Part 20 (1/2)
He dragged the Englishman to the side of the trail, and set his back to a tree. When he saw that fallen foeman's breath was coming more strongly, he followed slowly after Melisse.
Un.o.bserved, he went into the store and washed the blood from his face, chuckling with huge satisfaction when he looked at himself in the little gla.s.s which hung over the wash-basin.
”Ah, my sweet Iowaka, but would you guess now that Jean de Gravois had received two clouts on the side of the head that almost sent him into the blessed hereafter? I would not have had you see it for all the gold in this world!”
A little later he went to the cabin. Iowaka and the children were at Croisset's, and he sat down to smoke a pipe. Scarce had he begun sending up blue clouds of smoke when the door opened and Melisse came in.
”h.e.l.lo, ma chere,” he cried gaily, laughing at her with a wave of his pipe.
In an instant she had flung the shawl from her head and was upon her knees at his feet, her white face turned up to him pleadingly, her breath falling upon him in panting, sobbing excitement.
”Jean, Jean!” she whispered, stretching up her hands to his face.
”Please tell me that you will never tell Jan--please tell me that you never will, Jean--never, never, never!”
”I will say nothing, Melisse.”
”Never, Jean?”
”Never.”
For a sobbing breath she dropped her head upon his knees. Then, suddenly, she drew down his face and kissed him.
”Thank you, Jean, for what you have done!”
”Mon Dieu!” gasped Jean when she had gone. ”What if Iowaka had been here then?”
CHAPTER XXI
A BROKEN HEART
The day following the fight in the forest, Dixon found Jean de Gravois alone, and came up to him.
”Gravois, will you shake hands with me?” he said. ”I want to thank you for what you did to me yesterday. I deserved it. I have asked Miss Melisse to forgive me--and I want to shake hands with you.”
Jean was thunderstruck. He had never met this kind of man.
”Que diantre!” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, when he had come to his senses. ”Yes, I will shake hands!”
For several days after this Jean could see that Melisse made an effort to evade him. She did not visit Iowaka when he was in the cabin.
Neither did she and Dixon go again into the forest. The young Englishman spent more of his time at the store; and just before the trappers began coming in, he went on a three-days' sledge-trip with Croisset.
The change delighted Jean. The first time he met Melisse after the fight, his eyes flashed pleasure.
”Jan will surely be coming home soon,” he greeted her. ”What if the birds tell him what happened out there on the trail?”
She flushed scarlet.
”Perhaps the same birds will tell us what has happened down on the Nelson House trail, Jean,” she retorted.