Part 8 (2/2)
”I' about their distress,” he told her ”I only want to be sure and catch theive us up for lost--and turn back
I can never forgiveto waken It was just that I was so tired----”
”I won't let you blairl replied, slowly but earnestly ”Besides, Uncle Kenly won't go away for two or three days at least He's been uardian--I'm his ward--and I'm sure he'll make every effort to learn what happened to us”
”I suppose you're right You knohether or not you can trust Lounsbury I only know--that I can't trust Vosper”
”They'll be waiting for us, don't fear for that,” the girl went on She tried to put all the assurance she could into her tone ”But how can we get across?”
”That remains to be seen If they're there to help, with the horses, we o ”I'ht your fire You must stay in bed, anyway--all day”
He left hurriedly, and as the door opened the wind blew a handful of snow in upon her The snow had deepened during the night, and fall was heavier than ever shi+vering with cold and aching in everyIt was almost dry already Then, wholly ain between her blankets, waiting for Bill's return And his step was heavy and slow on the threshold when he came
She couldn't interpret the expression on his face when she saw him in the doorway He was curiously sober and intent, perhaps even a little pale ”Go to sleep, Miss Tremont,” he advised ”I'llThe girl sed painfully, but shaken with dread shaped her question at last ”What--what did you find out?”
He looked squarely into her eyes ”Nothing that you'll want to hear, Miss Tremont,” he told her soberly ”I went to the river bank and looked across They--they----”
”They are gone?” the girl cried
”They've pulled freight I could see the sht, or a man There's no chance for a mistake, I'm afraid I called and called, but no one answered”
The tears rushed to the girl's eyes, but she fought them back There was an instant of strained silence ”And what does it et out soirl suddenly urged ”I can stand it I will stand it--don't be afraid to tell me”
The man looked down at her in infinite coirl,”
he said ”What do you want to know?”
She didn't resent the words She only felt speechlessly grateful and soht feel in her father's arms
”Does it mean--that we've lost, after all?”
”Our lives? Not at all” She read in his face that this, at least, was the truth ”I'll tell you, Miss Tremont, just what I think it means
If ere on the other side of the river, and we had horses, we could push through and get out--easy enough But we haven't got horses--even Buster is drowned--and it would be a hard fight to carry supplies and blankets on our backs, for the long hike down into Bradleyburg It would likely be too much for you Besides, the river lays between
In tio down to quieter waters and build a raft--out of logs--but the snow's coet across, we couldn't ot snowshoes We could rig up some kind of snowshoes, I suppose, but until the snow packs we couldn'ta way and too cold In soft snow even a strong o a little way--you sink a foot and have to lift a load of snoith every step Every e look there's a block We're like birds, caught in a cage”
”But won'tabout that Miss Tre, and then they'll likely only half look for us I know this northern country Death is too co to cause much stir
Lounsbury will tell theotten out of the canyon, dressed like ere and on a night like last night If they thought ere alive and suffering, the whole male population would take a search party and come to our aid Instead they know--or rather, they think they know--that we're dead There won't be any horses, it will be a fool's errand, and h those feet of soft snow is a job they won't undertake”
”But the river will freeze soon”