The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-04-28

Teganisoris, devised this game. how
he played it, how he drew it out link
by link to the last atom Of its agony.
There was no receptacle at hand In
which the dice could be placed. Te-
ganisoris stopped. and without cere-
mony wrenched from Mary Connynge's
foot the moccasin which covered it
the little shoe-beaded, beautiful, and
now again fateful. Sir Arthur smiled
as though in actual joy.
"My friend" said he, 81 have won!
This might be the very slipper for
which we played at the Green Lion
long ago"
Law turned upon him face pale and
solemn. Sir" said he. az pray God
that this issue may not be as when we
last played. pray God that the dice
may elect me and not yourself"
you were ever lucky in the games
of chance" replied Pembroke.
TOO lucky" said Law. "But the
winner here is the loser, If it be my
self"
Teganisoris roughly took from Mary
SOIlu uSt . Hduu luc illllC Oilo VI
bone. He cast them into the hollow of
the moccasin and shook them dra-
matically together. holding them high
above his head. Then he lowered them
and took out from the receptacle two
Of the dice. He placed his hand on
Laws shoulder, signifying that his was
to be the first cast Then he handed
back the moccasin to the woman.
Mary Connynge took the shoe in her
hand and stepped forward to the line
which had been drawn upon the
ground. The red spots still burned up
on her cheeks her eyes, amber, feline,
still famed hard and dry. She still
glanced rapidly from one to the other
her eye as lightly quick and as bril-
liant as that of the crouched cat about
to spring.
Which? Which would it be? Could
she control this game? Could she
elect which man should live and which
should die-this woman, scorned,
abased, mastered? Neither of these
sought to read the riddle OF her set
face and blazing eyes. Each as he
might offered his soul to his Creator.
The hand Of Mary Connynge was
raised above her head. Her face was
turned once more to John Law, her
master, her commander, her repudi-
atOr. Slowly she turned the mOccasin
over in her hand. The white bone fell
first, the red for a moment hanging in
the soft folds OF the buckskin. She
shook it out 1t fell with its face near
ly parallel to the ground and alighted
not more than a foot from the line, re-
bounding scarce more than an inch or
so. Low EXPLANATIONS arose from all
around the thickened circle.
"As said, my friend" cried Sir
Arthur, II have won! The throw is
passing close for you"
| Teganisoris again caught Mary Con-
nynge by the shoulder, and dragged
her a step or so farther along the line,
the two dice being left on the ground
as they had fallen. Once more her
hand arose, once more 1t turned, once
more the dice were cast.
! The goddess of fortune still stood
faithful to this bold young man who
had so often confidently assumed her
friendship His life, later to be so in
timately concerned with this same new
savage country, was to be preserved
for an ultimate opportunity.
The white and the red bone fell to-
gether from the moccasin. Had it
been the white that counted, Sir Arthur
! had been saved, for the white bone lay
actually upon the line. The red fell
almost as close, but alighted on its
end. AS though impelled by some
/ spirit of evil, it dropped upon some
| little pebble or hard bit Of earth
bounded into the air, fell, and rolled
quite away from the mark!
Even on that crowd OF cruel savages
there came a silence. OF the whites
one scarce dared look at the other
| Slowly the faces of Pembroke and Law
turned one toward the other.
would God could shake you by the
| hand" said Pembroke. "GoOd-by.'
CAS- for you dogs and worse than
dogs" he cried, turning toward the red
faces about him, mark you! where
stand the feet of the white man shall
stand forever, and crush your faces
Into the dirt!"
Whether or not the Iroquois under
stood his defiance could not be deter
mined. With wild shout they pressed
upon him. Borne struggling anc
stumbling by the impulse of a dozer
hands, Pembroke half walked and hall
was carried over the distance between
the village and the brink of the chasn
of Niagara.
Until then it had not been apparent
what was to be the nature of his fate
but when he looked upon the sliding
floor of waters below him, and heart
beyond the thunderous voices of the
cataract, Pembroke knew what was t
be his final portion.
There was, at some distance above
the great falls, a spot where descen
was possible to the edge Of the water
| Pembroke's feet were loOsened and h'
was compelled to descend the narrow
path. A canoe was tethered at The
shore, and the face of the young En-
lishman went pale as he realized wha
was to be the use assigned 1t. Bount
again hand and foot, helpless, he wa.
cast into the canoe. A strong arm sen
the tiny craft out toward midstream.
The hands of the great waters
grasped the frail cockleshell, twisted i
about, tossed 1t, played with it, ant
claimed it irrevocably for their own
For few moments it was visible al
1t passed on down with the resistles
current Of the mighty stream. Almos
at the verge of the plunge, the eye