The Country Beyond by James Oliver Curwood
page 84 of 312 (26%)
page 84 of 312 (26%)
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Indian Tom's swamp.
A thrill of nervousness swept through Jolly Roger. He waited half an hour, three-quarters, an hour--after the moon had risen. And Nada did not come. The nervousness grew in him, and he moved out into the moon-glow, and slowly and watchfully followed the edge of the rock-shadows until he came to the fringe of cedars and spruce behind the cabin. Peter, careful not to snap a twig under his paws, followed closely. They came to the cabin, and there--very distinctly--Jolly Roger McKay heard the low moaning of a voice. He edged his way to the window, and looked in. Crouched beside a chair in the middle of the floor was Jed Hawkins's woman. She was moaning, and her thin body was rocking back and forth, and with her hands clasped at her bony breast she was staring at the open door. With a shock Jolly Roger saw that except for the strangely crying old woman the cabin was empty. Sudden fear chilled his blood--a fear that scarcely took form before he was at the door, and in the cabin. The woman's eyes were red and wild as she stared at him, and she stopped her moaning, and her hands unclasped. Jolly Roger went nearer and bent over her and shivered at the half-mad terror he saw in her face. "Where is Nada?" he demanded. "Tell me--where is she?" "Gone, gone, gone," crooned the woman, clutching her hands at her breast again. "Jed has taken her--taken her to Mooney's shack, over near the railroad. Oh, my God!--I tried to keep her, but I couldn't. He dragged her away, and tonight he's sellin' her to |
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