The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-12-21
Jeans
Mistakes
By ANTHONY REIMERT

little snowbound cabin in the
.Northland. The stranger had ar.
rived with his dog team that after.
noon. but had given Jean Barthel-
eny no indication Of his purpose.
and 1t was not etiquette to inquire.
That he was policeman Jean
had no doubt. It was true he was
not wearing the scarlet, but the
police >did not rig themselves out
that way when they were on long,
solitary patrols. And why else
should any man penetrate to that
remote region where he, Jean. had
been trapping for two years?
Jean had no doubt the stranger
was a policeman, come to arrest
him for the murder of two years
before.
He had been deeply in love with
pretty Marie Crout. He had re.
turned from long Journey and.
looking through the window, had
seen her in the arms of n stranger.
Then, without a word, he had gone
softly away.
There was some Of the Indian in
Jean. and he knew how to dissem.
bic. He had ascertained that the
man was sleeping in the house Oc.
cupied by Marie and her mother.
He had returned late at night,
thrust rifle through the window,
and fred at the sleeping form.
Then he had fled.
And now, after two years, Meme
sis had found him In the North
land.
Occasionally the men exchanged
few remarks. Once the visitor
tried to draw Jean out, but Jean
was wary. He would not commit
himself, but, though the other de.
sisted. Jean saw the look Of sus-
plcion cross his face.
! Decidedly he would find himself
under arrest the next morning.
This policeman was trying to iull
his suspicious, SO as n2 to have
the trouble Of guarding a prisoner
that night. He was lying low, and
in the morning Jean would be or.
rested.
Jean smiled inwardIy. He was
not quite so simple as the police
man thought he was.
"You must take the bunk" he
said. II will sleep on the floor"
The visitor delnurred. but Jean
insisted. Jean was very crafty. He
was fighting for his freedom. fight.
ing hard not to dance upon the air
with q hempen cord about Ills neck.
He waited long that night in ;he
darkness. until the regular breath
ing of his visitor told him that he
was asleep. Then softly he crept
to where his rifle stood in the cor.
ner.
He slipped a cartridge into the
breech. Only for a moment he hes.
itated. 1t was the second judg.
ment, and with the same rifle he
had killed Marle's lover. he point.
ed at the bunk and fred.
The echoes of the explosion died
away. Jean stood, white and trem.
bling, mastering up the courage to
60 and look ut the dead man.
Then q vast relief filled his heart.
He was free now. None would
know that the dead man had
passed his cabin. In the morning
he would dynamite grave for him
among the rocks and bury him
deep. He struck a match with
trembling fingers, and. lit his lamp.
The bunk was empty!
Jean stared at it aghast. And
suddenly hand fell upon his
shoulder from behind. He whirlel
about in terror.
The stranger was standing he
hind him. He motioned to Jean to
put away his rifle. Jean mechani.
cally obeyed.
"Now we can talk" said the
other. II suspected that. Won
thought me a policeman, Jean Bar
thelemy, and, as you refused to be
drawn out. I took the liberty OF
leaving my bunk softly, to prevent
having a bullet hole drilled through
me. Sure enough, I was right.
And now, Jean Barthelemy, let
me tell you that I know all about
you. The man whom you saw In
Marie's arms was her BROTHER"
Jean uttered an exclamation.
"Just returned from the States.
You shot him"
"Ah. mon Dieu, kill mel" moaned
Jean.
But you did nor wait to see II
you had killed him. Fortunately
your bullet only grazed bic arm
Jean Barthelemy. ! am that man