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Show I The Honor of The Big Snows H By JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD, Author of "The Danger Trail" M Copyright, 1911, By th Dobbs-MerHll Company M I CHAPTER XV. BBj 8tory. H M Ji 'SIEUlt," began Jnn in the Bflf ' 11 Iow Tolco wn,cn Thornton qHB j I I was beginning to under- J " stand, "I am going to tell Bum you Borne thing which I have told to BBB but two other human beings. It Is BB tho story of another man n man from BB civilization, like you, who camo up BBS Into this country of ours years and BB years ago and who met a woman, as BB you have met this girl at Oxford BB House, and who loved her as you lovo BBj this ono and perhaps more. It is sin- BBI gular that the en so should be so Blml- BB Inr, m'slcur, and It is because of this BB that I believe our mossed Lady gives BBB mo courago to tell it to you, for this BB man, llko you, left a wife and two BB children when he camo into tho north. BBJ! M'slcur, I pray tho great God to for- B9 glvo him, for he left a third child BM unborn." BSf ' Jan leaned upon his hand so that it BB (haded his face. BBff "It Is not so much of that as of BBf ,whut followed that I am going to tell BBj you, m'sleur," he went on. "It was a BB? beautiful lovo on tho woman's part, Bft and it would havo been a beautiful BBx lovo on tho man's part If it had been BBt pure. For her he gavo up everything, BBj even his Qod, ds you would glvo up BBJ everything and your God for this girl BB at Oxford House. M'sleur, I will Bm speak mostly of tho woman now. Bho Bs ' ms beautiful. Bho was ono of the BBt three most beautiful things that God BB 'ever pluced In our world, and she BB loved this man. She married him, be- BB licved In him, was ready to die for BB him, to follow him to the ends of tho BC earth, as our women will do for tho BB men they lovo. God In heaven I Can Bf you not guess whnt happened, m'slcur? Bff A child was born I" Bf So fiercely did Jan cry out the Bfl .words that Thornton jerked back as BflE though a blow had been struck nt him flBj from out of tho gloom. BBS "A child was born," repeated Jan, M and Thornton heard his nails digging BBJ in the table. "That was tho 11 rat BB curso of God a child! Carrion, beasts Bf of carrion, that is what we call them BJ beasts of carrion aud carrion caters, Bj breeders of devils and slnl My God! BB That Is what happened. A child was BB born with tho curse of God upon hlmt" Bf Jan stopped, his nails digging deep- BB er, his breath escaping from him as IBf though ho had been running. "Down In your world ho would havo 41 grown up a man," bo continued, speak. El lng moro calmly. "I hnvo heard that BB uluce. But here It is different. Tho Bb curse never dies. It follows, day after B day, year after year. Aud this child, BB more unfortunate than the wild things, BB was born one of them. If the winds Bl had whispered tho secret nothing BB .would have como near htm. Tho In- Bfl dian women would sooner havo touch- B cd the plague. Ho would haio been B an outcast, despised as he grew older, BE pointed at and taunted, called names B which nro worso than those called to BB tho lowest and meanest dogs. That is BB what it means to be born under that Bfl curse up here." BB He waited for Thornton to speak, Uut Bfl the other sat silent nnd moveless across Bf the table. Bfl "Tho curse worked swiftly, m'slcur. B It came first In remorse to the man. Bfl It gnawed at his mjuI, ate him alive Ba and drove him from place to place BC with the woman and the child. The BJ purity and love of the woman added to HJ his suffering, and nt last he came to BJ know that the hand of God had fallen BJ upon his head. The woman snw his BJ grief, but did not know the reason for Bfl it. And so the curso first came to her. Bfl They went north far north, nbove tho Bfl Bnrron Lauds, nnd the curse followed fl there. It gnawed at his life until he B died. That was seven years after tho B child was horn." BJ The oil lamp sputtered and began to HJ smoke, nnd with a (julck movement BJ Jan turned the wick down until they Bj were left In dnrluiess. Bj "M'sleur, It was then