trail tutti ' wistfully at him. guo darling, u were scape-g ? ' ’ ‘” He laugh call me your Crystel‘; lips tre ' “ It is a disgraceful attempt to black-mail h. o.;...-wm ‘rM—a......t.... to her sorrow. Did she say more, Crystel? No wonder you looked gloomy, you poor little darling!” - filler heart throbbed wildly as he put his arms arctind her waist. Perhaps it might be for the last time; for, when she should 3 have told him the message Undine Del Rose a anthma. . '1 left, and he should, by his agitation, demon» strata his guilt, whatever it waswand guilt itmust be that would raise a barrier between ,, : ’; theme-then, all would be over forever. * Forever!» 1 the thought of the-word froze her lips. She made _ she would know her lover‘s truth on ‘lfd ‘s- decide her future‘happiness 0r despair; v.2? . :5‘,Bertrandgshevbadcgme say to you, ‘ FLO- man STILLLIYES.’.’.’4‘§ _ -. 0nd» of» Suspense: then, a , cold; horrible for Bertrand sprung from her Side as, if I shot. _V I 2, u GOOdL JEIBRVBRS idemén,’ perdi’ i your ears «3 Crystal, oh, Cloistel, don’t look ; . so at me! believe me, believe me, it means ‘ nothing teaalarm yen!” , - . , . He lifted her cold hand to his hot, flushed . '3 f cheek. ' i would prove yous—Joli, Bertrand, fwhy did you-ever learn me to love ybu so ?” ’ . cars-c .- i > ' ,1: “Because.- Ifwanteil you use, my darling; " creaking raven, who daresshadow you with her vile evilncss.” : ,9 rian ‘3” ’ Crystel’s eyes were fixed piercineg at him now; and she saw a hot-flush mount? to his '* , forehead. » , r » “ I can not explain; Crystal, I never dreamed you would hear of this; I never thought to have our blessedness crushed in this foul way. . Crystel, my little betrothed , bride, only isten, only trust me, on1y~tcll f me you believe in me, and not in this stran- ger." c v : Heclasped her tightly in his passionate {111118. V “ But, you must unravel it; this new, aw— ful mystery, that has broken my‘heart al— ready. Won’t you tell me whoithis FiFlori- an’is?” '5 Bertrandshook his head gloomily. ‘ a “ I can not;'I dare-not. Crystcl, there is a secret, a terrible, darkly-terrible secret that never should have come to your cars; But, my darling, I ask yen to have’faith in me that - I am true to you, that I loveyou. Won’t you ?" » ; ‘ i » “ But she said you should never marry me." His face darkened; _ “ You said she Was dark, elegant ‘9” Crystal nodded vaguely. - For several minutes Bertrand stood in deepest meditation; gradually he grew pale, and then stern. He took Ciiystel’s nerVe-‘ less hand in his own, and lacked down in her tearful eyes» 7 ‘- « ‘5 , “ Undine Del Rose was right. Florian docs live, and I therefore return you your plightcd troth. Crystel Roscoe, God in Heaven alone knows the agony in m heart; , He alone knows the tenderness I tare not : utter; and He only. will unravel this myste- ry that my lips have solemnlv sw0rn never to reveal. If I have sinner against you, I, Crysth Roscoe,'I never meant it; I alone '3 have sinned, and would that I alone might suffer.” ‘ 7 He raised her hand to his lips and bowed reverently before he turned away. At the door he paused, and looked back- ward; then sprung vehemently to his be- trothed’s side. ., “ Oh, Crystel, Crystcl, my darling, ‘my poor, precious darling! My heart is cruell- ed within me at this sudden news. I never dreamed my past would rise up and blast my future; but, Crystel, before I go,.let me swear I never loved but you, that you are the only woman who ever heard a love-word from me 1 Tell me just “ once, my darling, that you love me i” - ‘ She was leaning against the mantel, tram: bling and'whitc as its marble; her tears calmness that avas far more terrible than the most passionate abandon of grief. r. : “ Bertrand, the cloud is upon me; itwill never be lifted