Early Candlelight

IX

IX HE steamboat Zmogene lay in the river. T It was just before dawn, and the rising sun imbued the east with a trembling pink and yellow; and not the east alone but the great vaporous arch of sky, the very west where a thin transparent moon was slip ping below the prairies. Still invisible, the sun tinted the dew on the prairie grasses. It shot with iridescent hues the wisps of mist that trailed on the still waters. It touched the solid towers of the fort into the rose of storied battlements and gilded the lines of the steamboat Imogene, hung her with prismatic sails and dim rich banners until she seemed a fairy ship come to rest in the River St. Peters. Deedee looked about her with a child's unaaected enjoyment. She had run out early to watch for Narcisse, but she took a moment to greet the morning. It was warm for half past four. The dew felt pleasant to her bare feet. The world seemed empty. Even the birds were not making the clamor they had made at sunrise in the spring. This was h e July, the moon, as the Indians said, when the choke cherries are ripe. And it was also the moon when rivers run low. The Zmogme had gained Fort Snelling yesterday with the greatest difficulty; with IX THE steamboat lmog~n~ lay in the river. It was just before dawn, and the rising sun imbued the east with a trembling pink and yellow; and not the east alone but the great vaporous arch of sky, the very west where a thin transparent moon was slipping below the prairies. Still invisible, the sun tinted the dew on the prairie grasses. It shot with iridescent hues the wisps of mist that trailed on the still waters. It touched the solid towers of the fort into the rose of storied battlements and gilded the lines of the steamboat lmog~n~. hung her with prismatic sails and dim rich banners until she seemed a fairy ship come to rest in the River St. Peters. Deedee looked about her with a child's unaffected enjoyment. She had run out early to watch for Narcisse, but she took a moment to greet the morning. It was warm for half past four. The dew felt pleasant to her bare feet. The world seemed empty. Even the birds were not making the clamor they had made at sunrise in the spring. This was late July, the moon, as the Indians said, when the choke cherries are ripe. And it was also the moon when rivers run low. The lmogm~ had gained Fort Snelling yesterday with the greatest difficulty; with 95 IX THE steamboat Imog~n~ lay in the river. It was just before dawn, and the rising sun imbued the east with a trembling pink and yellow; and not the east alone but the great vaporous arch of sky, the very west where a thin transparent moon was slipping below the prairies. Still invisible, the sun tinted the dew on the prairie grasses. It shot with iridescent hues the wisps of mist that trailed on the still waters. It touched the solid towers of the fort into the rose of storied battlements and gilded the lines of the steamboat Imog~n~, hung her with prismatic sails and dim rich banners until she seemed a fairy ship come to rest in the River St. Peters. Deedee looked about her with a child's unaffected enjoyment. She had run out early to watch for Narcisse, but she took a moment to greet the morning. It was warm for half past four. The dew felt pleasant to her bare feet. The world seemed empty. Even the birds were not making the clamor they had made at sunrise in the spring. This was late July, the moon, as the Indians said, when the choke cherries are ripe. And it was also the moon when rivers run low. The Imogm~ had gained Fort Snelling yesterday with the greatest difficulty; with 96 EARLY CANDLELIGHT such difiticulty, in fact, that her captain had surmised she would be the last steamboat of the season. This news had blown across Fort Snelling like a breath of winter. Every soul within its walls had had for a moment a chilling sense of the loneliness lying in wait. But with the gallantry of those who dance until dawn on the night before a battle, they besought the captain to...