The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-06-28


passage Just large enough TO give adj
mittance 10 single person. Here I
should have only one front 70 defend.
so carried JacquelIne inside and
began laboriously 10 drag the bags OF
earth into this last refuge. Before II
had grown quite dark | had barricaded
Jacqueline and myself within place
the size OF a hall bedroom inclosed
upon three sides With rock.
And there l waited for the end.
sat beside Jacquellne. holding her
hand with one OF mine. and my re-
volver In the other. There was faint
nutter nj her wrist. fancied that II
had grown stronger during the past
half hour.
But I was unprepared TO hear her
whisper 10 me. and when she spoke
was alert In moment.
Paul" she said family.
"Jacquellnew
PAUL Bend down. want TO
speak 10 you. DO you know have
been conscious for long time, my
dear7 have been thinking. Are you
distressed because OF mef'
'Afy deari'' said; and that was all
that could say. l clasped her cold
little hand tightly In mine.
You must leave me. Paul. because
because OF what is between us. You
must go to Leroux and tell him 80.
You love me. PaulT
Always. Jacquellne," whispered
She put her arms about my neck.
II love you, Paul." she said. 1T
seems so easy TO say 1t In the dark,
and II used to be so hard. DO you
know what l admired and loved you
for. even when you thought my mind
unstable aud empty? How true you
werei II was that. dear. II was your
honor, Paul.
"That was why, when | remembered
everything that dreadful night In the
snow, the revulsion was so terrible. ,
ran away In horror. could not believe
that II was true-and yet / knew II
was true.
"And Leroux was waiting there and
found me. did not want TO leave
you, but he told me there was Pero
Antoine's cabin close by, and that you
would come TO no harm. And he made
me belleve-you had stolen my money
as well. But never believed that,
and only tainted you with II TO drive
you away for your own sake"
She drew me weakly toward her and
went on:
Now that we are TO part forever
and perhaps / am 10 die. ! can speak
TO you from my heart and tell you.
dear. Kiss mc-as though l were your
wife, Paul.
so you VIII go to Leroux." she
added presently.
rs that your VIII. JacquelIne?'
Eyes, dear" she said. Because we
have fought, and now we are beaten,
Paul"
! bowed my head. knew that she
spoke the truth. l knew at last that
| was sanqulshed. For. now that
Jacquelne lay there so weak. so help.
less, and thinking all our past was
but a dream, there was nothing but 20
yield. / could not fight any more.
SO left her and climbed cross tho
bags and went down toward the
stream.
But before had reached II a dark
figure slipped from among the shad-
ows of the rocks and came toward
me; ana by the faint starlight l saw
the face of Pierre Caribou
He stopped me and held me by both
shoulders, and he drew me into the
recesses of the rocks and bent his
wizened old face forward toward mine.
"Ah, monsieur. so you did not obey
old Pierre Caribou and stay In the
cave" he said.
pierre, | did not know that you
would return" answered.
"Never mind" the Indian answered,
looking at me strangely. "All finish
now. Diable take Leroux. His time
come. DIable show mel"
"Howr l answered. startled.
"All fnish," said Pierre InexorabIy,
and. as ] watched him a superstitious
fear crept over me. He, who had
cringed, even when he gave the com.
mand, now cringed no longer, and
there was look I'm his old face that
had only seen on one mans before
on my fathers the night he died.
Pierre, where Is Lerouxf" ] whis.
pered. "Shall l surrender to him or
shall fightr
mo matter" he said once again.
"M'sieur suppose you go hack 10
ma'm'selle, and soon Simon come. His
dinble lead him TO you. Ills dlable tell
you what TO say. All finish nowi'
He walked past me nolselessly. a
tenuous shadow, and his hearing was
MS proud as that Of his race had been
in the long ago, when they were lords
where now their white masters zalcd.
went to Jacquellne and took my
seat upon the earth bag barrcade. I
had my revolver In my hand, but II
was not loaded. l threw the chr.
tridges upon the floor.