Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-07-08
CHAPTER Ix-continued.

"Oulu TeStOTe my SIGHT, anu So, us
missing the matter from my mind, I
struggled up until at last 1 stood upon
the summit of the hill. Far away, like
a thin, winding ribbon among the hills,
l saw the valley of the Riviere dor.
Beneath me I saw Jacqueline wait
Ing, tiny figure upon the snow.
cast my eyes beyond her toward the
mist-wrapped tops of the far Lauren
tians and the plains.
And a sense of an 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 fig
ure that was waiting for me, and l
took up my pack again and told her
nothing. She stepped bravely out be-
side me, frozen, fatigued, but willing
because l babe her. She did not ask
anything of me.
The sun dipped lower. and far away
heard the howl of the solitary wolf
again.
I gripped 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," l said, patting
her arm. "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 bowls
rang out with piercing stroke across
the silence. My eyes ached so that I
could hardly discern the darkening
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 the huts. There were
five of them, and they had not been oc-
Snpied for at least two seasons, for the
Hackened 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 1t whistled through
the broken, rotting walls.
l 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
the night before, when we had made
a quantity on the wood ashes. We
made tea over the roaring flames, and
sat listening to the VOLTS call and the
wind that drove our fire in gusts of
smoke and flame.
scooped out a bed for Jacqueline
inside the snow-fllled hut and spread
It with the big sleigh robe. She lay
down In her fur coat, and I wrapped
the ends around her. looked into her
sweet face and marveled at its seren-
ity. Her eyes closed YEARLY.
A dreadful fear held me In its grip:
what If she never awoke? Some people
died thus in the snow. I raised the
sleigh robe and saw that the fur coat
stirred softly as she breathed.
At last. out of the wild passions that
fought within me, decision was born.
would go on. because she had hidden
me. And 1 would be ready for Lee
.oux and let him act as he saw fit.
oaded my pistols. l could do no more
than fight for JacQueline, and with God
be the issue.
"Paull !"
must have been half asleep. for 1
came back to myself with a start and
80 foot Toannolfna
risen upon her knees; she flung her
arms out wildly, and suddenly she
caught her breath and screamed, and
stood up and ran uncertainty toward
me. with hands that CROPPED for me.
She found me; caught her. and she
pushed me from her and shuddered
and stared ar me In that uncertain
doubt that follows dreams.
" am here. Jacqueline," 1 said.
with you-always, till you send me
away. Remember that even In dreams,
Jacqueline."
She knew me now, and she was re-
coiling from me. out through the hut
door. into the binding snow. I sprang
after her.
"JacQuelinel 1t is PAUL." / cried.
And as l emerged from the hut's
shelter a red-hot glare from the east
seemed to scar and kill my vision. 1t
was the rising sun. l had thought 1t
night, and ii was already day. And
could see nothing through my swollen
eyelids except the white light of the
shining s1N,
alone. I tried TO gather my scattered
senses together.
Eastward. knew, the river lay, and
that binding brightness came from
the east Southwark a little distance
was the hill that we had last ascend
ed on the evening before. could dis
cern the mereSt outlines of the land,
but I fancied that 1 could see that 1t
sloped upward toward the south.
set off In the direction Of the hill.
"Jacqueline! Jacquelinew l screamed
franticaIly.
No answer came. Once more 1
called
A dog barked suddenly, not far
away, and through the mist I heard
the slide OF sleigh runners or snow
and then knew.
scrambled down. slipping. and
Sashing my hands upon the rocks and