The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-10-25

HE tells me I am to take you
on Alone" said Croisset, after he
had replied to the words spoken in
a patois which Rowland could not
understand. They will join us
again very soon"
They" exclaimed Rowland.
How many will it take to kill me,
my dear Croisset?"
The half-breed smiled down into
his face again.
you may thank the Blessed
Virgin that they are with u.s. he
replied softly. "If Won h""" ar--
hope outside of Heaven, M'seur, II
is on that sledge behind.
AS he went again to the dogs.
Strengthening the leader in his
traces, Rowland stared back at
the firelit space in the forest
gloom. He could see a man add
ing fuel to the blaze, and beyond
him, shrouded in the deep shad-
ows of the trees, an indistinct tan
gle of dogs and sledge. AS he
strained his eyes to discover more
there was a movement beyond the
figure over the fire and the young
engineers heart leaped with a
sudden thrill. Croisset's voice
sounded in a shrill shout behind
him, and at that warning cry in
French the second figure sprang
back into the gloom. But How
land had recognized it, and the
chilled blood in his veins leaped
into warm life again at the knowl-
edge that it was Meleese who was
trailing behind them on the Sec
ond sledge.
"When you yell like that give
me a little warning if you please,
JEAN" he said, speaking as coolly
as though he had no recognized
the figure that had come for an in
slant into the freight. ut is
enough to startle the life out of
one!"
ut is our way of saying good
by, M'seur," replied Croisset with
a fierce snap of his whip. Hoo
la, get along there!" he cried tc
the dogs, and in half dozen
breaths the fire was lost to view.
Dawn comes at about eight
o'clock in the northern mid-win-
ter; beyond the fiftieth degree
the first rudy haze of the sun be-
gins to warm the southeastern
skies at nine, and its glow had al
ready risen above the forests be-
fore Croisset stopped his team
again. For two hours he had not
spoken a word to his prisoner, and
after several unavailing efforts to
break the others taciturnity How
land lapsed into a silence of his
own. When he had brought his
tired dogs to a half Croisset
spoke for the first time.
eve are going to camp here for
a few hours" he explained. eff
you will pledge me your word of
honor that you will make no at
tempt to escape / will give you
the use of your legs until after
breakfast, Mseur. What do you
say?"
Have you Bible, Croisset?"
"No, M'seur, but I have the
cross of our Virgin, given to me
by the missioner at York Factory"
Then 1 will swear by tt
will swear by all the crosses and
all the Bibles in the world that /
will make no effort. to escape. !
am paralyzed, Croisset! couldn't
run for week."
Croisset was searching in his
pockets.
Mon Dieu!" he cried excitedly,
II have lost It! All, come to
think, M'seur, I gave the cross to
my Mariane before l went into the
South. But l will take your
word"
And who is Mariane, Jean?
Will she also be In at the kill 2"
"Mariane is my wife, M'seur.
All, ma belle Marianne-ma cheri
the daughter of an INDIAN prin-
cess and hte granddaughter of a
chef de battalion, M'seur! Could
there be better than that? And
she Is be-e-e-utiful, M'seur, with
hair like the top side of a ravens
wing with the sun shining on it,
and
you love her a great deal.
jean"
Next to the virgin-and-it
may be little better"
Croisset had severed the rope
about the engineers legs, and as
he raised his glowing eyes How
land reached out and put both
hands on his shoulders.
"And in just that way I love
Meleese, he said softly. "Jean,
won't you be my friend? I don't
want to escape. I'm not a coward.
Won't you think of what your
Marianel might do, and be friend