caused a moment's
interest--interest of the kind we felt, that is. In our Canadian camps
the bears were for ever grunting about among the provision bags at
night, porcupines scratching unceasingly, and chipmunks scuttling over
everything.

"My daughter is overtired, and that's the truth of it," explained
Maloney presently when he rejoined us and had examined in turn the other
paw-marks. "She's been overdoing it lately, and camp-life, you know,
always means a great excitement to her. It's natural enough, if we take
no notice she'll be all right." He paused to borrow my tobacco pouch and
fill his pipe, and the blundering way he filled it and spilled the
precious weed on the ground visibly belied the calm of his easy
language. "You might take her out for a bit of fishing, Hubbard, like a
good chap; she's hardly up to the long day in the cutter. Show her some
of the other islands in your canoe, perhaps. Eh?"

And by lunch-time the cloud had passed away as suddenly, and as
suspiciously, as it had come.

But in the canoe, on our way home, having till then purposely ignored
the subject uppermost in our minds, she suddenly spoke to me in a way
that again touched the note of sinister alarm--the note that kept on
sounding and sounding until finally John Silence came with his great
vibrating presence and relieved it; yes, and even after he came, too,
for a while.

"I'm ashamed to ask it," she said abruptly, as she steered me home, her
sleeves rolled up, her hair blowing in the wind, "and ashamed of my
silly tears too, because I really can't make out what caused them; but,
Mr. Hubbard, I want you to promise me not to go off for your long
expeditions--just yet. I beg it of you." She was so in earnest that she
forgot the canoe, and the wind caught it sideways and made us roll
dangerously. "I have tried hard not to ask this," she added, bringing
the canoe round again, "but I simply can't help myself."

It was a good deal to ask, and I suppose my hesitation was plain; for
she went on before I could reply, and her beseeching expression and
intensity of manner impressed me very forcibly.

"For another two weeks only--"

"Mr. Sangree leaves in a fortnight," I said, seeing at once what she was
driving at, but wondering if it was best to encourage her or not.

"If I knew you were to be on the island till then," she said, her face
alternately pale and blushing, and her voice trembling a little, "I
should feel so much happier."