Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-06-27
CHAPTER Ix-continued.

However, / hoped that the night
would restore my sight. and so. dis
missing the matter from my mind, /
struggled up until at last l 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.
cast my eyes beyond her toward the
mlst-wrapped tops of the far Lauren
tians and the plains.
And a sense of Gn inevitable fate
came over me as perceived far away
a tiny, crawling ant upon the SHOWS
Simon Leroux's dog sleigh.
went back to the little, patient lg-
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 1 bade her. She did not ask
anything Of me.
The sun dipped lower, and far away
I heard the howl of the solitary wolf
again. s,s..- s..l... 1853 -.r -.as.ss-
/ grlpped 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," said. patting
her arm 1.-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
could hardly discern the darlsening
land, and the snow came down, not
steadily but in swirling eddies blown
on fierce gusts Of wind.
And suddenly raising my eyes de-
sparingly / saw 4he huts. There were
Eve of them, and they had not been oc-
eupied for ut 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 whirllng the snow wildly
around them. and it 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 fire.
Jacqueline, opening the pack. began
the 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 listeDing to the VOLTS call and the
wind that drove our fire in gusts of
smoke and fame.
l scooped out bed for Jacqpeline
inside the snow-hlled hut and spread
It with the big sleigh robe. She lay
down in her fur coat, and l wrapped
the ends around her. looked into her
sweet face and marveled at its seren
lty. Her eyes closed wearily.
i A dreadful fear held me in its grip
J what If she never awoke? Some people
J died thus In the snow. / raised the
! sleigh robe and saw that the fur Goa
stirred softly as she breathed.
5 At hast, out of the wild passions tina
fought within me, decision was born
: would go on, because she ,iad bidder
. me. And would be ready for LIE
,oux and let him act as he saw fit.
loaded my pistols. could do no NOR,
t than fight for Jacqueline, and with Got
!; be the issue.
' "Paulw
] must have been half asleep. for
rame back to myself with start an
e sprang to my feet Jacqueline ha
L risen upon her knees; she flung he
: arms out wildly, and suddenly sh
cnught her breath and screamed, an
= stood up and ran uncertainty towar
me. with hands that groped for me.
She found me; 1 caught her, and sh
pushed me from her aRd shuddere
snd stared at me in that uncertsl
doubt that follows dreams.
81 am here, Jacqueline," l sal
with you-always, till you send n
away. Remember that even in drearl
Jacqueline."
She knew me now, and she was =
coiing from me. out through the III
door, into the binding snow. l spral
after her.
"Jacquelinel 1t is Paul I" 1 cried.
Anu us tL1cIScu HUN TIE nul
shelter q red-hOt glare from the en
seemed to scar and kill my vision.
was the rising sun. 1 had thought
night and it was already day. And
could see nothing through my swoll
eyelids except the white light of (
shining snow.
II was horrible, in that wild was
alone. tried to gather my scatter
senses together.
~ Eastward, knew. the river lay, a
nd that binding brightness came frC
., the east. Southwark little distaI
sSr: was the hill that we had last asceI
1G ed on the evening before. l could d
cern the merest outlines of the lai
but l faneied that 1 could see that
2. sioped upward toward the south.
set off In the direction of the b
~Jacqueline! Jacqueline!" !" 1 scream
frantically.
M No answer came. Once more
,3d tailed.
ed A dog barked suddenly, not
sis away, and through the mist he;
for the slide of sleigh runners on sno
and then l knew.
81, scrambled down, slipping, {
ma. sashing nv hands upon the socks