Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-31
Big Shows
Author Of 1.-The
Danger 1frail''

anu went Ol. u llANO A1NSA ShAA'
and Jan hung bis rife in the crotch
Of 4 sapling.
We will return for the guns In a
day or So" he said.
Dixon leaned upon him more heavily
now. and the distances they Travelled
between resting periods became short
er and shorter. Three times they
stopped 10 build fires and cook tea. II
was night when they descended FROM
the ridge TO the snow covered ice OF
Lac Balm. II was past midnight when
Jan dragged Dixon from the spruce
forest into the opening at the post
There were no lights burning. and be
went with his half conscious burden
TO the company's store. he awakened
Croisset, who let them in.
Take care Of Dixon" said Jan. land
don't arouse any Of the people tonight
1t will be time enough to tell what
has happened In the morning"
Over the stove in his own room he
cooked meat and coffee. and for long
time sat silent before the fire. He had
brought back Dixon. In the morning
Melissa would know. First she would
go TO the Englishman, then-then-
she would come to him.
He rose and went TO the rude board
table in the corner OF his room.
mo. Melissa must not come 10 me in
the morning" he whispered TO himself.
"She must never again look upon Jan
Thoreau."
He took pencil and paper and wrote.
Page after page he crumpled in his
hand and flung into the fire. At last,
swiftly and despairingly, he ended with
half dozen lines. What he said came
from his heart in French:
I have brought him back TO you. my
! Melissa. and pray that the good God may
| give you happiness. l leave you the old
violin. and always when you play IL vii
tell you OF the love Of Jan Thoreau.
He folded the page and sealed it IL
| one Of the company'S envelopes. Very
| quietly he went from his room down
| into the deserted store. Without strik
| ing a light, he found a new pack a few
! articles Of food and ammunition. The
envelope addressed to Melissa he left
where Croisset or the factor would
! find it in the morning. His dogs were
housed in shack behind the store, and
he called out their names softly and
warningly as he went among them. AS
| steathily as their master they trailed
behind him to the edge of the forest.
and close under the old spruce that
! guarded the grave Jan stopped and
silently he stretched out his arms 10
the little cabin.
The dogs watched him. KaZan. the
one eyed leader. gIared from him into
the dimness Of the night. whining soft
ly. A low. mourning wind swept
through the spruce tops. and from JAMS
throat there burst sobbngly words
=, which he had heard beside this same
grave more than seventeen yccrS be
fore when Williams choking voice had
risen in last prayer for the woman.
May the great God care for Ne,
hsse"'
He turned into the trail upon which
Jean de Gravois had fought the Eng
, lishman, led his dogs and sledge in q
twisting path through the caribou
swamp and stood at last beside the
lob stick tree that leaned out over the
! edge Of the white Barrens. With his
! knife he dug out the papers which he
had concealed in that whisky jack hole
1t was near dawn when he recovered
the rife which he had abandoned OF
, the mountain top. A little later il be
gan 10 snow. He was glad, for 1t would
conceal his trail.
For thirteen days he forced his dog,
through the deep SHOWS into the south
. On the fourteenth they came TO L,
p. Pas, which is the edge of civiliza ton
1t was night when he came out of tn,
forest, so that he could see the fam
glow Of lights beyond the Saskatche
wan.
For a few moments, before crossing
he stopped his tired dogs and turne,
+, his face back into the grim desolatiol
OF the north. where the aurora wa
> playing feebly in the skies and beckon
ing to him and telling him that the oil,
:, life Of centuries and centuries ag
:, would wait for him always at the dom
;, Of the earth.
The good God bless you and keel
!. you and care for you ever more. N.
Melisse." he whispered. And he wall,
ed slowly ahead Of his dogs across tn
river and into the other world.
!. There was music that night in L
Pas. A door opened and a man and
!. woman came out The man was ours
ing, and the woman was laughing q
q him-laughing as Jan had never hear
= a woman laugh before, and he held hi
+ breath as he listened TO the tauntin
e mockery in It. Kszan. the one eye,
I leader. snarled. The trace dogs siur'
close TO the leaders heels. With
a low word Jan led them on.
. Close down TO the river, where tn
e Saskatchewan swung in a half moo
70 the south and west, he found a low
squat building with a light hung owe
: the door illuminating q bit Of hume
I in the form Of a printed legend whic
g said that II was king Edwards hC
tel" The scrub bush Of the fores
o grew within a hundred yards OF 4
o and In this bush Jan lied his dogs an
left his sledge. II did not occur I
e him that now. when he had eatere
D civilization, he had come also into tn
J; land OF lock and bolt, Of robbers an