Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-09-14
In the Dunes
BY RONORE wILLSIE
Copyright, le05, by Honore Willsie

Lake Michigan is covetous Of her
eastern shore Year after year her
sands creep inland. Inch by inch. mile
by mile, now peach orchard is smoth-
cred, now q mellow wheatfeld is
blotted out, and in their stead scrub
pines thrive and sand burs sprawl in
the sun. Year by year the scrub
pines grow stouter and the sand burs
tangle thicker and thicker, and with
each year the desolation of the sand
dune country increases. Roads formed
one month are shifting dunes the next.
Inland lakes, once green and lovely,
slowly and mercllessly are choked un-
til only sand skirted pools remain.
And still the desolation grows.
Katherine and her Great Dane hud-
died together under tie scrub pine
and watched the gray of the twilight
turn to purple.
"Well, we're lost, Jacky," she said,
"just plain lost. The hunting lodge
ought to be over in that direction, but
it's not, and they have supper so late
they won't miss US for another hour.
How would it seem to spend the night
in the sand burs, do you suppose,
Jacky"
Jacky whined and laid his great head
in the girls lap. She rubbed his ears
absentmindedly and started off over
the Dunes I'm not frightened" she
said. I'm just-just lonely. Well,
let's empty our shoes, Jacky, and start
on"
The low shoes once more securely
tied, Katherine picked up the bit Of
fish rod with which as a staff she had
stroled from camp early in the after
noon and struggled to the top of the
dune, the dog trudging beside her, with
now and again growl at the shadowy
pines From the top of this heap of
sand she saw another heap looming
through the dusk. Down she waded,
now leaning on her bit of bamboo, now
holding to Jacky's collar, until from
the top of this she discovered a third
bur crowned dune On the top of the
third dune she dropped down to rest,
while the dog crouched on her skirts,
with watchful ears rricked forward.
Suddenly he gave little yelp and ran
into the dusk,
"Jacky" called the girl Then she
struggled after him through the heavy
sand.
"Why," she said, 'its another little
| lake, Look out, Jacky; don't drink too
much. I'm not thirsty enough to drink
water can't see. Why, how soft this
tel nv TIM in
above my anklesw
She fioundered toward the dog as he
turned toward her with whine, the
| instructive desire in danger of the liv-
ing for the living.
"Oh, Jacky, it's one of the quicksand
| barsr
Trembling and painting, the dog
| threw himself against her knees, while
his whines changed to sharp yelps. In
vain Katherine struggled to draw her
| feet from the sand. 1t had closed
| about each foot with the grip of giant
| hands that insistently, silently drew
| her down. She stopped and felt
| Jacky's back. Already the quivering
sands were half way up his legs. AS
| she felt of him his yelping ceased. He
| reached up and licked the face bending
| over him. Then he crouched low, while
Katherine felt his great muscles swell
and stiffen. Then suddenly he hurled
| himself forward with all the strength
| Of his lean, magnificent body and in
three leaps had disappeared into the
dusk Katherine gave low sob.
"Oh, Jacky, how could you leave
meT Again, summoning all her
strength, she strove to follow him.
But the struggle was worse than use
less. And now the calm that had pos
sessed her left her. She stopped and
scooped at the sand about her ankles
with bare hands, digging frantically,
with low means not unlike Jacky's.
Handful after handful, then a pause,
while she stared out into the darkness
with shrieks for help. The sand had
crept above her knees, With broken
nails she stopped to listen. Yes, far
out across the dunes she heard a
mans shout and Jacky's excited bark,
and again she raised her own hoarse
cry. Then she heard the eraekle of
sand burs,
L lOI puhC, WuClC
are you% His voice!
go back, Hugh-go back! I'm in
the quicksand!'
| Silence from the shore, then: "stay
perfectly still. I'll be out there in a
few minutes, I'm going to cut pine
boughs to walk on"
In utter thankfulness Katherine stood
silent. Then surprise swept over her.
Hugh! That was Hugh, whom she
had not seen or heard of for year,
not since she had tossed the ring-the
wedding ring-back to him and said:
"Well, six months have shown us
what fuddle we have made Of mar
riage. Let's have sense enough to stop
now. We evidently don't care enough
to give in to each other"
Without a word Hugh had taken the
ring and left her. And now to be
found this way, and by him! In ST.
lence she watched the path he made
grow out toward her and in silence
bard Jacky's excited greetings to her
from the shore. Then, after what
seemed lifetime OF battle with a
creeping sand, the man lifted her In
} his arms and silently carried her to
the shore. She lay quietly, while the
dog fawned about her and the man, a
broad shouldered figure in the summer
darkness, brushed the sand from her
skirts and emptied her sodden shoes.
What am / to do with you, Rather
inef" he asked.
81 got lost from camp" she an
swered. II don't know. Show me the
way back, and I'll go when I'm rested
l don't want that coward Jacky
though"
81 was driving out to Camp Minitka
didn't know you were there. John
asked me--to effect reconciliation,
suppose. 1t is like him. Jacky was
running about among the burs, whin
ing Then he saw me and literally
dragged me out of the blackboard and
down here. / shall drive you back tt
camp and then return to town."
The girl put her arm about the dog
and he snuggled down beside her will
deep sigh. THAT will be best,
suppose" she said.
II think l shall leave you here,
Hugh went on, while I 60 back fol