Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-23
CHAPTER XIII-(ContfnuedD

combed his hair with his fingers.
When he returned, there was a trans.
formation in Jeanne. Her beautiful
hair was done up in shining coils. She
had changed her bedraggled skirt for
another of soft, yellow buckskin. At
her throat she wore a fluffy mass of
crimson stuff which seemed to re.
fleet richer rose-flush in her cheeks.
A curious thought came to Philip as
he looked at her. Like flash the
memory Of a certain night came to
him-when 1t had taken Miss Brokaw
and her maids two hours to make a
toilet for a ball. And Jeanne, in the
heart of a wilderness, had made her
self more beautiful than Eileen. He
imagined, as she stood before him, a
little embarrassed by the admiration
in his eyes, the sensation Jeanne
would create in a ballroom at home.
And then he laughed-laughed joy
ously at thoughts which he could not
reveal to Jeanne. and which she, by
some quick intuition, knew that she
should not ask him to express.
Twice again Philip made the port.
age, accompanied the second time by
Jeanne, who insisted on carrying a
small pack and two paddles. In spite
of his determination and splendid ply.
sique, Philip began to feel the effects
of the tremendous strain which he had
been under for so long. He counted
back and found that he had slept but
six hours in the last forty.eight
There was a warning ache in his
shoulders and a gnawing pain in the
bones Of his forearms. But he knew
that he had not yet made sufficient
headway up the Churchill. 1t would
not be difficult for him to make
camp far enough back in the bush
to avoid discovery; but. at the same
time, IL he and Jeanne were pursued
the stop would give their enemies a
chance to get ahead Of them. This
danger he wished to escape.
He fiattered himself that Jeanne saw
no signs of his weakening. He did
not know that Jeanne put more and
more effort into her paddle, until her
arms and body ached. because she saw
the truth.
The Churchill narrowed and its cur
rent became swifter as they pro.
gressed. Five portages were made be.
tween sunrise and eleven o'clock. They
ate dinner at the fifth, and rested for
two hours. Then the journey was re-
sumed. II was three o'clock when
Jeanne dropped her paddle and turned
to Philip. There were deep lines in his
face. He smiled, but there was more
Of haggard misery than cheer in the
smile. There was an unnatural flush
in his cheeks, and he began to feel a
burning pain where the blow had
fallen upon his head before. For a
full halfminute Jeanne looked at him
without speaking.
Phillip" she said-and it was the
first time she had spoken his name in
this way. II insist upon going ashore
Immediately. If you do not land
now-in that opening ahead. shall
jump out, and you can go on alone"
"As you say-my Captain Jeanne"
surrendered Philip. a little dizzily.
Jeanne guided the canoe to the
shore, and was the first to spring out.
while Philip steadied the light craft
with his paddle. She pointed TO the
luggage.
I'VE will want the tent-every.
thing" she said because we are go.
ing to camp here until tomorrow"
Once on shore, Philips dizziness left
him. He pulled the sanoe high up
on tho bank, and then Jeanne and he
set Off, side by side, to explore the
high. wooded ground back from the
river. They followed well.worn
moose trail, and two or three hundred
yards from the stream came upon a
small opening cluttered by great
rocks and surrounded by clumps OF
birch. spruce, and banskian pine. The
moose trail crossed this rough open
space; and, following it to the oppo.
site side, Philip and Jeanne came upon
a clear, ripping little stream scarcely
two yards in width, hidden in places
under thick caribou moss and jungles
of Seeding pines. 1t was an ideal
camping spot, and Jeanne gave a little
cry of delight when they found the
cold water OF the creek.
Philip then returned to the river,
concealed the canot, covered up all
traces of their landing. and began TO
carry The camping outfit back TO the
open. The small silk tent for Jeanne's
use he set up in a little grassy corner
q. the clearing, and built their fire
a dozen PAGES from IT, with a sort of
thrilling pleasure he began cutting
balsam boughs for Jeanne's bed. He
cut armful after armful, and II was
time he was done. In the glow and the
heat OF the fire Jeanne's cheeks were
as pink as an apple. She had turned
q big fiat rock into a table, and as she
busted herself about this she burst
suddenly into sift ripple OF song;
then, remembering that II was not
Pierre who was near her, sho stopped.
Philip, with his last armful of bed
ding. was directly behind her. and he
laughed happily at her over the green
mass Of balsam when she turned and