The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-08-10
waist deep, and time %nd again lost


PULL" he cried at last. "Now, en-
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, fer
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 u.s."
9Th benz"
"And were he not surely with us at
such time, unless"
ooh, assurement!" replied Pierre
Noir Jean Breboeuf, aid me in talk
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 its 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 it's
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 a lighter, livid
tone, one of pure venom. There came
a whisper, murmur, rush as of
mighty waters, a signing as of an army
of the condemned, shrieking as Of
legions OF the lost, roaring as of all
the soul-felt tortures of world. From
the forest rose continuous rending
crash. The whiplash 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 its
hands and bore along until such time
as it should please to crush and drop
them.
There passed out over the black sea
Of Michiganon vast black wrath; q
thing horrible. tremendous, titanic in
organic power. 1t howled, execrated,
menaced; missed it's 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
Breboeue, 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, baffled, passed on. The
rain, unsatisfled, 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
f1ared and fiickered 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
its hand to smite, but it had not smit.
ten sure.
| In the silence Of the night, IL
t the hush following the uproal
; of the storm, there came a lit.
i tie wailing cry; SO faint, sc
| ASSDAC, JSI 81 ulSuIy, So COuQueTluS
j this sign of the coming generation, the
, voice of the newborn babe. At this
, little human voice, born of sorrow ant
sin, born to suffering and to knowl
; edge, born to life in all it's wonders
and to death in all it's mystery-tht
) elements perchance relented and avert
Z ed their fury. Not yet was there tt
be punished sin, or wrong, or doubt
or weakness. Not at once would jus
tice punish the parents of this bah.
; and blot out at once the record of theil
, fault. Storm and lightning, darkness:
and the night yielded to the voice O
the infant and allowed the old story
OF humanity and sin, and hope ant
mercy to run on.
The babe walled family in the 81
lence of the night. Under the hearth
log there still endured the fire. Ant
, then the red west, seeing itself con
, quered, smiled and flung wide its arms
and greeted them with the burgeonins
dawn, and the voices of birds, with