Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-06-07
CHAPTER VII.
The Message.

NC "GooaHO'
kazan's howl awakened the man. He
cnme 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 a chunk Of meat. joan came ont
u 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 jumped up to
help her father, KaZan followed her,
and when Joan saw him standing FIRM
~ upon his legs she gave a cry of
pleasure.
II was strange journey that began
into the north that day. Pierre Raids
son emptled the sledge OF everything
but the tent. blankets, food and the
furry nest for baby Joan. Then he har-
messed himself in the traces ana
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"
Even Kazan. with that strange beast
knowledge which man, unable to ex-
plain calls instinct, knew that what he
said was not the truth. Perhaps II
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 coughed
and had learned what followed 1t.
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 Il 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
4 dozen times, when the Sledge
stopped, he shifted ut the bit of hui
manity buried in the bearSkin. Each
time that he did this Joan WIS quick
Nv at his side. and twice she patted
his Scared and griZzled head until
every drop of blood In his body leaped
rlotOusly with Il 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 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 bear
skin.
For a long time after they made
camp Pierre RadissOn sat beside the
IRE. Tonight he did not smoke. He
stared straight into the flames. When
ut 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 to-
morrow, boy" he said. I'VE must
make the river by tomorrow night. II
we DON'T"
He did not finish. He was choking
back one Of those tearing coughs when
the tent-flap dropped behind him. ka-
ran lay stlff and alert, his eyes filleo
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 1t seemed to be 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
whlned at the end Of his chain, hoping
chat she would come In and lie down at
his side. But no sooner had Radisson
moved In the tent than Gray Wolf was
rome. The mans face was thinner
and his eyes were redder this morn
Eng. His cough was not 20 loud or %
..ane II was like = wheeze, a. =
ss1nefhIng bad filen- WAY made ane