The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-04-23
By
VICTOR
ROUSSEAU
illustrations b.
TRUTH Myers


10 winch tney QaO ClimDe0 0uf1u0
Brousseau's fictitious parleying. Each
had his knife ready. and they were
| upon Hilary together.
There was no room for maneuvering.
and Hilary never knew afterward how
lie escaped. But he thrust his club
into Leblanc's face, and. then, as the
man stumbled back. brought 1t down
with full force upon Pierres skull.
All the strength OF his arms went
into the blow. Pierre never spoke
again. He went Keeling acroSs the
deck like an inanimate thing. struck
the bulwark. and, as the schooner
lurched, toppled into the sea. He was
probably dead before he disappeared
beneath the waves.
Leblanc rushed Yranticaiiy toward
the barricade. Hilary was upon him
when he saw BrousSeau whip out a re-
volver and take deliberate aim at him
He felt the bullet clip his cheek. Twice
more Brousseau fired at the second
shot Hilary stumbled and fell fiat in
the cabin entrance. At the third. Lee
blanc, shot through the brain, whirled
round twice and collapsed in front Of
the barrier.
Madeleine dragged Hilary within the
cabin. Blood was gushing from q
wound in his breast Frantically she
began to tear away the upper part of
his clothing and TO endeavor to stanch
the wound. Suddenly she perceived the
little rusted revolver upon the floor.
She snatched 1t up and ran TO gee
Brousseau in the act OF crossing the
barricade. She pushed 1t into his
face.
Brousseau cursed and dropped on the
far side; Madeleine heard him running
into the darkness. She had brought q
temporary respite. She ran back to
Hilary. But 1t was almost dark In the
cabin, and there was hardly anything
she could do. He was conscious, but
he seemed bleeding to death, and she
could only try to stanch the blood that
never stopped flowing.
Suddenly there came a terrific lurch
of the vessel, which began to spin
crafty in the trough Of the sea. And
above the roaring of the wind came
the wild cries of Dupont and the ex-
postulations of Brousseau. The cap
tain's reason had deserted him he had
abandoned the wheel to fight out his
quarrel with Hilary. The schooner,
uncontrolled, ran sidewise before the
wind. and Brousseau, willing as he
was to let Dupont so on his errand or
murder, was unable to steer her. He
had handled ships before, but the
swift cross-currents at the juncture oe
river and gulf made the task impos-
Gil ho Ern nj 4
mately that uncharted track, far from
the main channel, now impossible
with Ice. The schooner was rolling
heavily, huge seas were sweeping over.
board, and she turned successfully
half round the compass; the wind
catching her swinging sails, began to
whirl her round and round: and
steadily she drifted toward the pas1
ice along the shore of the island.
Madeleine, working over Hilary
frantically in the cabin. saw Dupont
and Brousseau struggling on the pooF
deck. Dupont was trying to foIcs
his way between the lumber plea
while Brousseau urged him back to the
wheel. Her mind worked rapidly. Wa
there any way of controlling the stu
alton? She could see nr'ne. The IN BON
had risen high, and the mists vert
clearing away. Not far distant vas
the nearing point of the island. aDd
the open Gulf lay beyond Toward the
ice field the ship was hurrying ~ith
frightful speed.
Madeleine saw the ice fast on Oyery
side. The narrow passage behind.
filled with black, foam-flecked water.
was closing in. She did not hesitate
but caught at Hilary and urged him TO
his feet He managed to rise, with
her support, and staggered at her 8 sle
toward the bulwarks.
She stopped. picked the fur cat
from the shoulders of the dead otft.
law, and placed 1t about him. She
pointed toward the ice field. Brops-
seau was still struggling with Dupont
near the wheel and Dupont WIS
thrashing his arms and bowling hA
wild paean With the last exercise 1t
his strength Hilary managed to drup
to the ice.
He lay there. Madeleine crouched
over him under the bow of the vessel
and her last hope went out.