the ax descended. An
intervening bough turned the stroke, twisting the ax so that it caught
the side of his head, knocking him senseless. As he fell to the ground,
the Indian raised the ax once more. Before the blow could fall, a rifle
cracked in the wood behind him, and the attacker leaped in the air, and
pitched forward upon his face.

CHAPTER XVIII

A DEAD GIRL

"Ah! Dat better! By gar, but I think it was New Jerusalem for you dis
time!"

The words penetrated Stane's consciousness as he opened his eyes, and
were followed by others which he obeyed instinctively. "Tak' anoder
drink. Zee whisky veel vake you proper."

He gulped from the tin pannikin which was held to his lips, and coughed
as the raw, potent spirit burned his throat. Then he sat up and looked
at the man who was befriending him.

"Who ... who are you?" he asked weakly.

"I am Jean Benard. I come up zee lak' an' hear shots an' I see my cabin
blaze like hell. I tink somethin' ver' badly wrong an' I turn to zee
woods. Den I see you rush out an' I hear you shoot as you run. I see
dat big man struggle with you, I see him keeled by anoder who go down,
aussi, and when zee man with zee ax mak' for you I begin to shoot. I am
in zee wood, an' zee divils they do not see me, an' I pick off un,
deux, trois! Dey are dere still, after dey others grow afraid an' run
like caribou with zee wolves at dere heels. It ees fine sport, an' I
shoot as dey ran, an' presently I am left alone. I shovel snow wit' a
snow-shoe on my burning cabin, for I love dat petite cabin like a
child, an' den I tink I take a look at you. You not dead, so I pour hot
whisky in your mouth an' you return from zee happy-huntin' grounds.
Dere you have zee whole narrative."

"But Helen?" cried Stane, looking round. "Where----"

"I haf seen not any mees!" answered the trapper. "I did not know dat
dere was----"

"Then they have taken her," exclaimed Stane, staggering to his feet,
and looking round.

Jean Benard also looked round. Except for the figures lying prone in
the snow they were quite alone. "Dey must haf done," he said, "eef dere
was a mees!"

He looked at Stane, as if he doubted his sanity and Stane reassured
him. "Oh I have not gone mad, Benard. There was a white girl with me in
your cabin, Miss Yardely. You must have heard----"

"Mees Yardely! She ees here?" cried the trapper in sudden excitement.

"She was here!" corrected Stane. "I think she has been carried off. We