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


The voice thrilled Jan. He advanced
with his back to the fre. 80 that he
could see the stranger.
You come from Churchill?" he
asked.
His words were hardly a question.
They were more Of an excuse for him
to draw nearer. and he turned little.
so that for an instant the glowing fire
flashed in his eyes.
"Yes; we started from the Etawney
just a week ago today"
Jan had come very near. The strnn'
ger interrupted himself to stare into
the thin, fierce face that had grown
like a white cameo almost within
reach Of him. with a startled cry he
drew a step back, and JAMS violin
dropped to the snow.
For no longer than q breath there
was silence. The man wormed him
self back into the shadows inch by
inch, followed by the white face Of the
boy. Then there came shrilly from
JAMS lips the mad shrieking Of name,
and his knife flashed as he leaped at
the others breast.
The stranger was quicker than he
With sudden movement he cleared
himself Of the blow. and as JAMS arm
went past him. the point Of the knife
ripping his coat sleeve, he shot out
powerful Hst and sent the boy Keeling
to the grU..ld.
Stunned and bleeding. Jan dragged
himself to his knees. He saw the dogs
turning. heard a low voice urging them
to the trail and saw the sledge disap.
pear into the forest He staggered
from his knees to his feet and stood
swaying In his weakness. Then he
followed.
He forgot that he was leaving his
knife In the snow. forgot that back
there about the dre there were other
dogs and other men. He followed
sickened by the blow. but gaining
strength as he pursued. Ahead Of him
, he could hear the sound Of the tobog.
gan and the cautious qshing Of whip
over the backs Of the tired huskies.
The sounds Oiled him with fierce
strength He wiped away the warm
trickle Of blood that ran over his cheek
and began to run. slowly at first.
swinging in the easy wolf lope Of the
forest runner. with his elbows close to
his sides.
At that pace he could have followed
! for hours. losing when the pack took
squirt. gaining when they Jagged. an In.
sistent Nemesis just behind when the
weighted dogs lay down In their traces
When he heard the cracking of the
whip growing fainter he dropped his
arms straight to his sides and ran
more swiftly. his brain Keeling with the
madness OF his desire to reach the
sledge. to drag from it the man who
had struck him. to choke life from the
face that haunted that mental picture
Of his. grinning at him and gloating al
ways from the shadow world. Just be-
yond the pale. sweet loneliness Of the
, woman who lived in 1t.
He did not feel the soft. sun packed
snow under the beat OF his feet He
received the lash Of low hanging BUSH
ps without experiencing the sensation
Of their sting. Only he knew that he
wanted air-more and more ar-and
10 get II ne ran with open mouth
struggling and gasping for 1t and vet
not knowing that Jean de Gravois
would have called him fool for the
manner in which he sought II.
He heard "a ;aintly
the run OF the >.,.,t i", lr heard
1t no longer. HIS heart >WriIed 10 q
final bursting effort. and hr plunged
| nt luS ,l,d
under him and he pitched face down
ward In the snow. like II thing stung
by sudden death.
1t was thtsl. with his scratched and
bleeding face, lying In the snow. that
reason began to return to him. After
a little while he dragged himself weak.
~ to his knees. still painting from the
mad effort he had made to overtake
the sledge. From a great distance he
heard family the noise Of shouting. the
whispering echo OF half hundred
voices. and he knew that the sound
came from the jewellers at the post.
1t was proof to him that there had
been no interruption to the carnival
and that the scene mt the edge OF the
forest had been witnessed by none. He
turned again on the trail
Where the forest broke into IN open.
lighted by the stars. he found blood
In the footprints Of the leading dog
Halfway across the open he saw where
the leader had swung out from the
trail and the others OF the pack had
crowded about him. to be urged on
by the lashings Of the mans whip.
Other signs Of the packs growing ex.
hnustiOn followed close.
The man now travelled beside the
sledge where the trail was rough and
rode where 1t was smooth and hard.
The deep imprints Of his heeled boots
in the soft snow showed that he ran
for only a short distance Mt a time
hundred yards or less-and that aft
err each running spell he brought the
pack to walk. He was heavy and
lacked endurance. and this discovery
brought low cry Of exultation to
JAMS lips.
He fell into dog trot. Mile after
mile dropped behind him. Other miles
were ahead Of him. IN endless wilder.
ness of miles. and through them the
pack persisted, keeping always beyond
sound and vision.
The stars began fading ont OF the
skies. Jan followed more and more
ell nv A. ,NvSa, <~D