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j BARRIER i; By Rex Beach g ; Copyright. 1908. by Harper & Brotners (Continued Prom Last Sunday.) SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I John Gale is a trade at Flambeau, a rough outpost of civ- Uization in Alaska. His daughter Ne- cla is a beautiful young girl, generally believed to be a half breed, daughter of Gale and the Indian squaw Alluna, with whom he lives. Some hidden burden weighs continually on the trad er's mind, and he views with appre tension "the arrival of a squad of sold lers at Flambeau. "That means the law," he says uneasily to Necia, who 4has become acquainted with and ad mired by Lieutenant Burrell, com mander of the soldiers. II It be comes known that Napoleon Roret, an honest, faithful French Canadian em ployed by Gale, is deeply in love with Necia. One Runnion, a dissolute gam bier and "bad man," arrives at Flam beau by steamer and in a fight with Burrell is worsted and forced to leave the town. On the departing steamers fast enougn now, in all conscience, and 4 he saw with clear and fateful eyes whither he was being led, at which a sudden reckless disregard for conse- . the house to see ror himseir and with out knocking flung Necia's door open and stepped Into her chamber. Before he had swept the unfamiliar room with B.t-a utm TTa oH- a HliTiri : DIS eyes lie uew mat. one uttu. Jury at being pulled and hauled and gone, and gone hurriedly, for the signs driven by this creature and also an tin- reasoning anger at Gale's defection. But it was the thought of Necia and the horrible net of evil in which this man had ensnared them both that galled him most. He determined to finish this thing here and now. Meade went to his bureau, took his "When did she go, Alluna? For God's sake, hat does this mean?" he cried. "I don't know. She come and she go, and I don' see her; mebbe three, four hour ago." "Where's Gale? He'll know. He's deck he menacingly says, "I will re turn to take a hand in the game." Ill Doret gives Necia a handsome silk gown brought by him from Dawson City for her. Arrayed in this, she meets Lieutenant Burrell, who falls madly in love with her, and he won ders if her blood is really tainted. Gale re-asserts that she is the lllegiti mate daughter of himself and the eauaw. IV. Runnion returns with Ben Stark, a professional gambler and man killer with plenty of money. Stark builds a saloon and dance hall at Flambeau. "No Creek" Lee discov ers gold in a valley some miles dis tant, and Necia persuades Burrell to take her there and locate a claim for ber, their trip requiring a day and a night in the forest. V, VI and VII Gale, Lee, Runnion and Stark have gone together to the site of Lee's dis covery to locate claims. They are met by Necia and Burrell, and a bitter quarrel ensues. Runnion and Stark -conspire to rob Necia of her claims. Runnion wants the girl, and Stark finds that Necia has a strange, unex plainable fascination for him. His ba by daughter had been stolen years be fore. Burrell becomes the declared enemy of both Stark and Runnion. A gun held by Gale is discharged, the j bullet accidentally, he claims, narrow ly missing Stark. VIII Gale knows Stark to 'be an old enemy of his fa ther and Necia, and Alluna, his squaw, says: "Kill Stark. Take the knife of my father. To kill is the law." IX, X, XI, XII and XIII Necia, believing her self a half-breed, fears she cannot marry Burrell, whom she loVes, as she learns that her tainted blood will bar her from meeting the people he natu rally associates with, and she over hears Burrell say he may not marry her after all. Stark persuades her to leave Flambeau after he discovers her to be his daughter. XIV Gale tells Burrell of Necia's past and that Stark has hounded him from one section of the country to another and that Stark dees not now recognize him as Gale. revolver from the belt where he had gone after her eh?. ,anarry hung it and came out into the other The upward glow of the lantern 6 . . intrhteTiPd the vounsr man's Dallor. and room. StarK, seeing me wtuyuu, cA- o - - - claimed: eh?' He won't re "I want you to arrest the man who killed my wife. If you don't take him the miners will. I've got a following in this camp, and I'll raise a crowd in fifteen minutes enough to hang this ficraaw man or batter down your bar racks to get him. But I don't want to do that. I want to go by the law you've talked so much about. I want you to do the trick." At last Burrell saw the gambler's deviltry. He knew Stark's reputation too well to think that