this side eternity’s shores ;i but, Bertrand, dearer: than life, stronger than death," is my love for you. Go, now-— good-by??? ' : \And thus- th’cy parted, they whose very souls hadmerged into one; and the world wanton, and, the flowers bloomed, and the sun shone. ‘ _ And Bertrand Haighte‘and Crystel Roscoe wondered at the inscrutable providence of their Creator! _ ” r ‘ CHAPTER 131. AT THE 1Tova-ms. “THE setting sun was shining redly over , the high, gloomy turrets, and flaming against the tiny diamondpaned easements ;- the vale below, where Edenwiide lay, was draped in the soft, sweet dusk that follows the sunset, while high up on! these peaked hills, the glowing glories Were/still visible. 2 The Towers was a grand old place, brown with age, of storied fable and eyrie renown. Legen 3 had it that a half-dozen generations before the present heir, when young Lord Oscar Knight‘s fled from-his fatherland, be- cause of th‘e'human blood that stained his guilty hands, he had bought this . grand old place, then lying idly vacant on account of Wild rumors afloatthat inhabitants of an- other world had made it their home. 'Just suited to his fierce, fearless nature, was this ill~starred Castic‘flavnoch to young Lord @scar, and, in gloomyzsilcnce,he and his‘meek-eyed-yOung wife (whosa sad, haunt— ing face was pitied long after she was laid toner last'slumber) and their three children, took up their abode at “The ToWers,” as the owner preferred to call it. i a 1 At Lord Oscar’s death, a paper, closely - 9.4 mvswwtwthw—wwwmflwémrm . 45* <. as me, my bird, Crystel ; but a pitiful, miserai; ble attempt, as this adventuress shall prose the syllables that she strove to ’formson. mighty effort; " ity; she would z-throw theth that shbuld » “ - .t‘.’ :- . Crystal’s heart stood still, one awful sec-r calm of uttergdesolatioir settled over her,’ tion dared whispcrithose acoursed Words in “ Don’t,‘¥Bertrand——oh, don’t. She said it 'Hcr’ piteousquestion‘ came feebly to his " because you shall be my wife despite this x I -' ‘ ‘~‘ But ‘Florz‘an’n—Bertrand, whotséll‘lo- were spent, and her voice had a strange ‘ y sealed, was d im osingl _ E b who ' n f'NEnglish ar ocracy, as had his father and g an ' l v , _ «t time any three years earlier, Bertrand Heights had read the letter written by the fingers that mance lingering about this family relic, not ,to say an atmosphere of mysterious solem- >nity; yet, perhaps, because in these unre- mautic, matter-of-fact later years of ours, when ghosts and goblins, deeds of chivalry, and knights of gallant renown, are but storied fables, Bertrand Haighte seemed to care little about the entailed letter that was as much his as The Towers itsdf. He had sworn to it, to be sure, because he knew he had to, or else lose his expected possession ; he had a vague still: of idea that it was only a trifling journeyto performer a deed to do, that'the original ord Haighte had left gundone. ,(j l ‘ I _ So, after reading it, it was with speech— 7 less surprise hegearncd the value of his oath; and for twenty-four hours after memorable birth-night, young Heights-mad walked the F f. his ibrary in a reSt-less agony of Sordid _ Gradually The gr calmer, as [the , , wore on; then do" became accusto ‘ thinking of the a, ’ the time he‘had s ’ . ‘iCrystel, on her return fro college, he wasp. c ‘ gifof that letter~ ’ e fascinations sweethearts g” And, their, - ii Bertrau that . “as, soySllnllt‘g .aught'with ' , fool-hey \ f 31‘. V _ r. . s ‘ ,7, cmo (l on, for those. words, f strange letter—her, whowas, above all wo— filiea.,_him iv . "ed ireckIeSSly. along, "the "fresh . i from-log .thdiwater blewing over his hot, gassed faceL',At1 ;the”j0u,ter gate, he _ sprun' from his ores, and: threw the reins ’ to a f gtingagr .,§Entered”the2grand front 7 