, 1923-09-26
CHAPTER Viii
DellrIum,

not trained to face crises, to make
prompt and Just decisions. Joan had
made but two such resolutions in her
life: the first when she had followed
Pierre, the second when she had kept
Holliwell's books in defiance of her
husbands jealousy. The leaving her
father had been the result of long
and painful thought. Now, In a few
hours, events had crashed about her
SO that her whole life, outer and in
ner, had been shattered. Beyond the
pain and fever Of her wound there was
an utter confusion of her faculties.
Before she tainted she had, indeed,
made a distinct resolve to leave Pierre.
II was this purpose, working subcon-
s%ciously on her will, as much as the
urgent pressure of the stranger, that
took her past Pierre's body out into
the dawn and sent her on that rash
journey of hers in the footsteps Of
an unknown man. This being seemed
to her then hardly human. Mysteri-
ously he had stepped in out of the
night, mysteriously he had condemned
Pierre, and in self-defense, for Joan
had seen Pierre draw his gun and fire.
he had killed her husband. Now. just
as mysteriously, as inevitably 1t
seemed to her, he took command Of
her life. She was a passive, ship
wrecked thing-a derelict.
AS the silent day slowly frightened
through its glare of clouds. she plOd-
ded on. setting her snowshoes in the
tracks her leader made. The pain In
her shoulder steadily increased, more
and more absorbed her consciousness.
She did not know that they were trav-
cling north and west toward the wild
est and most desolate country, that
every time she set down her foot she
set It down farther from humanity.
She began soon to be a little light
headed and thought that she was fol-
lowing Pierre.
At noon they entered the woods, and
her guide came behind her and led her
through fallen timber and past pitfalls
of soft snow. Suddenly. 81 can't go
no more" she sobbed, and stopped.
swaying. At that he took her in his
arms and carried her a few hundred
feet till they entered a cabin under
the shelter of frs.
"It's the ranger-station." said he;
"the ranger told me that I could make
use of It on my way back. We can
pass the night here"
Joan knew that he had carried her
across a strange room and put her on
a strange bed. He took off her snow
shoes, and she lay watching him light
a fire in the cold. clean o and
cook a meal from supplies left by the
owner of the house. She was trying
now TO remember who he was. what
had happened, and why she was In
such misery and pain. Sometimes h
knew that he was her father and that
she was at home In that wretched
| shack up Lone river. and an ineffable
satisfaction would relax her cramped
mind sometimes, just as clearly. h
knew that he was Pierre who had
taken her away to some strange place,
and. In this certainty, she was even
more content. But always the hor-
rible fame on her shoulder burnt her
again TO the confusion Of half-con-
seriousness. He wasn't John Carver.
| he wasn't Pierre. Who, in Gods name.
was he? And why was she here alone
with him7 She could not frame a
question she had a fear that, II she
began to speak, she would scream and
rave, would tell impossible, secret
things. So she held herself to silence.
to a savage watchfulness. to a battle
with delirium.
The man brought her n cup Of
strong coffee and held up her head so
that she could drink II, but II nau-
seated her and she thrust It weakly
away, asking for cold water. After
she had drunk this. her mind feared
for an instant she tried to stand up.
81 must go back to Pierre now" she
said. looking about with wild but reso-
lutte eyes.
Lie STILL" said the stranger gently.
you're not 1T to stir. Trust me. It's
all right. You're quite safe. Get rested
and well, Their you may go wherever
you like. I want only to help you"
The reassuring tone, the promising
words coerced her and she dropped
back. Presently. In spite Of pain, she
slept.
She woke and slept in fever for
many hours, vaguely aware. at times.
thnt she was travelling. She felt the
motion of n sled under her and knew
that she was lying on n warm hide OF
some freshly killed beast and that n
| blanket and n canvas covering protect
ed her from n swirl of snow. Then h
thought she heard n voice -babbllng
queerly and saw n face quite terribly