Now Lew was hot on thetrail of that dream, and
Johnny was anxious about him. PART IIThere is a river, the streams whereof shall
make glad the city ofGod.
Sometimes dim shapes slipped across a gladeamong
the trees.
He might have had an appetite, too, had it not been
for hisfatigue.
Also there were wolves, boththe little grey wolves
and the great timber wolves.
They parted companysome time that day, for we had
the trail of both of em on theshale slides. There were dog packs, each meant to
carry twenty-five pounds. The boatllcarry it easy to the Hares camp, and after that
well cache thefeck of it.
But now he was conscious of thedetails of his
environment. But youve got to watch your step in the Northland, he would
add.
What had seemedimpressive a few hours before was
now merely grotesque and cruel.
It was to tide away the time manfullybefore his end
so that he could die standing.
Lew kind of mad and streakin off into space, and
his pal aiminto be a corpse. I told you hed seen the Sick Heart once butcouldnt get
down the precipices. When they left me I did not feel happy about the
twomessieurs.
Johnny had been over it before, and was puzzled. He
might have had an appetite, too, had it not been for hisfatigue.
But youve got to watch your step in the Northland,
he would add. I have been here seven years, Father Duplessis told him.
PART IIThere is a river, the streams whereof shall
make glad the city ofGod. If we catch up with Lewwell be all right, for hed get
something to eat off an iceberg. From faraway there was a kind of muttering, but
there were no loud thunderpeals.
Augustine came into his headas he turned over and
went to sleep again: Deum et animam scirecupio. But now he was conscious of
thedetails of his environment. The heavens darkened andsuddenly burst into a
lace-work of lightning. At the base of the promontory there was a stand of
well-grownspruce.
We can dump some of our stuff there andcall it our
base. The two men were not more than a week ahead,for a sudden flood in the Big Hare
had delayed them. As it was, Johnny soonpicked it up from the blazes on the
diminutive trunks.
He had not our religion, but I think he had a kind
of madness.
It was almost likethe aurora, only it covered the
whole expanse of sky. If the brute got at the food there would be
trouble.
What was itthat he had said on the Arctic
shore?
But its going to be a blasted country totravel. He
started out in the morning with wobbling legs.