Putnam patriot., 1911-10-13

Ty ALFWAY down the ridge
 low word from Croisset FFf stopped the engineer. Jean I1!iS4J had toegled his team with d stout lergth of babeesh on the noun tain top. and he was looking back when Rowland turned toward him. The sharp edge of the part of the noun tain from which they were descending stood out in clear cut liue against the sky. and on this edge the six dogs of the team sat squat on their launches. silent and moti0nIess. like strangely carved gargoyles placed there to guard the hmitless plains below. Rowland took his pipe from his mouth as he watched the staring interest of Crois- set From the man he looked up again at the dogs. There was something in their sphinxlike attitude. in the move less reach hing of their muZzles out into the wonderful starlit mystery of the still night. that filled him with an in- detinable sense of awe. Then there came to his ears the sound that had stopped Croisset "a low, moaning whine which seemed to have neither beginning nor end. but which was borne in on his senses as though it were a part of the soft movement of the air he breathed-a note of infinite sadness. which held him startled and without movement. as 1t held Jean Crofsset And just as he thought that the thing had died away the wailing rame again. rising higher and higher. until at last there rose over him single long howl that chilled the blood to his very marrow. It was like the wolf howl of that first night he had looked on the wilderness. and yet un- like it. In the first it had been the cry If the savage. of hunger. of the unend- ng desolation of life that had thrilled llim. In this 1t was death. He stood shivering as Croisset came down to him. his thin face shining white In the starlight There WAS no other sound save the excited beating of life in .heir own bodies when Jean spoke.
 M'senr. our dogs howl like that only when some one Is dead or about , die" he whispered. Tt was Woon- "a who gave the cry. He has lived for ,.!even years. and 1 have never known .im 10 s-il"
 There was an uneasy gleam in his eyes.
 'I must tie your hands. m'seur.
 But have given you my word, Jean
 Your hands. m'seur. There is al ready death below Us in the plain. or II k to come very soon. l must tie your lands."
 Rowland thrust his wrists behind im. and about them Jean twisted hong of babeesh.
 T believe | understand he spoke -oftlv. listening again for the chilling vail from the mountain top. You ire afraid that will kill you
 It is q warning, m'seur. You might fry. But l should probably kill you As it is"-he shrugged his shoulders as he led the way down the ridge-"as II is. tbere is small chance Of Jean Crois ,et answering the cal"
 May those saints of yours preserve 1e lean. but this is all very cheerful! .ruuted Rowland, half laughing in .ite of himself Now that I'm tied ,, again. who the devil is there to die but me-
 .That Is a hard question. m 'seur.
 eplied tue half breed. with grim seri- ,usness. Perhaps it is your turn. talf believe that it is
 Scarcely were the words out or his mouth when there came again the moaning howl from the top of the ridge
 You're getting on my nerves, Jean you and that accursed dog,
 silence. III 'seurl
 Ont of the grim loneliness at the foot of the mountain there loomed a shadow, which st first Howland took 10 be a huge mass of rock A lew sfeps farther and he saw that It was q buildinc. Croisser gripped him firmly by the arm. II,
 -s1ay here" he commanded. "l vii return soon.
 For a quarter of an hour Howianc waited Twice in that interval the dol hegled above him. He was glad wheI Croisset appeared out of the gloom.
 .If is as l thought. m'seur There is death down here. Come with me
 The shadow of the big building shrouded them as they approacned Rowland could make out that II Wal buiIt of massive logs and that ther' seemed to be neither door nor window on their side. And yet when Jean nesi rated for an instant before blotch o gloom that was deeper than the other' he knew that they had come to an en trance.
 Rowland could feel the half breed hand clutch him nervously by the arn as they went step by step into tn' black and silent mystery of the place Soon there came a fumbling or Crois sets hand at a latch, and they passe'