New Britain herald., 1924-06-11
CHAPTER x. Pete Saves Islhn,iu

liofothy found, to her great sur prise, that the days Of waiting passed rather swiftly. Slre slept long in the mornings on the comfortable, rudely , contriNed grass mattress that Pete | had made for her: she played cards l with Ivan, and made many little ad. Nenturous excursions into the wild with one or both of the two white men. Ivan was consideration itself always willing to beeuile her with his inesse Of ardor, fascinating her in hours Of talk with the intricacics oi his brilliant intellect and of his com pleN, marelously attractive person. nlity
 Net she owed great deal to the head guide, too, In particular he watched out for her material comfort experimenting the preparation of her , meals so that every cup Of coffee every sueculent breast of ptarmigar 1 was exactly to her taste. keeping her ever warm and dry. rcfilling her mat tress every day with freshly cut grass and keeping the Ire bright every morning fin the camp stove for her 10 dress by.
 lt was not go easy to explain the instinciiNe comradcship she felt for him. Of course ho was the one man uf hers own race in tho entire com pany, and hefe--far from the cities Of men--bonds of race were revealed as Of surprising strength.
 From rete's point Of view the days went by in . single flash between the curtains of night; and he dreaded to his hearts depth the hour certain 10 come when the Warrior would roll in on inc waves and carry Dorothy out of his life.
 His attitude toward Ivan was too complex ever to completely straight en out in hi. mind. In the first place he had deep admiration and unfal- terinr respect for his genius from the East He was pleased and gratifed by the mans attitude toward Doro- thy; his own most chivalrous in- stincts seemed reflected in the Rus sian. Vet sometimes a sudden. white flame. strange 10 his sight and pug zling to his heart. mounted and palcd in the thin. almost beautiful face; sometimes he was appalled, and es- tranged by spark in the almond eyes, gesture Of the white hands. and sometimes he caught a feeting expression on the classic countenance that wakencd. in his OWE heart n sullen, almost a murderous rage. Once, on bringisg fresh fuel 10 the little camp stove in Dorothy's tent, he found the girl in the Russians arms
 She had just yielded to his lips. and she was conlinced--at the in- stant that Pete appeared at the thr.s- hold-that in Ivan her destiny Of happiness was secure. But she was instantly cold. inexp1icably appalled,. as she looked into Pete's face.
 She could not have explained why. The man looked drawn. as in the last stages Of fatigue: but there was no conceivable excuse for her sense Of shame. her strange drawing-in 10 her. self and inability 10. emerge again into Itan's warmth.
 On leaving the tent Pete walked straight past inc camp fire on to tbe hills. He was profoundly shaken and unnorNed. not from amazemenf at what he had seen--hn had realized that Ivan and Dorothy were virtualtY HnEa ged-but at the narrow margin by which the girl had missed ir- revocabIe disaster. II had rot been hy too wide a margin that he had restrained a mad. tragic impulse to leap into the tent and shstter tbs mans life.
 He spent 2 restless night after the lncident. and his peace Of mind had departed from him. Tor all that this vas his last dream on e,r4b-- the only shadow of happiness that hs dared to hope for--he felt that bt- all conscience he nlust cut if short His trust in himself was shattered. and there was nothing for him now but 10 turn away from this camp where his love was and vanish among the deSolate hills. His star would soon set. the tower of his only strength was tottrring. Yet the hours passed. and he lay in his bunk. unable 10 reach ID 10 this sacrifice or self. But if he had lost faith in himself. higher. better faith had come to him in these years in the wild. and the basic prayer. the first and last cry of all nankind. came eagerly to his lips. rh. Lord. lead u1a moi into temptation. and deliver me from etn.'