The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-09-04
CHAPTER TX.
The Fungus and Snow Blindness.

The Fungus and Snow Blindness.
Ny rest was miserable. In a success
sion OF brief dreams fed with JacQus-
line over a wilderness of ice. while In
the distance. ever drawing nearer. fsi-
lowed LerouI. LacroiI and Pere An
tolne.
I must have fallen sound asleep at
last, for when I opened my eyes the
sun was shining brightly low down
over the Riviere dor. The door Of
the tent stood open and Jacqueline
was not inside.
With the remembrance Of my dream
still confusing reality ran toward the
trees, shouting for her In fear.
"Jacquelinei Jacquelinew / called.
She was coming toward me. She
took me by the arm. paul !" she be-
gan with quivering lips. "Paulr
She led me into the recesses Of the
pines. There. In a little open place,
clustered together upon the ground.
were the bodies Of our dogs. All were
dead.
Jacqueline sank down upon the
ground and sobbed as though her heart
would break. / stood there watching,
my brain paraiyzed by the shock Of
the discovery.
Then I went back TO the sleigh, on
the rear OF which tne frozen fish was
piled. noticed that 1t had a faint.
slightly aromatic odor. / flung the
hard masses aside and scooped up q
powdery substance with my hands.
Mycology had been hobby Of
mine. and II was easy to recognize
what that substance was.
II was the amanita, the deadiiest
and most widely distributed OF the
fungi. and the direst Of all vegetable
poisons to man and beast alike. The
alkaloid which II contains takes effect
only some hours after Its ingestion.
when Il has entered the blood streams
and begun Its disintegrating action
upon the red corpuscles. The dogs
must have partaken of 1t ON the pre-
| cedlng afternoon.
knew this was Leroux's work. He
had tricked me again. was mad with
anger. meant to kill the man now,
and without mercy. would be as un-
scrupulous as he. He would be in this
place by the afternoon; would wait
for him outside the trail. My pistols
Jacqueline was looking up into my
face in terror. The sight OF her re-
called me to my senser. Leroux after!
ward--first my duty to Eerl
Paul What is the matter. PauiT'
she cried. II never saw you look like
that before"
/ calmed myself and led her away,
and presently we were standing before
the fire again.
"Jacqueline," said. at is easier to
60 on than to turn back now"
She watched me like n lip reader.
"Yes, Paul; let us go on" she an.
swered.
So we went on. But our Journey
was to be very different now. There
was no possibility of taking much bag
gage with us. We took few things
out Of our suitcases and disposed them
about us as best we could.
We must have covered at least a
dozen miles or more. when we stopped
for brief midday meal. was little
fatigued from carrying the pack and
my ankles ached from the snowshoes;
but JacQuellne. who had evidently been
accustomed to their use, was as fresh
as when she started.
Suddenly we emerged from among
the trees apon an ALMOST barren pla.
teau, and there again we halted for
breathing spell.
resolved TO take my bearings accu-
rately, and telling JacQueline to wait
FOR me few minutes at the base of
hill and setting down my pack. began
The ascent alone. The climb was
longer than I had anticipated. My
eyes were aching from the glare OF the
snow. l had left my colored glasses
behind me In the tent and gone on,
saying nothing, though l had realized
my loss when was only mile or 30 :
away.