my poor girl back and get back
my little, little baby. I had a notion I might have to hang for the job,
but, anyway, I'd have saved her from a life--well, I'd have saved them
both, and been able to fix them so they didn't need a thing in life.
What happened to me didn't seem to worry any. But when I hit up against
Mallard's, and I'd listened some to Saney I started in to figure. To get
that far had taken me over two years, and big money. There might be
still years of it ahead of me. And when I'd done, was I sure I'd get
Nita and the kiddie back? And if I did, how would I be able to fix them
after all the expense? Then there was Marcel. Maybe it was something
else urging me to quit. Something I wasn't just aware of. I don't know.
I've heard say that a feller who yearns to kill, either kills quick or
goes crazy. There wasn't a thing foolish about me. I hadn't any of the
foolishness of a crazy man. Which is a way of saying the yearning to
kill hadn't the grip on me it had. It was a big fight, but sense--or
something else--won out. I quit for those other things I'd got in my
head. Guess I heard that little feller's 'Hullo!' ringing in my ears.
Same as I heard it up in Unaga. So I cut out the other, and got busy
right away fixing things for the big play I mean to put up for the
kiddie that Providence has left to me. There are times when my whole
body kicks at the thought of that skunk getting away with his play. But
there's others when I'm glad--real glad--I quit. I can't judge the thing
right. I'm sort of torn in different directions. Anyway, there it is.
Maybe the thing I haven't been allowed to do will be done sometime by
the Providence that reckons to straighten out most things as it sees
fit. I hope the way it sees is my way. That's all. Now I'm ready for the
big play. My outfit has gone up by water on Hudson's Bay, a special
charter. It's to be landed and cached on the shores of Chesterfield
Inlet. I've sunk every cent of my inheritance in it. It's an outfit
that'll give Marcel and me a life stake in the work lying ahead. And all
that comes out of it is for him. With all this fixed I got back right
away."

"But not--in a 'hurry.'"

There was a half smile in the Scotsman's eyes.

"The only 'hurry' I'm in is to get all the season we need," Steve
replied simply.

"That means you want Marcel--right away."

Millie spoke without turning from her contemplation of the view beyond
the doorway. And there was that in her vo