| Show TOR 0 Y M A RC 1 1 H OF THE U I 1 A bj ily SIR GILBERT PARKER o 0 copy ight IM ly py l y R F fenno co CHAPTER IV cont continued aued A tent was wag set up I 1 ut in it a spirit lamp and matches were added and the simple menage waa was co complete milete iso no quite jaslar jas ar hume hurne looked round there was w as not a tree in sight he stooped and cut away a pole that was used tor for strengthening the runners of the sleds fastened it firmly in the ground and tied to it a red woollen scarf which he had used for tightening his white blankets round him then he said be sure and keep that flying men jeff hyde s face was turned toward the north the blind man mans s instinct was coming to him far off white eddying drifts were lis ils ng over long hillocks of now when jeff turned round again his face was slightly trou brou bled it grew more troubled then it brightened up again and be he said to jaspar hume flume captain would you leave that book with me till you come back that about infirmities dangers and necessities 9 I 1 knew a river boss who used to carry an old spelling book round N w ith him for luck it had belonged to a schoolmaster who took him in and d d for him ahen hen his father and mother went into kingdom come it seems to me as if that book of yours captain would bring luck to tm this part of the white guard that bein 0 it at the heels like has u to stay behind jaspar hume had borne the suffer ings of his life with courage he had led this terrible tramp with no tremor at his heart for himself he was v as seek ing to perform a perilous act without any inward shrinking but jeff s re quest was the greatest trial af 9 this momentous period in his life this boob a had not left his breast save when he slept for tient years to give it up was like throwing open the 14 doors of his nature weak t nesses that asail as ail all anu and conquer most men at some time or other in their lives jeff hyde felt if it he could not see the hesitation of his chief his lough but kind instincts told him something was wrong in his rec aest and he has bened to add beg your pardon sir it ain t no matter I 1 t to have asked 5 ou for it but its it a just like me I 1 ve been a chain on the leg of the white guard this whole tramp the moment of hesitation had passed before jeff hyde had said half a dozen words and jaspar hume put the book in his hands with the words no jeff hide take it it will bring brin 9 luck to the white glaid put it where I 1 have earned carried if 11 and keep it sate safe until I 1 come back jeff hide ha de placed the book in his bosom but hearing a guttural ugh behind he turned round defiantly the indian touched his arm and said good strong back book good jeff was satisfied at this point they parted jeff hyde and arid gaspe Tou jours remaining and jaspar hume and his two fo lowers going on toward manitou mountain n there seemed little probability that varre lepage would be found la in their progress eastward and north wail ward they had covered wide areas of 0 countr dividing and meeting again after stated hours of travel but not a sign had been seen neither cairn nor staff nor mark of human ence jaspar hume had noticed jeffa de s face when it was turned to the eddy ing drifts ot of the north and he under stood what was in the experienced huntsman a mind he ile knew that se vere weather was before them and that the greatest difficulty of the jour ney was to be encountered yet somehow the tear fear that possessed him when the book was taken from his breast had left him and he reaped in his act of self sacrifice a larger courage and rarer strength than that which had heretofore staged staled him on this cheerless journe that night they saw manitou moun mona tain cold colossal harshly calm and jointly with that sight there arose a shrieking biting fearful north wind it blew upon them in cruel menace of conquest in piercing inclemency it struck a freezing terror to their hearts and grew in violent atta k un til as if repenting that it had bad toie fole gone its power to save the sun sud denb grew red and angry nd spread out a shield of blood along the baa has eions of the west the wind shrunk back and grew less murderous and ere the last red arrows shot up be hind the lonely western wall of white the three knew that the boist of the storm had parsed and that death had drawn back for a time what jaspar hume thought we shall gather aiom his diar for ere he crawled in among the dogs ind and stretched himself 0 t beside bacques he wrote these wolds with achin aching finger january 10 h camp 39 