that tho curse Bj began to fall upon tho woman nnd the HJ child. Do you not believe that about H tho sins of the fathers falling upon B others? It Is so, It Is so. It came In B mauy snvill ways, nnd then the curso fl it came suddouly-llko this." Jan's B voice camo In n hissing whisper now. B Thornton could feel his hot breath as B ho leaned over tho table, and In the H darkucss Jan's eyes shono llko two B coals of Ore. "It camo llko this!" pant- B cd Jan. "Thero was n new mlssloner Bj nt tho post a n Christian from the H south, and ho was a great friend to the woman and preached God, and sho be ll lloved him. The boy was very young H nud saw things, but did not under- BJ stnnd at first. lie know afterward BV that tho mlssloner loved his mother's M- beauty and tint ho tried hard to win it and fulled, for tho woman until denth would lovo only tho ono to whom sho had given herself llrst. Great God, It iiappcntd then ono night when every soul was about tho big fires at the caribou roast nud there was no ono neor tho lonely llttlo cnbln where tho boy nud his mother lived. Tho bo was nt the fea-t, but ho ran homo with n bit of dripping meat as gift for his mother, und ho heard her cries nnd ran in, to be struck down by tho mlssloner. It happened then, nnd even tho boy know nnd followed tho man, shrieking that he had killed his mother." Thero was a tcrrlblo calmness now In Jan's voice. "M'sleur, It was true. Sho nigr. 'sue died and left "the boy aluue with the curse. And that boy, m'sleur, was Jan Thoreau, The woman wn his mother." There was silence now, n dead, pulse-less pulse-less quiet, broken nfter a moment by n movement. It was Thornton, groping grop-ing across the table. Jan felt his hands touch his arm. They groped farther in the darkness, until Jan Thoreau's hands were clasped tightly in Thornton's. "And that-ls all?" ho questioned hoarsely. "No, it is but the beginning," said Jan softly. "The curse has followed me, m'sleur, until I am tlio unhapplest man in the world Today 1 havo done nil that Is to be done. When my father fa-ther died he left papers which my mother mib to give to me when I had attained uinuhood. When she died they camo to me. She knew nothing of that which was In them, nnd 1 nm glad, for they told the story that I havo told to you, m'sleur, nnd from his grave my father prayed to me to mnke what restitution I could. When ho came into the north for good he brought with him most of his fortune, which was large, m'sleur, and placed It where no one would over find It In the stock of the great company. A half of It, ho said, should be mine. Tho other half ho asked mo to return to hli children and to his real vlfe if sho were living. I have done more than that, m'sleur. I have given up all, for none of It is mine. A half will go to the two children whom be deserted. de-serted. Tho other half will go to the child that was unborn. The mother Is dead." After a time Thornton said: "There Is more, Jan?" "Yes, there Is more, m'slcur," Bald Jnn. "So much more that if 1 were to tell It to you it would not ho hard for yon to understand why Jan Tho-rcau Tho-rcau Is the unhapplest man In the world. I hnvo told you that this Is but tho beginning. I have not told you of how the curso has followed me nnd robbed mo of all that Is greatest In life how It hns haunted mo day and night, hj'slour, llko n black spirit, destroying de-stroying my hopes, turning me nt last into nn outcast, without people, without with-out friends, without that which you. too, will give up In this girl nt Oxford House. M'sleur, am I right? You will not go back to her. You will go south nnd some day tho great God will reward re-ward you." He heard Thornton rising In the dark". "Shall I strike n light, m'sleur?" "No," said Thornton close to him. In the gloom their hands met. There wns a change In the other's voice now, something of a prld of triumph, of n glory Just achieved. "Jan." he snld softly. "I thank you for bringing me face to face with a God like yours. You have taught me moro than has ever been preached Into me. and this great, glorious world of yours is send lng me back a better man for