The Barrier

use, sprawling against the sunny side of the slope, as if it had sought the southern expos

t, who swung an axe better than any Indian on the river, to Larsen the ship's carpenter, who worked with an adze and who starved the summer following on the Koyukuk. It had stretched a bit year by year, for the trader's family had been big in the early days when hunters and miners of both breeds came in to trade, to loaf, and to swap stories with him. Through the winter days, when the caribou were in the North and the moose were scarce, whole families of natives came and camped there, for Alluna, his squaw, drew to h

th his pipe and his thoughts, rather than with a book, as lonesome men are supposed to do. He did with little sleep, and many nights he sat alone till Alluna and Necia would be awakened by his heavy step as he went to his bed. That he was a man who could really think, and that his t

a and the little ones. She had made them ready for bed

a chance to try. He flew and flew, and just before he came to the edge of the world where

May I warm mysel

d him to creep close. He watched his chance, and when they were not looking he picked up a red-hot coal in

till a drop of blood came through, so ever since tha

ver who saved the hunter's life, and she began, this time in the language of the Yukon peopl

e a chair, of which there were several, but crouched upon a bear-skin, her knees beneath her chin, her toes a trifle drawn together.

the caresses. On rare occasions the old man romped with the little ones and took them in his arms and acted

er marry Po

inquire

n't he

is a g

she'll marry som

hite," the s

't her kind." Alluna's grunt of indignation was a sufficient answer to this, but he resumed, jerk

too, I guess,

e trader, fiercely. "He do

oman, eh?" s

fferent from us people. He's-he's-" Gale paused, at a loss for words to co

nsuccessfully, and was still seeking

loving him it would

words, for she spoke quickly, but in her own tongue no

The risk is too great. Better that

at," said

ence, continued: "Why not? Soon the nights will grow dark. The river runs swiftly, a

his big hand firm

ood let already. We'll allow things to run along

ose about her head, and waited for him until the late sun-which at this time of year revolves in a great circle overhead-dipped down below the distant mountains for the midnight hour, then rolled slantin

k it up sadly, and within three breaths, from tip and down the half-mile of scanty water-front, came the cry of "Steam-bo-o-a-t!" Cabin doors opened and men came out, glanced up the stream and echoed the call, while from sle

back, inching in slowly until, with much shouting and the sound of many gongs, she slid her nose quietly into the bank beneath the trading-post and was made fast. Her cabin-deck was lined with passengers, most of whom were bound for the "outside," although still clad in mackinaw and overalls. They all gazed silently at the hundred men of Flambeau, who stared back at them till the gang-plank was placed, when they

, shading his eyes elaborately, he cried, in a great voice: "Wall! wal! I b'lieve dat's M'si

nto the sand. Molly courtesied nervously and continuously as she clung to her mother, and t

on' buy all dese present. Dese t'ing ain' no good for ole folks. I guess I'll t'row dem away." He made as if to heave a bundle that he car

ad happened on the previous evening, but she seemed to have forgotten the episode, and greeted him with her usual frankness. Even had she remembered it, there was nothing he could say in explanation or in apology. He had lain awake for

t to him that the more he pondered it the more pitiful it seemed, the more monstrous. Lying awake and thinking of her in the stillness of his quarters, it had seemed a very unfortunate and a very terrible thing. During his morning duties t

on the deck. "They are going out to the States to get something to eat. They say that nothing like tho

enant. "Surely he must have been

go last fall, when he made the first discov

dle to its breast. His eyes grew brighter at sight of Necia, and he broke into a flood of patois; they fairly bombarded each other with quick que

Burrell, this is Napoleon Doret-our P

, and it seemed to Burrell that a certain distrust was in each of the three pairs of eyes, only in those of the man there was no shyness. Instead, the

uts you

ost yonder," sai

esse you

a so

e? Dere's nobody figh

e store quick and tell me what it's like at Dawson." With a farewell nod to B

feet two, as straight as a pine sapling, and it needed no second glance to tell of what metal he was made. His spirit showed in his whole body, in

' beeg city-mus' be t'ree, four t'ousan' people. Every day some more dey come,

of white women?"

dance-halls. Dere's one fine gal I see, name' M

ou're in love!

