The log cabin Democrat., 1914-10-16
CHAPTER VII.
4 Chief Borrowg F rom a (

A IHIEI AN'A c NAAAC4.
 On going into the little street she noticed the chief in earnest confer ence with his daughter and an old na- tive woman whom Lucille had no rec ollection of seeing about the village before. Had she but known this was hut another servile tool of Hugo Lou beGues what future dangers she might have been saved, Coming closer, she knew that it was q stranger. Moreover, from the light upon the crones wrlnkled countensnce and the furious gesticula- tions she made toward her she felt that she was the object of controversy. And the daughter of the old chief seemed adding her pleas 10 those of the old woman with effect
 Lucille stood a little apart. watching the conference as 1t disbanded She had picked up enough of the language to make out an occasional word. but the gestures of the three had been un. mistakable She waited quietly while the trio approached her. feeling that in some way the problem that had been harassing her was to bS answered without further worry on her part
 She smiled at the chiefs efforts to make Der understa nd what be desired of her, smiled and shook her head as the withered old woman made an equally unsuccessful attempt But the little girl took the situation in hand
 Without much difficulty Lucille made out from the child that the old woman came from chief greater than her ia ther. who lived in village not far dis tant; that the wonder of her curative ability had reached his ears, and he earnestly prayed the white woman be loaned his own wife for a nurse. that she might be cured of an illness which seemed certain to be fatal
 Lucille saw from the glum expres- sion on the old chiefs face that even though 1t might bring him into trouble with his neighbor chief. he was more than loath to part with her. She also saw that the child, with the remen- brance of her own illness fresh upon her, had allowed her heart to go out to the wife in such sympathy that she had persuaded her father to permit the lOaning.
 Her heart gave a great throb of de light at this unexpected answer to her prayer. She had known there would be trouble getting away with the pa- pers just as she had determined that she must leave. There was no poest ble chance of regaining civilization from here. There might be no chance in another place, but there was hope. and. while it was meager sustenance. anything was better than the strain of knowing impossibility. Anything ap- pealed to her so long as 1t embraced a change. for change spelled renewed hope. Then, too. Hugo LoubeQue would be temporarily at least thrown off the trail
 In an hour she had mounted the chiefs own horse. her very soul re- Joicing at the familiar feel of an easy canter. Beside her rode the old wo- man. mumbling continually to herself as though she were keeping track of the devious turns in the wilderness of vegetation through which their way led
 Once Lucille was conscious of . vague feeling of mistrust as she look. ed back at the squat figure of the old woman ambling along stolidly as some heathen idol. only her ratIike eyes emitting flashes of fire from between the layers of wrinkled. brown. droop- ing lids.
 Faster. faster she urged her horse as she saw clear stretch of trail open ing before her, her hand continually reaching up and feeling the precious burden about her neck Then she looked back for her escort. when the ground seemed to grow soft. to slip up from under her mounts hoofs and send her hurtling down-down-dowp -she knew not where nor why-down into blackness at which her hands clutched vainly. clutching nothing from the dark-down into a blackness that seemed stiding her until it reached up and mercifully compassed her con. sciousness