Part 21 (2/2)

Jimmy braced his legs, pushed off and let himself go. In Switzerland he had studied the _glissade_, but when one carries a heavy load to balance on a precipitous slope is difficult. It looked as if Deering could not balance, because after a few moments Jimmy shot past an object that rolled in the snow. Then he himself lost control, his pack pulled him over, and he went head-foremost down hill. When he stopped the pitch was easier, and looking back he saw a belt of cloud three or four hundred feet above. He had gone through the cloud and when he turned his head he saw dark forest roll up from the valley in front. For all that, the highest trees were some distance off.

By and by the Indian and Deering arrived and soon afterwards the snow got thin. Stones covered the mountain-side and now and then a bank their feet disturbed slipped away and carried them down. At length, Deering, smas.h.i.+ng through some juniper scrub, seized a small dead pine, and when Jimmy, breathless and rather battered, arrived, declared they had gone far enough. They had got fuel and water ran in the stones.

Half an hour afterwards, Jimmy sat down on thin branches in a hollow behind a rock. In front a fire snapped and the rock kept off the wind.

The smell of coffee floated about the camp and the Indian was occupied with a frying-pan.

When Jimmy had satisfied his appet.i.te he lighted his pipe. He was warm and the daunting sense of loneliness had gone. By and by Deering began to talk.

”When Stannard stated you had pulled out for the foothills I thought I'd better come along. He talked about your shoving across for the boundary, but I doubted if you could make it. Perhaps an Alpine Club party, starting from a base camp, with packers to relay supplies, could cross the rocks, but when your outfit's a little flour and a slab of pork it sure can't be done. My notion is, we'll get back from the railroad, pitch camp in a snug valley and hunt.”

”But you have no grounds to hide from the police.”

”I'm pretty keen on hunting and I like it in the mountains,” Deering replied with a laugh. ”To start with horses and packers is expensive, but our hunting won't cost much. Then I'd a sort of notion I ought to see you out. We'll let it go at that. For a time the police will watch the railroad, but they'll get tired.”

”You're a very good sort,” Jimmy declared and resumed: ”The Royal North-West boast they have never let a man they really wanted get away.”

”Police talk!” said Deering. ”Reckon it up. They put two troopers to watch a hundred miles of wilderness. In broken, timbered country a horse can't go and a man can hardly shove along. I allow the boys are smart, but they can't do more than's possible for flesh and blood. When we've put them off our track we'll fix up a scheme.”

”Now I think about it, I don't know if I ought to have run away.

Stannard rather persuaded me to start.”

”Perhaps he was justified. The forestry department bosses can't allow their wardens to be shot. Then you belong to a gang that had killed big-horn on a reserve and engaged a notorious poacher for guide. When Douglas was shot he was getting after your man. On the whole, I reckon I'd have pulled out. But I don't see why Stannard suggested your going for the plains. He ought to know you couldn't make it.”

”He didn't know,” Jimmy declared.

”Very well! I reckon he knew you could not get down the neck. Anyhow, he knew the ground; he was up on the range.”

Jimmy was vaguely disturbed. Deering's remarks indicated that he was not satisfied and he thought the fellow studied him.

”Stannard reached the neck, but it's obvious he did not go far enough to see the ice-fall.”

”I didn't see the ice-fall, but I expected to get up against something of the sort. Stannard's a famous climber.”

”After all, we might have got down.”

”It's possible,” Deering agreed with some dryness. ”If we'd had two good fresh men, a proper rope and ice-picks, I might have tried, after sun-up. But we hadn't got the proper truck, and I own I wasn't fresh.”

”I was exhausted,” said Jimmy. ”Still an exploit we thought daunting might not daunt Stannard. I expect that accounts for it.”

Deering gave him a keen glance and smiled.

”Oh, well; he's sure a good man on the rocks.”

Jimmy knocked out his pipe. So long as he had persuaded Deering that Stannard had not carelessly allowed him to run a risk he was content. He did not want to dispute about it. He liked Deering and to see him across the fire was some comfort. Deering had not Stannard's qualities, but Jimmy began to see he himself was rather Deering's sort than the other's. Then in the mountains cultivation had not the importance it had, for example, at an English country house. Jimmy liked Deering's raw human force, his big muscular body, and his rather noisy laugh. Anyhow, Deering had joined him and meant to see him out. He put away his pipe, pulled up his thick blue blanket and went to sleep.

XVII

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