Baree Son of Kazan Read online

  CHAPTER 8

  As Nepeese gazed about the rock-walled end of the canyon, the prisoninto which they had driven Wakayoo and Baree, Pierrot looked up againfrom his skinning of the big black bear, and he muttered something thatno one but himself could have heard. "Non, it is not possible," he hadsaid a moment before; but to Nepeese it was possible--the thought thatwas in her mind. It was a wonderful thought. It thrilled her to thedepth of her wild, young soul. It sent a glow into her eyes and adeeper flush of excitement into her cheeks and lips.

  As she searched the ragged edges of the little meadow for signs of thedog pup, her thoughts flashed back swiftly. Two years ago they hadburied her princess mother under the tall spruce near their cabin. Thatday Pierrot's sun had set for all time, and her own life became filledwith a vast loneliness. There had been three at the graveside thatafternoon as the sun went down--Pierrot, herself, and a dog, a great,powerful husky with a white star on his breast and a white-tipped ear.He had been her dead mother's pet from puppyhood--her bodyguard, withher always, even with his head resting on the side of her bed as shedied. And that night, the night of the day they buried her, the dog haddisappeared. He had gone as quietly and as completely as her spirit. Noone ever saw him after that. It was strange, and to Pierrot it was amiracle. Deep in his heart he was filled with the wonderful convictionthat the dog had gone with his beloved Wyola into heaven.

  But Nepeese had spent three winters at the missioner's school at NelsonHouse. She had learned a great deal about white people and the realGod, and she knew that Pierrot's idea was impossible. She believed thather mother's husky was either dead or had joined the wolves. Probablyhe had gone to the wolves. So--was it not possible that this youngstershe and her father had pursued was of the flesh and blood of hermother's pet? It was more than possible. The white star on his breast,the white-tipped ear--the fact that he had not bitten her when he mighteasily have buried his fangs in the soft flesh of her arms! She wasconvinced. While Pierrot skinned the bear, she began hunting for Baree.

  Baree had not moved an inch from under his rock. He lay like a thingstunned, his eyes fixed steadily on the scene of the tragedy out in themeadow. He had seen something that he would never forget--even as hewould never quite forget his mother and Kazan and the old windfall. Hehad witnessed the death of the creature he had thought all-powerful.Wakayoo, the big bear, had not even put up a fight. Pierrot and Nepeesehad killed him WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM. Now Pierrot was cutting him with aknife which shot silvery flashes in the sun; and Wakayoo made nomovement. It made Baree shiver, and he drew himself an inch fartherback under the rock, where he was already wedged as if he had beenshoved there by a strong hand.

  He could see Nepeese. She came straight back to the break through whichhis flight had taken him, and stood at last not more than twenty feetfrom where he was hidden. Now that she stood where he could not escape,she began weaving her shining hair into two thick braids. Baree hadtaken his eyes from Pierrot, and he watched her curiously. He was notafraid now. His nerves tingled. In him a strange and growing force wasstruggling to solve a great mystery--the reason for his desire to creepout from under his rock and approach that wonderful creature with theshining eyes and the beautiful hair.

  Baree wanted to approach. It was like an invisible string tugging athis very heart. It was Kazan, and not Gray Wolf, calling to him backthrough the centuries, a "call" that was as old as the Egyptianpyramids and perhaps ten thousand years older. But against that desireGray Wolf was pulling from out the black ages of the forests. The wolfheld him quiet and motionless. Nepeese was looking about her. She wassmiling. For a moment her face was turned toward him, and he saw thewhite shine of her teeth, and her beautiful eyes seemed glowingstraight at him.

  And then, suddenly, she dropped on her knees and peered under the rock.

  Their eyes met. For at least half a minute there was not a sound.Nepeese did not move, and her breath came so softly that Baree couldnot hear it.

  Then she said, almost in a whisper:

  "Baree! Baree! Upi Baree!"

