The Golden Snare

e half hour of Bram's watchfulness she had eaten her own breakfast as if nothing unusual had happene

But you don't understand the situation, little girl. Now I've been eating this confounded bannock"-he picked up a chunk of it to demonstrate his point-"morning, noon and night until

r as to weigh her and would have gambled that she would not have tipped a scale five pounds one way or the other from a hundred and twenty. Some time he might have seen the kind of violet-blue that was in her eyes, but he could not remember it. She was lost-utterly lost at this far-end of the earth. She was no more a part of it than a crepe de c

m. In a moment or two he had the satisfaction of seeing that his companion understood that he was directing her attention to the wolf-man and not the pack. Then he began unbraiding her hair. His fingers thrilled at the silken touch of it. He felt his face flushing hot under his bea

ing of the golden snare. And not only one tress, but several. There had been a number of golden snares. She

ng him nothing new, except that ther

silent. Her eyes glowed with a sudden excitement-a wild inspira

ne-Amerika!

ands to her own brea

Armin-D

"Is that it, little girl? Y

no

havn-D

m Copenhagen, Denmark! But how in Heaven's name did you get HERE?" He pointed to the floor under thei

words thr

t. Petersburg-Ruslan

if you love me, be reasonable! Do you expect me to believe that you came all the way from Denmark to this God-forsaken madman's c

agen. Leaning over her shoulder, he felt her hair crumpling against his breast. He felt an insane desire to bury his face in it and hug her up close in his arms-for a single moment the question of whether she came from Copenhagen or the moon was irrelevant and of litt

kvas, and from there it trailed slowly to St. Petersburg a

er finger came across to the green

rk, and had come to Alaska by way of Russia and Siberia-and after that had traveled by dog-train. But WHY had she come, and what had happened to make her the companion or prisoner of Bram Johnson? He knew she was trying to tell him. With her back to the window she talked to him again, gesturing with her hands, and almost sobbing under the stress of the emotion that possessed her. H

o the stove, snatched up a length of firewood, and in another moment was at the door. As he opened it and ran out he heard Celie's wild appeal for him to stop. It was almost a sc

head and sent it hurling toward the pack. The chance accuracy of the throw gave him an instant's time in which to turn and make a dash for the cabin. It was Celie who slammed the door shut as he sprang through. Swift as a flash she shot the bolt, and there came the lunge

as hiding from her eyes. It was plain enough to him now.

n his. And then a great throb of joy repaid him for his venture into the jaw

tand me, for I wouldn't blame you for being afraid of a man who told you he loved you an hour or two after he first saw you. I love you. I've never wanted anything in

was back at his side. When Bram entered every muscle in Philip's body was prepared for action. He was amazed at the wolf-man's unconcern. He was mumbling and chuckling to himself, as if amused at what he had seen. Celie's little fingers dug into Philip's arm and he saw in her eyes a tense, staring look that had not been

before the wolf-man's eyes hel

ng. It almost drew a cry of warning from Philip. He saw the girl smiling in the face of a deadly peril-a danger of which she was apparently unconscious. Her hair still fell loose about her in a thick and shimmering glory. And BRAM'S EYES WERE ON IT AS HE TOOK THE TRESS FROM HER FINGERS! Was it conceivable that this mad-man

which they could hear him mumbling softly he sat down cross-legged against the wall, divided the tress into three silken threads and began weaving them into a snare. The color was returning to Cel

is first appearance. It took him half an hour to shave his face clean, and all that time Bram paid no attention to him but went on steadily at his task of weaving the golden snare. Celie did

gate. He carried his snowshoes and his long whip. He went through the gate first and one by

er. In a moment she held the paper out to him, a light of triumph in her face. At last they had found

the corral. There was no longer a doubt in Philip's mind. They