he feared a meeting with Gale. Stark had plan ned his settlement coldly and with de liberate malice. Moreover, he was strong enough to stand aside and let another take his place and thus deny to Gale the final recourse of a hunted beast, the desperate satisfaction that the trader craved. He tied his ene my's hands and delivered him up with his thirst unsatisfied to whom? He thrust a weapon into the hand of his other enemy and bade this other ene- use it worse11 than my him jto strike the man he doubted that that, forced the man he honored, loved. Burrell never Stark had carefully weighed the effect of this upon Necia and Bad reasoned that a girl like her could , not understand a soldier's duty if it meant the blood of a parent. If lie' refused "to act the gambler could break, him, while every effort he made to protect Gale would but increase the other's satisfaction. There was no chance of the trader's escape. Stark held him in his hand. Was it impos sible, the lieutenant wondered, to move this manrfrom his purpose? "Have you thought of Necia? She loves Gale. What effect will this have on her?" "D n her! She's more his brat than mine." I want John Gaylord!" At this a vicious frenzy overtook Burrell, and he thought of the man be hind yonder door, .whom he had for gotten. Well, why not? These two men had stalked each other clear into the farthest places, driven by forces that were older than the bills. Who jwas he to stand between such, pas sions? The gambler's words rang In his ears "I want Joha Gaylord" and be fore he knew what he .was doing he Tiad answered, "Very well; I'll give him ito you," and crossed quickly to the .door of his bedroom and flung it open. tn the threshold he paused stockstilL The place was empty. A draft sucked through the open window, flirting with the curtain and telling the story of the trader's exit. . "If you're looking for your coat, it's here," he heard Stark say. "Get into it, and we'll go for him." i a"he lieutenant's mhid was working "You don't need that sist you." "I've decided not to take him," said Burrell. "Decided not to take him!" shouted the other. "Have you weakened? Don't you intend to arrest that man?" "No!" cried the soldier. "I've lis tened to your lies long enough. Now I'm going to stop them once for all. You're too dangerous to have around." They faced each other silently a mo ment; then Stark spoke in a very quiet voice, though his eyes were glittering. "What's the meaning of this? Are you crazy?" "Gale was here just before you came and told me who killed your wife. I know." "Well?" "It's pretty late. This place Is lonely. This is the simplest way." The gambler fell to studying his an tagonist, and when he did not speak Burrell continued: "Come, brace up! I'm giving you a chance." But Stark shook his head. "Don't be afraid," insisted the lieu tenant. "There are no witnesses. Ii you get me, nobody win Know, and your word is good. If not, it's much simpler than the other." Then when the gambler stilltnade no move he in slsted. "You wouldn't have me kill you like a rattlesnake?" "You couldn't," said the older man, Tou're not that kind, and I'm not the kind to be cheated either. Listen. I've lived over forty years, and I never took less than was coming to me. I won't begin tonight." "You'll get your share." "Bah! You don't know what I mean. I don't want you. It's him I'm after, and when I'm done with him I'll take care of you, but I won't run any risk right now. You might put me away, there's the possibility, and I won't let you or any other man or woman ei ther, not even my girl cheat me out of Gale. Put up your gun." The soldier hesitated, then did as he was bidden, for this man knew him better than he knew himselef. "I ought to treat you like a mad dog, but I can't do it while your hands are up. I'm going to fight for John Gale, however, and you can't take him." "I'll have his carcass hung to my ridgepole before daylight." Stark turned to go, but paused at the door. "And you think you'll mar ry Necia, do you?" "I know it." "Is that so? Suppose you find her first." "What do you mean? Wait" But his visitor was gone, leaving be hind him a lover already sorely vexed and now harassed by a new and sud den apprehension. What venom the man distilled! Could it be that he had sent Necia away? Stark traced his way back to his cabin In a ten times fiercer mood than he had come, reviling, cursing, hating. Back past the dark trading post he went, pausing to shake his clinched fist and grind out an oath between his teeth; past the door of his own