entrance, and proceeded to the library. It was very, unlike what one “would ex- - pect to find at The Towersnfter seeing the solemn, silent building fromfil’ifithout, where; :not a sacrilegious handihad touched a stone:~ since the days when the drawbridge and armor-hall had been two of the features of ' - the estate. ":A long,.light room, looking front on the ‘s10ping smeadow-land that surrounded the ‘ house for several acres ; to the side, on'the- sides of the hills, and the river flowing be- :low,*a carpet of light, bright emerald vel— fvet covered the floor; at large oval'table, chairs,rupholstercd in green leather, and shelves filled with a choice, costly selection of works of every description; pogtical, historical, political, religious. _ Into this apartment (Which, was often used as reception-room during‘the summer, while the family~consisting of Bertrand’s mother and sisters, with their servants—was at the fashionable watering—place, and who tated and grief-stricken. _, , . At the threshold he paused ‘in amaze ment; then, recOllectiug himself, removed his hat courteously and bowocl; for. it was : a lady, leaning carelessly against the open window, that had surprised "him. f ‘ ' _. She immediatelycame forward in a pc- culiarly graceful manner. ' ‘ “ This is Mr. Bertrand Towers?” , Her voico :was, wonderfully liquid and Haighte, of The the dark, passionate gleani‘ in her. eyes. “ I am Bertrand Heights. HOW can I serve you, madam?” ~‘ “Miss, if you please, sir. I am Miss Del "Rose, of New York”. » - , . z - _ She spoke slowly, significantly. The blood receded from his face, and he stared blankly at her. * z ‘ ’ “ And you are the destroyer sent to crush: my very life! You have been to her, and blasted all her hopes! and allfor a silly fable.” V _ ' . ' ‘ ¢ 7 O _. V He was looking sternly at her, his angry E eyesshininglike sheet-lightning; ~ ; ' v "‘ N 0, Mr. Haighte. . I am the ,ment of one whose law I cannot evade: ,Like yourself, r I am bound by an oathunlike yourself, I amnot disposed to violate it. 'I have, seen Crysth Roscoe; I have Warned her- ?I now seek you, Bertrand Haightcmo warn you.” Her intensely-brilliant eycswere reading his inmost; soul ; he felt. himself growing helpless undbr‘ the insufferable gla- . , ‘ “ You ‘havetnozreason to do soijllvliss. iDcl Rose. I amacting as I ever intend doing, entirely at my own discretion. Permit me to have refreshments offered, while you ex; cusc me.” ' z : He would have bowed himself away, but she laid her tiny hand on his sleeve. ., , - V “ No, Mr. Haighte, not till , I“ have given ’- you the counsel. Icame to give;snot tillll ; have begged you toremembcr theusolemn 1 words of the letter handcdfyou from the , grave ;, not- till I remind you that the closhlg wordsof it are tme;..th’itt~1i’£ozv‘a;n still lives ; lives to avenge her wrongs :* lives toxpunish you-for violating- your oath.” « ,. - 2*“ But how .do you know thc words of this letter, that mortal reyeasave the oldest son of the Haightcs never read ‘3” mm» W. .._......s._“..,.. wow. - . s an... ,......,. . .. had so long ago returned to their mother dust. It istrue,‘there was a certain air of row strangely sweet? “ Because I am lights, I, Undine ~ I " worn enemies according to ‘ , n ,i. “ A descendant 0 th car Haighte’s liandgvithé only living repre— sentative. And my life you have sworn to take. It is in your power now. But I am not afraid. Shall we be enemies hereafter, ‘orifriendsf” - , . . .3 She extended her hand and looked carn— estly at him. “Woe comes to the Ilaightes if they but touch the hand of one of you. You have broken the .tie between me and my only one; why should I be your friend if” “I will tell you why. Because I wear this jewel; the jewel the letter spoke of; the jewel the letter commands shall be a