The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-27

to which they had climbed during 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 Ee escaped. But he thrust his club into Leblanc's face, and, then, as the man stumbled back, brought it down with full force upon Pierre's skull. All the strength of his arms went into the blow. Pierre never spoke again. He went reeling 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 frantical1y toward the barricade. Hilary was upon him when he saw Brousseau whip out 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 flat in the cabin entrance. At the third. Le- 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 a 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 it up and ran to see 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 temporary respite She ran back to Hilary. But it 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 terrific lurch of the vessel, which began to spin crazily 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 go on his errand of murder, was unable to steer her. He had handled ships before, but the swift cross-currents at the juncture of river and gulf made the task impos- sible for one who did not know fntf- 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 successively half round the compass; the wind. catching her swinging sails, began to whiE her round and round; and steadily she drifted toward the pack ice along the shore of the island.
 Madeleine, working over Hilary frantically in the cabin, saw Dupont and Brousseau struggling on the poop deck. Dupont was trying to force his way between the lumber piles. while Brousseau urged him back to the wheel. Her mind worked rapidly. Was there any way of controlling the situ- ation? She could see none. The moon had risen high, and the mists were clearing away. Not far distant was the nearing point of the island, and the open Gulf lay beyond. Toward the ice field the ship was hurrying with frightful speed.
 Madeleine saw the ice fast on every side. The narrow passage behind. filled with black, foam-aecked 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 side toward the bulwarks.
 She stopped, picked the fur coat from the shoulders of the dead out law, and placed 1t about him. She pointed toward the ice field. Brous- seau was still struggling with Dupont near the wheel and Dupont was thrashing his arms and bowling his wild paean. With the last exercise of his strength Hilary managed to drop to the ice.
 He lay there. Madeleine crouched over him under the bow of the vessel, and her last hope went out.