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Updated: May 14, 2025
He heard shots to the south, and knew that it was Ledoq; each report coming to him more faintly than the last, until they had died away entirely. Across the lake he struck the forest again, and his shouts echoed in futile inquiry in its weird depths. About him there was no sign of life, no sound except the faint fluttering of falling snow.
Melisse laughed merrily as Ledoq continued to bow before her, rattling away in a delighted torrent of French. "Ah, thes ees wan gr-r-reat compleeman, M'selle Melisse," he finished at last, breaking for an instant into English. He straightened like a spring and turned, to Jan. "Did you meet the strange team?" "We met no team." Ledoq looked puzzled.
"Ledoq!" he cried aloud. He fired again. Back to him came the distant, splitting crack of a rifle. He forced his way toward it. After a little he heard the signal again, much nearer than before, and he fired in response. A few hundred yards farther on he came to a low mountain ridge, and lifted his voice in a loud shout. A shot came from just over the mountain.
It was well known in the province of Lac Bain that many years before Jean de Gravois had lost a little brother, who had disappeared one day in the woods; and there were those who hinted that Ledoq was that brother, for Jean and he were as like as two peas in the ready use of their tongues, and were of the same build and the same briskness.
I came your way to find if it had begun to snow before Dixon left." "An hour after he had gone, you could not see your hand before your face," replied Ledoq, preparing his pack. "There is no doubt but that he circled out over Lac Bain. We will go that far together, and then search alone."
Up through the white blur of snow on the other side there came to him faintly a shout; yet, in spite of its faintness, Jan knew that it was very near. "Something has happened to Ledoq," he told himself, "but he surely has food, and we can live it out until the storm is over."
Shall we hurry back, Melisse, and see if he has brought our books and violin-strings?" "You must have dinner with me," objected Ledoq. Jan caught a quick signal from Melisse. "Not to-day, Ledoq. It's early, and we have a lunch for the trail. What do you say, Melisse?" "If you're not tired, Jan." "Tired!"
They went back over the mountain, and stopped when instinct told them that they were opposite the spruce forests of the lake. There they separated, Jan going as nearly as he could guess into the northwest, Ledoq trailing slowly and hopelessly into the south. It was no great sacrifice for Jan, this struggle with the big snows for the happiness of Melisse.
He plunged toward it, and the shadow staggered upward, and would have fallen had it not been for the support of the deep snow. Another step, and a sharp cry fell from Jan's lips. It was not Ledoq, but Dixon, who stood there with white, starved face and staring eyes in the snow gloom! "My God, I am starving and dying for a drink of water!" gasped the Englishman chokingly, thrusting out his arms.
They drove him back into his thoughts of the preceding night, and he felt a sense of relief when they reached the trapper's. Ledoq was stripping the hair-fat from a fox-skin when the team pulled up in front of his cabin.
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