, friendly stars that looked down on Kon Klayu.

Jean caught her breath.

"The Christmas lights of God," she whispered. "I have never been so
near to Him before." She lifted her violin to her shoulder and began
the opening bars of _Holy Night_. Gregg's voice joined the instrument,
reverent, worshipful.

As she played there beside him the girl knew that they were sharing
something never to be forgotten by either--the magic of a moment of
perfect accord, a moment of beauty that transcended earthly things and
left them but two souls worshipping together beneath the softened glory
of the Northern Lights.

CHAPTER XXVI

WINTER DAYS

It had taken Gregg Harlan some time to realize fully that mere
existence on Kon Klayu was an all-absorbing problem! but when he did so
the primitiveness of it stimulated, intoxicated him, not as liquor had
once done, but with a freshness that cleared his brain and sent his
blood racing through his veins. Every cell in his body tingled with
life. He felt this exhilaration in his swinging stride, his up-lifting
chin. By Christmas he was no more tormented by a craving for liquor.
On the contrary he was nauseated at the memory of his stupid, sodden
days at Katleean. Alaska, the Great Country, which either makes or
breaks, had challenged him to prove himself a man--and he had accepted
the challenge. Kon Klayu, Island of mystery and beauty had laid its
charm upon him, for despite the hardships it was a place where romance
and adventure were the realities of life.

For the first time in his twenty-five years he felt the spur of
responsibility. He was filled with a desire to fight, to conquer, to
do something to try his new strength and to earn favor in the eyes of
Jean--and Ellen. He grinned boyishly to himself, sometimes, when this
mighty urge to noble deeds resolved itself into the accomplishing of
prosaic tasks such as getting in firewood and hunting shellfish.

In the matter of clothes, Boreland and Kayak were the only ones who
were in any way prepared for the cold weather. Ellen had cut up a
scarlet blanket to make Harlan and Loll winter coats. Jean had
fashioned for herself an attractive mackinaw from a small white
blanket, and the young man was not blind to the picture she made,
red-cheeked, laughing, trotting along beside him on the beach as they
looked for sea food.

One windy day Kayak Bill came in from the beach without his cherished
sombrero.

"The gol durned