The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-15


the sea before May. at tho earliest He would
be arrested II ho loft any American port. or
arrested as soon rs no reached England. He
remembered the advertisement Of line Of
steamships between Quebec and Brazil: he
must witt for tho st. Lawrence to open. and go
to Brazil. and In the morning must 70 back to
Quebec.
But in tho morning he felt 40 much better
that ho decided to keen on to Chicoutlmi. He
could not bear tho thought OF being found out
nv detectives at Quebec. and by reporters who
would MI the press with paragraphs about
him. He must die to the world. to his family.
before he could hope TO revisit either.
Tho morning was brilliant with sunlight.
and tho glare of tho snow hurt his eyes. He
went to tho store to get some glasses to protect
them. md ho bought some laudnnum to mako
him sleep that night. II he should be wakeful
again. II was sixty miles to Ha! Ha! Dny. but
tho rond on the frozen river was good. and he
could do n long stretch Of 1t. From Rivlare
Marguerite. no should travel on the leo OF the
Snguenny. and tho going would bo smooth
md easy.
All tho Landscape seemed dwnrfed since no
saw It in that far of summer. The tops OF the
interminable solitudes that walled tho river in
on both sides appeared lower. rs II the snow
upon them weighed them down. but doubt
less they had grown beyond their real height
in his memory. They had lost the mystery Of
the summer aspect when they wero dimmed
with rain or swathed in mist: all their out
lines we're In plain sight. and tho forests that
clothed them from tho shore TO their submits
were not that unbroken gloom which they had
seemed The snow shone through their stems.
and the inky river at their feet lay a motion
less extent OF white As his carriole slipped
lightly over It. Northwick Ind fantastic sense
OF his own minuteness and remoteness. Hc
thought OF tho photograph Of lunar land
scape that he had once seen greatly magnined.
and OF n fly that happened to traverse the ex-
panse Of plaster-like white between the ranges
OF extinct volcanoes.
At times the cliffs rose from the river too
sheer for the snow to lodge on: then their
rocky faces shone harsh and stern; and some
times the springs that gushcd from them in
summer were frozen In long streams OF ice.
like the tears bursting from tho source OF
some Titanic grief. These monstrous icicles.
clearing the vsage Of tho rock. which he
figured as nothing but icicles. affected North
wick with an awe that he nowhere felt except
whom his driver slowed his carriole in front Of
tho great Capes Trinity and Eternity. and
silently pointed at them with his whip. Ho
had no need to name them. the fugitive would
have known them in another planet. It was
growing late: the lonely day was waning to
the lonely night. While they halted tho
scream of q catamount broke from tho woods
skirting the bay between the capes, and ro-
peated itself in the echo that wandered from
depth to depth OF the frozen wilderness. and
seemed to die wailine away at the point where
it first tore the silonce.
Here and there. at long intervals. they passed
point Of a recess where a sawmill stood. with
few log houses about 1t. and with signs OF
human life in the smoke that rose weakly on the
thin. dry air from their chimneys. or in the fle-
ures that appeared at the doorways rs the car.
role passed. At the next OF these beyond the
capes. the driver proposed to stop and pass
the night. and Northwick consented. He felt
worn out by his days journey: his nerves
were spent as II by a lateral pressure OF the
lifeless desert he had been travelling through.
and by the stress Of his thoughts the intensi-
ty OF his reveries. His mind ran back against
his will and dwelt with his children. By this
time. long before this time. they must be wild
with anxiety abont him: by this time their
shame must have come to poison their grief
He realized It all. and he realized that he could
not, must not. help them. He must not 60 back
to them II ever he was to live for them again.
But at last he asked why lie should live. why
he should not die. There was laudanum
enough in that bottle to kill him.
As he walked up FROM the carriole at the
rivers edge to the door OF the sawmillers
cabin he drew the cork OF the vial and poured
out the poison: it followed him few steps. a
black dribble Of murder on the snow. that tho
millers dog smelt Mt and turned from in
offence. That night he could not sleep again.
Toward morning. when all the house was
snoring. no gave way to the sobs that were
bursting his heart He heard tho sleepers.
men and dogs. start q little In their dreams:
then they wore still. and he fell into deep
sleep.
They let him sleep late: and no had dream
OF himself. which must have been caused by
the nascent consciousness Of the going and
coming around him. People were talking OF
him. and one said how old he was: and an
other looked at his long. white beard which
flowed down over the blanket as far as his
waist He told them that he wore it 30 that
they should not know him when he got home:
and he showed them how no could take 1t of
and put it on at pleasure. He started awake.
and found his carriole driver standing over
him.
You got you sleep hout nor"
"What time is it 2" said Northwick. stupidity.
scanning the man to mako sure that it was he.
and waiting for full sense OF the situation to
reach him.
"Nine o'clock" said the man. and he turned
away.
Northwick got up. and found the place empty
OF the men and dogs. 4 woman. who looked
like half breed. brought him his breakfast OF
fried venison and bean coffee: her little ono
held by her skirt. and stared Mt him. He
thought OF Elbriigo's baby that he had seen
die 1t seemed ages ago. He offered the child
q shilling: it shyly turned its face into Its
mother's dresa. Tho driver said. "'E dom