“And Rossland was on the Nome, and saw
you, and sent word back to Graham,” he said,
fighting to keep himself from going nearer to her.
She nodded. “Yes; and so I came to you,
and failing there, I leaped into the sea, for I wanted
them to think I was dead.”
“And Rossland was hurt.”
“Yes. Strangely. I heard of it in
Cordova. Men like Rossland frequently come to
unexpected ends.”
He went to the door which she had closed, and opened
it, and stood looking toward the blue billows of the
foothills with the white crests of the mountains behind
them. She came, after a moment, and stood beside
him.
“I understand,” she said softly, and her
hand lay in a gentle touch upon his arm. “You
are trying to see some way out, and you can see only
one. That is to go back, face the creatures I
hate, regain my freedom in the old way. And I,
too, can see no other way. I came on impulse;
I must return with impulse and madness burned out
of me. And I am sorry. I dread it.
I—would rather die.”
“And I—” he began, then caught
himself and pointed to the distant hills and mountains.
“The herds are there,” he said. “I
am going to them. I may be gone a week or more.
Will you promise me to be here when I return?”
“Yes, if that is your desire.”
“It is.”
She was so near that his lips might have touched her
shining hair.
“And when you return, I must go. That will
be the only way.”
“I think so.”
“It will be hard. It may be, after all,
that I am a coward. But to face all that—alone—”
“You won’t be alone,” he said quietly,
still looking at the far-away hills. “If
you go, I am going with you.”
It seemed as if she had stopped breathing for a moment
at his side, and then, with a little, sobbing cry
she drew away from him and stood at the half-opened
door of Nawadlook’s room, and the glory in her
eyes was the glory of his dreams as he had wandered
with her hand in hand over the tundras in those days
of grief and half-madness when he had thought she
was dead.
“I am glad I was in Ellen McCormick’s
cabin the day you came,” she was saying.
“And I thank God for giving me the madness and
courage to come to you. I am not afraid
of anything in the world now—because—I
love you, Alan!”
And as Nawadlook’s door closed behind her, Alan
stumbled out into the sunlight, a great drumming in
his heart, and a tumult in his brain that twisted
the world about him until for a little it held neither
vision nor space nor sound.
In that way, with the beautiful world swimming in
sunshine and golden tundra haze until foothills and
mountains were like castles in a dream, Alan Holt
set off with Tautuk and Amuk Toolik, leaving Stampede
and Keok and Nawadlook at the corral bars, with Stampede
little regretting that he was left behind to guard
the range. For a mighty resolution had taken
root in the prospector’s heart, and he felt himself
thrilled and a bit trembling at the nearness of the
greatest drama that had ever entered his life.
Alan, looking back after the first few minutes, saw
that Keok and Nawadlook stood alone. Stampede
was gone.
