The Elbert County tribune., 1919-07-11
CHAPTER Ix-continued.

3
However, 1 hoped that the night
would restore my sight. and so. dis
missing the matter from my mind, I
struggled up until at last stood upon
the summit of the hill. Far away, like
thin. winding ribbon among the hills,
I saw the valley of the Riviere dor.
Beneath me / saw Jacqueline wait
ing, tiny figure upon the snow. I
cast my eyes beyond her toward the
tians and the plains.
And a sense of an inevitable fate
T came over me as 1 perceived far away
4 tiny. crawling ant upon the SHOWS
Simon Leroux's dog sleigh
went back to the little. patient fig
ure that was waiting for me, and /
took up my pack again and told her
nothing. She stepped bravely out be
side me, frozen, fatigued, but willing
because bade her. She did not ask
anything Of me.
The sun dipped lower. and far away
heard the howl of the solitary wolf
again.
. l gripped my pistols as we strobe
along.
We went on and on. The afternoon
. was wearing away; the sun was very
low now and all Its strength had gone.
Courage, Jacqueline," 1 said. patting
her arm. "The huts ought to be here"
Her courage was greater than my
own. She looked up and smiled at me.
The wolf crept nearer, and Its howls
rang out with piercing stroke across
. the silence. My eyes ached so that l
could hardly discern the darkening
land, and the snow came down, not
, steadily but In swirling eddIes blown
on fierce gusts of wind.
And suddenly raising my eyes de-
. sparngly I saw the huts. There were
five Of them, and they had not been oc-
cupied for at least two seasons, for the
: blackened timbers were falling apart.
and the roofs had been torn Off all but
one of them, no doubt for fuel. The
, wind was whirling the snow wildly
around them, and 1t whistled through
the broken, rotting walls.
I flung my pack inside the rooted
one, and began tearing apart the tim
bers of another to make a fire.
Jacqueline. opening the pack, began
TIA preparation of our meal, which
consisted of some biscuits left from
the night before, when we had made
q quantity on the wood ashes. We
made tea over the roaring flames, and
sat listening to the VOLTS call and the
wind that drove our fire in gusts of
q. smoke and flame.
I scooped out a bed for Jacqueline
inside the snow-filled hut and spread
!, II with the big sleigh robe. She lay
down In her fur coat, and 1 wrapped
the ends around her. looked into her
sweet face and marveled at its seren-
ity. Her eyes closed wearily.
A dreadful fear held me in its grip:
what If she never awoke? Some people
died thus In tho snow. l raised the
sleigh robe and saw that the fur coat
, stirred softly as she breathed.
At last, out Of the wild passions that
fought within me, decision was born.
:, would go on, because she had hidden
me. And / would be ready for Le--
,oux and let him act as he saw fit.
i. .oaded my pistols. I could do no more
than fight for Jacquellne. and with God
be the Issue.
"Paulr
must have been half asleep. for l
came back to myself with start and
sprang to my feet. Jacqueline had
risen upon her knees; she flung her
arms out wildly. and suddenly she
= ought her breath and screamed. and
stood up and ran uncertainty toward
me, with hands that CROPPED for me.
She found me; I caught her. and she
pushed me from her and shuddered
and stared at me In that uncertain
(. doubt that follows dreams.
~ am here. Jacqueline." I said.
with you-always, till you send me
away. Remember that even In dreams.
JacQuelIne."
:. She knew me now. and she was re-
soiling from me. out through the hut