I have been dining sumptuously on bear steaks," she told him lightly.
"And I have slept and kept warm. There has been no one near. And the
days are fine again. It was clear last night; the sun has been shining
all day. Now, when you've had your own lunch, I'll tell you anything you
want to know. Only you must not try to talk yet, Mark; not until
to-morrow. I want you strong and well again, you know; it's lonesome
without you."

She gave him, for the first time, a whole cup of broth, glorying in the
certainty that already he was stronger. But even yet his weakness was so
great that, before she had spoken a dozen sentences, he was asleep
again. Clearly, even to Gloria, if but a little more blood had ebbed
out of the wounded side, he would never have awakened; clearly to
Gloria, triumphant, it had been she who had held him back from death.
She, Gloria King, alone, had fought the great grim battle; hers was the
victory. For at last she knew with her brain, as all along she had known
in her heart, that it was to be victory.

So the hours passed. For the most part King slept, lapsing into the deep
stupor of a drugged man. But at times he stirred restlessly; with slowly
returning strength his wounds pained him; in his sleep he muttered;
Gloria, watching him, winced as she saw his brow contract and saw how he
tried to shift his body as though to pull away from something that hurt
him.

* * * * *

King was awake. Awakening, he tried to move. His utter weakness, like a
great weight bearing down upon him, held him powerless. But his mind,
slowly freeing itself from the shadows of sleep, was suddenly very
clear. He could turn his head a little. It was late afternoon; outside
the sun was still shining, for a patch of light lay at the side of the
canvas flap. At first he did not see Gloria; but his eyes quested until
at last they found her. She lay by the fire, her head upon her arm,
sleeping. The little huddled body looked weary beyond expression.

For a long time his haggard eyes remained with her. She lay on the
rocks, without a blanket. His hand moved weakly; there were blankets
under him, blankets covering him; his feet were wrapped in a blanket. He
remembered that a long, long time ago she had said to him: "It was last
night." All this long, long time he had had all the blankets.... He
looked again at Gloria, at the fire; he saw wood piled near by. For many
minutes he puzzled the matter; in t