The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-03-11
waist deep, and time and again lost

avant!" He had flung himself over
the stern, and with his knife cut the
hide rope of the anchor-stone Over
board again in an instant, he joined
the others in their rush up the beach,
and the three bore their ship upon
their shoulders above the reach of the
waves.
Myself" said Pierre Noir, shall
sleep beneath the boat tonight, for
since she sheds water from below. she
may do as well from above"
Even so, Pierre Noir," said Du
Mesne, "but get you the boat farther
toward your own camp tonight. Do
you not see that Monsieur Las is not
with us?"
"Eh bien?"
And were he not surely with US at
such time, unless"
ooh, assurementi" replied Pierre
Noir. Jean Breboeuf, aid me in TAX
ing the boat back to our camp in the
woods"
Now came the rain. Not in steady
and even downpour, not with inter-
mittent showers, but in sidelong, ter
rifying torrent, drenching, biting, cut
ting in it's violence. The swift weight
Of the rain gave to the trees more bur-
den than they could bear. AS before
the storm, when all was still, there
had come time and again the warning
boom of falling. tree, stricken with
mysterious mortal dread of that which
was, to come, so now, in the riot of
that arrived danger, first one and then
another wide-armed monarch of the
wood crashed down, adding with its
downfall to the testimony of the as
sailing tempest's strength and fury.
The lightning now came not only in
ragged blaZes and long ripping lines
| of light, but in bursts and shocks, and
in bomb-like balls, exploding with ele-
mental detonations. Balls of this tense
| surcharged essence rolled out over the
comb of the bluff, fell upon the shad-
| ows Of the water, and seemed to bound
from crest to white-capped crest, till
at last they split and burst asunder
| like some ominous missiles from en-
| gines of wrath and destruction.
And now, suddenly, all grew still
again. The sky took on lighter, livid
tone, one of pure venom. There came
/ d "AlSpSl, q 1Aul 1nul, lush DIS VI
mighty waters, a signing as of an army
| of the condemned, a shrieking as Of
legions Of the lost, a roaring as of all
| the soul-felt fortunes of world. From
| the forest rose a continuous rending
! crash. The whipfash of the tempest
| cracked the tree trunks as child be-
heads row Of daisies. Piled up, fall
ing, riven asunder, torn out by the
| wind, the giant trees Joined the toys
which the cynic storm gathered in it's
hands and bore along until such time
| as 1t should please to crush and drop
| them.
There passed out over the black sea
of Michiganon a vast black wrath; a
thing horrible, tremendous, titanic in
organic power. 1t howled, execrated,
menaced; missed its aim, and passed.
The little swaying house still stood!
Under the sheltered log some tiny
sparks of fire still burned, omen of the
unquenchable hearthstones which the
land was yet to know!
Holy God! what was it? What was
that which passed." cried Jean
Breboeuf, crawling out from beneath
his shelter. Saint Mary defend US all
this night! Twas the great Canoe of
the Damned, running au large across
the sky! Mary, Mother of God, hear
my vow! From this time Jean
Breboeuf shall lead better life!"
| The storm. bafied, passed on. The
rain, unsatisfed, sullenly ceased in its
attack. The waves, hopeless but still
vindictive, began to call back their
legions from the narrow shore. The
lightnings, unsated in their wrath,
flared and f1ickered on and out across
the eastward sea. With wild laughter
and shrieks and imprecations, the
spirit of the tempest walled on its
furious way. The red west had raised
it's hand to smite, but it had not smit-
ten sure.
In the silence Of the night, in
the hush following the uproar
of the storm. there came a lit
tie wailing cry; SO faint, So
feeble. yet so mighty, so conqueripg,
this sign of the coming generation, the
voice of the newborn babe. At this
little human voice, born of sorrow and
sin, born to suffering and to knowl-
edge, born to life in all its wonders
and to death in all it's mystery-the
elements perchance relented and avert
ed their fury. Not yet was there to
be punished sin, or wrong, or doubt,
or weakness. Not at once would JUS
tice punish the parents of this babe
and blot out at once the record of their
fault. Storm and lightning, darkness
and the night yielded to the voice of
the infant and allowed the old story
OF humanity and sin, and hope and
mercy to run on.
The babe walled family in the ST.
lencS of the night. Under the hearth
log there still endured the fire. And
then the red west, seeing itself con-
quered, smiled and flung wide its arms
and greeted them with the burgeoning