sign of peace whenever it comes ; the jewel that the Lord of Haighte gave his victim on; stole from his dead body. By ‘ demand your friendship.” up her finger, and the glittering fed veiuc stone that adorned” ewildcrmen’t. _ t, how had. 1 lost these fifty E); ) ehavc seen it. 7 It eéwas galloping up the ' led, on one side, _‘ 1 7 left Edenwildemf ' , apps 1: , .one Whenever hafd heardof‘ his ancestor‘s ' men; tape. mistriess‘df'l‘he Towers—atoms; ' greatest! , had not yet returned) Bertrand: went, agi- : .r mended, indignantly. i traders. melodious, and he could not avoid noticing ld and damp. scaled the compact, and the I rode away, a smile of strmige _ her passionate lips; andf’ra flight rkeningjfishadows. go be emulated.) ._ .rJBv*cgrr.J.rL ,- ygj, horizon on "file rnfivron rmnbnasj on, ' .nazEL‘, nor Truman”. ‘ a . (if __ . of « ' ank it is feet. 7 the he runway: glanced about; .“I cancross to the bppositefside, and then, perhaps, when the red fellOw comes batik; he will, think he forgot and left it there.” in. The canoc’moved‘abmit half-w the creek, and began drift'j'” ' , , ., -_ 2.Wh613eN€d-713101§;€d*up$116,de e; butasilie Clipped it into. ‘thczwaiicr, it occurred: tohimf that the safer way would be for him to de- scend the creek to the river, and then steal along shore. i ‘ i ' By this means he would avoid leaving the tell-tale trail that has prOved fatal to ‘so many similar enterprises. So keeping the boat in the center of the stream, he gently ' used the paddle, and glided easily down the , current, reaChing the river itself at the end , of a few minutes. - scattered over with books and papers; may. » Still r hopeful and confident, he paddled along, keeping close to the shore, and was * within a very short distance of the village, when he saw the prow of a large canoe, coming around cohort bend in the river. As quick as a flash the young man ran his boat under the shore, where-the overhangs ing limbs looked dense enough to cover him, ' and with some apprehension awaited the coming and passing of this new danger. He wasmotgkept long in .waiting. The measured dip of paddles came nearer and nearer, and when nearly opposite, the bushes in front ofghim were cleft in twain by the , prow of the other boat, and he was capture , ed! “ ‘ , ' It‘was all done so quickly that the astound? ed young man had no thought of resistance : erehe was seized and ‘his arms bound. “ What is the meaning of this?” be de- “I came with the This as dangerous to you !” The last words were uttered in the Black- foot tongue. . . .. _ ‘ In doing so, Ned entirely forgot himself, and committed a blunder which he saw on , the instant was fatal. , A ' In 'gthe canoe,- were both VVoo-wol-na and ; Red Bear, and when they heard their own tongue used so well and forcibly, a dim sus- , picioniof-.theirs at once became conviction. The appearance of the young man with ~ Nick Whiflles,during the early part of the day, caused both to suspect that he was the boy-lover of four ears before, 'who had ‘ promised to return or Miona. Still, the changes in his personal appear- 5 ance were so great, that they could not 3 dare to feel certain, until they descried him f lurkingéin the vicinity of the village, .and : heard him use the to gue hehad learned from‘his old friend Ni Whifiles. 