Part 3 (1/2)

”That ive you the visual de what you're going to do You won't fight fair--because you never have You've already decided that so out fro down the Athabasca See! There's nothing in that hand, is there?”

He stretched out an empty hand toward them, palm up

”And now!”

A twist of the wrist so swift their eyes could not follow, ainto the blacklittle automatic

”That's known as the sleeve trick, boys,” explained Aldous with his i days when the best ht, I shall carry this little friend of mine just inside my wristband There are eleven shots in it, and I shoot fairly straight Good-day!”

Before they had recovered froone

He did not follow the road along which Joanne had co trail that led riverward through the poplars Where before he had been a little austed He was not afraid of Quade, as perhaps thethe line of rail Neither was he afraid of the lawless men orked his ends But he knew that he had made powerful enemies, and all because of an unknooman whom he had never seen until half an hour before It was this that disturbed his equanie that his interference had been unsolicited and probably unnecessary And now that he had gone this far he found it not easy to recover his balance Who was this Joanne Gray? he asked himself

She was not ordinary--like the hundred other woone on ahead of her to Tete Jaune Cache If she had been that, he would soon have been in his little shack on the shore of the river, hard at work He had planned work for himself that afternoon, and he was nettled to discover that his enthusiasrand finale of a certain situation in his novel was gone Yet for this he did not blame her He was the fool Quade and his friends would make him feel that sooner or later

His trail led hirowth of timber, mostly spruce and cedar, fro sound of water A few moments more and he stood with the wide tumult of the Athabasca at his feet He had chosen this spot for his little cabin because the river ran wild here a into the southwardat this point Across the river rose the steep embankments that shut in Buffalo Prairie, and still beyond that thebillow on billow until trees looked like twigs, with gray rock and glistening snow shouldering the clouds above the last purple line

The cabin in which he had lived and worked for e, and was partly hidden in a cluh theto the south and west he could see the white face of Mount Geikie, and forty miles away in that wilderness of peaks, the so his work as he had left it The last page ofwas in his typewriter He sat down to begin where he had left off in that pivotal situation in his masterpiece

He read and re-read the last two or three pages of theto pick up the threads where he had dropped the he became more convinced that his work for that afternoon was spoiled And by whom? By _what?_ A little fiercely he packed his pipe with fresh tobacco Then he leaned back, lighted it, and laughed More and more as the e young woman whose beauty and personality had literally projected themselves into his workshop He marvelled at the crudity of the questions which he asked hi them Who was she? What could be her mission at Tete Jaune Cache? She had repeated to hiirl in the coach--that at Tete Jaune she had no friends Beyond that, and her nahtenment

In the brief space that he had been with her he had ht--no older Her beauty alone, the purity of her eyes, the freshness of her lips, and the slender girlishness of her figure, s he had found the ht picture, but one that he was sure of

Several tiave up his efforts entirely Fro in the wall he took down a little rifle He had found it convenient to do , and he had broken a fes The partridges were out of season, but te broilers in mind for supper, he left the cabin and followed the narrow foot-trail up the river He hunted for half an hour before he stirred a covey of birds Two of these he shot

Concealing his un near the trail he continued toward the ford half aif Stevens, as due to cross that day, had got his outfit over Not until then did he look at his watch He was surprised to find that the Tete Jaune train had been gone three quarters of an hour For so

At the ford he found Stevens standing close to the river's edge, twisting one of his long red moustaches in doubt and vexation

”darowled, as Aldous caht Look there! Would you try to cross?”

”I wouldn't,” replied Aldous ”It's a foot higher than yesterday I wouldn't take the chance”

”Not with two guides, a cook, and a horse-wrangler on your pay-roll--and a hospital bill as big as Geikie staring you in the face?” argued Stevens, who had been sick for three uess you'd pretty near take a chance I've a notion to”

”I wouldn't,” repeated Aldous

”But I've lost two days already, and I'uaranteeing 'eht call _on the trail_ They don't expect to pay for this delay, and that outfit back in the bush is costing e and ourselves over in the flat-boat It'll ot twenty-seven horses I've a notion to chase 'em in The river won't be any lower to-morrow”

”But you may be a few horses ahead”

Stevens bit off a chunk of tobacco and sat down For a few ly eye Then he chuckled, and grinned

”Cao,” he said ”Hear you cleaned up on Bill Quade”

”A bit,” said Aldous

Stevens rolled his quid and spat into the water slushi+ng at his feet

”Guess I saw the woot off the train,” he went on ”She dropped so I picked it up, but she was so darned pretty as she stood there looking about I didn't dare go up an' give it to her If it had been worth anything I'd screwed up awped like the others It was a piece of paper Mebby you'd like it as a souvenir, seein' as you laid out Quade for her”