Show r B REvSON RE SON OF KAZAN J i 3 i JAMES S OLIVER C CURWOOD COPYRIGHT BY G. G z Ii S WU Chapter XI XI Continued o 19 19 19 ran Vainly y she se was fighting now not to rike him or to escape hut but to get her breath reath She tried 1 to cry out R again I sound 1 from be- be but nt ut this time no soun came cume teen reen her gasping lips A AgaIn he laughed and as he laughed he e henro tile the door open Vos It R th the led He turned still sUll holding her hel in inis InIs in Ms is arms amis In III the he open door stood 1 Pierrot S I S During that terrible space space which an flu eternity of time rolled roiled t 1 lowly through the little cu cabin ln on Jl th the OLy Oi ray y Loon Loon Lon that eternity which lies ome here between life and death Id ad which Is sometimes meted ted out toS toa to S seconds instead of a human life lICe in Jn rons ma M I I In those seconds Pl did not more lore from where he e stood stoOl In the door door- kay nj huddled 1 over oyer wHIrl withie with wHIr l the ie weight in his arms and staring ut t Pierrot d did 1 not move moe But the Willows Willow's eyes were opening And An 1 a e quiver er ran through the theody bod ody of ot Baree Barel where here he lay my near neat the theall all waH There was not the sound of n a breath teath eath And then In that silence a great p cat gasping sob came from flom Ten Tien Pierrot stirred to life Fie ne pose oje and his oice voice was not like It was a strange voice The Tho great reat God has hns sent me back In tithe Imp he said I t traveled by ray 31 of ot the east and saw your our trail where It turned tUIner this way WilY No 10 n. n that was not like e Pierrot's voice I AS chill chili ran through now nd id d slowly he let go o of or She ten fell to the floor Slowly he straight straight- ned ened Is It not true len said RIll Pierrot rf tl gain again I have hae c come conie me in time What power was wai It what it-what great fear ear perhaps that made md nod nod his his' head that made his thick thick- lips ps j rm huskily the words Yes Yes in Y e In In time ime me And yet It was not f ar It ItS something greater reater something nore more al powerful nIl than that And Arid saId Bald In that same SniDe strange st range J voice roice iI I HI thank the great Ireat G God d I t J The eyes of ma madman met the tle eyes eye s J madman now flow Between them was death eath Both Joth saw It Both thought that hat the they saw the direction In which Its ts hony bony finger er pointed n fl were ere ere certain hand did not not not-go go goto goto to th the pI pistol tot in his holst holster r Pier Pier- rot ot dill did not nt touch the In his belt When Mien th they came caine together It was hront to beasts now tivo t two o instead lead of one for Pierrot had hind In him he tu fury y an and strength of pC the wolf the t rat lat and the panther was the bigger lap and 1 heavIer man mun a gl giant mt In strength yet ret In lq In the of Pierrot's fur fury he lurched 1 tl tack ck k over o the table and went down wIth lIUI Hi a crash Many l times in III his hits life be had Imd fou fought ht hut but he had never neer f felt lt nip at ur hl his throat like the grip of hands They almost cru crushed hd the life from him at once His Ills neck a n little more and It would 1 iia e lave ave broken He Re struck out blindly from row hl his back back and twisted himself to Jh irow lIw off oj the weight of if the halfbreed's ly iy 1 Hut But Pierrot was fastened there 4 ew the ermine had fastened at nt the Jugular of the partridge e il Mush arts art's jaws vl slowly s open olen and his biN Jape n a e lIe begun nn to tol l from froni red to purple ld all air rushing through the door voice oice and the sound of but bat tl rou roused d quickly to HI one s and the power to raise her- her fron fIT-fron the floor She he had bad fallen Ita r an and as fo she lifted lifter her he head r Jr eyes PH rested Iester for a moment on the nr before rore they went vent to the fighting fi fl Haree Barep was wn alive nl Ills b body 1 was wat tWitching hl his ey eyes es were vele bl open n h he lie tn an effort to his head beau a awas an h was at nt him Then I n the she dragged her herself Jr to tn her h ii x and turned t to tn the men Hull and even evon in the red blood fury of Ills lesire to kill must mURt have heard 1 the they 1 y a-y I y of f jo Joy that flint ci came rue from her hen fhe saw that it was waR the Ithe Factor tor t from roni Lr Rc 1 lain Bain wh who was underneath al h With With a tremt tremendous effort she Rhe stag stag- gerell to h her r feet and for fOl a 11 few moshe moo mo- tA l she stood S swaying n unsteadily us 15 usI I II r and her body body- re readjusted ll hern themselves ell l I iven Ien en a as she looked 1 down 1 J Upon n the blackening face from which life J lingers were choking chokIn the tilE life lire l hand was groping for his pistol lie Fie f found It n by Pierrot he dragged It from tt It Its hol holster ter It was WUSI one of ot the black 11 of at chance that lint favored oled hIm n aln for tor in his bis ex excitement he lit l cl ad nt snapped thin the safety shut after 1 n Baree haree Now ow he lie had bad only left to pull the the- trI trigger er Twice bl 3 fore forefinger