7 ,, Then as has been shown, all doubt became E certainty, and there was no hesitation asto what disposal should be made of him. , They could easily kill him, but there were , some slight apprehensions that vengeance r might-be visited upon-them if the did this, v as Jtheasharp eyes of Nick Whi es would be apt to detect and report. theorime, while i he could be quietly carried to the rocks and dropped into Grizzly Bear Cave and left to die of starvation, without the all htest trace remaining to tell the tale of his ate. =Understafnding that (he had sealed his own doom, Mackintosh attempted no entreaty, resistance; or threats. The baleffll iSOOWl and exultant looks of Red Bear, and his equally heartless father,‘told~ too plainly that all wriuld be thrown away there. ~ Sad, unspeakably sad as it was, he had brought his own fate upon/him. I y ‘Speedingswiftly down the river, they 7 speedily passed the village, and then on for ,you have conquered; , .. ( . . . \ I 4: r y I' nd, warm and thl‘Olelllg,—111 hr ly ominous shone in e es ‘ wn on lovely Edcuwflde- , . GRIZZLY SEAR Givens, i? t , i at eaeenfi‘éém.NecTMaclfin/to§ left”. :. _,“Now, if there‘tvis no": oivnernear, I call . -that,_,extremely fortflnate,” he muttered,._as He gave one vigorous shove, and sprung several miles, up _ who they reached . 3 .es bare 1' ea 1 he v‘ r i I ‘ i‘ _, er. r t 7 e o _ ~ Fife, :1. f ‘ “m* n through the dark, cold air 0‘ the he whizzed, certain that his last me- was at hand, that the nextninstr err“ C9 , r in- the rock, 153 splashed into chilling water, sinking down fully a dozen feet, when he came in contact with the cold stone, and sprung upward again, - . - _ As he rose to the surface,he looked about him, but could see nothing at all. Every thing was blank darkness, and only-when he raised his eyes could he detect the round, jagged hole above him, through which the dim fading light of day entered. Striking out, however, he took but a few strokes, whenihe came against an. obstruction,climb- ingufibn which he found himself upon a broad flat mick, clear of the water. poor drffifelg’er, as he seated himself upon the rock, fiddndeavored to think calmly upon his élilgi’lfiiOn. limitinght so rapidly deepened that when he “upward, it w, siblc to dis- ! ths’entrance to” t a , wlnle the ' ,, nund him fies abs l y impene— tra __ v. “ inauspect V, ,7 . » flirt??? iscd to rgoin him. bydnsk, a1 poet-that time n" if? He or" ' buts, : $501?! if V £541 to my rescue Size. my situation.” _ ,otindgthathis revolverwas still left 37 pocket-,Vwith his powder—flask and ipiition, but his captors had kept his . I long for daylight,‘§iglialt for-along time upon the clamp, '31) _ . ed-“through the entire night; oke, the first thing that at- tics was daylight shining wasioyer‘ffifty feet in diameter, veg, '1" ' larifi shape, tapering up to a hig‘ht’" nearly half asigreat where the opening 1“ tobe seen. veryside’inclining war ._ toward this, sac glance only was, " ‘ :5th “Eh i4 ,.,)Iiéiha;d§o_ Nope duri g the night, that some stfeam ._throu‘ by means of along dive been} - 6 ‘ ’ ' din escaping, but even this frail hope was dissipated, when‘he saw that it was not astreamgbut a- deep pool, which had gradually filled from the oozings through the‘r‘rsides‘ofohc rocks, the overflow escaped by filteringwthrough the ground and earth. N03; Ned‘lilackintosh w indeed. in his tomb; unless seine friend ould ‘comc and save him. , The more he thought, =_the mere improb— able did it seem that‘Nick'Whifiies would suspect his fate, and slight "indeed was the formulation upon which he could build any hope. . K ; So excited and feverish and wretched did he feel for the first twenty-four hours that he scarcely thought of food. Back and forth he walked, pausing now and, then to quench his thirst, and to keep his brain from going wild, with the thoughts that were racking him. : » Late at night, he lay down, exhausted and wearicd, and slept a feverishpunrcfreshing slumber. ~ , i _ He awoke several times, and his sufferings would have excited the sympathy of any one. - ' . . When morning came again, he was sensis blepf the pangs of hunger, and the thought occurred to him that possibly there might be some fish in the pool that were obtain- able. _ . ‘ So he spent a couple of hours in groping