Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-28
(Continued From our Last Issue)

Continued From our Last lssue)
She sat ~dry-eyed. incoherent pray
ers at her trembling lips. Mostly
she did not touch the man, only
sat at his bed side in the crude chair
Ben had fashioned for her.
The hours dragged by, the nignt
sloped down to the forest; and tins
dawn followed the night. Ben's life
still fickered, like a flame in the
wind, in the twilight land between
life ard death.
Yet little could she do for him
these first few days, except, in her
simple faith TO pray,
But in the morning Of the fourth
day he opened his eyes windy, mu.-
tered, aud fell Immediately to sleep
In the days that followed he was
conscious to the degree that he
could drink broth, yet never reaIiz-
ms Beatrice nor seeming to know
where he was.
1t would be long weeks before Ben
could hope for sufficient strength to
start the journey down to the settle
ments, even If the way were open.
AS It was, their only chance lay IN
the fall rains that would flood the
Yuga and enable them to journey
down to the native villages in their
canoe.
Yet she still waged the fight.
struggling with high courage and
t~irsless resolution against the fright
full odds that opposed her.
But now the real hour OF crisls
was at hand-not from his illness,
but from the depletion of their FOOD
supplies.
She walked to the mouth Of the
cave; and Famine itself stood close,
waiting in the shadows. She gazed
out into the gathering gloom.
The forest was silent tonight. Not
= twig cracked or a branch rustled.
1t was hushed. breathless, darkly
sinister. All at once her eyes peered
and strained into the dusk.
Far across the valley, beyond the
beaver marsh and on the farther
shore of the lake she saw a little
.giimmer of light through the rift IN
the trees. A CLEAN of hope IN the
darkness of despair.
She fastened into the cave, drew
the blankets higher about Ben's
shoulders, then crept out into the
dusk. Half running, she FASTENED
toward the distant camp fire.
CHAPTER XVI
The Shot That Warned
Impelled by the excitement
under which she advanced. her old
agility of motion had for the mo-
ment returned to her; and she
erept swiftly as a fawn between the
young trees. One mis.tep, n
rustling branch or cracking twig
might give her away; but she took
each step with consummate care,
gently thrusting the tree branches
from her path.
One of the three men looked up,
and she saw his face plainly through
The low spruce houghs. 1t was with
a. distinct foreboding of disaster that
she saw that the nan was Ray
Brent.
At one side, quite to the edge Of
the freight, she saw a kyack-one
5s those square boxes that are nu1S
a pack saddle-which seemed to
be heaped with jerked caribou or
moose flesh. For the time of a
she could not take her eyes
1t.
Chan and Nelson were seemingly
and now Ray was knocking !
he ashes from his pipe.
He got up, and removing his outer
;oat, rolled in his blankets. The
hours began their mystic
march across the face of the wilder
less.
The fire was a heap of gray ashes
for its red-hot center; the
lyack was in gloom. Very softly
seatrice crept through the thickets,
meanwhile encircllng the dying fire,
nd came up behind it.
Not it was almost in reach; now
ler hands were at its loops. She
to lift 1t in her arms.
But disaster still logged her trail.
Ray Brent had been too wary of at
sok. tonight, to sink easily into
Ieep slumber. He heard the soft
and with a startled oath
prang to his feet.
Still trying to hold the kyack of
God that meant life to Ben, she
urned and darted into the shadows.
Like a wolf Ray sped after her.
rhe moonlight showing her fleeing
igure in the trees and shouting
loud he sprang through the coverts
o intercept her flight. Emburdened
by the heavy box she could not
her step. She was hurled
With stunning force to the ground.
Desperate and intent, but in
.eaiization OF impending triumph, '