19 A bitter j day we are facing hire bars now j the rate of those ve xe left behind his j fate and the going back we are 1 thirty miles from manito i mountain it he is found f oun d I 1 should st not fear at all the return journey success cess gh es hope we fiust in god another day passes ind at night after a hard march they camp five miles from manito i mountain and not a sign but tasi ar hume knows that there is a a taint faint chance of varre I 1 depage being fo ind at this mountain his iron frame has borne the hard bard ships of this jo irney well his val lant heart better but this night an weakness possesses him mind aid and body are on the verge of hell and fai atness jacques seems to under tind that and when he Is unhitched fi aiom om tl if e team of dogs now dwindled to seven he goes to his master and lears ears tion 4 on his breast it wa was as it if some his instinct of sympathy of prescience ires ire clence science was i assing lassing between the man and the dog jaspar hume bent I 1 is head do down doan an to jacques for an instant and rubbed his side kindly then he said with a tired accent its it s all right dog it a all right jaspar hume did not sleep well at first that night b it at length oblivion cime he ile waked to feel jacques tug ging at his blankets it was noon late ca and cloud in the sky wei e still sl sleeping epling I 1 inanimate kanj mate bundles among the dogs in an hour they were on their wa wan again and toward sunset they had reached the toot foot of manitou mountain abruptly from the plain rose this mighty mound blue and white upon a black base A few struggling pines grew near its foot defying latitude as the mountain it self defied the calculations of geobra pher and geologists A halt was callec caller late carscallen and cloud in in the sky nd ad the sta stalwart iw art but mad abed ind an wa who 0 I 1 ud d beckoned to them peak to each other in tte tle chi nook langi langhage age the jargon cammon to ill indians of the west jasi last ar fiume sawa saw d form reclining on a gleat bundle of pine branches and I 1 e knew w hat roee roe lepaga had bad ed for had come to pass by the fl mckering alit light of a I 1 of fire he iw vai vaire re I 1 depage lather what was left of him a shadow of energy a heap of i rN neless eless bones his ees ekes R ei e slut bit as jaspar 11 ime with a quiver of memora add ald sampati 3 at his heart stood for an instant and looked r ft t the man m hom he had cher dished a a friend and found an enemy tle the pale lips of varre lepage moved and arid a weak voice said who is there A friend A friend come near me r friend jaspar hume flume made a motion to late lute carscallen who was heating some laiq or at the fire and he came near and stooped and lifted up the sick mans head F and nd took his hand aou have come to save me to save me said the weak voice again aes les I 1 have iome ome to save you this voice was strong and clear and true I 1 eem to have heard your voice before somewhere before I 1 seem to have but he had tainted fainted jaspar hume poured a little liquor down the sick man u b throat and late Cars carscallen callea chafed the delicate hand delicate in health it was like th that t ol 01 a little child now when breath came again jaspar hume whispered to his helper take cloud in the sky and get wood bring fresh branches clear one ot of the sleds and we will 4 IN LZ 1 IN I 1 E no VP t N WIZ 11 f 1 I 1 A laj 1 1 re AN arka I 1 ja I 1 0 you you are hume f the sky looked at the chief his eyes were scanning the mountain closely suddenly he paused five hundred feet up there is a great round hole in the solid rock and from this hole there comes a feeble cloud of smoke jaspar hume humes s hand points where his eyes are fixed the other two see cloud in the sky gives a wild whoop such a whoop as only an indian can give and from the mountain tl ere comes a moment after a taint faint replica of the sound it is not an echo tor for there appears at the mouth of the cave an six indian who sees them and makes feeble signs for them to come in a few moments they are at the cave As jaspar hume enters cloud A start back with him in the early morn in lug late carscallen looking at the eton like figure said he ile will never get there yes said jaspar hume he will ge gear there but he Is dying he ile goes with me to fort provi dence af 17 to providence he goes but not with you said late Cars carscallen callea sadly but doggedly anger flashed in jaspar humes eye but he said quietly I 1 shall take him to his wife ife get the nood car TO BE CONTINUED |