him, straightway launching into the details of their commercial enterprise, which, happily, had been most successful. Before they could finish, the crowd from the b

, displayed in a rack behind the counter in a manner to attract the eye of such native hunters as might need them, and with the

ance. The stranger balanced the weapons, one in either hand, then he did the "double roll" neatly, following which he executed a move that Gale had not witnessed for many years. He extended one of the guns, butt foremost, as if surrendering it, the action being free and open, save for the fact that his forefinger was crooked and thrust through the tr

ght," he said; "give m

nd ammunition, then remarked: "That pretty nearly

d nothing until the man had loosened the bottom buttons of his vest and slipped the weapon inside t

or the o

locatin

ick glance at him. He

his camp; it's a pretty poor

too many soldiers to be worth a damn." He snarled this bitterly, w

s are going up-r

gold in them," said the stranger, poi

e not those of a miner; but there was nothing to be said. His judgme

ow dat

N

bad

o you

me upon him suddenly. Pretending to yield, he had executed some unexpected coup as he delivered his gun, for both men fell, shot through the body. No one knew just what it was he did, nor cared to question him overmuch. The next heard of him was at Lake Bennett, over the line, where the Mounted Police recognized him and sent him on. They marked him well, however

Michael's, and at that point there was a court and many soldiers, where one was liable to meet the penalty of past misdeeds, hence he was probably resolved to stop here, and, judging by his record, he was a man of settled convictions. Continued persecution is wont to stir certa

was a long chance, but the stakes were big and worth the risk. He had thought much during the night prev

law and order here," he began, abrupt

ions," said Burrell, "

tizen." He pointed to the stranger, who had returned to the steamer for his baggage and was descending the gang-plan

things peaceable," he concluded, "and I reckon when a man is too tough for the Canuck police he is tough enough for you to tackl

ray, so I doubt if my authority would permit me t

use your own judgment

Gale. If you'll back me up I'll send him on do

s plan, and as he went on

person breathed such straight-up honesty and freshness, that shame arose in the old man, and he

him. On second thought, Gale yielded to an impulse to wait and see how Meade Burrell would act under fire. If the soldier emerged scathless, it would give him a line on his character; if he did not-well, that would be even bet

as they entered except Doret and the stranger, who had deposited his baggage at the rear and was talking with the Frenchman at the

g to locate h

es

er continued, indicating the man's baggage.

lenty f

money to buy yo

that's my

it is my bus

d his questioner. Gale noted that his right hand now hung directly over the spot where his suspe

ot equipped properly are to be sent down-river to St. Michael's, where there is plenty of everything and where they will

at Poleon Doret, but the Frenchman's face was like wood, and his hand still held the neck of the whiskey bottle he had set out for the stranger

, and you are not the kind of citizen we want here, but if you have

muscles tightened, and Burrell, who also read a sinister message in the

ing in him the uncomfortable feeling that he was doing a mean thing, and not only a mean thing, but one of which he ought to be heartily ashamed. He felt decided

"I'll unload it and give it b

from beneath his vest, he presented it to the officer, butt foremost, hammer underneath. The cylinder repo

Poleon Doret fling itself across the bar with the speed of a striking serpent, heard a smash of breaking glass, felt the shock of a concussion, and the spatter of some liquid in his face. Then he saw the man's re

his bottle just in time to knock the weapon from his hand, but not in time to prevent its discharge. The bullet was lodged in the wall a foot from where Gale stood. As the stranger staggered back, the Frenchman vaulted the bar, but, though swift as a cat, the sol

on't kill

with fury and convulsed like that of a sprinter at the finish of a race. The two men stared at each other over the fa

ood w'iskee on you. Da

wiped the liquo

ret," he said.

a long and ragged cut which laid the fellow's scalp open from back

hurt

low," said the trader.

him to the bank and passed his grip-sacks to a roustabout. He said no word as he walked unsteadily up the plank, but turned and stared malignantly at them from the deck; then, as the c

Lieutenant! My name is Runnion." And until the steamer was hidden behin

he gave his hand frankly to the French-Can

for saving me from

ow of gratitude, and grunted churlishly. But when the young man h

n. Sapre! Wen he's mad his eye

rader mad