is pack. She looked at him, her
mouth trembling and he patted her cheek with a numb hand. "A little
more--only a little more courage, dear," he said kindly; "Holt tells
me we are near Bear Pond. You have been so plucky."

"And so have you--Sam," she faltered. He smiled wearily, turned away
from her and regained his place in the line.

The rain ceased--the trees grew shorter; hemlock and spruce resolved
themselves into a stunted horizon of tamarack; then came a glimmering
light through an open space and a sheet of water, glistening like
steel, appeared ahead of them and they emerged suddenly upon a hard,
smooth point of sand.

"Bear Pond!" the trapper announced cheerily as he halted. "Here we be,
by whimey! I was afeared some of ye'd give out, but I dassent stop
a minute. You folks'll begin to feel better soon's we git a fire
started."

Already Holcomb's and the Clown's axes were being swung with a will.
They soon emerged from the forest dragging out on the smooth sand
spit, where the line of tamaracks ended, enough dry timber for a fire
which the trapper soon roused into a welcome blaze. He used but one
match--often he travelled a week on seven. When they were wet he
rubbed them in his hair.

Again the sharp whack of the axes cut out a ridgepole and two forked
supports. Before it grew dark they had a snug lean-to built and
covered with boughs at the edge of the tamaracks--out of the wind.
Here, after a warm meal, they passed the first night of their flight.
The women shared one side of the lean-to, grateful for the dry
blankets; the men, tired from their heavy loads, crept in noiselessly
in their sock feet beside them and were soon asleep. The old dog
waited patiently until they were settled, then entered and lay down
in the only space left. Back of them, far away over the horizon of the
wilderness, the sky was pink.

Alice Thayor slept soundly until midnight, then she lay awake until
the first glimmer of dawn. She half rose upon her elbow and looked
calmly at the face of her husband asleep next to her. It seemed
strange to her to be sleeping next to him. His face was drawn and
haggard; he breathed heavily. Margaret was curled next to her on the
other side, the curve of her lovely mouth showing above the coarse
edge of the horse blanket.

Then an irresistible desire came over her to get away--away from this
misery--out of these rough clothes--away from these men. The fire in
front of her blazed up, illumining