THE LADY OF NORTH STAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12687, 8 July 1919, Page 8

THE LADY OF NORTH STAR.

By OTTWELL BIMNS.

CHAPTER IX. (Continued.)

r I: may. remind you what the situation is. You are in my power. If you can’t give me your word,, if I don’t tall ui with Joe’s primitive suggestion, i can keep you tied up here, and I can leave you tied up when we move on; on ~'? an you on to a sledge,: and, willy-nilly, take you along with ns. But I prefer an_ amicable arrangement. - - - You will give me jour word?” Corporal Bracknell recognised the truth of his cousin’s utterances. There was little choice in the matter, and after a little more reflection he agreed. “ Yes, Dick, I give yOu my word of honour.”

“ I thought you would!” Dick Bracknell laughed shortly as he spoke, and then turned to his Indian companion. “Just take your knife, Joe, and cut those thongs.” The Indian turned from the stove and growled something in a dialect which the corporal did not understand. He guessed, however, that the Indian was demurring, and with mingled feelings waited to see wdiat would happen- His cousin spoke again, and this time there was a peremptory note in his voice. "Cut those thongs, I tell you; and don’t stand there growling at things yon don’t understand-”

He added something in. the native tongue, and watching the Indian’s scowling face, the corporal saw fixe frown lift, and a flicker of evil laughter leap into the single eye. A moment later the Indian stepped up to him, and with a banting knife cut the hide thongs which bound him, and then, returned to the stove.

The corporal stretched his arms, then his whole body, and after that j-'ose slowly tp his feet.. Hig cousin wotched e^es fhat smiled inscrutably. , Feels hey? You’re a sensible man. Cousin Roger, and now I guess we shall get along famously. A pity, though, that I shan’t be able to Sl t down to breakfast with you.” What I can’t understand is how you come to be here at all,” blurted the comoral. Oh7’ laughed the other, “ that’s as simple as you please. When I was plugged down by Lone Star, I must have lapsed into unconsciousness—for the first time 'on any stage. "Whilst I was lying there in the snow ” ‘I examined you,” broke in tho deadt” ' ' * bought that you wore fhifc as you see I wasn’t,” replied the other "and whilst I was lying ttiero m the snow, Joe,. who was waiting with the dogs, having heard the shots, came to look for me. He carned me to the sled, took me to the woods on the other side of the river made a fire, and, having doctored me’ brought me along here. He’s a go'od If oe > though his looks are against

The corpora,! did not reply From the trails he had found in the snow, he bad already guessed part of the story which he had just heard, and was not surprised at it. The wounded man laughed shortly. /‘Joe is attached to me. I once did « service, and if I told him to do it bed run amuck through Regina, barracks without demur. H© doesn’t -°ve the mounted police, as he owes his 3ost eye to one of them, so you will see, coiism, that only my family affection saves you.’

The Indian turned his scarred face from the stove, and laid the table in primitive fashion. Then, having attended to Ins master, ho laid a, tin plat© with moose meat aiid beans before the corporal, filled a mug with steaming coffee, and with a grant invited him to eat. The officer did so readily enough. He had eaten nothing for fourteen hours and was feelin«hungry. 0

_ *" Plain.faro/’ commented his cousin, , ■wholesome, land if on© brings to it the sauce of hunger, it’s at least as gpod as anything we’ve had at Harrow FelL . . . And that reminds me, cousin. How 3S.the governor?” ■’ The corporal remembered! the dignified Sir James-Bracknell as he had last seen him, and although he had had his own quarrel with him, felt resentment at the ton© in which the question was asked.

“He was very well when last I saw him,' 5 h© answered stiffly. “ How long ’ago is that? 55 “ Two years.” “ Urn ! That’s a goodish time. May I inquire if he knows your whereabouts? 55

“1 think not. I didn 5 t tell him of my intentions when I cam© here. We —er —had a difference of opinion. ss Dick Bracknell laughed 1 . “ I don 5 t blame you for that. He 5 s a starchy old buffer is the governor, and a regular perambulating pepper pot. 55 H© was silent for a moment, and then he inquired jerkily. “ How—a—did bo take that—-a—a.—little affair of mine? 55

“You moan the selling of the plans of the Travis gun? 5 ’ “Hi ore’s no need for you to be brutal 1” was the sharp reply. “I’ve paid pretty heavily.for that piece of madness. You’ve to remember that I’m the heir of Harrow Fell, and that if I show my nose in England I shall probably get five years at Portland or Dartmoor.* 5

The corporal knew that this wa« true, and was conscious of a little compunction. Without alluding to it hd answered the question- “Sir James took that very badly. It was bushed up, of. course, but when yon disappeared, and your name was gazetted among the broken, he pressed for an explanation, and got it. As you can. guess, proud old man as ho is, it wasn’t a nice thing for him to hear. 55 “No. ... . Poor old governor! 5 A strained silence followed, and a full two minutes passed without anyone speaking. Then the corporal glanced at his cousin. The latter was sitting in Ids bunk, staring straight before him, with a troubled look in his eyes. He moved as the corporal looked at him., and as their eyes met, he laughed .in a grating way. ■'“'The husks are not good eating, 55 he commented, “ and I’ve been feeding on them ever since the day I skipped from .Alcombc.” The corporal was still silent, a. little amazed at ids cousin’s mood, and the other spoke again “Don’t you go thinking I never regret things, Roger, my boy. There never was a prodigal yet who didn’t lie awake o’ nights thinking what a fool he’d been. And for .some of us there’s no going back to scoop the ring and tho robe- and to feast on tho fatted veal. . . . There are! times when I think of the Fell, and hear the pheasants clucking in. the spinney. And I never sight at a ptarmigan but I think of the grouse driving down tho wind on Harrow Moor. Man-—it’s Hell, undiluted.”

The corporal pushed the tin plate from Jura. He felt strangely moved. He had thought of his cousin as whollv bad, and now. he found good mingled with the evil. Ho turned round. 11 Dick, old man,” he said in an unsteady voice, “you might make good yet, if you fried.” His cousin laughed harshly. “ Not me, you know better. What were you after me for? Whisky-rmining? Yesf I thought so. That’s bad enough for a main of—a—my antecedents. But. there are worse things credited to Koona Dick, as you’ll learn. I’Ve got too far. What'is, it that’fellow Kipling says? * Damned from here to Eternity?’ That’s me, and I know,it,” “ You can pull up!’ urged the other. “You can make reparation.” (To be continued:)