The Dermott news., 1919-08-07
CHAP TER K.
The Fungus and Snow Blindness.

he Fungus and Snow Blindness.
 My rest was miserable h success sion of brief dreams fled with JacQuez line over q wilderness of ice while iH the distance, eyer drawing nearer fol lowed LerouN, Lacroix and Frre An toiue
 I must have falten sound asleep at last, for when opened my eyes he sun was shining brightly low down over the Rlyjere d'ur. The door ef the tent stood open and Iarqueline was not inside.
 With the remembrance ef my dream ~lill confusing realty ran toward the trees shouting for her in fear
 "laequeHuc' Jae4uclinet" 7" called.
 She wa> coming toward me. She took me by the arm Paul t she he gan with guiveripg tips Paul"
 She led me into the reee>~es of the pines There. in little open place clustered together upon the ground were the bodies ef our dogs All were dead
 Jacquefnc sank down upon the ground and >obbed a> though her heart would break I stood there watching my brain Puralyled by the shock of thc discovery.
 Then l went hack to the sleigh, on The rear of which The frozen fish was piled noticed hat il had faint. slightly aromatic oder. I flung the hard masses a~f#e and seoaped mp pnwdery suhStaaer with my hands.
 Myeology had been a hobby of Hre, and il Nas easy to recognize what that substance WaN.
 II uaS the aaanita. the deadliesf and most widely distributed of the fungi, and ,he dtrest of all vegetable poi>ons to man and beast alike. The aihaioid which II contains takes effect eni, some hours after it's ugeStion. when il has entered thc blood streams and begun its di>tHtegrating action upon the red corpuscleS. The dogs must have partaken of it on the pre redi.s afternoon.
 l Knew thiS was IerouN.s work. He had tricked ue again l was mad with anger l meant to kill the man now. and without mercy. would be as un- Scrupulous aS he. He would he in this place by the afternoon; would wait for him outside the trail My pistols
 Jacqueline was looking up into my tace In terror The sight of her re called me to my senses. Leroux after Ward-tirst my duty 10 her
 h., ,t she cried. "I never saw you look like that before"
 l calmed myself and led her away and presently we were standing before the fire again
 "Jaeaueline," l said 'It Is easier 10 go on than to turn back now
 She watched me Ike lip reader. "Yes, Paul; let us ro on" she an swercd
 So We went on But our tourney was To be very different now There was no possibility of faking much bag gage with a~. We took few things out of our SuitcaSes ami disposed them about uS us best We could
 We must have covered at least a dozeu miles or more hen We stopped for brief midday meoi. was a little fatiEued from carrying the pack and my ankles ached from the snewshoes but lacquelinc who Ind evidently been accustomed to their use. was as fresh as when she started
 Suddenly We emerged from among fhe trees upon m almost barren pla- teau. and there again We halted for breathing spell.
 resolved tu take my bearings accu- rately, and telling Jacquelne to walt for me few minutes at the base of hill and setting down my pack. began the ascent alone. The climb was longer than l had anticipated My eyes were aching from the glare of the snow had left my colored glasses behind me in the tent and gone on, saying nothing. though had realized my loss when l was only a mile or so away.