Part 31 (1/2)

Last night, in the wet red moon, I saw it--dripping tears of blood--twelve, besides one small one, and they were swallowed up in the mist of the river. I, Wa-ha-ta-na-ta, the daughter of Kas-ka-tan, the chief, who know the signs, have spoken.

”Before the full of the thirteenth moon blood will flow upon the bank of the river. But whose blood I know not, for a great cloud came and covered the face of the moon, and when it was gone the tears of blood were no more and the mist had returned to the river--and the meaning of this I know not.”

She ceased speaking abruptly at a sound from the tepee as the girl emerged and stepped quickly to the fire.

”I am glad you have come,” said Jeanne hurriedly to her brother. ”You, who are skilled in the mending of bones. The man's leg is broken; it is swollen and gives him much pain.”

Jacques followed her into the tepee and, after a careful examination, removed the unconscious man.

The setting of the bones required no small amount of labor and ingenuity. Carmody was placed between two trees, to one of which his body was firmly bound at the shoulders.

A portion of the bark was removed from the other tree and the smooth surface rubbed with fat. Around this was pa.s.sed a stout line, one end of which was made fast to the injured leg at the ankle.

A trimmed sapling served as a capstan bar, against which the two women threw their weight, while Jacques fitted the bone ends neatly together and applied the splints.

The Indians, schooled in the treatment of wounds and broken bones, were helpless as babes before the ravages of the dreaded pneumonia which racked the great body of the sick man.

Bill Carmody's recollection of the following days was confined to a hopeless confusion of distorted brain pictures in which the beautiful face of the girl, the repulsive features of the old crone, and the swart countenance of the half-breed were inextricably blended.

For two weeks he lay, interspersing long periods of unconsciousness with hours of wild, delirious raving. Then the disease wore itself out, and Jeanne Lacombie, entering the tepee one morning, encountered the steady gaze of the sunken eyes.

With a short exclamation of pleasure she crossed the intervening s.p.a.ce and knelt at his side. The two regarded each other in silence. At length Bill's lips moved and he started slightly at the weak, toneless sound of his own voice.

”So you are real, after all,” he smiled.

The girl returned the smile frankly.

”M's'u' has been very sick,” she imparted, speaking slowly, as though selecting her words.

Bill nodded; he felt dizzy and helplessly weak.

”How long have I been here?” he asked.

”Since the turning of the moon.”

”I'm afraid that is not very definite. You see I didn't even know the moon had been turned. Who turned it? And is it really turned to cheese or just turned around?”

The girl regarded him gravely, a puzzled expression puckering her face.

Bill laughed.

”Forgive me,” he begged. ”I was talking nonsense. Can you tell me how many days I have been here?”

”It is fifteen days since we drew you from the river.”

”Who's _we_?”

Again the girl seemed perplexed.