Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-19
LANES OLIVER 0URWO0D!
~. 9, pHuP STEIE. THE DANGER TRAIL


clenCneQ MS nSts.
His hollow racking cough convulsed
him again.
"Home!" he painted, clutching his
chest. Its eighty miles straight
north = to the Churchill - and pray
to God we'll get there - with the kids
= before my lungs give out"
He rose to his feet, and staggered a
little as he walked. There was col
lar about Kazan's neck, and he chain
ed him to the sledge. After that ne
dragged three or four small logs upon
the fire, and went quietly into the tent
where Joan and the baby were already
asleep. Several times that night ka-
zan heard the distant voice Of Gray
WOLF calling for him, but something
told him that he must not answer II
now Toward dawn Gray Wolf came
close in to the camp, and for the nrst
time Kazan replied to her.
| His howl awakened the man. he
came out of the tent peered for few
moments up at the sky, built up the
fire, and began to prepare breakfast:
HE patted Kazan on the head, and
!; gave him chunk of meat. Joan came
out a. few moments later, leaving the
baby asleep in the tent. She ran up
and kissed Pierre, and then dropped
down on her knees beside Kazan, and
talked to him almost as he had heard
her talk to the baby When she Jump
ed up to help her father. Kazan fol-
lowed her, and when Joan saw him
standing firmly upon his legs she gave
cry of pleasure.
| 1t was strange journey that began
into the north that day. Pierre Radi-
! sso1. emptied the sledge of everything
but the tent, blankets, food and the
furry nest for baby Joan. Then he
hernessed himself in the traces and
dragged the sledge over the snow. He
coughed necessarily.
Its a cough I've had half the win
ter" lied Pierre, careful that Joan saw
no sign of. blood on his lips or beard.
"Ill keep in the cabin for week when
we get home" a5T.'!1 >r
Even Kazan, with that strange beast
knowledge which man, unable to ex-
plain, calls instinct, knew what he said
was not the truth. Perhaps 1t was
] largely because he had heard other
men cough like this, and that for gen.
erations his sledge-dog ancestors had
heard men cough as Radisson cough
ed and had learned what followed
it.
More than once he had scented
death in tepees and cabins, which he
, had not entered. and more than once
he had shifted at the mystery of death
that was not quite present, but near -
just as he had caught at distance the
subtle warning of storm and of fire.
And that strange thing seemed to be
very near to him now. as he followed
at the end OF his chain behind the
sledge 1t made him restless. and half
dozen times, when the sledge stop.
ped he shifted at the bit Of humanity
buried in the bearskin. Each time that
he did this Joan was quickly at his
side. and twice she patted his SCARED
and grizzled head until every drop OF
, blood in his body leaped riotously with
Joy which his body did not reveal.
This day the chief thing that he
came to understand was that the little
creature on the sledge was very pre-
cious to the girl who stroked his mead
and talked to him. and that,it was very
helpless. He learned, too. that Joan
was most delighted. and that her voice
was softer and thrilled him more deep-
, ly, when he paid attention to that little
warm, living thing in the bearskin.
! For a long time after they made
camp Pierre Radisson sat beside the
fire. Tonight he did not smoke. He
stared straight into the flames. When
at last he rose to go into the tent with
girl and the baby, he bent over KaZan
and examined his hurt
you've got to work in the traces to.
morrow, boy he said I'VE must
make the river hv tomorrow night. If
we don't"