Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-03


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tween Fond du Lac and the Beaver
river" He passed out
When Cummins returned he found
JAMS cheeks flushed and the boy in
fever.
Devil take that Gravoisr' he grow!-
ed.
He has been brother to me-" said
n simply. Il love him"
On the second day after the French
mans departure Jan rose free OF the
fever which had threatened him for a
time. and IN the afternoon he har-
messed Cummins dogs. The last of the
trappers had started from the post that
morning, their SledGes and dogs sink
ing heavily in the deepening slush, and
Jan set off over the smooth toboggan
trail made by the company's agent in
his return to Fort Churchill.
This trail followed close along the
base OF the ridge upon which be had
fought the missionary. Joining that of
Jean de Gravois miles beyond. Jan
climbed the ridge From where be had
made his attack he followed the al
most obliterated trail Of the French
man 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
meaning of Jeans words The bullet
hole under the dead mans arms was
too large to escape eyes like JAMS. Into
the little hidden world which he treas
ured IN his heart there came another
face. to remain always with him-the
face of the courageous little forest
dandy who was hurryinG with his
bride back into the country OF the
AthabaSCa.
From that night JAMS eyes We're no
longer filed with the nervous. glitter
ing flashes which at times had given
him an appearance almost of madness
[ IN place OF their searching suspicious.
there was n warmer and more com.
/ panionable glow. and Cummins felt
| the effect OF the change.
I A Cree trapper had found JAMS VIC,
lin IN the snow and had brought it to
Maballa. Before Cummins finished his
supper the boy began TO play. and he
continued TO play until the lights AZ
the post went ont and both the mar
and the child were deep In sleep
Then Jan stopped. There was the fire
OF a keen wakefulness in bis eyes as
he carefully unfastened the strings OF
his instrument and held IL close to the
oil lamp, so that he could peer dowI
through the narrow aperture in the
box.
He looked again at Cummins. TIL,
man was sleeping with his face TO The
wall With the hooked wire which h,
used for cleaning his revolver Jar
hshed gently at the very end of tn
box, and after three or four effort
the wire caught in something soft
which he pulled toward him. Through
the bulge In the ~ hole he draCget
forth a small. tightly rolled cylinde
of faded red cloth.
For a few moments he sat watching
the deep breathing of Cummius. IN
rolling the cloth as he watched. unit
he had spread out upon the table be
fore him a number OF closely writtel
pages OF paper. He weighted them a
one end with his violin and held then
down at the other with his hands
The writing was in French. Severs
OF the pages were in a heavy mascU
line hand. the words running one upo
another so closely that in places the
seemed TO be connected. and fror
them Jan took his fingers. so that the
rolled up like a spring. over the 9th
ers be bent his head. and there cam
from him low. sobblng breath
On these pages the writing was tina
of a woman. and from the paper Their
still rose a faint. sweet scent OF hello
trope. For half an hour Jan gaze
upon them, reading the words slowl
until he came TO the last page.
A new and strange longing crep
into bis heart He stretched out hi
arms. with the papers and his vIoli
clutched IN his hands, as II wonder
!. full spirit was calling to him
For the first time IN his lonely If
II came TO him-tais call OF the grea
world beyond the wIlderness-and SUD
denly he crushed the woman's lette
TO his lips. and his voice burst frol
him in whispering. thrilling eagernes'
Il will come 10 you-some day-w'e
: re leetle Melissa come too"
he rolled the written pages togetl
er. wrapped them 10 the faded re
cloth and concealed them again in n
BOX q his XialiR hetGgs ~ Is-satAss