having como Into It. I am going south. Somo day 1 will return, nud I will bo ono of this world aud ono of your people. I will come, nnd I will bring no curse. If 1 could send this word to her, ask her forgiveness, tell her whnt I havo almost becu aud that I still hnvo hope faith I could go easier dowu into that other world." "You cau," said Jan. "I will tuke this word for you, m'blcur, nn.1 will take more, for 1 will tell her what It has been thu, kind fate for Jan Tho-reini Tho-reini to Und In tho heart of M'sleur Thornton. Sho Is ono of my people, niid she will forgive, nnd love you more for what you havo done. For this, m'sleur, is whnt the Cree god has glv. en to his people as the honor of the grent snows. She will htlll lovo you, nnd if thero is to be hope It will burn In her breast too. M'sleur" Something like n Bob broke through Thornton's lips as ho moved buck through the darkness. "And you I will find you again?" "They will know where I go from Oxford House. I will leave word with her," said Jan. "Goodby," snld Thornton huskily. Jnn listened until his footsteps had died nwny, nnd for n long time after that ho sat with his head burled In bis nrms upon, the llttlo tnble. Aud Kazan, Ka-zan, whining softly, seemed to know that iu tho darkened room had come to pass the thing which brbko nt lust his master's overburdened heart. That night Jan Thoreau passed for tho last time back into tho shelter of his forests, nnd nil that night ho traveled, trav-eled, and with each mile thnt he left behind him something Inrger nnd bold-er bold-er grow In his breast until ho cracked his whip In tho old way und shouted to tho doge In tho old wny, and the blood In him sang to tho wild spirit of the wilderness. Onco moio ho wns home. To him tho forest had nlways been homo. And from nbovo him tho Btnrs looked look-ed down llko a billion tiny fires kin died by loving hands to light his way tho stars that had given lilin music, ponce, slnco he could remember nnd that had taught him moro of tho slleut power of God thnn tho lips of man could over tell. From this timo forth Jnn Thoreau know thnt theso things would bo his life, IiIb god. Ho had loved tho forest-now ho worshiped it In its vast sllenco ho still possess-I possess-I cd Mellsse. I Nearly n month passed beforo be reached Oxfotd House and found the weet.ticed clrl whom Thornton lov ed. "He did as'Thornton had asked nnd went on Into the north nnd east. He had no mission now except to roam In his forests. Ho went down tho Hayes, getting his few supplies at Indian enmps and stopped nt last, with the beginning of spring, far up on the Cutaway. Cut-away. Hero he built himself n enmp nnd llvtil for n time, setting dead falls for bear. Then ho struck north ngnln nnd still eaRt, keeping nlwoyH away from Lac Unln. When the first chill winds of tho bay brought warning of winter down to him ho wns filled for n tlmo irlth n longing to strike north nnd wcvt, to go once more back to his Itarron Lands. Hut, Instead, ho went south, rnd o It camo to pass that n year afler ho had left Lac Haiti he built himself n cnbln deep in tho forest for-est of God's river, fifty miles from Oxford Ox-ford House, nnd trapped onco more for tho company. He had not forgotten forgot-ten his promise to Thornton, nnd nt Oxford House left word whero ho could be found If the man from civilization should return. In late midwinter Jnn returned to Oxford Houso with his furs. It was on tho night of tho day that ho came into the post that he heard a Frenchman French-man who had como down from the north speak of Lnc Haiti. None noticed no-ticed the chnngc In Jan's fnco as he hung back In tho shadows of tho company's com-pany's store. A llttlo inter he followed follow-ed tho Frcnchmnn outside and stopped him whero there were no others' near to overhear. "M'sleur, you spoke of Lnc Bain," ho Bald In French. "You havo been there?" "Yes," replied tho other, "1 wns there for n week waiting for the first sledgo snow." "It Is my old home," said Jnn, trying to keep his voice natural. "I have wondered If there nro changes. You saw Cummins, the fnctor?" "Yes, he was there." "And and Jean