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The snow-man was gone from his vision home and hope. He had never been hurt as he was hurt now. He was yet awake when the moon passed far over his head, sank behind the wilderness to the west, and blackness came. Toward dawn he fell into an uneasy slumber, and from that sleep he was awakened by Pierre Couchée's voice.
He suddenly wrenched his hands free and took Billy's tense face between them, staring straight into his eyes. "An' an' I give her to you," he said. "She's an angel, and she's alone needs some one an' you you'll be good to her. You must go down to her Pierre Couchée's cabin on the Little Beaver. An' you'll be good to her good to her " "I will go to her," said Billy, softly.
A number of the Eskimos agreed to accompany Pelliter as far as Eskimo Point, whence he would make his way alone to Churchill. Billy would strike south to the Little Beaver in search of Couchée's cabin and Isobel. He was glad when night came. It was late when he went to the door, opened it, and looked out.
They were sniffing at the scent left in the snow by the rival huskies, and were waiting eagerly for the command to pursue. Billy snapped his whip over their heads. "You want a fight, do you, boys?" he cried. "So do I. Get on with you! M'hoosh! M'hoosh!" Billy dropped upon his knees on the sledge as the dogs leaped ahead. They needed no guidance, but followed swiftly in Couchée's trail.
"A little," lied Billy. "There's a level stretch ahead, Rookie. Hustle up the dogs!" Half an hour later the sledge drew up in front of Couchée's cabin. Billy pointed to the tent. "The little one is in there," he said. "Go over an' get acquainted, Rookie. I'm going to take a look inside to see if everything is all right." He entered the cabin quietly and closed the door softly behind him.
Before I have another I want to tell you what I'm up against, Rookie. My Gawd, it's a funny chance that ran me up against you just in time! Listen." He told McTabb briefly of Scottie Deane's death, of Couchée's flight from the cabin, and the present situation there. "There isn't a minute to lose," he finished, tightening his hold on McTabb's hand.
Suddenly he remembered. He drew back, and a cold sweat seemed to break out all at once over his face and body. This man who lay with the broken blade of Pierre Couchee's rapier in his breast had come ashore from the London ship that day in company with Eileen and her father! For a space he was overwhelmed by the discovery.
After all, Couchée's blow had done the work. He realized that, and made an effort to call the dogs to a stop. For five minutes they went on, unheeding the half-dozen weak commands that he called out from the darkness that had fallen thickly about him. When at last he pulled himself up from his face and the snow turned white again, the dogs had halted.
It was evident that no one had been there since he had left, On the bunk where Deane had died he found one of baby Isobel's little mittens. He had wondered where she had lost it, and had made her a new one of lynx-skin on the way down to Couchée's cabin.
They left Joe preparing for his three-day trip into the south and east, and outside the cabin McTabb insisted on Billy riding behind the dogs. They struck back for Couchée's trail, and when they came to it McTabb laughed. "I'll bet they're running like rabbits," he said. "What in thunder did you expect to do if you caught 'em, Billy? Drag the woman back by the hair of 'er 'ead?
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