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Bullets ivliipped up the snow about her — she grew desperate, dismounted, and relumed the fire
Over the Border
•By Sir Gilbert Parker
Fictionized by William Almon Wolff
A gripping
story
of a man hunt
by the
Northwest
Mounted
Police
I
KNOW what I know — and when I'm lucky I don't know too much!" Tom Flaherty grinned as he spoke. But he got no answering smile from Jen Galbraith. They might have had the world to their two selves, for all they could see. The snow, glistening white, stretched as far as their eyes could go. Plains and wooded rises alike were covered. The great silence of the northern winter brooded upon the country. In the snow there was no echo as the horses' feet fell; only their voices broke the stillness. "I wish you were out of the Mounted, Tom ! " The girl's voice was earnest. But he smiled -at her. "Sure and I will be — before the long day," he said. "And still — there's worse jobs than a sergeant's in the Northwest Mounted Police! And I'm thinking I'll be having one of them if my luck turns — and what man's doesn't, soon or late?" "What do you mean?" "Just that they've a way of wanting me, sometimes, when
I'm where no duty calls me to be — as Byng would say this minute, could he see me, bad 'cess to him!" "Corporal Byng? He's your friend, isn't he?" "Friend, is it? Would I be the friend of the man you smiled at if it were not me, jewel of the world? Friend — when he'd give a finger for my third chevron! And he'll be having it, and leavin' me with just the two he's wearing now if I'm not awake!"
"You mean — he wants your position?" "Sure — and why not? Who wouldn't rather be a sergeant than a corporal? And it's I that stand in his way. Ah, well — I'm just keeping my eyes open. The force has been good to me — and I'm thinking I've done my part by it, as well. But since I've been a riding to see you whenever the chance was mine — and sometimes when it wasn't! — I've wanted what the. Mounted never gave a man yet!"
"Ah! Tom — I'll be so glad when you're free — " "And so shall I, asthore! It's the money I must be thinking of before I can be marrying — "
"Father'll buy you a ranch — lend you the money — " Sergeant Flaherty grew sober; frowned at the thought. " 'Twill not do. Mind you — it's nothing that I know ! But it's much that I can guess!" He described a half circle with one hand; it pointed south. "There's the border — and Montana behind it — and a land where there's prohibition far and near! Who'll be telling when I'll be riding down to round up moonshiners — bootleggers — whisky runners?"
Her face was as white as the snow. And suddenly he laughed, and brought his horse close beside hers, and drew her to him — kissed her, as he held her so.
"Never look so!" he said. "No — we're on opposite sides, I'm guessing, your father and I. 'Twould have an ill look for me to be borrowing from him — and for the matter of that, I'm not so sure he'd lend! He's little liking for me." She made to speak, but something silenced her. "Oh, I know!" he said, and laughed again. "Faith, and it's no' great crime that I can see, to run a barrel over the
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