The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-03-02

o'oA wee whispered. Don't you fec
there, there, everywhere? Every
thing is strange"
i feel chill that is not of cold.
Smoke answered Nor is it of hun
ger
1T is in your head, your heart" sh,
agreed excitedly. THAT is the way
feel it,
A quarter Of an hour later the,
paused for breath
The air is getting thick and heavv.'
sald LabiskWee. 1T is hard to breathe.
There be three SUNS" McCan NUT
tered hoarsely. reeling as he clung Il
his staff for support.
They saw Il mock sun on either side
Of the real sun.
There are five" said Labiskwee
and as they looked new suns formed
and flashed before their eyes.
by heaven, the sky is filed will
suns beyant all countin'." McCan CRIED
in fear
| Which was true. for, look where they
would. half the circle of the sky daz
zled and blazed with new suns form
ing.
McCan yelped sharply with surprise
and pain. I'm stungr' he cried out.
then yelped again.
Then Labiskwee cried out, and
Smoke felt Il pricking stab OH his cheek
SO cold that it burned like acid.
/ And then shot rang out, strangely
mufiied. Down the slope were the
young men. standing on their skis
and one after another they opened
fire.
Spread outr' Smoke commanded.
And climb for it. We're almost to
the top. They're quarter of mile
below. and that means a couple of
miles the start Of them on the down
going on the other side"
| Thank the Lord" Smoke painted to
Labiskwee, ''all these suns spoil their
aim
| 1T shows my fathers temper" she
said. They have orders to KILL"
How strange You TALK Smoke said.
Your voice sounds far away"
| "Cover your mouth Labiskwee
/ cried suddenly. "And don't talk. l
know what it is. Cover your mouth
with your sleeve. thus. and do not
| talk"
| From the crest, looking back, they
| saw the young men stumbling and fall
ing on the upward climb
They will never get here Labisk-
wee said. 1T is the white death.
| know it. though l have never seen it.
| l have heard the old men talk. Soon
| will come IL mist unlike any mist or
fog or frost smoke you ever saw. Few
have seen it and lived"
McCan gasped and strangled
Keep your mouth covered" Smoke
commanded. McCan had sunk down,
| squatting. on his skis, his mouth and
eyes covered by his arms.
Come on, make start" Smoke or
dered
Il can't move" McCan moaned
LET him be-" Labiskwee muttered
harshly.
But Smoke persisted, dragging the
man to his feet and facing him down
the long slope they must go. Then he
started him with a shove, and McCan.
braking and steering with his staff.
shot into the sheen of diamond dust
and disappeared.
Smoke looked at Labiskwee, who
smiled. though it was oil she could do
to keep from sinking down. He nodded
for her to push off, but she came near
to him, and. side by side. dozen feet
apart. they flew down through the
singing thickness of cold fire.
Brake as he would, Smokes heavier
body carried him past her. and he
dashed OH alone, long way. at tre-
mendous speed, that did not slacken
till he came out on level. crusted
plateau. Here he braked till Labisk-
wee overlook him. and they went on.
again side by side, with diminishing
speed, which finally ceased The leth-
argy had grown more pronounced The
widest effort of will could move them
no more than at n snaii's pace They
passed McCan. again crouched down
on his skis, and Smoke reused him with
his staff in passing.
Now we must stop" Labiskwee
whispered painfully. ''or We will die
We must cover up-so the old men
said.''
She did not delay to unite knots, but
began cutting her pack lashings
Smoke cut his, and, with last look
at the fiery death mist and the mock
cry of suns. they covered themselves
over with the sleeping furs and crouch
ed in each others arms. They felt
body stumble over them and fall, then
heard feeble whimpering drowned in
violent coughing fit and knew it was
McCan who huddled against them as
he wrapped his robe about him.
Their own lung strangling began. and
they We're racked and torn by dry
cough, spasmodic and uncomfortable
Smoke noted his temperature rising in
a fever, and Labiskwee suffered simi-
larly. Hour after hour the coughing
spells increased in frequency and vio-
lence. and not till late afternoon was
the worst reached. After that the
mend came slowly, and between spells
they dozed in exhaustion.
Smoke awoke with lips touching his
lips. He lay partly in Labiskwee's
arms. his head pillowed on her breast
Her voice was cheerful and usual. The
muffled sound of it had vanished.
1T is day" she said. lifting the edge
of the robes trifie. '.See. oh. my
lorer. it is day. We have lived through.
and we no longer cough. Let us look
a tho x.-C,,lA