He would accompany her and the
colonel to Churchill. They would be together for days, and at the end of
that time--
He laughed low and joyously, and for a spell he urged the dogs into a
swifter pace. That he had correctly estimated the speed of those ahead
of him he was convinced, when, two hours later, he came upon the remains
of their mid-day camp-fire, nine or ten miles from Lac Bain. It was dark
when he reached this point. There were glowing embers still in the fire,
and these he stirred into life, adding armfuls of dry wood to the
flames. About him in the snow he found the prints of Isobel's little
feet, and in the flood of joy and hope that was sweeping more and more
into his life he sang and whistled, and forgot that he was alone in a
desolation of blackness that made even the dogs slink nearer to the
fire. He would camp here--where Isobel had been only a few hours before.
If he traveled hard he would overtake them by the next noon.
But he had underestimated his own exhaustion. After he had put up his
tent before the fire he made himself a bed of balsam boughs and tell
into a deep sleep, from which neither dawn nor the restless movements of
the dogs could awaken him. When at last he opened his eyes it was broad
day. He jumped to his feet and looked at his watch. It was nine o'clock,
and after ten before he again took up the pursuit of the two sledges.
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