Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-08

which he looked over his shoulder. as II
| he was not quite sure but that the walls
held ears. that caused the boys heart to
beat little faster as he specialized upon
what Jean was going to say.
| For a few moments Jean looked at the
| other steadily. with his thin, black face
propped in his hands and a curious smile
| on his lips. He twisted his face into a
dozen expressions of language volu-
| BILE as that Of his tongue, hunched his
| shoulders up to his ears az he grinned
! at Jan and chuckled between his grimaces
/ "Ah. II was wan be-e-a-u-tiful fight
he said. softly. You are a brave boy.
! Jan Thoreau''
You did not see it," asked Jan
| Unconsciously the words came from him
in French. Jean caught one of his thin
hands and laughed joyfuly. for the spirit
of him was French to the bottom of his
soul.
II see it? No. neither I nor Iowaka; but
there it was in the snow. as plain as the
eyes in your face. And did I not follow
the trail that staggered down the noun
tain. while Iowaka brought you back to
| life? And when I came to the lake. did
! not see something black out upon IT,
! it. was it not the dead body Of the mis-
sioner from Churchill? Eth. Jan Tho
reau"''
Jan sat up in his bed with a sharp cry
! ''Sh-h-h-h-h!' aimonished Jean, press
| ing him hack gently. There is no need
of telling what is out there on the lake.
Only the Blessed Virgin made ME dream
! last night that you would like to see
with your own eyes that the missioner is
dead. The thaw will open up the lake in
a few days. Then he will go down in the
/. first slush And''-Jean looked about him
| cautiously again and whispered low-"if
| You see anything about the dead mis-
sioner that you do not understand-think
of Jean de Gravois.''
He rose to his feet and bent over JAMS
| white face
! Il am going the Athabasca way today"
; he finished. Perhaps. Jan Thoreau. you
will hear after time that it would be
best for Jean de Gravois never to return
again to this Post Lac Balm. II SO. you
| will find him between Fond du Lac and
! the Beaver river. and you can make it In
four days by driving your dogs close to
| the scrub edge of the barrens. keeping
| always where you can see the musk OK
to the north He turned to the door.
! and hesitated there for moment, smil-
| ing and struggling his shoulders. Jean
| de Gravois wonders if Jan Thoreau I'M
| derstands?" he said and passed out.
| When Cummins returned ne found JAMS
cheeks flushed and the boy in fever.
! Devil take that Gravois,' he growled
He has been a brother to me-. said
Jan. simply. II love him
| On the second day after the French
mans departure. Jan rose free Of the
! fever which had threatened him for q
! time. and in the afternoon he harnessed
Cunmins dogs. The last of the trappers
had started from the post that morning
! their sledges and dogs sinking heavily in
! the deepening sluSh; and Jan set off over
| the smooth toboggan trail made by the
conpanyS agent in his return to Fort
| Churchill.
! This trail followed close along the base
! of the ridge upon which he had fought
the missionary, joining that of Jean de
/ Gravois miles beyond Jan climbed the
| ridge. From where he had made his at
tack he followed the almost obliterated
/ trail OF the F'renchman and his malemutes
until he came to the lake: and then he
knew that Jean de Gravois had spoken
the truth, for he found the missionary
with his face half buried in the slush.
stark dead.
He no longer had to guess at the mean
! ing OF Jeans words. The bullet hole un-
| der the dead Elan'S arms was too large to
! escape eyes like JAMS. Into the little
| hidden world which he treasured in his
! heart there came another face, to re-
| main always with hin,-the face of the
| courageous little forest dandy who was
! hurrying with his bride back into the
! country of tie Atha basca~
| Jan allowed his dogs to walk all the
| way back to the post. and it was dusk
| before they arrived. Maballa had pre-
pared supper ard Cumrins was waiting
| for him. He glanced sharply at the boy.
I There was a smile on JAMS lips. and there
was something in his eyes which Cum
| Minis had never seen there before. From
! that night they We're no longer filled with
| the nervous. differing flashes which at
| times had given him appearance al
! most of madness. In place of their
| searching suspicious there was a warmer
and more communicable glow. and Cum
MINIS felt the effect of the change as he
| ate his caribou steak and talked once
more entirely of Melissa.
| Cree TRAINER had found JAMS violin
! in the snow and had brought II 20 Ma
| balla. Before CummiEs finished his sun
ner the boy began to play. and he con-
| tinued to play until the lights at the
post went out and both the ma, and the
| child were deem in sleep. Then Jan ston-
ped There was the fire of keen wake
| funess in his eyes as he carefully I'M
| fastened the strings Of his instrument and
| held 1t close to the oil lamp. that he
| could peer down through the marrow
| aperture in the box.
| He looked again a. Cummins. The man
| was sleeping with his face 70 the wall
! With the hooked wire which he used for
cleaning his revolver Jan tished gently
at the very end Of the box. and after
| three or four efforts the wire caught in
| something soft. which he pulled toward
| him. Through the bulge in the T. hole
| he dragged forth small. tightly rolled
| cylinder Of faded red cloth.
| tn ha tp,,,