Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-10

ne came In.
For a time Jean sat and watched
them in silence Then he made a sign
to Cummins, who Joined him at the
door.
II am going the Athabasca way to-
day." he said. II wish to talk with
the boy before go. have a word
to say to him which no ears should
hear but his own. Will It be right"
Talk to him as long as you like.
said Cummins, "but don't worry him
about the missionary. You'll not gel
word from him.
| JAMS eyes spoke with a devotio
greater than words as Jean de Or
vols came and sat close beside him
He knew that it was Jean who had
brought him alive into the post.
"Ah. 1t was wan be-e-a-u-tiful fight
he said softly. you are q 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 joyfully,
FOR the spirit Of him was French tc
the bottom of his soul
81 see It? No, neither nor Iowaka,
out 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 mountain, while Iowaka
brought you back to life? And when
! came to the lake did I not see some.
thing black out upon 1t. like charred
log? And when I came to it was It
not the dead body Of the missioner
from Churchill? Eth, Jan Thoreau?"
Jan sat up In his bed. with a sharp
cry:
THE thaw VIII open up the lake IN
a few days. Then he will 60 down in
the first slush." And Jean looked about
him cautiously again and whispered
low-"if you see anything about the
dead missioner that you do not under.
stand think Of Jean de Gravois."
He rose to his feet and bent over
JAMS white face.
II am going the Athabasca way to-
day" he finished. Perhaps, Jan Thor.
eau, 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 be-
tween Fond du Lac and the Beaver
river" He passed out.
When Cummins returned he found
JAMS cheeks flushed and the boy in a
fever.
Devil take that Gravoisr he growl-
ed.
HE has been 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 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 of 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 he had
fought the missionary. Joining that Of
Jean de Gravois miles beyond. Jan
climbed the ridge. From where he had
made his attack ne followed the al.
|
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 were no
longer filled with the nervous. glitter.
ing flashes which at times had given
him an appearance almost Of Madness
In place Of their searching suspicionA
there was warmer and more com.
panionable glow, and Cummins felt
the effect Of the change.
A Cree trapper had found JAMS vic
lin in the snow and had brought 1t Il
Maballa. Before Cummins finished hi
supper the boy began to play, and hi
continued to play until the lights al
the post went out and both the mai
and the child were deep in sleep
Then Jan stopped. There was the fir
of keen wakefulness in his eyes a
he carefully unfastened the strings OF
his instrument and held it close to thu
oil lamp, so that he could peer dowI
through the narrow aperture In thu
box.
He looked again at Cummins. Thu
man was sleeping with his face to th(
wall With the hooked wire which hi
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 IF" hole he dragged
forth n small. tightly rolled cylinder
Of faded red cloth.
| For few moments he sat watching
the deep breathing Of Cummins. UNI
rolling the cloth as he watched, until
he had spread out upon the table be.
fore him a number OF closely written
pages OF paper He weighted them al
one end with his violin and held them
down at the other with his hands.
The writing was In French. Several
J Of the pages were in heavy mascu.