Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16

ger on anew, Joe brOSSert beside MIN. But
strength lasted only un:i early afternoon.
Then, where the Barrens filtered out into lines
of scraggy, black, half-de bush and frozen
white-crusted muskeg, Davis mumbled anew,
swayed and. quickening his steps into that
queer half-run, tottered forward to fan at last
face down in drift. This time Joe Bros
sert could not rouse him.
THE Barrens were crossed; Cheerful stood
staring at the half-staryed dogs clustering
about him, muzzles appraised, their wind-
Redeemed eyes conferred in pleading But there
was nothing to eat-the last food had been
consumed. Again he fingered his rife
1T amt their fault" he said at last.
swiftly he bent and Affixed his Snowshoes.
Then he raised the unconscious form of Davis
to his shoulders and moved onward.
hours crawled toward daylight Then while
the northern lights still fiickered. Brossert
halted, and with aching eyes, stared into the
distance. Suddenly he bent and shifted his
burden TO the ground. The engineer moaned
and strove to rise.
Keep still" commanded Brossert br,lsouelv
and again stared into the shadows. A quarter
mile ahead, family outlined in the n1urkv have
was an empty cabin, shack OF tar paper
ana spruce poles Farther on was another
also abandoned, where men had lived during
labors OF Summer months. There was a ridge
G OF eaTsn and brush running into the south.
IalWay roadbed, as yet trackless. Joe Bros
sert rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was
sun tnere-that dark, rising smudge in the
Instance. Smoke-the railheadl
The man turned slowly ike a trained AMI
NAL half-mile away were men and warmth
and comfort. And Sergt Healy
His tongue scurried over broken Inns brinO.-
ing agony as the whip of the wind instantlv
congealed the moisture. Suddenly he stareS1
into the depths Of the brush across the ri0I,t
OF way. A lone, desperate risk was left to hinf
He could FIRE his rife, in signal Of distress.
Then he could wait until he saw men in the
distance. That he
his chance for freedom
Nervously he brought his gun about ana
raised 1t to the firing of three vell-space0
shots Then, head down against the wind, he
WAVED ms red eyes searching for the FIRST
sight of moving form
A quarter Of an hour passed in vain vigilance
Again Joe BrosSert raised his rife and fred
three times. Again he waited, at last to brush
hand across his eyes. queer memory Of
smoking stove had come before him; It was
as though he had been transported back to his
little cabin down Brandon way Then he raised
MS ri1e and fred again, three slow shots
Always something" he mumbled That
west wind-can't hear against the wind"
He paused, mouth open.
That stove only smoked when the wind
blew certain wayi' he said queerly sud-
denly his eyes lost their dulIness "A west
wind!" he exclaimed. "A west wind!"
The mans features suddenly seemed q
change contour; they were alive with newborn
expression.
"A west windl" he said again.
What's that?" mumbIed the man on -
ground.
Joe Brossert did not answer Painting in his
excitement, he bent and with a great, strengthv
movement, swung the man to his back. Then
again he moved forward, the dogs trailing
about him. Steadily his pace grew swifter.
Now, in wide. houndering steps, he began To
run.
A half-hour later, exhausted, shamblinR. h6
staggered toward a crowd of workmen who
ran from their tasks at the end Of steel
to greet him. He felt them relieve him of hia
burden. He knew that they were asking uuess
ticns; swiftly he told them whence they had
come, and why.
Then he shouted for Sergt. HeaIy.
What's the trouble2" The provincial. sum-
moned from his cabin by the excitement wah
worming his way through the crowd Sud-
denly his brows raised: "Oh, it's you. ReneIR
But already the man was struggling to reach
him.
1T was a west wind that nightp' she shouted.
"Remember-my stove had been smoking You
saw 1t. I'd just gotten it going because the
wind had gone down."
"Yes?" asked the sergeant casually He
had caught the mans arm
"It was a west windi" Brossert insisted half
resisting. IT can't hear anything from down
Marshals way when my stove smokes. That's
why-because it only smokes with west wind.
THE sergeant stared at him. "Only q wsst
wind, Rene?" he asked quietly
"You take me down there!" the man shouted
"I1n show you'll That stove burns fine with any
kind Of draft but strong one from the west
That's why didn't hear any shots that night
And If couldn't hear, how could the Boyce
brothers hear shots, mile and half past me?
How could they do that, sergeant?"
Take it easy, Rene" said the sergeant rails
ing hand to Joe's snow-splotched shoulder.
We've got lot of time to talk things over