University Missourian., 1915-08-19

stopped. he shifted at the bit of hu-
manity buried in the bearskin. Each
time that he did this Joan was quick
ly at his side, and twice she patted
his SCARED and grizzled head until ev-
cry 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 lit
tie creature on the sledge was very
precious to the girl who stroked his
head and talked to him, and that il
was very helpless. He learned, too,
that Joan was most delighted, and that
her voice was softer and thrilled him
more deeply. 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 the girl and the baby. he bent
over Kazan and examined his hurt.
You've got to work in the traces
tomorrow, boy" he said. "We must
make the river by tomorrow night If
We don't"
He did not finish. He was choking
back one of those tearing coughs
when the tent-fap dropped behind
him. Kazan lay stiff and alert. his
eyes filled with a strange anxiety. He
did not like to see Radisson enter the
tent, for stronger than ever there
hung that oppressive mystery in the
air about him, and it seemed to be a
part of Pierre.
| Three times that night he heard
faithful Gray Wolf calling for him
deep in the forest, and each time he
answered her. Toward dawn she came
| in close to camp. Once he caught the
scent of her when she circled around
in the wind, and he tugged and
whined at the end of his chain, hop
| ing that she would come in and lie
down at his side. But no sooner had
Radisson moved in the tent than Gray
Wolf was gone. The mans face was
thinner, and his eyes were redder this
morning. His cough was not so loud
or so rending. 1t was like a wheeze,
as if something had given way inside,
and before the girl came out he
clutched his hands often at his throat
Joans face whitened when she saw
him. Anxiety gave way to fear
in her eyes. Pierre Radisson laughed
when she flung her arms about him.
and coughed to prove that what he
said was true.
You see the cough is not so bad,
my JOAN" he said. at is breaking
up. You can not have forgotten, ma
cheri? 1t always leaves one red-eyed
and weak
1t was a cold bleak dark day that
followed, and through it Kazan and
the man tugged at the fore of the
sledge. with Joan following in the
trail behind. KaZan's wound no long
er hurt him. He pulled steadily with
all his splendid strength, and the man
1oS hnf nH
him with his mittened hand on head
and back The day grew steadily
darker and in the tops of the trees
there was the low moaning of a storm.
Darkness and the coming of the
storm did not drive Pierre Radisson
into camp. 1--WE must reach the riv-
err" he said to himself over and over
again. I'VE must reach the river
we must reach the river" And he
steadily urged Kazan on to greater
effort, while his own strength at the
end of the traces grew less.
1t had begun to storm when Pierre
stopped to build fire at noon. The
snow fell straight down in white
deluge SO thick that it HID the tree
trunks fifty yards away. Pierre
laughed when Joan shivered and snug
gled close up to him with the baby
in her arms. He waited only an
hour, and then fast,ued Kazan in the
traces again, and buckled the straps
once more about his own waist. In
the silent gloom that was almost
night Pierre carried his compass in
his hand, and at last, late in the after
noon, they came to break in the
timber-line, and ahead of them lay
plain. across which Radisson pointed
an exultant hand
There's the river. JOAN" he said,
his voice faint and husky. 1--WE can
camp here now and wait for the storm
to pass"
Under a thick clump Of spruce he
put up the tent, and then began gath