The Ordway new era., 1922-08-25
CHAPTER xvnI-continued.


The door opened then very little,
and the frightened face OF an Indian
woman appeared in the crack The
woman evidently had expecteti-and
feared-some arrival, and was reus-
sured when she saw only 4 girl She
threw the door wider open. and bent
to help unfasten Constance snow
shoes; having done rhar. she led her
in and closed the door
"where is your man7' Cons-1nc@
had caught the wOman's arm.
'sThey sent him 20 the beach d
ship has sunk"
care there houses cear her=t -
must run 70 one II -leu &c lla=
Bring whoever yoG caI sec 1r r z''l
won't do that tel ne WHERE m -
The woman sca-e,E sc lsr s-9i-li-
and moved aEay- -Nslue -szr S-=
said. Besides. va clull lur -
somebody before sgus Jus WI -lr1e
who Is rharT'
He IS on The tzach-Ezn-v Sve7zr-
man. He comes here p wa-u nm
self. 1t Is nearly tine he -1ue~
again"
1DuSlhuEc -dGENA -
was plainly glad Of her coming Esr
relIef-relief from that fear she ha';
been feeling when she opened the coor
was very evident L was Henry,
then. who had frightened her.
The Indian woman set chair FOR
her beside the stove, and pur water in
a pan to heat; she shook tea leaves
from box into bowl and brought q
cup.
How many on that ship?"
Altogether there were thirty
nine" Constance replied.
seven are living then"
"Seven7 What have you heard7
What makes you think so7"
That IS what the Drum says"
The Druml There was Drum
them AT least there was some sound
which people heard and which they
called the Drum. For he woman had
heard IL.
Constance grew suddenly cold. For
twenty lives. the woman said. the
Drum had beat; that meant TO her,
and TO Constance too now, that seven
were left. Indefinite. desperate denial
'LlAL stAl LEbLLl EAE- AELAr mus DE AEGA4--
that denial which had been strength
ened by the news that at least one
boat had been adrift near Beaver
altered in Constance to conviction OF
q boat with seven men from the ferry.
seven dying. perhaps, but no. yet
dead Seven out of twenty-seven:
The score were gone; the Drum had
beat for them in little groups as they
died. When the Drum beat again.
would It beat beyond the score?
Having finished the tea, Constance
returned to the door and reopened it;
the sounds outside were the same. 4
solitary figure appeared moving along
the edge of the ice-the figure of a
tall man. walking on snowshoes
moonlight distorted the figure, and it
was muffled, too. in a great coat which
made it unrecognlzable He halted
and stood looking out at the lake and
then. with q sudden movement. strobe
on he halted again. and now Con
stance got the knowledge that he was
not booking; he was listening as she
was.
Is the Drum sounding nowTr she
asked the woman
No
Constance gazed again at the nan
and found his motion quite unmisrak-
able; he was coun-iEz-tf not counting
something that he heard, or thought he
heard h. was recounring and review
ing within himself something that he
had heard befor-sorne irregular
rhythm which had become - much 4
part u hin that it sounded now coz
tiuuaLly within his o1n brain: 50 thar.
instincriye,y. he moved IN cadence 70
It He stepped forward again now.
and turned toward the h0uSs
Her breath caught IS she spoke 70
the woman. NJ Spearman IS coming
here now -
Her impulse was 10 remain where
she was. lest he should think she was
afraid Of him: but realization came 10
her that thsre might be advantage in
seeing hIr. before he knew that she
was there. 80 she recIosed The door and
drew hack into the cabin.