The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-07-20

4 Out of the grim loneliness at the
foot of the mountain there doomed
shadow, which at first Rowland took
TO be huge mass of rock. a few
steps farther and be saw that it was a
building. Croisset gripped him firmly
by the arm
! stay here" he commanded Il will
return soon"
For a quarter of an hour Howlani
waited Twice in that interval the dog
howled above him. He was glad when
Croisset appeared out of the, gloom
1T is as thought m'seur. There is
death down here Come with me-
The shadow of the big building
shrouded them as they approached
Rowland could make out that it was
built of massive logs and that there
seemed to be neither door nor window
on their side. And yet when Jean hest
tated for an instant before blotch of
gloom that was deeper than the others
he knew that they had come to an en-
trance.
Rowland could feel the half breeds
hand clutch him nervously by the arm
as they went step by step into the
black and silent mystery of the place.
Soon there came fumbling Of Crois-
sets hand a a latch, and they passed
through second door. Then Jean
struck match.
! Half a dozen steps away was table
and on the table lamp. Croisset
| lighted it and with a quiet laugh faced
the engineer. They were in low.
dungeon-like chamber without win
dow and with but the one door
through which they had entered The
| table, two chairs, stove and a bunk
built against one of the log walls were
all that Rowland could see. But it
was not the barrenneSs of what he inn
! agined was TO be his new prison that
! held his eyes in staring inquiry on
3 CrOisset 1t was the look in his com
panions face. the yellow palior Of fear
"a horror thar had taken possession
OF it. Tae half breed closed and boited
I the door and then san down beside the
table. his thin face peernG up through
/ the sickly lamp glow at the engineer.
M 'seur it would be hard for you to
+ guess where yon are.
Howland waited
Il you mad lived in this country
I Iong. msenr. you would have heard
+ of IN AIaison de Mort Bouce-the house
/ of the Red Death. as YOU would caEl
it, That is where we are-in the dun
geon room It is q Hudson Bay post
abandoned almost since can remem
+ Der. when ! was child the smallpox
/ plague came this way and Killed all
tie people, Nineteen years ago the
red plague came again. and not one
I lived through it in this Poste &c Mort
Rouge Since then It has been left
( to the waasols ara the owls, It IS
Stunned by every irving soul between
the Athabasoa and the bay. That ia
why ycU are safe here
I'VE gods" breathed Rowland is
+ there anything more. groisset? Safe
from what, man: Safe from what?"
Prom those who wish to kill you.
m'seur You would not 30 into the
south. So Ia belle EIeleese has compel
LED you 10 So Tito The north C0mpra,
nez vous: You would nave died last
! night n'seur mad it not been for Ne
i leese. Yea escaped from the coyote
but you would nGt have escaped from
the other. That. is all ! can tell you
/ But goa viii be safe here Those who
seek your life viii soon believe that
! you are dead. and then we VIII let you
go back is that not a kind fate for
one who deserves to be cut into bits
! and fed to the ravensy /:
You will tell me nothing more.
| JEAN" the engineer asked.
Nothing. except that while would
like to kill you 1 have sympathy for
you. That perhaps is because l once
lived in the south For six years
was with the company in Montreal.
| where | went to school,"
Then be unbolted and opened the
door Family there came to them, as
if from great distance. the wailing
grief Of Woonga. the dog.
you said there was death here"
| whispered Rowland. leaning close to
his shoulder.
There is one who has lived here
since the last plague" replied Croisset
under his breath. ''He lost his wife
and children. and it drove him mad.
That is why we came down so quietly.
He lived in little cabin out there on
the edge of the clearing. and when l
| went to it tonight there was sapling
over the house with a flag at the end
| of it. When the plague comes to us
we hang out a red flag as warning
to others. That is one of our laws.
The flag is blown to tatters by the
winds. He is dead"
Rowland shuddered.
'Of the smallpox
"Yes."
For a few moments they stood in ST.
lence Then Croisset added. "You will
remain here. m'seur. until return"
He went out. closing and barring the
door from the other side. and How
land seated himself again in the chair
| beside the table. Fifteen minutes lat
er the half breed returned. bearing
! with him good sized pack and two
| gallon jug.
ssThepe ia wood hack of the stowe