e devil's coming! He'll get me! Keep him away!" he cried with curses,
and he crouched at the feet of Gibbs, a wild-eyed, and screaming maniac.

At that instant the crackling about their heads became louder, and the
older man sprang to his feet in a frenzy of fright.

Leaping, shouting, cursing, flinging out his arms to imaginary
assailants, tearing his beard and his hair by handfuls, he ran to and
fro, a raving madman. Then in an insane frenzy he turned his back on his
companion for one instant as if about to flee to the woods, when Gibbs,
snatching his revolver from his belt, aimed it at the man's back and
fired.

Dunbar fell dead upon the ground.

Until that moment the dogs, quite unconcerned at what was going on about
them, being intent only upon following their trail of the morning back
to the cabin, now fled toward home, howling dismally.

The young miner was now alone; utterly and entirely alone. Above and
around him shone the blood-red light from the heavens; at his feet the
body of his only friend--dead.

Gibbs fainted.

* * * * *

The magnificent electrical hurricane of the night before had passed
over, leaving behind one faithful sentinel--the moon. Lovingly and
brightly her beams were shed over the wilderness of snow whose purity
was marred by only two dark blots--the bodies of two men lying dead upon
their faces. The first died by the hand of the other. The second by
freezing. Both were suddenly called to that judgment so horribly feared
by the older man, who saw in the unusual display of the aurora polaris
the realization of his worst imaginings.

So these two men fell; while the influence of their evil deeds continue
like the ripples on a lake surrounding a sinking stone; perhaps forever.

"For I hold it true that thoughts are things
Endowed with body, breath and wings,
And that we send them forth to fill
The world with good results or ill."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VII

THE OLD STONE HOUSE

The inhabitants of Rainy Hollow were greatly disturbed. In the face of
facts there really was justification for such excitement on the part of
the miners, the issue at stake being an important boundary line between
two great nations. Those loyal to the stars and stripes, and supporting
themselves under the protection of their beloved colors, were surprised
to hear hinted the possibility of their being placed, against their
will, under the jurisdiction of