Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-11

creature, her graceful figure well poised,
and her gaze dauntlessly meeting his.
J What was it in those soft brown eyes
that held the murderous arm uplifted as
by a spellg And how was it that-with
tear-bright eyes and little smile trem-
bling on her quiyering lips-a mere
touch of her small, weak hand on that
strong arm should cause it to drop Imply
at the ruffians side! With averted eyes
he turned slowly toward the cabin, fol-
! lowed by Marie, who was determined to
make the most of the advantage already
! gained. He might kill her if he would,
/ She declared, but first he must hear what
she had to say.
Beginning with an acknowledgment of
| the trouble to which Bouzon had been
put, she briefly depicted her brothers
critical condition and the absolute ne
cessity of getting him home as quickly
as possible, and she concluded by de-
claling that whoever would safely CON
vey him thither should be well paid for
his trouble. At the last sentence an
eager, hungry look was flashed on the
girl from the Frenchmans burning
eyes.
After many denials and much bag
cling, he finally consented to make the
trip for ten dollars at the start, fifteen
more at Jules Guilbeaus, and twenty
five on landing the brother and sister
safely at home, all to be paid in gold.
If ever the rapacious greed OF miser
was unconsciously revealed, it was by
Baptiste Bouzon at the mere mention of
that magic word-gold. Marie con-
graduated herself upon having so little
of it with her.
Guilbeau did not appear that night
as he had promised. And what night
it was for Marie, in that lone swamp
hut Often her weary eyes were, with
terrible fascination, drawn to the pile
of moss upon which her uncouth host
lay, and invariably she found his gaze
fixed ON her; while the sick boy, rest
lessly slumbering, necessarily reiterated
his mouInful plant for home and
mother. Longing for the cool night
air, yet fearing to move, she sat the night
out on an old box by her brothers bunk
Daylight came at last They were to
embark in time to reach the river at
dusk, but Bouzon went off early, and |
did not return until after dark. So
another night must be lived through in /
that horrid place. And still Jules Gull /
beau was missing. What if both the 4
men should fail herr
The devoted girl had many moments /
of despair during that long, dreary night, /
as she sadly realized her helplessness in I
that lonely spot; but hope returned /
with the blessed light of day, even /
though Bouzon again vanished.
Atnoon he reappeared and announced +
that the boat was ready.
BY five o'clock they arrived at Gull
beaus, and Marie found the good man
PROSTATE with fever. So he had not
been faithless at all. She parted from
the kind couple with no little
regret, and, paying Bouzon his second
instalment of gold, 1.-The rest she had
carefully concealed, was soon ready for
another start. To Maries Joy, her
brother was already improving; and
when they tied up under the willows at
the mouth of the bayou, with the broad
expanse Of the Mississippi in full view,
for one moment he actually sat up to
look at it.
Look, sister, he cried, with feeble
eagelness, ''Burt's Landing is Just
around that point, two miles frem here,
and only one mile further-O, Marie I"
"Only one mile further are home and
mamma, thank the good God 20 said the
sister, touched by the joyous smile that
was strangely pathetic on that enact
ated countenance. She ran up to
house near by, and there learned a
bit Of news. Two nights be-
fore some miscreant Of Burt's Landing
had fired into passing transport, and
killed a soldier; rs a result OF which the
place was now occupied by troops, and
a gunboat lay at anchor opposite.
She begged her informant to say moth
ing about this to Bouzon, and deter
mined to make bold dash for home as
soon ms darkness should overshadow the
river Oscar was persuaded to take
some refreshment while the old French
man ate voraciously of food which the
girl had cooked at his shanty, little
dreaming, poor wretch, that it was his
last supper. The sun went down in
dark, mountainous clouds, while light
ming played ominously in the distant
southeast.
ut is black night, said Marie, as
the boat swept into the river.
"Ndiediction! do you want the sun to
shine in the night I" snapped the old
man. "Want me to lose my boat? The ,
blacker the night, the better for me-, he
growled, with an cath.
1t was black night, indeed The en-
lire heavens were shrouded in gloom,
and not breath of air was stirring.
The river here was but little more than ]
a mile in width. The boat was fiat-bot- j
toned, fifteen feet long by four feet {
broad, its only thwart occupied by the
crazy oarsman.
Marie sat by Oscar, on his bed of :
moss, tenderly cheering him with Joy
Gus anticipations of soon reaching
home.
Thus they were glidingon in the thick ]
darkness, when the girl discovered that ,
.he boat was leaking.
Hopefully recalling having once !