ure to reflect. He wondered
whether Beorn's treatment of Spurling, and the fact that he had shown
him to him on the earliest occasion, was meant as a threat to himself;
or had the disclosures which he had made in his delirium given him the
impression that he also was entirely Spurling's enemy. The bearing of
Eyelids and of Peggy led him to believe that the latter supposition
was correct. His natural instinct was to free the man at once,--but
he thought better of it; Spurling would be at least kept out of
mischief there till he himself was well.

Now that his mind was at ease, he commenced to mend rapidly; when two
more days had passed, he was up and able to get about without much
help. On visiting the trading-store he found that his canoe was lying
there, just as he had brought it back; nothing of its contents had
been removed or unpacked. He sat down beside it, and tried to
formulate his plans.

So far, in spite of his illness, everything had happened for the best.
Spurling was safe until he should require him. The gold was now in his
absolute possession. Very shortly Eyelids and Beorn would set out on
their winter's hunt, leaving him, save for Peggy, free to act
unobserved. But he had made a discovery, the knowledge of which
disturbed him--that a part, at least, of the reason for Peggy's
reticence and new gentleness was that before long she would be a
mother. That fact made him feel differently towards her; he could not
now desert her, for it would mean abandoning his child.

When he pictured to himself what the Northland might do for a child
who was fatherless, especially if it were a girl, he knew that,
whatever plans he made, they must include his half-breed wife.
Moreover, her approaching maternity appealed to the chivalry in his
nature, making him ashamed that he had ever thought to leave her.
Until his child was born, at whatever risk to himself, he must
postpone his departure and lie in hiding at Murder Point. And after
that? He must take her into his confidence, as he should have done
long ago, as if she were all white. He would have to leave her behind
at first, but would make arrangements for her to follow after him when
the road was clear.

Having arrived at this point, his train of reasoning was broken off by
the appearance of Eyelids, who came to ask for two outfits, and to
inform him that he and Beorn had determined to set out on the winter
trail that night. The rest of the day was spent in preparat