The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-07-20
louth when there came again

fridge.
! You're getting on my nerves, Jean
{Eyou and that accursed dog.'
! SILENCE. n 'seur!''
| Out of the grim loneliness at the
! foot of the mountain there doomed a
! shadow, which at first Rowland took
! to be q huge mass of rock. a few
! steps farther and be saw that it was
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 l 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
Oh their side. And yet when Jean hest
tated for an instant before blotch of
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 Il fumbling Of Crois-
sets hand al latch, and they passed
through second door. Then Jean
struck a match.
Half 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 a win
dow and with but the one door
through which they had entered. The
table. two chairs. a stove and 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 10 be his new prison that
held his eyes in staring inquiry on
Croisset It w3ss the look in his com
panion's face. the yellow palior of fear
"a horror that had taken possession
Of il. TIE half breed closed ana bolted
the door and then SAT down beside the
table. his thin face peering up through
the sickly lamp glow at the engineer.
''M'seur, it would be hard for you to
guess where you are"
Howland waited.
IF you rad lived in this country
long. mSeur. you would have heard
of In MaiSon de Mort Bouee-the house
of the Red Death rs YOU would caIl
it. That is where we are-in the dun
ge6n room It IS a Hudson Bay post,
abandoned almost since / can remem-
Der When was q child the smallpox
plague came this way and Killed ali
tie people. Nineteen years ago the
red plague came again and not one
lived through it in this Poste &c Mort
Rouge Since then It has been left
to the weaseis ard the owls. It is
stunned by every irving souI between
the Athabasoa and the bay. That is
why sci. are safe here"
"Ye gods" breathed Rowland as
there anything more. Croisset? Safe
from what. man? Safe from what:"
Prom those who wish to kill you,
m'seur You would not 20 into the
south 50 10 Belle 3leieese has compel
led you f. g0 iuto the north. Compre. /
neg vous: You woald have died last
night, nl'seur. mad it not been for Ne /
leese. Yea escaped from the coyote.
but you would net have escaped from
the other That. is all / can tell you.
But yoa VIII be safe here, Those who
seek your life WIFI soon believe that
you are dead, and them we Will let yod
go back. Us that not a kind fate for
one who deserves to be cut into bits
and fed to the ravensy'
You vii! tell. ne nothing more.
Jeany' the engineer asked.
Nothing. except that while would
like to kill you | 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 a 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 a little cabin out there on
the edge of the clearing. and when l
went to it tonight there was a sapling
over the house with a flag at the end
Of it. When the plague comes to US
we hang out red flag as a 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 few moments they stood in ST.
lence. Then Croisset added. "You will
remain here. m'seur. until l return"
He went out. closing and barring the
door from the other side. and How
land seated himself again in the chair
hncido tho table Eiftnnn minutes LOT.