Part 50 (1/2)

”And alive!” said the ”King,” in fierce defiance.

He did not speak again for a long time. He seemed to become unconscious of the presence by his side of Jimmy Grayson, the man whom in his hot wrath he had threatened to betray. At last he turned his head and said, as if it were an impulse:

”Mr. Grayson, they said I was going to knife you, and I meant to do it!

They tempted me, and I was willing to be tempted by them; but, by G.o.d! I gave them no promise and I won't. I was your friend, and I'm your friend again!”

”A better I never hope to have,” said Jimmy Grayson, and in the storm the hands of the two men met in a grasp as true as it was strong.

”We will not speak of this again,” said Mr. Grayson and they never did.

A resident of Grafton, Mr. Harrison, came up to them, fighting his way through the snow.

”Mr. Plummer,” he said, ”there are some rocky hills three or four miles north of here, with hollows and sort of half-way caves here and there in their sides. It's barely possible that Mr. Harley and Miss Morgan have got to one of those places. I think we ought to go there at once, because, because--”

The man's voice failed.

”Speak out,” said the ”King,” ”I can stand it.”

”Well, it's just this, though I hate to say it. It's a sure thing that they've gone a long distance, an' if they've hit on one of the hollows we're likely to find 'em alive if we get there pretty soon, but if they ain't in a hollow they'll be--they'll be--”

”They'll be dead when we do find them. Take us to the hills, Mr.

Harrison.”

The man, lantern in hand, strode on, and with him were Mr. Grayson and Mr. Plummer. Hobart was at the candidate's elbow. Twilight was at hand and the darkness was increasing, although the snow was thinning. Hobart, peering out on the plain, saw only the swells of snow rising and falling like a white sea, and overhead the sky of sullen clouds. He marked the agony on the faces of the candidate and the ”King,” and his own heart was heavy. There was no thrill over a mystery now; the lost were too dear to him.

”It's night,” said Mr. Plummer. In his heart was the fear that the two, overpowered, had fallen down and slowly frozen to death under the snow, but he did not dare to whisper it to others.

It was heavy work going through the drifts and keeping the right way over a plain that had the similarity of the sea, but the men did not falter. Jimmy Grayson was always looking into the darkness, striving to see the darker line or blur that would mark the hills, but he asked no questions. The snow ceased, and after a while low, black slopes appeared against the dusky horizon.

”The hills!” said the candidate, and the Grafton man nodded. They increased their pace until they were almost running. Neither Mr. Grayson nor Mr. Plummer knew it, but the Grafton man had little hope; he had merely suggested the place as a last chance.

It took them much longer than they thought or hoped to reach the hills, but when they came to them they began a rapid search. The ”King” and the candidate were still together, and the former had taken a lantern from one of the men. They had been looking among the hills for about a quarter of an hour, and they drew somewhat away from the others. The ”King” raised his lantern at intervals and threw ribbons of light along the white slopes. They came to a hill a little higher than the rest, and he raised the lantern again. It was not a white reflection that came, but something misty and brown.

”Dead leaves!” cried the ”King.” ”It's a cave or a hollow.”

He raised the lantern higher, and the light shone directly in at the opening; it shone, too, upon Sylvia's face as she lay asleep in Harley's arms.

”Babes in the wood!” muttered Hobart, who had come up behind them.

The ”King” paused a moment. The picture appealed to him, too, and he saw then in Harley only the rescuer of ”his little girl.” His heart yearned over Harley also. Then he uttered a joyous shout, dropped his lantern, and seized Sylvia. ”Daddy,” she said, awakening and putting her arms around his neck, ”I've come back.”

”G.o.d bless you, my child, my daughter!” he said.

To Harley it was all a dream; there was something the matter with him--there was a sort of dull, unreal feeling, and these men that he knew seemed to be very far away. Nor did he understand why they pulled him out so roughly, rubbed snow on his face and ears, and chafed his hands violently. Afterwards he remembered hearing dimly some one say, ”We're just in time; he was freezing to death,” and then he wished they would be gentler. Fiery stuff was poured down his throat, and he coughed and struggled, but they had no mercy. Then they committed the crowning outrage--they took him by the arms, held him up and made him run back and forth in the snow. After that the pain came; there were strong needle-p.r.i.c.ks all through him, and he heard some one say in a foolish tone of satisfaction, ”He's coming around all right.” Then they poured more fiery stuff down his throat.

After a while the needle pains ceased, and Harley understood that they had saved him from freezing to death. He thought at once of Sylvia; there she stood wrapped from chin to heel in a great fur coat, and she smiled at him.

It was a slow but happy walk back to Grafton. The ”King's” joyful shout had been repeated and pa.s.sed on to all the searchers, and all the lanterns had been whirled aloft in rejoicing signal. Messengers were already hurrying on to Grafton with the news.

Harley walked by the side of Mr. Grayson, who had given his hand one strong clasp and who had said, ”Harley, it was like finding a brother.”