n er Closed dosed Twice there m deadened explosion close to tots tot's t's ts h ly Ta face face ace e f saw W what whal i ir I Her el I er lieu hell heart lt et tiled died In lu Iu her r till Lilt i 1 lt ns sl h looked upon I hit h. h swift change wrought ll b by sud suil L f Q TM ro M-ro II HT ened His eyes were wide for a mo mo- ment nent wide and staring lIe He made no sound She c could 1 not see his lips move And then he lie fell feU toward her so that M body was free Blindly nud with n an ngon agony that gave save no evidence In Cf cry or word she flung ung herself down beside him lie He w was s' s dead How flow In e lay there how long she hie waited for Pierrot to move moe to open his Ills eye eyeS t to 1 breathe she he would p never r r know now h m that time lcT gart rose ros to J his fR fret feet tit and tind stood leaning against ng tin till wall Wf the pistol in h hIs bis hand hiI his brain clearing Itself as S he lie saw his final triumph h. Ills work did lid n not hot t frighten him Even In that tragic moment foment as ns he stood against the wall his defense If It Ii ever came cume to a zt de dc II framed itself in his mind J Pierrot ic rot fu had murderously assaulted him without him without cause In self defense he hind had killed him Was he not not the Factor of Lac La Lac Bath Bain Would Woul not not t the tIlO e Company and th the law bell believe eye his ils word before that of this girl girt l' l His Ills brain leaped with the old ex exultation I It It would d never newer never me co-me come to that that to to a betrayal hetra he- he heI I tra al of this struggle and death t nth inthe In Inthe Inthe the cabin cabin after after he lie had finished d with he her berT 1 She would not noI be known for nil all time as La Ln Bote Jete Noir Noll No they would woul bury Pierrot and she would return to Lac rac ham Bain with him If It she had b been en helpless before sh she was ten times mere helpless now She would never tell of ot what had bad happened 1 In the cabin calIn He for forgot ot the presence of death as ashe ashe ashe he looked at nt her r bowed over over her father father so that her covered him like a silken shroud II r replaced th the pistol o In J is holster an and drew a n deep breath Into his lungs He Ic was still a little Ittle unsteady on his bis 4 g Ir dIJ I tk t I. I w A Lit Little e More and His Neck Snapped a It Would Have Broken i the face feet but his face was again und and It of a devil He took a step stel was then there came a sound to rouse farther the the shadow of the girl In to his Ills struggled ci to wall Ilaree Dareo ha had 1 haunches and now now he e growled her head hend A AI l lifted lilted Slowly ly which she could not resist drew I power she slie witS was looking Into her y eyes es up un iiii until il II the face of Bu h h Slit She h had hal of his presence presence pres pres- i almost lost on consciousness ss and deadened dead deIHl cold coil her senses wore wre ence had ene ened cried it It It was w as 1 If JI her r own heart with stopp stopped d hen beating tin along the Factors Factor's face she saw in What of numbness of ih the dragged he her out her of ot buck back to the abyss her grief over herIn her hr standing He lie was own o peril nothing no pity there w was WS s In face In rI his his- OilY dorie-OilY only hail bid done he lie of Hf if horror nt ut what hat d' d i 1 aill as as' lit ne fA In nn bodY but at tier not nt at and It r rested terl on n out a tie lIe put heart head She felt his thick fIngers ers her hair his eoe eyes her lire fhe behind or of like embers rR hie he j t I Pit to rise thins watery wale hair hall he hut with Ith his h-ds h at ill t her bet hel II d Pier her G d sue Rhe I OWl t uttered no other ter t v lords no nn She he sound hut but a n dry for rr no other neither sob In I hat flint hopeless or sn's Buree nrc f of cabin his In n crossin the ow he was the thc hoof floor hm ll sagged 1 tn lie He wafted to toto to clo o man brutes the tun e to give 1 II a single t lila his thick nE neck ck k n as he be e buek biCk and snap broken a 1 would have still fit Ile was Hut But lie he had hiatt no 10 u his fore forc fran ally p Hut his jaws WIO shoulder tHick hack Mc- Mc tc- tc I on ilOU arid theY Il leg rUg urt's the Factor released re- re With u ii Ye of paIn and andi the oW bold on fl I leased P. P 11 hits her lIer feet For I r a lire lire- sAe i e JeI l to the she WH free trec and clous elous kicked lin struck tr to th tue tr to the tte as Iii hold i he wI rat i nil reI i IHo Liaise cabin cabin door ant and nt at Jt Into the t. dRY iy The cold air nil struck her face It filled her lungs with Uh new strength and without thought of ot where hope might aught lie she he ran ran through the snow SIOW Into the forest appeared at the door Just ius In time to see her er disappear Hh Hla leg was torn where Baree had faa fas his tongs tangs but he felt feU no pain as he ran In pursuit of the girl She could not go far An exultant cry inhuman a as the cry of a beast came In a great rent breath from his gaping mouth ns as us he lie s g saw lw w that she was staggering staggering stag stag- gering weakly as hs she fled ned He was ha halfway I to the edge of the forest