The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-19

st. Johns you will be safe. If the English
hold it, you will be well received and l can
promise you as fair reception if it is held by
France"
"But if the English hold it, what of you?"
she asked
II promise you, mademoiselle, that shall
not finch from the journey for fear OF the end
of it,
"You are brave" she said, land kind
How can you bring yourself to serve with
such inhuman devils as Delaney and his
troops? Who are you? What is your
name?"
"My name is Maurice ST. Divide. l am
poor gentleman of France and your humble
servant, mademoiselle.'
"You are an officer of one of the French
ships?"
THAT is what I was. Now I am your
prisoner"
"Then why did they not take you away
with them? They left no other wounded
behind"
"That is question l have asked myself
and answered." he said with a sudden note
of bitterness in his voice. "There is one lie
Bel de Charest with DeLanCey-a Canadian,
the commander of the voltigeurs and the
Indians. This de Charest is nv enemy
The blow that felled me was struck from be-
hindl 1t was dark. Perhaps you under
stand, mademoiselle?
"Treachery!" she exclaimed, in wonder
and disgust. And then, "But what of this
great Delaney? Is he so inhuman as to
leave even his own officers to die unCared for?
Perhaps it was beyond his power to re-
turn and search for me-" replied St. Divide
T1e ic en- tha coiD With bic
wild fighters outnumbering the admiral's
two to one"
"Do you defend him even now?" cried the
girl. HE left you to die! But what is one
death more or less, to that great murderer?
Oh! I have heard many stories of this De
Lancey For sinking merchantmen and
putting humble, unarmed fishers to the
sword, he is surely the prince of admirals!"
- He never killed an unarned enemy"
said St. Divide.
You see him as you are yourself" replied
the girl; "but well do I know that in Con-
ception Bay he set his red savages to torture
the prisoners"
= "That is not true!" retorted the French
man, with spirit. THAT was de Charest's
work. The admiral's ship was not in the
bay at the time. He struck Charest in the
face for that!"
"But I hate him!" cried the girl "He is
my fathers murderer and the murderer of
my friends. Had found him wounded and
helpless, as l found you, would have killed
him where he lay"
"Yet you bind my wounds, and feed me-"
said St. Divide unsteadiy.
Next morning, Mary Trent moved her
provisions and few rude cooking utensils out
of Hearts Hope and away to the cove beyond
the point. She spent the afternoon in build
ing two rough shelters among the boulders
that lay between the black landwash and the
red and brown barren. Before sunset she
helped St. Divide crawl to the new camping
place. In spite of her assistance, however,
he suffered greatly in the journey and at the
end of it lay still and bloodless.
AS the girl knelt beside him, trying to re-
vive him, a terrible fear that he was dead
benumbed her heart.
St. Divide opened his eyes and beheld the
girl in the abandonment of her pleading fear
He heard a phrase or two of her prayer
"Do not die-do not leave me to suffer
alone"
take courage" he whispered, feebly but
with a fine assurance. my heart beats
strongly. Life is firm in me; and l shall
never desert you so long as you have any
need of me-"
This St. OWde-spirit and body-was
forged of tempered metal. Day by day the
fine fibre of him regained its old spring and
strength. After week of helplessness he
crawled, alone, to the summit of the little ridge
and looked down upon Hearts Hope. The
birds still wheeled and settled along the edge
Of the tide and among the ruined cabins.
Presently he returned to the camp.
Tomorrow shall find musket and hunt
deer on the moors," he said. "In week,
perhaps, we shall have strength and pro-
visions enough for our journey to St. Johns"
She glanced at him, and away again, quick
as thought Il shall be ready, whenever
you feel that you are strong enough" she said
quietly.
A week later, when St. Divide was hunting
on the barrens, Mary was startled by the
sudden appearance of a man around the
point of rocks that divided the land-wash of
the little cove from that of Hearts Hope.
Bright as the day was, horrid fancy chilled
her for moment. In lifeless land, he had
come from the colony of the dead He came
straight toward her, grinning broadly; and at
the closer sight of him her superstitious terror
passed. He was a short, strongly built
fellow, raggedly clothed. He carried mus
ket and bulky bag on his shoulder and wore
rings in his ears. He ripped out good
ANNMA