The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-03-05

"There is not time TO care for the
others. If they come back"
"They will not harm you," she
said.
Jeelns made no answer but
looked away over the Richelieu to-
ward Champlain and Dieskau.
And they will not harm your
father or your mother or anything
that belongs to the Bulains, but
will reward them for their loyalty
to murder and outrage. Is not
that true?"
Still Jeems did not answer, but
stood listening for sound to come
out of the distance.
She saw the sickness gathering
in his face and eyes, but pity for
him was as dead in her breast as
her desire TO live. She knew where
he would take her. To his home
"a place left unscathed by the
killers. To his mother the soft
and pretty woman in whom her
father had believed so faithfully.
To Henri Bulain, the traitor who
had bartered his honor for an Eng
lish woman. Over her fathers hill,
in Forbidden valley, were safety
and mercy at the hands of her
c0untry's enemies.
Her lips found way to cut him
deeper.
"Your father and mother are
waiting for you,' she said. go,
and leave me here. prefer to
wait for the return of your Indian
friends. And | am not sorry be-
cause | tried to kill you'll"
He moved away from her to
where Hebert and Juchereau and
the simple minded Raudot lay on
the ground. This time if was the
idiots coat he took, fine coat
made by the idiots mother. The
boy had loved birds and flowers,
and on the lapel of the coat was
a faded geranium bloom. Jeems
took it off and tucked it between
the dead lads fingers.
Then he went back to Toinette
and said. I'VE had better go"
After that he added, Il am sorry,
but | must go to my mother and
father first"
He staggered as he set out, and
Tonteur hill dipped and wobbled
before his eyes. There was an
ache like a splinter twisting in his
head, and as she followed him,
Toinette could see the effect of
her unresisted blows with the iron
gun barrel. For she did follow,
out of the smoke fumes into the
clearer air of the meadows and
across them to the worn path that
led to the Indian trail and the
home of Catherine Bulain.
They're down there" said
Jeems, and pointed, speaking to
Odd more than to her.
He took the Ratchet from his
belt and carried it in his hand
They entered the greater stiffness
of the Big forest, and Odd, who
had Travelled between them
dropped back to Toinette's side
and thrust his muzzle against hel
hand.
She did not snatch it, away from
him now.
They came to the slope, anC
Jeems forgot that. Toinette was
behind him. He walked straight
down like a tall, thin ghost-ant
the girl stopped and stood alone
staring at the place where his
home should have been, a cry
wringing itself at last from hel
lips.
Jeems did not hear. He saw
nothing but the clulnp of rost
bushes and the place where hi!
mother lay. He went to her first
oblivious of other presence, uncon
scious of the sun, of the ruins still
smoldering, his soul stirring one,
more with the faint mad spark o
incredulity. But she was dead
He saw her with clearer eyes
though he was sick with hurt. HI
knelt beside her calmly for littl,
while. He touched her face gent
ly with his hand, and then wen
to his father. Odd trailed at hi
heels. In the stump field was
shovel. Under his mothers BIZ
tree he planned to dig.
When he returned, his mothe
was not alone Toinette was there
on the ground, with the Englisl
woman's head in her lap. Her eye
blazed up at Jeems, and something
like defiance was in them, some
thing that was possessive an,
challenging and which hid what
ever pity she might have had TO
him, or pleading for his forgive
ness. Her hands were pressin
the cold face of the woman sh
had wanted to hate, and she con
tinued to look at Jeems, so hare
so terribly, so UNDERSTANDING
that she seemed almost to be wait
ing for him to punish her with
blow.
Then she bowed her head owe
his mother, and the shining vel
of her hair covered death.
Under the big tree he began t
dig.
1t was late afternoon when the
left the valley, still, slumberin
hour when the sun was about t
go to its early rest, leaving glow
and sunset paintings behind tina
might have been made of swim
ming metals.
Toinette's hand lay in Jeems' a
they went.
They were like a young god an
goddess ready to face the hazard
of a savage world with a strengt
wrought out of fire. The sicknes
had left Jeems. His wounded arr
was cared for by fingers as GENT