around with his hand, and sure enough he caught one weighing nearly a, pound. This he carefully preserved, eating morscl by morsel, until nothing but the bones were left, in the meanwhile hunting for more. But search and werk to his utmost, he could find no more, and he was subjected to the gnawing pangs of hunger again. Then came the, pacing to and fro, likethc caged lion, then exhaustion, fever and,delirium, all alone inthe gloomy cavern. V Night and day/:wcre all the some, and he lost the consciousness of the passage of time. [Whether r he had been there three (in “s or a week he could not tell. " . by need beseck to know? Death was coming slowly, but surely. Why rack his brain? It only added kceuness to his an- guish. Forgetfulness, oblivion, stupor were mercres now. ~ ' . ' Then came dreams so vivid that he. source- ly knew "whether he was awake or asleep. .And lying thus, he seemed to see hisold ' friend, Nick Whifiies, and Calamity, and ' Miona. floating through the overhead. They seemed to be looking mournfully at him, and beckoning him to come. He ought to move, but could not. “ HalZoa,Ned,/". , . V ‘ . ItIe opened his mouth,but the words came no . . s . ‘Hcllpa, Ned Hazelfij‘ He madan effort to grouse himelf,,but the stupencogldnot be shaken ofi‘. “ Helm, Ned, are you hungry .9" Again hestruggled with the energy and desperation ‘of a dying man. Rising to the A - _ .. _ «'4‘ , . , , . . , g», ...."- «!_ *V'VL'Hié-m‘ . .. ,. will 4 N - - v ‘ " ' Sitting position, he gas d “mane and then feebly walled: pg ’ ' It ‘d’ if '» ling, Sty-Savcdjfrom one death to die another a « hundredqfdld more dreadful l” muttered thei .' “don’t try v , , ,pl wait and. ‘ ‘ teases-n1 thenight, and all titanium-ow, but ’ eight; trail b “ditch to him here. , ~> » gas keen—wittegnnd so is, Calamity, but ‘, *' ribatpc p _ can they gain “to my where~ (1 ‘ liliena could only, knowtfihbw mo means of getting me outof - ‘ ally dropped off into slum- . nd hole over his head, and .~ - mugs illumination to disclose Bibi-fl. .--mterior of his prison home—~— zlgsBeaf Cavern) and that when it reached 5a bbl'fial‘il point; 2 good heart!" Nick. “ I’ll to that , Jr fellcr fit down ember we there, and I c , 'ew the tree tp, ant ‘ it over the of the rotk yondc , i lcrc it’s layin‘ vhf f nobody liain’t took it away.” ' few minutls’ search discovered the sap- with its knotty protuberanccs. and this was carefully lowered down the opening, Nick calling onto his young friend to stand from under. ‘ , ,, ,,“ Thar ain’tmuch need of that}? he added to himself, “ by it’s all water right thar, and so deep that do stick has got to bc rested uglin? the sidopf the pool.” \thn it “as at last adjusted, the top scarcely prot ded above the surface, so little was there to ‘ arein the length of the sap- ling. i I, 3 j “ Now. N g: come right up that like a monkey.” _ -_ “0h, Nic '- :I am too weak to stand 3" , j“ By migh rl’r’irnuttered the horror-strick- “cn Whifllcs,-( . itlas ,bad as that? Then I’ll (so down to “~ca:1fd“ef I can’t get you out, I’ll stay this d die with yer. Calamity. you keep’ " " above, fur I don‘t b’hcve You Can cli “ “a tree ” Fasteninghis fifié‘fdhis back, the trapper carefully demanded; £001: ’ by foot, until he "stood on tliéroc or below. _3,“Ned, my da' ' boy, whar are yer?" sh§;_askc(l, leaching-"his hands out in the loom , _ “H ’ Ifick, 5 here l’.