Chapter XXII

And so, after all, he and Gloria were not alone in the mountains; that other crowd was still to be reckoned with.  King stood at the cave’s mouth, frowning into the ever-thickening smother of the storm.  Their smoke was gone again, beaten down, hidden behind the snow-curtain.  But they were there, at no very great distance.  Thus, then, they knew something.  Just what?  Here was the matter of his perplexity; did they know all that he did?  Or had they merely such a hint as would lead them as close as this?  Or had they followed his trail?

He grew impatient with seeking to speculate.  It struck him clearly and forcefully that he had but one thing to do:  to trust that they did not have such full information as had fallen into his hands and to see to it that he gave them no help.  Though they should come close, very close, still that which he had found might remain hidden from them.  There lay his work; to do all that he could to hide Gus Ingle’s gold.  First he would bring with him more than the two nuggets; all that he felt he could manage to carry with the rest of his necessary load.  Enough to help Ben Gaynor over a crisis; enough raw gold to slam down before some San Francisco capitalist, together with a tale which would make any man eager to stake the owner to what loan he asked.  With that he’d seek to get back to the open.  He would get provisions, snow-shoes, a dog-team, if necessary, a couple of trusted men to come with him; he would be back here within the week.  But first, before he went, he would strive to make as sure as a man could that Brodie’s crowd did not find the golden hoard.

He went a second time far back into the darkness of the further cave, carrying a smoking torch as before, vanishing from Gloria’s eyes.  She was alone; nothing stood between her and the cave’s mouth; she was free to go!  He must have thought of that.  He was giving her her chance.  She had but to snatch up the few things she meant to take with her, to go out, to find her way down the cliffs——­She shuddered.  She was afraid!  Did he know that, too?  Had he thought of that?  She moved back and forth restlessly; at one instant she was sure that she would go, only to be certain of nothing before another second passed.  How soon would he return?  Would he hurry after her, would he bring her back forcibly?...  She went where she could look out; the column of smoke had disappeared; the wind tore at her in mighty gusts.  She hesitated and time passed.

How long he was gone she did not know.  She only knew that she had done nothing when at length he returned.  There was a look of grim satisfaction on his face; whatever he had gone to do he had done in a manner to please him.  She noted that his coat was off; that in it, as in a bag, he carried something heavy.

“This goes with us wherever we go,” he announced triumphantly.  “It’s a big breathing spell for Ben Gaynor.”  He dumped it out; there were other lumps like the two he had brought back the first time.  She wondered dully if that grimy stuff were gold!  She watched him while he emptied a provision-bag and thereafter dropped into it the stuff he had brought in his coat.  On top of it went the articles of food.