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Oh, they would have no mercy or remorse for any one who was lost, out there, to-night! Ben felt a heavy burden of dread! Even now, old Ezram might be wandering, vainly, through the gloomy, whispering woods, ever penetrating farther into their merciless solitudes. And no homes smoked in the clearings, no camps glowed in the immensity of the dark out there.
Then the little woods people marten and ermine and rodent and such other small forest creatures that who can say? might watch with exceeding interest the travelers on the trails, could have thought that old Ezram was already fatigued. He sat down beside a tree and drew a soiled sheet of paper from his pocket. Searching further he found then the stub of a pencil. Then he wrote.
And yes, a pedestrian, carrying a light pack, could make much better time than a horseman with pack animals. The horses could go no faster than a walk, and the time required to sling packs and care for the animals cut down the day's march by half. These things learned, Ezram strolled over to his young partner.
They would have need of good canoe-craft before the journey's end, the villagers told them. Ezram had not boasted of any such ability, and at first Ben regarded the plan with considerable misgivings. And it was with the most profound amazement that, when they pushed off, he saw Ezram deliberately seat himself in the bow, leaving the more important place to his young companion.
Dully he watched the moon lifting in the sky and felt the caress of the wind against his face, glancing only from time to time at the huddled body before him. The wolf whined softly, and sometimes Ben reached his hand to caress the furry shoulder. But slowly his wandering faculties returned to him. He began to understand. Ezram was dead that was it gone from his life as smoke goes in the air.
"Good heavens, I'll capsize you in a minute," Ben said. "How do you dare risk it " "Push off and stop botherin' me," Ezram answered. "There's a paddle go ahead and shoot 'er." The waters caught the canoe, speeding it downstream; and in apprehension of immediate disaster Ben seized the paddle. Swiftly he thrust it into the streaming water at his side.
The direct question received only a stare of blank amazement from Ezram. "Why should I " he repeated, seemingly surprised out of his life by the question. "Shucks, and quit interruptin' me. But I'll say right here I've got my own ideas, if you must know. Didn't I hear that while you was rampin' around the underworld, you showed yourself a mighty good fighter?
"You'd think you never had a rod in your hand before," Ezram commented in mock disgust. "Such hollerin' and whoopin' I never heard." Ben grinned widely. "That's fishing the sport that keeps a man an amateur all his days with an amateur's delight." His vivid smile quivered at his lips and was still. "That's why I love the North; it can never, never grow old.
Together, the man and the wolf, they crept on into the thicket. They halted at last before a curious shadow in the silvered covert. Ben knew at once he had found his ancient comrade. He and Ezram had had their last laugh together. He lay very still, the moonlight ensilvering his droll, kindly face, sleeping so deeply that no human voice could ever waken him.
But Ezram had not been able to hold his dignity for long. He had added a postscript: Son, old Hiram made a will, and I guess I can make one too. I just found out about them devils that jumped our claim. I left you back there at the river because I didn't want you taking any dam fool risks till I found out how things lay. I just got one thing to ask. If them devils get me get them.
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