The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-09-16
CHAPTER xvlI.-centinusd.

CHAPTER xviii-continusd
H.
TIE door opened then 4 very little.
and the frightened face OF an Indian
woman appeared in the crack. The
woman evidently had e1pected-and
fsared-some arrival, and was rcas-
sured when she saw only q girl. Che
threw the door wider open. and bent
to help unfasten Constance's snow
shoes; having done that, she led her
in and closed the door.
"Where Is your mani" Cons.ance
had caught the womnn's arm.
.~They sent him to the beach. A
ship has sunk"
'Are there houses near heref You
must run to one Of them at once.
Bring whoever you can get; or II you
won't do that, tell me where to CO."
The woman stared Mt her s.olidly
and moved away. "None near" she
said. Besides. you could not get
somebody before some one will come"
"Who Is thatf"
"Hs IL on the beach-Henry Spear
man. He comes here to warm him.
self. 1t IL nearly time he comes
again."
Constance Eaxed at her: the woman
was plainly glad of her coming. Her
relief-relief from that fear she had
been feeling when she opened the door
was very evident. 1: was Henry.
then, who had frightened her.
The Indian woman set a chair for
her beside the stove. and put water in
q pan to heat; she shook tea leaves
from q box into q bowl and brought
cup.
SLOW many on that shlpf'
altogether there were thirty
uine," Constance replied.
"Seven are living then"
"Seven7 What have you heard?
What makes you think so?"
..Thnt Is what the Drum says"
The DrumI There was a Drum
theni At least there was some sound
which people heard and which they
called the Drum. For .he woman had
heard 1t.
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
that all from the ferry must be dead
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 heat again.
would 1t beat beyond the scorer
Having finished the tea, Constance
returned to the door and reopened 1t +:
the sounds outside were the same. A
solitary figure appeared moving along
the edge Of the ice-the figure OF .
tall man. walking on snowshees:
moonlight distorted the figure. and It
was mufYled. too. In q great coat which
made 1t unacceptable. He halted
and stood looking out at the lake and
then, with q sudden movement, strobe
on; he halted again. and now Con-
stance COZ the knowledge that he was
not looking; he was listening n she
was.
us the Drum sounding nowr' she
asked the woman.
'No."
Constance gsxed again at the man
and found his motion quite unmistak-
able; he was counting-if not counting
something that he heard. or thought he
heard, he was recounting and review
ing within himself something that he
had heard before-some irregular
rhythm which had become so much
part of him that It sounded now con-
tinually within his own brain; so that.
lnstinctively. he moved In cadence to
It. He stepped forward again now.
and turned toward the house.
Her breath caught as she spoke to
the woman. "Mr. Spearmun Is coming
here nowi"
Her impulse was to remain where
she was, lest he should think she was
afraid Of him: but realization came to
her that there might be advantage In
seeing hiu before he knew that she
was theFe, 90 she reclosed tile door and
drew back Into the cabin.
CHAPTER XIX