saloon, which was alight and whence came the sound of revelry, through the scat tered houses, where he went more by feel than by sight, up to the door of his own shack. He closed the door behind him now and locked It, for he had some thinking to do, then felt through his pockets for a match, and, striking It, bent over his lamp to ad just the wick. It flared up steady and strong at last, flooding the narrow place with its illumination. Then he straightened up and turned toward the bed to throw off his coat, when suddenly every muscle of his body leaped with an uncontrollable spasm, as if he had uncovered a deadly ser pent coiled and ready to spring. John Gale was sitting at his table, barely an arm's length away, his gray blue eyes fixed upon him and the deep seams of his heavy face set as if graven in stone. His huge, knotted hands were upon the table, and be tween them lay a naked knife. n CHAPTER XVI. JOHN GALE'S HOTJB. was a heathenish time of night to arouse the girl, thought Burrell as he left the barracks, but; he must allay these fears that were besetting him; he must; see Necia at oncev The low, drifting clouds ob scured what star glow there was lu the heavens, and he stepped back to light a lantern. A few moments later he stood, above the squaw, who crouched on the trad er's doorstep, wailing her death song into the night. "Whafs wrong? Where Is Necia? Where Is she?" he demanded and at last seized her roughly, facing her to the light, but Alluna only blinked owl ishly at his lantern and shook her head. "Gone. away," she finally informed him and began to weave again in her despair, but he held her fiercely. "Where has she gone? When did she go?" He shook her to quicken her re Ply. 1 ' . "I don't know; I don't know. Long time she's gone now." She trailed off into Indian words he nnnid Tint- nnm w vviu , "HOI" ?e PAShed-past her foto j ly "'ion again the squaw broke Into her sad lament. "John Gale he's gone away with the knife of my father. I am afraid; I am afraid." "Did he come back here just now?" "No. He went to the jail house, and he would not let me follow. He don' come back no more." This was confusing, and Meade cried angrily: "Why didn't you give the alarm? Why didn't you come to me instead of yelling your lungs out around the house?" "He told me to wait," she said sim ply. "Go find Poleon, quick!" "He told me to wait," she repeated stoically, and Burrell knew he was powerless to move her. He saw the Image of a great terror in the woman's face. The night suddenly became hPflw with the hint of unsDeakable things, and he grew fearful, suspect ing now that Gale had told him but a part of his story, that all the time he knew Stark's identity and that his quarry was at hand,' ready for the kill, or, if not, he had learned enough while standing behind that nartition. Where was he now? Where was Necia? What part did she play in this? He gave up trying to think and fled for Stark's saloon, reasoning that where one was the other must be near, and there would surely be some word of Necia. He burst through the door. A quick glance over the place showed it empty of those he sought; but, spying Poleon Doret, he dragged him outside, Inquiring breathlessly: "Have you seen Gale?" "No." "Have you seen Stark? Has he been about?" "Yes; wan hour, mebbe two, hour ago. W'y ? wat ror you ask?" i "There's the devil to pay. Those two have come together, and Necia is ! gone." "Necia gone!" the Canadian jerked out. "Wat you mean by dat? Were ; she's gone to?" "I don't know. Nobody knows. Heaven! I'm shaking like a leaf." "Bah! She's feel purty bad. She's go out by herse'f. Dat's all right." "I tell you something has happened to her! There's h 1 to pay! I found her clothes at the house torn to rib bons and all muddy and wet." Poleon cried out at this. "We've got to find her and Gale, and we haven't a minute to lose." "Were have you look?" "I've been to the bouse, but Alluna is crazy and says Gale has gone to kill Stark, as near as I can make out. Both of them were at my quarters tonight, and I'm afraid the squaw Is right." "But w'ere is Necia?" "We don't know. Maybe Stark has got her." The Frenchman cursed horribly. "Have you try hees cabane?" "No." ; Without answer the Frenchman darted away, and the lieutenant sped after him through the deserted rows of log houses. Burrell gripped his companion's arm with fingers of steel, and together they crept up to the door. But even before they had gained It they heard a voice within. It was Stark's. The walls of the house were of moss chinked logs that deadened