Superstition began to rise from
that spot. They no longer had Angelique among them, with her atmosphere
of invisible angels.
"That is the blood of the best man in the Territory," said Colonel
Menard. "I would give much more of my own to bring back the man who
spilled it. Are you afraid of a mere blood-spot in the gray of the
morning? Go into the other room and fasten the door, then. Achille will
show you that he can stay here alone."
"If mo'sieu' the colonel would let me go into that room, too"--
"Go in, Achille," said the colonel indulgently.
Colonel Menard made short work of embarking tante-gra'mere. In
emergencies, he was deft and delicate with his hands. She never knew who
caught her in coverlets and did her up like a papoose, with a pillow
under her head.
"Pull westward to the next street," he gave orders to his oarsmen. "We
found it easy going with the current that way. It will double the
distance, but give us less trouble to get into dead water the other side
of the Okaw."
Early summer dawn was breaking over that deluged world, a whiter light
than moonshine giving increasing distinctness to every object.
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