The Lady of North Star

but found that it was impossible to do so, owing to his arms being bound to his side. On making that discovery, he lay quite still, with his eyes closed, thinking over the situation. Lit

gh the drums throbbing in his head, a voice sounded in his ears, a v

s dead, Joe? He l

self looking into a dark, frost-scarred face, from which a single eye gleamed malevolently. As that eye encounte

open. He

9

die on our hands, at least not until I hav

d moved away. Corporal Bracknell cran

ont of the stove, the man of the evil face, whom he had seen on opening his eyes, was busy preparing a meal, and the odour of frying moose-steak and bacon filled the cabin. In the bunk, pro

. I hope that head of

ng," answered the

"doesn't know his strength, and he's a holy terror with a whipstock. You should s

n the previous night, but in a flash he divined what had happened to him, and w

9

ck in the skull, and I hope no real harm will follow on Joe's forceful inter

you found it so," an

ht. I didn't think you would have gone for a wounded a

d," was the re

st is always to be reckoned as irrevocable, as I know better than most of the parsons. The p

rporal quietly, "is sca

ttle laugh, "but it is a question

rested, but he strove his best to appear uncon

gh an ice-hole. It is a course that would be advantageous to me, since your body would not be found before the

as he contemplated the suggested way of getting rid of him, but his vo

me on his face. "Blood is thicker than water," he remarked. "Though you're willing to forget that we are cousins, and regardless of family ties ar

hat are they?" as

t you will not attempt to escape or to at

mind and what was behind the offer, but he wa

nour?" he asked with a faint t

in you, whilst it has a twist in me. I know you won't break your parole-if you give it. And of co

as nothing to gain by[96] rejecting the offer, since he was completely in the

sposed to give

ose you'll be running down the Elkhorn under the ice inside ten minutes. You'd better agree-and quickly. No!" he lifted his pipe to check the words on the corporal's lips. "Hear me out. Th

nderstand, and again he wondered what lay behind the proposal. His

tive suggestion, I can keep you tied up here, and I can leave you tied up when we move on; or I can lash you on to a sledge, and, will

sin's utterances. There was little choice in the m

9

give you my wo

y as he spoke, and then turned to his Indian compani

rstand. He guessed, however, that the Indian was demurring, and with mingled feelings waited to see

and don't stand there growling

frown lift, and a flicker of evil laughter leap into the single eye. A moment later the Indian stepped

dy, and after that rose slowly to his feet. His co

nd now I guess we shall get along famously. A pity, though

how you come to be here at

lugged down by North[98] Star, I must have lapsed into unconsciousness

in the corporal. "I thou

s, having heard the shots came to look for me. He carried me to the sled, took me to the woods on the other side of the ri

now, he had already guessed part of the story which he had just h

through Regina barracks without demur. He doesn't love the mounted police, as he owes his

ster, he placed a tin plate with moose meat and beans before the corporal, filled a mug with steaming coffee, and with a g

to it the sauce of hunger, it's at least as good as anything we had at

had last seen him, and although he had had his own quarrel with

en last I saw him,"

ng ago

yea

me. May I inquire if he

my intentions when I came here. W

the governor, and a regular perambulating pepper pot." He was silent for a moment,

ing of the plans o

for that piece of madness. You've to remember that I'm the heir of Harrow Fell, and tha

Sir James took that very badly. It was hushed up, of course,[100] but when you disappeared, and your name was gazetted among the br

oor old g

anced at his cousin. The latter was sitting in his bunk, staring straight before him, with a troubled loo

ented, "and I've been feeding on them ev

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 the robe and to feast on the fatted veal.... There are times when I

ely moved. He had thought of his cousin as wholly bad, and

1

n unsteady voice, "you might

. That's bad enough for a man of-a-my antecedents. But there are worse things credited to Koona Dick, as you'll lea

rged the other. "You

other. "Ah! you are thinking

red the corp

u?" he demanded hoarsely. "You know her, you've talked w

tarted to his feet, and his one eye glared at the officer malevolently. The corporal did not move. As his cousin shouted the qu

er saw Joy Gargrave till four days ago, and if I ta

as suddenly as it had flamed. He threw hi

1

said, "but it is one of the

blurted out the corporal. "It w

, Joy's my wife-and I'll keep her. It is something to know that there are

ral sharply, only by an effort restrainin

es expressed amazement, but his next words were b

tarted for England yesterda

ed the prodigal bitterly. "Th

ged his pipe, lit it, and sat smoking, staring into the stove

Indian went out, and then Dic

y thinks of me? D

u are aware of that, of course? I

uch. It was Lady Alcombe who put that rotten scheme in my head. If I'd only been patient, and run straight, and not been tempted by that agent to sell the

e Elkhorn. On the fourth morning of that journey Roger Bracknell woke, to find that preparations were already well advanced for departure. One team was already harness

oon for us, if we leave you your full team. Besides, we're tackling a stiff journey and we shall need dogs before we're through. We're

us, and we've left you enough grub to get you down to North Star comfortably. Your rifle's there on the top of y

his cousin to speak, and the corporal heard

ah, B

go

e wil

, Bab

back

n

back, and the team moved forward, the runners singing on the windswept ice. For ten minutes the officer stood watching, until the cavalcade passed out of sight behind a tree-clad island, but Dick Bracknell did not look back once. The corporal turned to the fire with a musi

Easte

home

aste

e! Bab

1

his cousin's face. Again he looked up the river. Beyond the island

rmured as he turned

ype="