Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1913-05-16

TO oyerhear,
"Msleur, you spoke OF Lac Baln,"
hc said in French. "you have been
thereS"
"Yes." replied the other. "I was
there for week waiting for the first
sledge snow"
ait Is my old home" said Jan. trying
10 keep his voice natural, Il have
wondered IL there are changes You
saw Cummlns. the factorf
"Yes, he was there"
"And-and Jean dc Gravols. the
chief man?"
"He was away"
"The factor had daughter. Me
lisse"--
"She left lac Rain a long time ago.
m'sicur." said the trapper, "M'sicur
CummIns told me that he had not seen
her In a long time. believe It was
almost year"
Jan went TO the company's store,
Tie took his pack TO the sledge aud
dogs In the edge of the spruce, and
Kazan leaped to greet him at the end
OF his hahlche. That night as jan
Travelled through the forest he did not
notice the stars or the friendly shad'
ows.
"a year." he repeated to himself
again and again. and once when la
zan rubbed against his leg and looked
up into his face he said: "Ah, knzan
our Mellsse went away with the Eng
'ishman May the great God give
hom happiness"
The forest claimed him more than
ever after this. He did not go back
to Oxford House In the spring. but
sold his furs TO passing halfbreed
and wandered through all of that
spring and summer IN the country to
The west. 1t was January when he
returned Ia his cabin. when the SHOWS
we're deepest. and three days later he
'et ont to outfit at the Iludson's bay
ost on Gods lake instead of mt OK
ord House. IL was while they were
roSsinc part OF the lake that Kazan
4aIcd aside for an instant In his
tracss and snapped at something In
he snow.
Jan saw the movement, but gave no
attention to 1t until II little later when
iazan stopped and fell upon his belly.
Iitlng at the harness and whining In
pain. The thought of Kazan's sudden
snap ut the snow came TO him then
like a knife thrust, and with a low cry
of horror and fear he fell upon his
knees beside the dog KaZan whim'
pered, and his bushy tail swept the
snow as Jan lifted his great wolllsh
head between his two hands. No other
sound came from JAMS lips now, and
slowly he drew the dog up to him until
he held him in his arms as he might
nave held n child. KaZan stilled the
ghlmperlng sounds In his throat. His
me eye rested on his masters face
aithful, watching for some sign, fol
'ome language there, even as the burn
ng fires of strange torture gnawet
It his life. and In that eye Jan saw the
deepening reddish film which he had
,een hundred times before in the eyes
If foxes and wolves killed by poison
lait.
A moan of anguish burst from JAMS
lips, and he held his face close dowr
lgalnst KaZan's head and sobbed now
like child. while KaZan rubbed his
not muZzle against his cheek and hl'
| give battle to whatever was giving hi!
| master grief. 1t was long time be
fore Jan lifted his face from the shag
~ head, and when he did he knew
that the last of all love. of all compan
ionshlp, of all that bound him TO fest
and blood in his lonely world, was
gone. Kazan was dead.
From the sledge he took blanke
md wrapped Kazan In it and carried
him a hundred yards back from th'
trail. With bowed head he came be
hind his four dogs into Gods House
Half an hour later he turned back init
the wilderness with his supplies.
was dark when he returned to wher,
he had left Kazan. He placed hin
upon the sledge. and the four huskiei
whlned as they dragged on their bur
den, from which the smell of deatl
came to them. They stopped in thu
deep forests beyond the lake, and Jal
built fire.
This night, as on al! nights In hl
lonely life. Jan drew KaZan close t.
him, and he shlvered as the other dog
SUNK back from him suspiciously an'
the fire and the spruce tops broke tht
stiffness of the forest. He looked a
the cracking flames, at the fitful shad
ows which they set dancing and grlmac
Ing about him, and 1t seemed TO hin
now that they were no longer friends
but were taunting him-gl0atlng in Kn
zan's death and telling him that h
was alone, alone, alone. He let tn
fire die down, stirring 1t into life onl
when the cold stiffened him, and whe
ut last he fell into an unquiet slumbe
/ 1t was still to hear the spruce top
whispering to him that Kazan wa
dead and that in dying he had broke
the last fragile link between Jan Tho
reau and Melisse.