when forest when Baree dragged himself over oyer the thresh thresh- old Ills jaws were bleeding where had 1131 kicked him again agate and again before his his' his fangs gave way Halfway Y between his ears was vas a n seared spot as If It a red hot poker had hod h hen heen en laid there for an nn Instant This was where bullet hud hind gone one A quarter of an nn Inch deeper and It would have ve meant meant death AsIt AsIt As AsIt It was It had been like the blow of ot a hell heavy henvy Y cJ club b- b zing paralyzing his senses and sending hm him him limp and unconscious against the wall wun lIe He could m move ve on his hits feet rim now without fulling and slowly slow slow- I ly ty he lie followed f In the tra tracks ks of the theman theman theman man and find the girl As she ran mind became all nil at li once ce clear and rens ren's reasoning She he turned into the narrow trail trull over which M Taggart had hild followed her once before hut but Just Jut before re Ien iea reaching the tue chasm she sharply to the right She could coul 1 see He rw was vas s not running fast Jast but hut was was gaining steadily J ns as If It enjoying I g the sight of her helplessness as as' be he had enjo enjoyed ed it In another way wUl an on n th that t other da day Two hundred hunched yards helo below the deep pool to lr which sh she had d pushed the Factor just Factor just beyond 1 tile the shallows out of ot which he hn had dragged himself to safety safety wn was the beginning ot of Blue leathers Feathers g gorge rge An appalling thing was shaping itself tn In her mind as she sheran sheran ran to It It-a It a thing that with each cach gasping breath she drew became more moreau au and 1 more a great and glorious hope At I last st she ren reached hed Jt It It and 1001 looked ed down And nd as she looked d there whispered d dup up out of her soul and trembled on her lips the swan song s of ot her mothers mother's people Our come Come from out of the valley Guide us us for for we die dle And the w winds whisper r of ot death She raised her arms A Against the white wilderness beyond the chasm she bhe stood tall and slim Fifty yar yards behind her the Factor from Lac Bain stopped su suddenly den y in his tracks tracks Ah h he mumbled Is she not wonderful I IAn An And 1 be behind c coming faster and faster was Baree Barel Again the Willow looked down She was at the edge for foi she h had d no fearin fearIn fear fearin in this hour Many times s she ha had 1 clung to Pierrot's ha hand d as she looked over Down there then no one could falland fall falland an and 1 live Fifty feet below her the water never whIch froze was smashing Its Itself f into froth among the rocks It w was s deep and black back and terrible for between the narrow rock walls walts the sun did not reach It ft The roar of It filled the Willows Willow's ears She turned and and face faced Even then he did not guess but came toward her again his arms stretched out ahead of ot him Fifty yards J It was not and shortening shortenIng shorten shorten- ing Ins swiftly Once Once more more the Willows Willow's lips Ups moved soul that After nil all It Is the mother gives us faith to meet eternity and eternIt and It was vas to the spirit of her er mother that the Willow called In the h hour ui ur of ot death With the call call on on her lips she plunged Into the abyss her wind wind- her In a wl whipped hair ball clinging to glistening shroud Chapter XII A moment later the the Factor Factor from Lac LacBain sto stood d at fit the edge of of the chasm Ills His voice had called caned out In a hoarse bellow bellOw bellOw-a w-a w a wild cry of disbelief and horror that had formed the willows Wil wl Willows Willow's wil He lows low's name as us she fhe disappeared looked hooked down lown clutching his huge red hands and staring in ghastly suspense water and black rocks at nt the boiling was nothing there far below There now-no now sign of her no last lust flash of ot other her pale face and streaming hair harr In Inthe Inthe inthe the white foam And she had harl done that that to to gaVe save ave herself from him 1 The soul foul of or the beust man turned d sick within him so sick that he he hesta stag stag- and his hisIe jered ered back hack 11 his S vision Islon blinded He lie had under him Ie legs s tottering killed i Pierrot and It had hud been a trl trl- nil all his life he le ie ha had played I the stoicism and part o ot of the time brute with a part cruelty that hint had known no shock- shock him that lint overwhelmed like r numbing him to the marrow ot of othIs now bones until be lie stood like one hIs He did not see Dance Baree lIe He paralyzed paralysed cries not Hear the dogs dog's whining 1111 few the time chasm For a n of the erl edge elge e lit mit moments the tue world turned black for dragging himself out ot of him Mm him J hi- hi his and arid stupor then he tie ran Ian tr frantically along down looking the time edge d e of gorge ne time his eyes could rea reach h th the thew re er wh striving for a n glimpse of her water ter w There Wano was Wa deep too X list last It grew At t she had laid was gone und one hope hwe She Rhe was vas no him I faced raced tl at to escape TO fl BB DE CONTINUED |