White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-06-04
By JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD

come to conquer Quebec and had
brought such friendship for its people
that British soldier was hanged in
the public square for stealing from a
resident of the town.
Jeems felt this comradeship of his
enemies. At first he was taciturn and
aloof and talked only when courtesy
required the effort Of him. He OBJ
served that many eyes regarded him
with pity which added shame to the
burden of his distress, and at times
when he was struggling to hold his
stopped shoulders erect, sympathetic
hands came to help him in spite OF
himself. Ills health returned slowly
but in the second week of his freedom
an incident occurred which sent
warmer glow through his veins. He
heard two soldiers talking on the
street. They were talking about dog
"a three-legged dog that passed in
front of their line as they had stood
ready to fire upon the French.
When he returned to the little room
which he still occupied in the general
hospital Mere de Sainte- Claude
thought fever had set itself upon him
again. The next day, he went out
looking for the dog and found others
who had beheld what his own eyes
had seen. But he asked no questions
except in casual way, and did not
reveal the reason for his interest. He
knew the dog could not be Odd, yet it
was Odd for whom he was seeking.
This paradoxical state of mind both
cred him, and he wondered If his illness
had left him entirely sane. To think
Odd had escaped Tiaoga's vengeance
and had wandered through hundreds
Of miles of wilderness to Quebec
would surely be an indication that it
had not. He continued to seek, trying
to believe he was making the quest
diversion which was healthful for his
body, and that curiosity, not hope or
faith, was encouraging him to find
the three-legged dog. AS Lower Town
was the home of most of the dogs, he
spent much of his time among its
ruins, but without success.
His search came to an unexpected
end in st. Louis street where many
aristocratic families Of the city lived
Nancy Gagnon, who had been Nancy
Lotbiniere before her marriage to
Peter Gagnon, and a dearly loved
belle Of the town, described the Incl
dent soon afterward in a letter to
Anne st. Denis Rock, and this letter,
partly unintelligible because of it's age,
is a cherished possession of that
family.
II had come out Of the house (she
wrote) in time to see strange figure
pause near the iron gate which shut
him out from the plot of ground where
the dog was watching little Jeems at
play with some blocks and sticks
He was soldier in a faded uniform
OF France, with hospital badge on
his arm, and had apparently just
risen from a terrible sickness. AS he
staggered against the gate with
strange cry, thought he was about to
faint and hurried toward him. Then
most amazing thing happened. Tue
dog sprang straight at him, and so
frightened was I by the unexpected
ness Of his attack that 1 screamed at
the top of my voice and snatched up
one Of the baby's sticks with which
l was about to beat the animal from
his victim when, to my still greater
establishment, saw that both man
and beast were overcome by what ap-
peared to be a paroxysm of recogni-
ton and joy. The action of the dog
together with my scream set little
Jeems to crying Justify and my terri
fed voice brought Toinette and nv
father to the door. Shall I ever for
get what happened then? Toinette
started first toward her baby, then saw
the man at the gate, and the cry which
came from her lips will remain with
me until my dying day. In a moment
she was in that poor wreck Of a SOL
dier's arms, kissing him and sobbing.
until, with the antics Of the dog and
the fiercer shrieking OF the child, to
say nothing Of my own wild appear
ance with the stick, we were beginning
to attract the attention of the pub
lie. -. :"
(TO BE coNTINUED.)
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