The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-09-25
Victor Rousseau
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stood and looked bfeathlessly at one
another within what might have been
| cenotaph.
The chamber seemed ut one time TO
have been prepared for such q con-
dngency AZ had occurred, for there
were wool rugs on the stone floor.
though they had rotted and partly dis
integrated from the dampness.
IN. Duchaine. he make this place in
case gov'ment come take him." ex-
planned Pierre ~ he placed the rugs.
"'No can ind, NO can break down
stone door. Other way Simon not
know-only m'sieur and me. Old Carl
bon he come that way; he see you tied
and know it time to come here. Soon
time to kill Simon come as well"
"When. in heavens. name, will 1t
Gomez" cried.
'Come soon. His diable tell me-"
answered Pierre Caribou.
II 60 now" he announced. ITO
morrow come for you, take an
through tunnel. You stay here TN I
come; all sleep IN morning"
II will 20 with you. Pierre" said,
still under my obsession. But he laid
his heavy hand upon my arm and
pushed me away.
"You no kill Simon" he answered.
"Why you no kill him again when you
have swordf Only diable can kill him.
When time come diable tell old Carl
bou. You sleep now. I 90 for take
my woman and gal safe through tun-
+! mel to place know. When my woman
and gal safe come back to m'sieur
and ma'm'selle."
lay down. The silence was loneli-
ness itself. and not rendered LEES
lonely by the occasional cries Of the
old man and the drip. drip Of water.
could not see anything. and Jacque-
line might have been q woman Of
stone. for she made not the least move.
ment.
At last spoke to her.
"Jacquelinel"
Iheard her start and knew that she
had raised her head and .wss looking
after me. cfawled toward her, drag
ging my blanket after me. felt In
the darkness for the place where
knew her hand must be and took Il In
mine.
"JacQueline said again.
"Ah, II. Hewlett"-the WEAKNESS In
her voice went to my heart-"it might
have been 80 di6erent-if-"
'If what. Jacqueliner'
IF there had not been the blood Of
| dead man between us," she moaned.
'1If-you-had not-killed himw
Her words were q revelation to me,
for I learned that she had mercifully
been spared the full remembrance Of
what had happened in the Tenth street
apartment. She thought that It was
who had killed Louis d'Epernay.
And how could deny this. when to
! 80 would be to bring to her mind the
knowledge Of her own dreadful guilt7
The hours wore away, and We three
| lay there. two waiting and one dream
ing of the old days Of youth, no doubt.
I tried to light the candle to see the
time, but my shaking hand sent It ny
ing across the cave. and when i
searched for my matches found that
the box was empty.
It seemed an eternity since We had
come there. It Is one thing to wait for
dawn, and quite another thing to wait
where dawn will never come.
resolved to follow the exit for .
little distance to see whittier It led.
and IL could discover the light Of
day.
80 I took my sword and sailed out
through the passage In the cliff.
L had only proceeded a few steps
when the air grew cold and sweet.
And before had traversed two hun
dred yards saw dim light In the
distance. This was no candle light
but that Of day. So I had endured all
those axonies Of mind with the open
air but a short distance awayi
ASH advanced fancied that heard
the soft pattering Of feet behind me.
halted and listened intently.
crouched against the wall and waited.
But heard nothing now except the
distant roaring Of the cataracts. How
sweet they sounded nowl
listened intently, leaning against
the wall and facing backward, holding
my sword ready to meet any intruder.
But there was no sound from Within
except the soughing which one hears
In q tunnel. and satisfied at last that
I had been the victim Of an over
wrought Imagination I pursued my
course. But I had not gone six PAGES
before I heard q scream that still
rings in my ears today. and shadow
sprang out OF the darkness and rushed
at me. 1t was old Charles Duehaine.
His white hair streamed behind him
his face bore an expression Of indelible
horror and rage, and In his hand he
held the other sword.
He struck at me. . great. sweeping
blow which would almost have cut me