Part 5 (1/2)
”I want to go--o on I've already sent Vosper to get the horses”
He turned to his work Lounsbury, hisme my breakfast here, Bronson,” he coht This bed was like stones I can't coht hiravely ”They're not hty's And I made it just as comfortable for you as I can”
”I think you could have provided folding cots, anyway I've a great mind to turn back” He looked into the snow-filled sky ”By George, I will turn back There's no sense in going any farther in this wild goose chase It's a death trip, that's all it is--going out in this snow Tell Miss Treht and tall ”I've already talked that over with Miss Treo on”
The fleshy sacks under Lounsbury's eyes swelled rath ”She has, has she? I think she's already told you that I' this trip, not her, and I've told you so too I' the orders”
”In that case, it's your privilege to order me to turn back, and of course I will obey You will owe me, however, for the full thirty days”
For a moment a spectator would have eyed Lounsbury with apprehension; to all appearances he had swollen past the danger mark and was about to explode ”You'd hold et it”
Bill eyed hirimly There was a miniature flake of fire in each of his dark eyes and a curious little quiver, vaguely oriet it all right,” he assured hiain ”But you'd better talk it over with Miss Tremont, Mr Lounsbury The snow is likely only teets too deep for safety”
They folded the tent and packed the horses, and shortly after eight Bill led the way deeper into the forest The snoept trees, the white glades between, the long line of pack horses following in the wake of the iinia could never forget And ever the snow sifted down upon them, ever heavier on the branches, ever deeper on the trail
If the record of the wild things had been clear in yesterday's mud it was an open book to-day Everywhere the trail was criss-crossed with tracks In that firstcreature that dwelt in this northern realer mammals, such as bear and e hunters, the wolverine and lynx The latter is nothing rown tomcat, except for a decorative tuft at his ears, and like all his brethren soft as flower petals in his step; but because he mews unpleasantly on the trail he has a worse reputation than he deserves But not so with the wolverine Many unkind remarks have been addressed to him, but no words have ever been invented--even the marvelous combinations of expletives known to the trapper--properly to describe him The little people of the forest--the birds in the shrubbery and the squirrels in the trees and the little digging rodents in the ground--fear hi
Even the cow caribou, re suddenly from ambush upon her calf, dreads hi his bait stolen from every trap on his line, calls down curses upon his head But for all this unpopularity he continues to prosper and increase
Virginia sahere a rips in the snow: the tracks and an ominous red stain told the story plainly
The squirrel had atteht, but the marten was even swifter in the tree limbs than the squirrel hiround,--a small part of a second too late The er nu lossy skins
”Marten can catch squirrel, but fisher can catchthe trappers; and as they rode Bill told her some of his adventures with these latter, beautiful fur bearers The fisher, it see creature that he could master except fish When the names of the animals were passed around, Bill said, the otter and the fisher got their slips h the centuries He showed her the tracks of the erh altitudes, the trail of the ptaran in the snow Mink, fox, and coyote had hunted each other gayly through the drifts, and all three had hunted the snowshoe rabbit and field ed fro and had ducked quickly back at the sight of the snow; an owl had snatched a Canada jay from her perch and had left a few clotted feathers when the daylight had driven hiors of the day's travel were constantly increasing The wet snow stea on their sides sapped the vitality of the horses; to keep they on the part of their riders Virginia found it ale the snow-laden branches They would slap snow into her face, down her neck and into her sleeves: it sifted into her eyes and hair and chilled her hands until they ached The waterproof garments that she ere priceless after the firstti, biting cold of the northern fall went into hi, incoherent rath when they stopped for noon He was not enough of a sportsood spirit He didn't know theof that ancient law,--that ood spirit pay for their mistakes He didn't kno to smile at the difficulties that confronted hi the bitter medicine of life without corasp ”You'vejust as hard for us as you could,” he storuide's license snatched away frouide or pick a trail You brought us out here to bleed us And you'll pay for it when I get back”
Bill scarcely seemed to hear He went on with his work, but when the si half done, he made his answer He drew a cloth sack fro it on his shoulder, and stepped over to Lounsbury's side
”There's a couple of things I want to tell you,” he began He spoke in a quiet voice, so that Virginia could not hear
Lounsbury looked up with a scowl ”I don't know that I want to hear theoing to hear 'e everything any hu can toon a pack train You can't take electric stoves, and you can't boss the weather It's your own fault you didn't provide yourself with proper clothes And I' you yelp”
Lounsbury tried to find so remark in reply He only sputtered
”I can only stand so uide went on, in a et back to town I just don't want you pestering me any more with your complaints I've stood a lot for Miss Tre happen to you But just a few more little remarks like youinend up! And that wouldn't be beco at all for an American millionaire”
Lounsbury opened his ain ”I see,” he said at last, clearly
”Good And here's some clothes of mine They're not handsome, and they'll not fit, but they'll keep you dry”
He duround at Lounsbury's feet