Northern Lights

tant mêlée, in which he would have lost his life. This is what the chief had expected, had prepared for; but Jim was more formidable alone, with power far behind him which could come with

dogs or food, he carried himself with a watchful coolness and comp

urderer went on, a struggle of m

ce of defence, meant a task needing more than authority behind it. For the very fear of that authority put in motion was an incentive to present resistance-to stave off the day of trouble. The faces that surrounded Jim w

traits, that Arrowhead's heart yearned for his people and would make sacrifice for them. Now, if Arrowhead came quietly, he would see that supplies of food were sent at once, and that arrangements were made to meet the misery of their situation. Therefore, if Arrowhead came freely, he would have so much in his favor before his judges; if he would not come quietly, then he must be bro

Jim's revolver slipped down into his palm from his sleeve, and a bulle

ty-must they stand far off, because the Crees and their chief would wander over a million acres, for each man a million, when by a hundred-ay, by ten-each white man would live in plenty and make the land rejoice? See! Here is the truth. When the Great Spirit draws the game away so that the hunting is poor, ye sit down and fill your hearts with murder, and in the blackness of your thoughts kill my brother. Idle and shiftless and evil ye are, while the earth cries out to give you of its plenty, a great harvest from a little seed, if ye will but dig and plant, and plough and sow and reap, and lend your backs t

e cloud gone out of his face, and spoke to his people, bidding them wait in pea

f my youth are spent, and my step no longer springs from the ground. I shuffle among the grass and the fallen leaves, and my eyes scarce know the stag from the doe. The white man is master-if he wills it we shall die; if he wills it we shall live.

heard was the swish of a blanket of snow as it fell to the ground from the wide webs of green, or a twig snapped under the load it bore. Peace brooded in the silent

bed, and, waking, found Arrowhead lighting a fire from a little load of sticks from the sledges. And between murderer and captor there sprang up the companionship of the open road which brings all men to a certain land of faith and understanding, unless they are perverted and vile. There was no vileness in Arrowhead. There were no handcuffs on his hands, no sign of captivity; they two ate out of the same dish, drank from the same basin, broke from the same bread. The crime of Arrowhead, the gallows wait

t he should never wake again, but die benumbed and exhausted! Yet Arrowhead slept through all. Day after day so, and then ten miles of storm such as come only to the v

Hudson Bay Company's post and safety; and through ten hours had the two struggled toward it, going off at tangents, circling on their own tracks; but the Indian, by an instinct as sure as the needle to the pole, getting the direction to the post again, in the moments of direst peril and uncertainty. To Jim the world became a sea of maddening forces which buffeted him; a whirlpool of fire in which his brain was to

cted moments when the struggle became one between the forces in nature and the forces in man, between agonized body and

ders as he fell against the gate of the post with a shrill cry that roused the factor and his people within, together with Sergeant Sewell, who had been sent out from headquarters to await Jim's arrival there.

e at last with half delirium, half understanding; as, emerging from the passing sleep of an?sthetics, the eye

dy. Then from infinite distance Jim's understanding returned; the mind emerged, but n

ndy!" he sai

d, put it on the table, then stooped to Jim's ear and said,

, the face became grayer and sharper. "Sally-Nancy-Nancy,"

is pumped out. He must be revived," said the d

his feet were at the brink. "No-not-brandy, no!" he moaned. "Sally-Sa

ance." He stooped and called into Jim's ear: "For the love of God, wake up, sir. They're coming-they

y Jim reached out. "I must live until they come," he cried; "the brandy-ah, give it! Gi

a little, yet his face became grayer and g

else, sir?" asked

quid from a phial, came over again, and poured a little between the lips; then a little more, a

ctor said: "It will not do. He must

had him by the throat again, was dragging him down. Though his body was so cold, his throat was on fire. But in the extremity of his strength his mind fought on-fought on, growing weake

ell, "It's no use; he must have the

down his rough, hard cheeks. "It

ve him the chance. Force it down his throat-he's not responsible

owhead, gaunt and weak, his face swollen,

e the fire for a long time, on Jim's heart. "Take his feet, his hands, his legs, and

tor, awed by his act, did as they were bidden. "Shut your eyes. Let your life go

in the deep silence, broken only by the chanting of his low, monotonous voice, the others pr

skin of his hands filled up, they ceased twitching, his p

, at last, with a faint smile

ack to the bed, impassive and still. They brought him a bowl of broth and bread, which he drank slowly, and pl

s, Sewell touched him on the shoul

eathe," answered Arro

only a man who has lived in waste places can hear. "He wi

was tried three months later for murder, some one else said this for him, an

hands a little doll which Nancy had given him on one of her many visits to the prison during her father's long illness. They found a piece of paper in his belt with these words in the Cree languag