Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1913-02-28
CHAPTER v.
For Her.


OF him lean over the end Of his sledge
as he urged his dogs. but the huskics
went no faster. and then he caught q
glitter Of something that flashed for u
moment in the sun.
"Ah!' said Jean softly as bullet
sang over his head. He fires at Jean
de Gravols" He dropped his whip.
and there was n warm glow of happl.
ness In his little dark face as he level.
ed his rifle over the backs OF his male
mutes. He fires at Jean de Gravols.
and 1t Is Jean who can hamstring
caribou at 800 yards on the rum
For an instant. at the crack OF his
rife there was no movement ahead.
then something rolled from the sledge
and lay doubled up In the snow. A
hundred yards beyond It the huskles
stopped In a rabble and turned to look
at the approaching strangers.
Beside 1t Jean stopped. and when he
saw the face that stared up at him,
he clutched his thin hands In his long
black hair and cried out In shrill amaze
ment and horror:
"The saints In heaven. It Is the mis-
sioner from Churchill"
He turned the man over and found
where his bullet had entered under
one arm and come out from under the
other. There was no. spark of life left.
The missioner was already dead.
The missioner from ChurchiliF' he
gasped again.
He looked up at the warm sun and
kicked the melting snow under his
moccasined feet.
"It will thaw very soon." he said to
himself, looking again at the dead man,
"and then he will go into the lake."
He headed his malemutes back to the
forest. Then he ran out and cut the
traces Of the exhausted huskies, and
with bis whip scattered them In free
dom over the ice.
Go to the wolvesr' he shouted in
Cree. Hide yourselves from the post.
or Jean de Gravols will cut out your
tongues and take your skins off alive"
When he came back to the top Of the
mountain Jean found Iowaka making
hot coffee, while Jan was bundled up
in furs near the fire.
"Tt is as said" she called. HE is
alive!"
Thus It happened that the return Of
Jean de Gravols to the post was even
more dramatic than he had schemed 1t
to be, for he brought back with him
not only beautiful wife from Church.
ILL., but also the half dead Jan Thoreau
from the scene of battle on the noun
tain. And in the mystery of 1t all he
reveIed for two days. for Jean de Ora
vols said not word about the dead
man on the lake beyond the forest, nor
did the huskles come back into their
bondage to give hint of the missing
missionary.
From the day after the caribou roast
the fur gatherers began scattering.
The Eskimos left the next morning.
On the second day Mukee's people
from the west set off along the edge
Of the Barrens. Most of the others left
by ones and twos into the wilderness
to the south and east.
Less than O dozen still put of their
return to the late spring trapping, and
among these were Jean de Gravois
and his wife. Jean waited until the
third day. Then he went to see Jan.
The boy was bolstered up in his cot,
with Cummins balancing the little
Melisse on the edge of the bed when
he came In.
For time Jean sat and watched
them In silence. Then he made 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. VIII 1t be right"
Talk to nm as long as you like"
said Cummins. "but don't worry him
about the missionary. You'll not get
a word from him."
JAMS eyes spoke with a devotion
greater than words as Jean de Gra-
vols came and sat close beside him.
He knew that 1t was Jean who had
brought him alive into the post.
"Ah, 1t was wan be-e-aru-tiful fight"
he said softly. you are brave boy.
Jan Thoreau"