Part 33 (1/2)

”I didn't know you were coming back so soon,” he greeted her.

”Didn't you?” she asked indifferently. ”When my father had finished his business we suddenly made up our minds to leave, without consulting Mrs. Denton. I suppose that explains your ignorance.”

”You're smart,” he said. ”As soon as you're ready to receive people I must make my call.”

It was getting dark, but the lights from the store window fell on his face, and Geraldine saw a glitter in his eyes. She thought he meant to defy her.

”You are excused, so far as I am concerned,” she replied uncompromisingly.

Mappin stood silent a moment or two, looking at her hard, and she felt half afraid of him.

”You would rather see Allinson! But that's a pleasure you may find deferred. You didn't get much news of him just now!”

”I don't doubt that you heard me ask for it, though there were two teamsters waiting to buy things, who had the good manners to keep away.”

”Certainly I heard,” he answered coolly; ”that's the kind of man I am.

I don't let chances pa.s.s.”

Geraldine knew that he would make unscrupulous use of those he seized, but his candor had its effect on her. He was overbearing, but there was force in the man, and she grew uneasy. Though she shrank from him, she admitted his power; unless she roused herself to fight, he might break her will.

”One could hardly consider it an admirable type,” she said, getting into the sleigh. ”However, it's too cold to stand talking.”

Mappin was obliged to step back when she started the team, and she drove off in some confusion, glad to escape, but feeling that she had run away. It had seemed the safest course, though she did not think she was a coward. Then as the team trotted across the frozen lake she remembered Mappin's curious tone when he had spoken of Andrew Allinson. He had suggested with an unpleasant hint of satisfaction that Andrew's return might be delayed, and she grew troubled as she thought of it. Still, she reasoned, as no news had reached the Landing, Mappin could know nothing about the matter, and the men Andrew had with him were accustomed to the bush. Dismissing the subject, she urged the horses and drew the thick driving-robe close about her. It was very cold and she s.h.i.+vered as she wondered how Andrew and his comrades were faring in the North.

Some days later she met Mrs. Graham at the post-office and inquired about her husband. Geraldine thought she looked anxious.

”He's a little behind time; but soft snow or storms might delay the party.”

”Then he mentioned a time when you could expect him?”

”Yes,” said Mrs. Graham. ”He warned me that he might be a week late; but they thought out the journey very carefully, because it was a question of carrying enough food.”

”You mean that helped to fix the time of their return?”

”Of course! They couldn't get food anywhere except at a Hudson Bay factory, and they couldn't take a large quant.i.ty. That means they knew within a week or so when they must reach the provision caches that were to be made for them north of the mine.”

”I understand,” said Geraldine. ”They wouldn't delay when they came to the caches, except, perhaps, for a day's rest. I suppose the food was taken up?”

”Oh, yes! I saw the packers leave and come down. They were good bushmen and one of them knew the country. He made the caches at the places decided on.”

”Then the expedition should be quite safe,” said Geraldine cheerfully; but when she left Mrs. Graham she grew thoughtful.

Andrew was late and Geraldine saw that delay might be dangerous. The men would lose no time in coming south, because, considering the difficulty of transport, the margin of provisions would not be large.

Nothing but a serious accident would detain them, which was disconcerting to reflect upon. Then she reasoned that their provisions would be nearly exhausted when they reached the caches, and her mind dwelt on the point, because it was essential that they should obtain fresh supplies. She felt uneasy as she remembered a remark of Mappin's, which she did not think he had made casually. There had been a significant grimness in his manner when he had spoken of Allinson.

After all, however, it was possible that there was no ground for anxiety: the prospectors might turn up in the next few days.

As there was no news of them, however, Geraldine drove to the settlement one evening and called on Mrs. Graham. She found her seriously disturbed.

”A man came down from the mine this morning, and my husband hadn't arrived,” she said. ”I'm afraid something has gone wrong!”