de Grnvols, tho chief man?" "Ho wns away." "The fnctor had a daughter. Me-llsso"- "She left Lac Bain a long time ago. m'sleur," said tho trapper. "M'sleur Cummins told mo thnt he had not seen her In n long time. I believe It wns almost a year." Jnn went to tho company's store. He took his pack to the sledgo and dogs In the edge of the spruce, nnd Kazan leaped to greet him at the end of his bablche. That night as Jan traveled through the forest ho did not notice the stars or tho friendly shadows. shad-ows. "A year." he repeated to himself again and ngnln. and once when Kazan Ka-zan rubbed ngalnst his leg nnd looked up Into his face he said: "Ah, Kazan, our Melisse went nwny with the englishman. eng-lishman. Mny the great God give them happiness!" The forest clnlmed him more thnn ever after this. He did not go back to Oxford House In the snrlnc. hut sold his furs to a passing halfbreed nnd wandered through nil of that spring nnd summer In the country to the west. It wns January when he returned to his cabin, when the snows were deepest, and three days later he set out to outfit nt the Hudson's ha post on God's lake Instead of at Ox ford House. It was while they were crossing n part of the lake thnt Kazan leaped asld for an Instant In his traces and snapped nt something In the snow. Jnn saw the movement, but gave no attention to It until a little later when Kazan stopped nnd fell upon his belly, biting nt the harness and whining In pain. The thought of Kazan's sudileu suap at the snow came to him then llko n knife thriif.', nnd with n low cry of horror and f-.ir he fell upon his knees beside the dog Kazan whimpered, whim-pered, nnd his bushy tall swept the snow ns Jim lifted his great Holilsh head between his two hands. No other sound camo from Juu's lips now, and slowly he druw the dog up to hlui until he held him lu his arms as ho might have held a child. Kazan stilled the whimpering sounds In his throat His ono eyo rested on his master's face, faithful, watching for some sign, for somo language there, oven ns tho burning burn-ing fires of n strnngo torture gnawed at his life, and In that eyo Jan biiw tho deepening reddish film which ho had seen n hundred times before In the eyes of foxes nnd wolves killed b, "lm bait. A moan of nngulsh burst from Jim's lips, nnd he held his face close dowu ngalnst Kn- hi'b head and sobbed now llko a child, while Kazan rubbed his hot muzzlo against his cheek and his muscles hardened In a lust desire to glvo battle to whatever was giving his master grief. It was n long time beforo be-foro Jnu lifted his fnco from the shaggy shag-gy head, and when ho did he knew thnt tho last of nil love, of nil companionship, compan-ionship, of nil that bound him to llcsh and blood In his lonely world, wns gone. Knzan was dead. From tho pledge ho took a blanket and wrapped Kazan in It nnd carried him a hundred yards back from tho trail. With bowed head ho camo behind be-hind his four dogs Into God's Houso. Half an hour later ho turned back into tho wilderness with his supplies. It wns dark when ho returned to whero ho had left Kazan. He placed him upon tho sledge, and the four huskies Trhlnod as they dragged op their Jiux- nen, irom wnicn tno smell of 'den( came to them. They stopped In tho deep forests beyond the lake, and Jnn built n fire. This night, us on nil nights In his lonely life. Jnn drew Kazan close to him, and he shivered as the other dogs slunk hack from htm suspiciously and the fire and 11 ( spruce tops broke tho stillness of the forest. He looked nt the crackling Hemes, nt the fitful shadows shad-ows which they set dancing nnd grimacing grimac-ing about him, nnd It seemed to him now Hint they wore no longer friends, but were taunting him glontlng In Kazan's Ka-zan's denth m.d telling him that he .was alone, nlone, alone. He let tho fire die down, ntlrrlng It into life only when the cold ntlffened him. nnd when nt last he fell Into nn unquiet Blumbcr it was r.tlll to hear the spruce tops whispering to him thnt Kazan was dead and thnt in dying he had brok" i tho last fragile link between Jnn Tho-reau Tho-reau nnd Mellsse. (To bo Continued.) |
