to show © little charity to a weaker brother. IT hadn't thought it of Hows but since I knew, it accounted for some of his moods in the earlier period of our journey tu th orth. I couldn't see, however, where it had any bearing on his present condition, Dick seemed to be honestly doubtful of the doo- tor’s statement, "It Ia a fuct, I assure you," Morrt- fon earnestly declared, “You've only to look at the myriad needle-marks on each forearm to convince yourself, It has occurred to me that the habit had ened his mental powers— not ptibly, you understand; it would not be noticeable, even to him- self—and then in the raid he was clubbed unconsctous, and also suddenly deprived The shock, \ ve-stimulus, and the impr made upon him by the lonely Woods, aecounts, in my opinion, for his unbalanced mind—but this ts merely @ hazard on my part, It's a y puazling case — altogether ' beyond me "It it w 1 combination of mental breakdown ind exposure he was cunt for resourc caused by and lack of @ to, how do you rmal hardihood, aning, doctor? 1 argued. "Rec that he was alone two days, without so much as a matoh to light a fire; yet he travelled as fast and as far as we did, and was vastly better off, except for his bat- tered head, than we were whon we overtook him, He's what you'd cali a tender f he's never been ex- posed to dship of any kind. he was self-reliant and apable till Ii unds and his vitality nowith you “It does not,” the doctor owned. “I can heal the physic that afflict) mankind, but psycho neurosis defies my skill, Tecan only repeat that it's beyond me,” J it money ca re (te % Continued) “Thea you can't do anything furs ther for him?” Dick said, “I wistt you'd advise us in this, doctor, I'm responsible for getting Howe in this infernal mesa, and I'll # no effort to get him out. Anything that a friend do shall be done, If help him, I've @ modest fortune I'm dead willing to spend. What can we do? What would be best ?”" ‘ “I would say get him home, or to fome institution where he can have the a specialista,” the doctor ad ally, L hesitate to adopt radical treatment. [t may be that an operation and examination of the brain would reveal the trouble and afford relief. Again, some sudden shock might instantly clear away the cobwebs, and bring him to himself. But—either might prove fatal, and I would be reluctant to proceed without the support of another physician, Therefore, if it be possible, wet him to civilization as soon as possible, where he'll have every advantage that nee and skill can give.” T'd lke to know how in thunder we're going to transport him to elvill- zation, or anywhere else, against his will,” 1 muttered gloomily, “If 1 know anything about tt, nothing short of phyaleal force will stir him out of that Indian camp. And we can’t hant him bound hand and foot from here to Edmonton,” That rather feazed us for a minute, The doctor filled his pipe anew and called Buck and M. the re uncil of war, The upshot of it was a plan to inveigle Howe to the post under the pretext of the doctor wanting to gee him, and an attempt to hoodwink him into making the trip at the doctor's behest. Once in Edmonton, we trusted to luck to a him the rest of the way. Mae- Donough was dnly too willing to us in the matter of dogteams supplies—and two or three men, fo. the menace of the Ape waa yet fresh in our minds, “By the way, who and what is Po- noka? [ demanded of the doctor. It was juestion I'd often wanted to ask and ined lest I appear filled with bat ig curiosity, The doctor smiled, and MacDon- ough #hr his broad shoulders. “That's been a riddle we've been bp n to one the it three years,” answered. “Mao 8 more her than I do.” — “The Little People, theirsel’s,” said MoDonou; gned, “ha’e traded wi’ us a matter o° five year. Whaur they cam’ frae, ory nally, I dinna ken, an’ they dinna tell I’ the summer they skirrup along the lake shore, an’ {’ in the win: as they ca’ eh enlight- ter they'ro’ mostly tae be found @ couple o’ Mays’ travel tae the north 0° here. ‘our year back, they cam’ in tae the post I’ the early fall an’ wi’ them was this lass they ca’ Ponoka. She was a slip o' @ lassie then, a wil. lassie, at all; the co: It's news, pris 9 her spouting’ gude Queen's Ye'll see mony queer folk, an’ happenings, in the Ni . Hed- happenings, orth, Mr. Hed. tarry ag’ obsairve.” After Breaktont t morning Buck and I put om our snow-shoes and stalked away to the post. Half-way we met jacDonough' y Henri Paleau, striding down to camp of the Little People with th Verbal bait to which we hoped Howe would rise. At MacDonough’s house Dick and the dootor joined us. Before long two res left the cluster of lodges and came toward ene: post. When they came near enough to be rec le i turned to the others. saps “Look here,” I proposed, “if he ts not to be persuaded to make the trip in our company and cuts up rusty about it, I move that we prevent his going back to the Little People, at ali hazards, He t armed. ‘There's enough of us here to handle htm with- out doing him bodily injury. We've simply Rr to take desperate mea- sures, [ve got @ hunch that if he's left to his own devices much longer he'll become Ponoka’s consort and drop into pure . “There's a room tf the back o° this hoose the arch-fiend himself couldna break oot 0',” MacDonough volun- teered. “Then, by the Lord, we'll put bim in it if we have to!” I cried, and Dick assented, though he plainly disliked such a radical proceeding and was hopeful of persuasion. Howe and Paleau brushed the snow from their moccasins and came inte the big, front room. 1 dog't know by what process of reasoning Howe er rived at conclusions; perhaps he simply had an instinctive feeling that the five of us gathered around the stove had designs on his freedom of wetion, Anyway, he came barely two paces inside the door, .his face dark at our greetings, and without a I 1 he turned and deliberately walk ed out Buck and I MacDonough aped for the door, but beat us outside. | He cupped both hands over his mouth sent a sh ut of warning across nds: “Shut yon gate— an’ ‘oc! The post, I think I mentioned de- » was wholly inclosed by a stock- All elghty-foot wall of thick Posts set solidly in the ground; relic of the days when a trading point, set in the midst of w need of strong Only one gate, wide enough for the passing of a Red River cart, pierced the wooden wall, and toward it Howe ran like a deer when MacDonough's voice up. rose. But by chance, a “breed” out- side the store heard Mac and obeyed in a twinkling, Howe reached the just as the fellow turned the key » lock, and as he sprang for the with @ snarl like that of a cor- 1 wolf, and T fell upon him. I dived headlong at bis legs, wrapped bour them, and’ we went and Buck clasped rhug before he could down him 4a strike a blow, Se t pees —_