‘ and a staggering form pitchf into his arms. “ God bl "‘ « ydu, my boy i” murmured the \ raining from his eyes; ‘ lp yourself; I‘ll take care trapper, “ill ' :‘t‘e of Lerl’,’ , 2- ‘ . . '1; west), orkfof incredible difficulty to ascend measures, tree, with him in his ’ account of his weight, but the ' iith only one arm free. * y'fully under-film addi- tional we wngh and ,inuscular as was the t _ was utterly exhausted, when at elmechedlhe’ to 3,. and lay n and almost breathless, beside her ' '- , s ecgli ' rallie, ,ifihnd lifting his A ‘ V n carried him to his canoe, a . tli’én‘hegpedahomewanl,draping ‘ the boat; th‘the filly of amadman through , the'wat, _ jg. 1,}: [9,; 5; :‘Ned rallied andéfite stomp, of the good "brought-to him, the «Titgapper never paused :‘ough thesnight. , ihpyyoung‘pian finally "9 pod, into a glf sun-t slumber, from -. he dill pintlamake until; the sudpee , day was advifngced, when he roused pj,‘ ate niorJ’food, andfiren listened ,: to the my of‘his true and tried.- Whe§ he heard; all, and especially the 1; ft 'Miona lierself,’ had"? borne in his rascals. ' emotions cafn schrcely be de- Qgribec a; -- - _ _ ,. ,_ , l will vigil" the murm” red, , .f‘she ‘ fisafil! 6-0131 “,iwait till f‘yf re- 9 a ‘. ‘ ‘2 ,h ,.V.,L_. , 4x 2‘ w“ ‘ fiover a In” ‘ 'yself, again 1” ‘ _j_‘ Yad; ~be4;firSt,T3’thing yis ,foryou to be yourself ’in, and? you airi’t goin’ taco that‘iin a tarry.” But Ned did do ltii’n‘ grasliurry. Young, ~vigorous,§tnd healthy, he‘schin regained his usrfiéfiondition. under the careful nurs- ing of ,RCk"Whifllcs, who furnished him with an extra rifle, and took him on several hunts, before he pronounced him fit to en- gage in do recapture of his beloved Miona. Justorc week from the time Of his emer- gence'irtm the Grizzly Bear Cavern, Nick \Vhifliesdeclared that the time had come r-for the ’ up of the afiiapced of Nod Macs- :intosh. ‘ ’ z 4: a? i CHAPTER VI. _ is «in: mm ON the next morning a canoe was gliding downt 9 Elk riverain which were seated Nick l lilies and Ned Mackintosh, and the dog Cafimity. ‘ ' ' Thebrmer was in the bow, and with his rifle resting lazily between his knees, was watchiig his young friend, who was using the paddle, as he had been wielding it for the lasttwo hours. g _ v ' ‘ ; “ H _' do I make out ‘3” he asked, with his usual ,easant smile. “ An! I doing as well as I dill four years ago ‘5” I “ I sorterfancicd you d-idn’tat first,” was the r ‘ ly, ‘_‘,butiyou l’arned it too well in them Nays toforgct it soon. I don’t see as your smokecan be much improved. How’s your incl '2” ,_ , I ‘ “ , right; I haven’t forgotten to take plentg exercise, although it has been of rathv er a tierent character fromrthis.”, “ _ h .l” Mackintosh ceased paddling, and e two men heard distinctly the trap- pcrs’ song ! .It sounded quite a distance awaycoming through quite an intervening stret of woods, but it was unmistakable. .“ I,declar_e,” exclaimed Ned, laying his paddb across the gunwale and leaning back in tht canoe. “ That calls up the past more vivid)Z than, any thing else. Don‘t speak for i 'cw minutes, Nick.” - : 'Wth which he closed his eyes,“and listen- ed, and as he did so, he felt that he was in- deeda boy again. (He was once more roam- ing through the great wilderness of the North-west, chasing the antelope and buffa— lo, stating his trap on the mountain streams. and sighmg and dreaming over the beauti~ ful, daughmr of the I’hantom Princess. At last he opened his eyes, and said with a smile: _ , . y , “ The dream was pleasant, but it has past. Where are the trappers, above or below us 2" “ Above.” __ ‘ . “ They are coming down-stream ?” ~ 2 “ Yes; they are gaining on us ipurty fast." “Are you sure they are not I udson Bay men ?”y \ - _ _ ‘.‘ They're Nor‘-wcsters—-—I can tell any of 'em by their songs. Do you want ’em to pass us ?” , ?‘ Yes; I would, like to see them, and we will let" them’ get through their busmess with the Blackfeet,before we appear on the V’ __oying idly with his paddle, the trappers soon came in, ' view. hey were in three large canoes, averaging a dozen men in each. ,dvaucing with a regular,, steady swept), keeping time with the words of. a stirring son r « ' «, .._“ Iow natural that l