  It was the first time Baree had heard his name, and there was somethingso soft and assuring in the sound of it that in spite of himself thedog in him responded to it in a whimper that just reached the Willow'sears. Slowly she stretched in an arm. It was bare and round and soft.He might have darted forward the length of his body and buried hisfangs in it easily. But something held him back. He knew that it wasnot an enemy. He knew that the dark eyes shining at him so wonderfullywere not filled with the desire to harm--and the voice that came to himsoftly was like a strange and thrilling music.

  "Baree! Baree! Upi Baree!"

  Over and over again the Willow called to him like that, while on herface she tried to draw herself a few inches farther under the rock. Shecould not reach him. There was still a foot between her hand and Baree,and she could not wedge herself forward an inch more. And then she sawwhere on the other side of the rock there was a hollow, shut in by astone. If she had removed the stone, and come in that way--

  She drew herself out and stood once more in the sunshine. Her heartthrilled. Pierrot was busy over his bear--and she would not call him.She made an effort to move the stone which closed in the hollow underthe big boulder, but it was wedged in tightly. Then she began diggingwith a stick. If Pierrot had been there, his sharp eyes would havediscovered the significance of that stone, which was not larger than awater pail. Possibly for centuries it had lain there, its supportkeeping the huge rock from toppling down, just as an ounce weight mayswing the balance of a wheel that weighs a ton.

  Five minutes--and Nepeese could move the stone. She tugged at it. Inchby inch she dragged it out until at last it lay at her feet and theopening was ready for her body. She looked again toward Pierrot. He wasstill busy, and she laughed softly as she untied a big red-and-whiteBay handkerchief from about her shoulders. With this she would secureBaree. She dropped on her hands and knees and then lowered herself flaton the ground and began crawling into the hollow under the boulder.

  Baree had moved. With the back of his head flattened against the rock,he had heard something which Nepeese had not heard. He had felt a slowand growing pressure, and from this pressure he had dragged himselfslowly--and the pressure still followed. The mass of rock was settling!Nepeese did not see or hear or understand. She was calling to him moreand more pleadingly:

  "Baree--Baree--Baree--"

  Her head and shoulders and both arms were under the rock now. The glowof her eyes was very close to Baree. He whined. The thrill of a greatand impending danger stirred in his blood. And then--

  In that moment Nepeese felt the pressure of the rock on her shoulder,and into the eyes that had been glowing softly at Baree there shot asudden wild look of horror. And then there came from her lips a crythat was not like any other sound Baree had ever heard in thewilderness--wild, piercing, filled with agonized fear. Pierrot did nothear that first cry. But he heard the second and the third--and thenscream after scream as the Willow's tender body was slowly crushedunder the settling mass. He ran toward it with the speed of the wind.The cries were now weaker--dying away. He saw Baree as he came out fromunder the rock and ran into the canyon, and in the same instant he sawa part of the Willow's dress and her moccasined feet. The rest of herwas hidden under the deathtrap. Like a madman Pierrot began digging.

  When a few moments later he drew Nepeese out from under the boulder shewas white and deathly still. Her eyes were closed. His hand could notfeel that she was living, and a great moan of anguish rose out of hissoul. But he knew how to fight for a life. He tore open her dress andfound that she was not crushed as he had feared. Then he ran for water.When he returned, the Willow's eyes were open and she was gasping forbreath.

  "The blessed saints be praised!" sobbed Pierrot, falling on his kneesat her side. "Nepeese, ma Nepeese!"

  She smiled at him, and Pierrot drew her up to him, forgetting the waterhe had run so hard to get.

  Still later, when he got down on his knees and peered under th
e rock,his face turned white and he said:

  "Mon Dieu, if it had not been for that little hollow in the earth,Nepeese--"

  He shuddered, and said no more. But Nepeese, happy in her salvation,made a movement with her hand and said, smiling at him:

  "I would have been like--THAT." And she held her thumb and forefingerclose together.

  "But where did Baree go, mon pere?" Nepeese cried.