The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1947-02-13
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reckoning of time. A face haunted,
her face. His stiff lips formed a
word and whispered it
''Laure"
4 long time after that he heard
voices. but took no heed Of them.
The cCld and the rain were StIil
at odds over his body. When the
cold won he wCUld cease to feel
the pain. He almost had attained
the point Of detachment from
which he could view the suffering
of his thing which had been him
self, with impersonal calm. That
calm was death, he suspected
Strange, how people feared it!
Suddenly he felt human hands
busy with him. His head was lift
ed, flask pressed to his lips. He
opened his eyes, saw her face
close to his, heard her voice.
Put your arm about me, lift
yourself on my h u | d e r,
m'sieurw
"Laure," he gasped family.
"Your're hurt-but how?' She
busted herself trying to lift his
head upon her arm and force
brandy down his throat. Can you
get up m'sieur?"
my arms brOken-but it's my
head" His voice trailed.
She uttered a little cry Of COM
miseratiOn, touch his cold cheek
with her hand. "Mon Dieu, how
you must suffer! And at first
Duval wouldn't come back; he
was bent on saving me- Jacques"
she called sharply. His arms
broken and his head is bruised
and bleeding. He must get him
on the sled"
Half conscious after that, the
injured man felt himself lifted
bodily, felt the sled under him
and knew, in a dim, confused way,
that they were travelling not
south, but north. Then pain dead
ened everything, and something
akin to delirium gripped him. He
mumbled her name and cried out
for help. 1t was a long while be-
fore he felt them carry him on a
blanket into Gharian's cabin,
knew that he was lying on a bed
and the woman was ministering
to his hurts. His blurred eyes fol-
lowed her, saw her figure out
lined against the light from the
outer room, heard her kindling a
fire.
"Laure" he cried, 'Laure"
She came at once, carrying a
lamp in her hand and lifted her
pale face out of the gloom and
made it beautiful. She set the
lamp down and knelt down beside
him as a mother might soothe
a child. "Duvals gone for a doc
tor. He is staying close by;
there's been-illness here. He'll
be here by morning. anyway.
Meanwhile, m'sieur. take but a
little of this hot brothe. It'll give
you strength to fight the fever"
But he would do not more than
taste it to please her. 81 can't
eat. Laure, why should you feed
me? I was taking you to prison"
Il don't think of that now.
m 'sjeur; you are suffering, I must
do what l can. Your head is hot
with fever-I'll battle your fore
head"
And in a moment he felt her
hands busy with cooling water
on his wounded head. Her gentle
touch soothed. She raised him
little on the pillow, eased his
strained attitude. The fever had
seized him, and the swollen arm
throbbed painfully. But. all the
while, her face lowered before
his burning eyes. her voice tried
to comfort him. He called her an
angel and again through ensu-
ing delirium, he cursed himself
for betraying her: she was inno-
cent and he loved her.
In the long hours of the night
he raved. He had run her down.
From that moment when first he
saw her face at French Pete's. his
accused instinct had Set him on
her track. He had hunted her
trapped her-but he loved her!
The woman. tending him through
the long night, heard it all