every sound, but the door Itself was of thin whipsawed pine boards with ample cracks at top and bottom, and they heard plainly. The lieutenant leaned forward, then with difficulty smoth ered an exclamation, for he heard an other voice now the voice of John Gale. The words came to him muf fled, but distinct, and he raised his hand to knock when suddenly he seized Poleon, hissing Into his ear: "Listen! For God's sake, listen!" For the first time in his temnestuous life Ben Stark lost the iron composure that had made his name a byword in the west, and at sight of his bitterest enemy seated in the dark of his own house waiting for him he became an ordinary, nervous, frightened man. It was the utter unexpectedness of the- tnmg that shook him, and before he could regain his balance Gale spoke: "I've come to settle, Bennett." "What are you doing here?" the gambler stammered. "I was up at the soldier's place just now and heard you. I didn't want any interruptions, so I came here, where we can be alone." He paused and when Stark 'made no answer-continued, "Well, let's get at it." But still the other made no move. "You've had all the best of it for twenty years," Gale went on in bis level voice, "but tonight I get even. I've lived for this!" "That shot In Lee's cabin?" recalled Stark, with the light of new under standing. "You knew me then?" "Yes." Stark took a deep breath. "What a fool I've been!" 'tYour devil's magic saved you that time, but It won't stop this." The trader rose slowly, with the knife in his hand. "You'll hang for this!" said the gam bler unsteadily, at which Gale's face blazed. With an effort Stark began to assem ble his wits as the trader continued: "You saddled your dirty work on me, Ben Stark, and I've carried it for fif teen years, but tonight I put you out the way you put her out. An eye for an eye!" "I didn't kill her," said the man. "So? The yellow is showing up at last. I knew you were a coward, but I didn't think you'd be afraid to own it to yourself." ' "Look here," said Stark curiously, "do you really think I killed Merridy?" "I know it. A man who would strike a woman would kill her if he had the nerve." Stark had now mastered himself and smiled. "My hate worked better than I thought. Well, well, that made It hard for you, didn't it?" he chuckled. "I supposed, of course, you knew." "Knew?" Gale's face showed emo tion for the first time. "Knew what?" His hands were quivering slightly. "She killed herself." - "So help you God?" "So help me God!"" There was a long pause. "Why?" "Say, it's kind of funny our stand ing here talking about that thing, isn't It? Well, if you want to know, I came home early that night. I guess you hadn't been gone two hours. And the surprise did it more than anything else, I suppose. She hadn't prepared a story. I got suspicious, named you at random and hit the nail on the head" Gale's face was like chalk, and bis voice sounded thin and dry as he said: "You beat her; that's why she did It." Stark made no answer. "The papers said the room showed a struggle." When the other still kept quiet Gale insisted: "Didn't you?" At this Stark flamed up definantly. "Well, I guess I had cause enough. No woman except her was ever untrue j to me wife or sweetheart." "You didn't really think" "Think h 1! I thought so then, and I think so now. She denied it, but" "And you knew her so well too. I guess you've had some bad nights yourself, Bennett, with that always on your mind" "I swore I'd have" "and so you put her blood on my head and made me an outlaw." After an instant, "Why did you-tell me this, anyhow?' "It's our last talk, and I wanted you to know how well my hate worked." "Well, I guess that's all," said Gale. So far they had watched each other with unwavering, unblinking eyes, straining at the leash and taut in every nerve. Now, however, the trader's fingers tightened on the knife handle, and his knuckles whitened with the grip, at which Stark's right hand swept to his waist, and simultaneous ly Gale lunged across the table. His blade flickered in the light, and a gun spoke once, twice, again and again. A cry arose outside the cabin; then some heavy thing crashed in through the door, bringing light with it, for with his first leap Gale had carried the lamp and the table with him, and the two had clinched in the dark. 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Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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July 11, 1909, edition 1
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