ty. It would be
easy to judge charitably of him then, for he would be beyond power of
working any further mischief to the living. It is fear, not cruelty,
which lies at the root of all uncharitableness. If apprehension were
removed from our lives, it would be possible for the weakest man to
live well. It was the fact that, trusting in God, he took no thought
for the morrow, which enabled Jesus to become Christ.

Gliding round the island, they came to a sandy cove, which faced the
sunset. There they landed. Lifting the canoe a dozen paces up the
shore and placing it in the scrub, where it might be out of sight,
they struck into the brushwood by a narrow trail, which at once
commenced to climb. After three minutes of travelling, they came out
on to a tall bare rock, to one side of which grew a solitary pine.
From there they could command a view of the river on every side.

Granger settled himself down, with his back toward his companion,
propping himself against the pine-trunk, with his face towards the
fading light. The huskies gathered hungrily round in a semicircle,
squatting on their haunches, wondering whether the coming of these men
meant that they were going to be fed. The frogs croaked in the river;
the mosquitoes trumpetted about their heads; save for these sounds,
and the continual low murmur of the river, there was absolute quiet.
In this environment, his eyes upon the faery domes and fiery spires of
the western sky, into the inmost mystery of which the Last Chance
River led, that torturing and old desire, which had always made it
impossible for him to enjoy the moment in its flight, again possessed
his mind: he had known it from a child, the ambition to follow,
follow, follow, in the hope that somewhere, perhaps behind the setting
sun, he might arrive at the land of perfectness for which he craved.

His thoughts were disturbed somewhat brutally by a voice behind.
"Still careless of your life! I see you hav'n't brought your gun with
you. How did you know that it wasn't 'Die,' that I wanted to say?"

He turned lazily round, and was surprised at the altered expression
which had come into Spurling's face. It was frank and self-reliant,
and, oddly enough, had a look that was almost tender.

"What made you say that?" Granger inquired.

Spurling drew nearer. "Well, a fellow had to say something to break
the ice," he replied; "so I thought I might as well give you your
chance of taking the worst impression of me