A MATING IN THE WILDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19846, 15 January 1920, Page 8

A MATING IN THE WILDS.

(By OTTWELL BIKES,)

CHAPTER XIX. (Continued.) '■ Non, m'sioti ! I link of dal las 111 gilt ; hill- 1 IVtIICT.,! Of dfl-t. AVI' UAUit build n tire, an’ wc smoko it tell /XT' talc; whilst /.co odour it ops peiccived afar. Don /.ea dogs. Hoy give lungne when odor dogs appear, an' whore arc we? Anoder ting, 'spo.-e Chiguiok not. conic zoo regular trail: s'posc ho knew anodcr way through kcc woods, an’ come ota further up zoo lak’. .Eel wo on 7.c0 island \ve not see hoem, but up hero ” h-o swop! a hand in trout or him • - ‘‘ \vc behold y.eo Avltule lak and wo not miss him.”

‘■ Yv-v' agreed Stane. “Von arc right, dean. Now go and rest. 1 will keep a bright look out. ' *• 1 nui donov- Hat, m’sien. Yon bait zee pri/.o to v. a toll lor, but I lie turned away without- .finishing his sentence, and Stane resumed his sentry go, slopping Ironi lime io time to view the long expan-a; of the snow-covered hike, and to search Avouds along the shore. As the' time passed without bringing any change, and as the unbtoken *sui face, of Hie snow mocked him with its emptiness, he grew side at heart, and a feverish anxiety mounted within him. Ho felt utterly helpless, and a fear that Chief George had lied, and had deliberately misled them, grew m. him till k reached the force- of conviction. Watching that empty valley, of the lake, he fell, was a warsie of time. To he doing nothing, when Helen was being hurired to lie knew not Avhat fate, was torture to him. It would, ho 'thought, he bolter to go baci-: on their trail, and endeavour to pick up that of the kidnappers;, since that way they would at- least- ho sure that they wore on the right lines, km strongly did this idea appeal to him. that, he, turned clown., the trail to the camp* to propose the'; plan to Ids companion. But avliou ho'.] turned the corner of the cliif, it was. to find dean Bernard last- asleep in front of the lire, and though his first; impulse was io waken him, lie refrained, remembering how tired the man must, he, and how necessary it was that- he should bo as fresh as possible when the moment fey; action arrived. ” No.” lie whispered, as he looked at the bent form of the sleeping man. " i will Avtiit one hour, and then we will decide.'’ He himself was beginning to feel the strain of vlie steady iv.aiching to ami fro, and decided that it- would be wi-m to spare himself as much as possible.' Accordingly be seated himself by the lire, contenting himself by walking tod the top of the (rail io view the lake? at intervals of from twelve to fifteens minutes. Ttviec ho did this and thet second hue was made aware of a change® in the atmosphere, it had grown inneiucolder and as he turned the corner oft the cliff a gust of iev tvind smote himf in the face, lie looked doAvnwards. i The suiiace of the lake was still barren : of life: but not of movement. Films of : snoAv. driven by the gusty wind, drove doAvn its narrpw length, were lifted higher and then subsided as the wind fell. Overhead the sky Avas of an uniform leaden hue and lie knew that before long then; avouUl be siioas’. And it Suoav came

His heart stood almost still at the thought. .It might snow for days, and in tho storm, when all trails would he obliterated it would lie an easy matter to miss llckm and her c.aplors altogether. As lie relumed to 1 lie liny, his mind was full of forebodings. Ho was afraid, and though dean Bcnard slept on, ho himself-could not rest- He made up the fire, prepared bacon and moose meat for cooking, sot some coffee to boil. U. would bo as well to have a meal in raise the- necosity for a start should arise. These things done he went once more to the; outlook, and surveyed the snow-covered landscape. Tho wiud was still for the moment, and there were no wandering wisps of snow. His first glance was towards the creek opposite the island. Thorn was nothing there to arrest attention. 11 r- eyes travelled further without any light of expectation in them. Creek by "creek, hay by bay, lie followed the shore line. I hen. in a second, his gaze grew fixed. The lake was no longer devoid of life. Far off', at least ten miles, as he swiftly calculated, a blur of black dois showed mi tho surface of the snow. Instantly lie knew it for what it was—a. team of sled dogs. His heart leaped at the sight, and. the next moment he was running towards the camp. •■Joan! Jean!” he cried, “Jcnn Bcnnvd

Tho slorpinpr man passed from s,lumber to full wakefulness with the, compielpiicss that characterises a, healthy eh i Id.

■'Ah. m'sicu,” he said standing' nprighi- “ Dev haf arrived” "1 do not. know. Bui: there is a dog-train a long way up the lake/’ “I wool tak’ one look, 1 ’ said the trapper, tit walk ijuickly Inwards the head of the trail. Stane went with him and indicated lli(> direction.

“There, where the si tore sweeps in ward! Do yon see, Jcniit” “Oui, m'sicu.”:

'With he.iti. brows the (rapper stared at the hlnr of dots on the white surface, and alter a couple of seconds began to count softly to himself. “ Un, ileus, trois. (|iia.tre- ■’ Then he stopped. “h’onr dons and one man.” he said, titriiinjx to Ins companion. *• But. Cttigmok it ers not. Behold m’sieti, he comes di- way. - ’ “Then who——■

“ Da! (\s not to ho told. Zee men in _zce wddcrncss are many.” As he finished speaking a gust. ( ,f wind drove suddenly in their faces, hriusdng with it a lew particles of snow, and la; looked np .into tne leaden sky. “ I’resoutlv.” h(> said, "it wool snow, m’sion. Lot ns go and oat. then oof Chigntok has not aiipoiirod wo woo! go moot d;it nian out dcro. .Me may haf zee news.” Bcluclantly Stane Inrneil with him, and pvmil hack In tho camp. Me Intel no desire for food, hut lie forced hinivoll eat, and wiion the meal was iinisnod lie load tho sledge. ’I lien Benurd .spoke again.

t 'U'i'ol ial< ’ one look" more, vn’.sten, heloro \vc harness zee dogs.” Tlioy went up (a the outlook together. the lake once more showed its white oxpaiiMj unbroken; the little bint of moving dots having withdrawn, ■-lane stared ou the waste, with an expression <d blank dismay upon his face,, then he turned to Ins companion. “ ke camp,” explained Beuurd ‘Mb; not- pushed for time, am he know it snow bTnrc lone. We find boeni. m’siou, an’ den -By gar! Look acre!"

'^ s 110I 10 " !1 - vc vr nt to the exclamation, ho nouited excitedly n„ the lake, two miJes beyond the inland, the neighbourflood or winch Stanc liad gazed’ at. so otten and hopelessly during the lasi tnreo hours, A dog-train had broken ro>!i the wood, and taken to the surliicc ot Ine lake, three men accoinpanyit. 1 ' Cliijiiiok! Behold, ruVisu!” (To ho continued.)

A litib hoy, wanting to give his moUioi- a present, at last derided on a Prayer Hook. When lie .had bought it. not knowing what to put on iho ii'ont page, he looked through some of the hooks in the library, amt then mu. "To dear mother, with the anchors comulimonts.”