Putnam patriot., 1911-10-13

| struck a match
 | Half a dozen steps away was table | and on the table a lamp. Croisset | lighted it and with quiet laugh faced | The engineer They were in a low. | dungeon like chamber without win dow and with but the one door through which they had entered The l 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 i'm | agined was to be bis new prison that | held his eyes in staring inquiry on | CroiSset. IL was the look in his com ,panionss face. the yellow pallor of fear -a horror that had taken possession oft. The half breed closed and bol1ed the door and then sat down beside the table. his thin face peering up through the sickly lamp glow at the engineer.
 "Msseur. 1t would be hard for you to guess where you are"
 Howiand waited
 | eff you had lived in this couutry long. msseur. you would have heard of la MaiSou de Mort Rouge-the heuse | of the Red Death. as you would call it. That Is where we are-in the dun | .geon room It is a Hudson Bay post. abandoned almost since l can repem- Der. When was a child the smallpox plague came this way and killed all the people. Nineteen years ago the | red plague came again. and not one l lived through 1t in this Poste de Mort | n t.Es ito the weasels and the owls. It is summed by every living soul between the Atnapasca and the pay. That is why you are safe here"
 "Ye godsw breathed Rowland. .'Is there anything more. Croisset? Safe from what. man? Safe from what7"
 "From those who wish to kill you. m'seur. You would not go into the south so la belle Meleese has compel led you to go into the north. Compre- .ez vuus? You would have died last | tight. m 'scur. had it not been for Me .eSe. You escaped from the coyote. t you would not have escaped from Ie other. That is all 1 can tell you. t xop will be safe here. Those who
 K your life will soon believe that u are dead. and then we will let you
 l hack Is that not a kind fate for
 a who deserves to be cut into bits rud fed to the ravens?"
 You will tell me nothing more, teanY the engineer asked.
 Nothing. except that while 1 would like to kill you l have sympathy for ! fS 1 lived in the south For six years l was with the company in Montreal. where I went to school"
 Then be unbolted and opened the door. Faintly there came to them. as if from a great distance. the wailing grief of Woonga. the dog.
 You said there was death here" whispered fHowland. 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 a little cabin out there on the edge of the clearing. and when went to 1t tonight there was sapling over the house with a flag at the end of 1t. When 'the plague comes to us we hang out 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 sbuddered.
 "Of the smailpoxr'
 Yes
 |
 For a few moments they stood In si- ] lence. Then Groisset added. You will l remain here. m's 'seur. until return.
 He went out. closing and barring the door from the other side. and How tand seated himself again in the chair beside the table. Fifteen minutes lat CT the half breed returned. bearing 1 with him a good sized pack and two gallon jug, ez. -se
 -~There is wood back of the stove, m'seur. Here are food and water for a week and furs for your bed. Now will cut those thongs about your wrists"
 Do you mean to say you're going to leave me here alene-in this wretched prisong~ cried Rowland.
 "Non Dieu, is it not better than n grave. n n'seur? will be back at the end of week"
 Tue door was partly open. and for the last time there came 10 Howand's ears the mourning howl of the old dog on the mountain top. Almost threaten ingly he gripped Croisset's arm.
 Jean. If you don't come back what will happen?"
 He heard the half breed chuckling.
 You will die. mseur, pleasantly and taking your own time at il. which is much better than dying over case of dynamite But 1 will come back. m seur Goodby.'