The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06

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now" said I. hearing a groan from my
poor Dick.
His reply was q chattering curse. not
upon Falconnet or the Indians, but upon
his malady. the tertian fever.
NOW, by all the dendsl I'm chilllng
again, Jack! he gasped. III these cursed
wood-wolves mark It, they'll set 1t down
to woman cowardice and that will DreaA
my heart!
Again 1 babe him be of good courage
assuring him. not derisively, as IL LOOKS
when it's written out, that the fire would
presently medicine the chilling. In the
middle of the saying the lighted brand
was fetched and thrust among our fagot-
ings, and the upward-curling smoke
wreaths made me gasp and strange at
the finish.
For a little time after the sucking In
of that first observation-disclosures ano-
dyne for any one Of her poor creatures
doomed to die by fire. saw and heard
less clearly and suffered only by antlcl-
patton. But to this day the smell OF
burning pine wood is like sleeping po-
ton to me; and the sleep 1t brings is full
of dreams vaguelyftroubled.
So. while the Indians danced and
leaped about us, brandishing their wea-
pons and chanting the captives' death
song, and while the blue and yellow
tongues of flame mounted from twig TO
twig. climbing stealthily to flick at US
like little vanishing demon whips. l saw
and heard and felt as one remote from
ali the torture turmoil of the moment
Through the dimming haze OF sleeping
sensibility the dancing savages became
as marionettes In some cunning puppet
show; and tho blood-satined figures
stiffening against their log took shapes
less horrifying.
Twas Dicks voice. coming. as 1t
seemed, from a mighty distance. that
broke the spell and brought me back TO
quickened agonies. He spoke in painting
gasps. an the smoke would let him.
"One word. Jack. before we go-go to
our own place. He said-he said she
would be free TOTO marry him. Tell
me God in heavenl"
His agony was lash to cut me deep
er than any Ticking demon whip of flame.
yet must needs add to 1t
Aye. Richard. I have wronged you.
wronged you desperately; can you hear
me yet? l say have wronged you. and
/ shall die the easier If you'll forgive"
Once more the smoke rising again in
denser clouds. cut me off. and through
the binding blue haze of it saw the
Indians running up with green branches
to beat IT down lest 1t should spoil their
sport oversoon by smothering US out or
hand
With the chance to gasp and breathe
again I would have confessed in full to
Richard Jennifer and had him shrive me
If he would But when called. he did
not answer. His head was rolling from
side to side. and his handsome young
face was all drawn and distorted as In
the awful grimaces of the death throe.
You will not wonder that l could not
look at him; that looked away for very
PHYS sake. praying that might quickly
breathe the flames. as l made sure he
had and so be the sooner past the an
guish crisis.
There was good hope that the prayer
would have a speedy answer. The fres
were burning clearer now. leaping up in
broad dragons tongues OF flames from
the outer edges of the fagot piles to
curtain of all that lay beyond. Through
the luminous flame veil the capering saw
fages took on shapes the most weird and
grotesque; and when had a glimpse OF
the dead mems row. each hideous face
in 1T seemed to wear grin Of leering
triumph.
Thus far there had never been q pun
of wind to fan the blaze. But now above
the shrilling of the Indian chant and the
cracking OF the flames low growl of
thunder trembled in the upper air, and
a gentle breeze swept through the tree
tops.
So now I would commend my soul to
God, making sure that the breath he
gave would go out on the wings Of the
first gust of wind that should come to
drive the fiery veil inward. But when
the gust came 1t was from behind;
sweeping bosom to beat down the leap
n dra a. fOr fv,c Of
blessed GOODNESS to turn the ebbing life
tide and to set the du1led senses once
more keenly alert.
With the wind camc tho rain, q pass
Ing summer nights shower of great
drops scattering on the leaves above and
dripping thence to fall kissing in the
fires. Then the thunder growled again;
and into the monotonous droning Of the
Indian chant. or rather rising sharp
and clear above It, came sudden
rafting fire of musketry from the camp
in the savanna-this. and the sharp
skirling Of the troop captains whistle
shrilling the assembly.
While the flames lay fattened in the
wind. saw the Indians wheel and bound
away to the rescue of their camp like q
pack Of hounds in full cry. In trice
they were wallowing through the stream
at the foot Of the powder boulder; and
then, as the names leaped up again,
dark form burst through the fiery bar
rier. my bonds were cut. and a strong
hand plucked me out of the scorching
hell pit.
If 1 did aught to help 1t was all me-
chanical. I do remember dimly some
fierce struggle to free my legs from the
blazing tangle; this, and the swelling
sob of Joy at the sight of the faithful
Catawba hacking at Dicks lashings and
dragging him also free of the fire. And
you may believe the welcome tears came
to ease the pain Of my scared eyes when
my poor lad had thought him gone
past human help-took two staggering
steps and flung his arms about my neck.
Uncanoola gave us no time to come by
easy stages to full-wit sanity. In a
twinkling he had bounced upon US to
crush us one upon the other behind the
larger tree And now I come upon
other Of those fitting instants so crowd
ed with happenings that the swiftest pen
must seem to make them lag. TWAS all
in heart beat, as 1t were: the Catawba's
freeing of US: his fiinging US to earth
behind the tree; a squirt OF binding yell
low flame from the foot of the powder
cliff and a booming. Earring shock like