God's Country-And the Woman

d world which again lay quiet and lifeless about him, Philip could scarcely convince himself as he made his way back to the canoe and the fire. The

ls, and looked at his watch to time himself, did he begin to rea

himself in the next breath that this could not be possible. Her voice had revealed nothing of the wilderness-except in its sweetness. Not a break had marred the purity of her speech. She had risen before him like the queen of some wonderful kingdom, and not like a forest girl. And in her face he had seen the soul of one who had looked upon

enough to make him know-that this fear was of man. He felt at this thought a little thrill of joy, of undefinable exultation. He sprang from the rock and went down to the shore of the lake, scanning its surface with eager, challenging eyes. In these moments he forgot that civilization was waiting for him, that for eighteen months h

of rock. But she had not returned. He looked up the coulee, end then at the firm white sand close to the water. The imprints of her feet were there-small, narrow imprints of a heeled shoe. Unconsci

, except that it was soft and clinging blue. The handkerchief he looked at more closely. It was of fine linen with a border of lace, and so soft that he could have hidden it in the palm of his hand. From it rose a faint, sweet sc

ere a strip of forest meadow grew to the water's edge. He s

air, and it was gathered in a heavy, shimmering coronet about her head. There was a flutter of lace at her throat, and little fluffs of it at her wrists.

asked, and for the first time he

he fire from und

distance from them was a small tent, and on the grass in front of the tent was spr

iled your appetite, and I have made up my mind that I want you to have dinner with me. I can't offer you p

ead was near him, and he stared with hungry adoration at the thick, shining braids, and the soft white contour of her cheek and neck. She leaned back su

hite people again. Perhaps you can't understand. But eighteen months up there-eighteen months without the sound of a white woman'

k there I couldn't quite believe you. I am beginning to now. You are honest

as large as his fist, an

ock, bannock for two years, and only six ounces of that a day for the l

tting the remainder of

d pay me," she said. "But won't you have some boiled

to me at night as big as mountains, and one night I dreamed of chasing a pickle with legs for hours, and whe

ide it from her. He refused the third huge piece of cake, but she reached over and placed it in h

inished,

-I k

ha

have come from a long time in the North,

t fear?

lines of her face came a look of despair wh

thought that you might help me in a situation which is as terrible as any you may have faced in your months of Arctic night. But it is impossible. All that I can ask of you now-a

d unclenched and lay listlessly on his knee. "If there is a r

demand a

a reason

ted, and

ivalr

s blond hair, the droop of his clean, strong shoulders, the SOMETHING of hopelessness in his gesture. A new

t me help yo

In her face he saw again the strange light

God. Men fought for it, and died for it, to keep it pure and holy. If you had come to me then you would have levelled your lance and fought for me without asking a question, without demanding a reward, without reasoning whether I was right or wrong

ng, almost a sob in her quivering voice,

ems almost indecent for me to tell you this, when I have known you for such a short time. But I have known you for years-in my hopes and dreams. F

ing even more quickly, and the flush had deepened in her cheek until it was like the tender stain of the crushed bakneesh. Philip rose and stood beside her. His shoulders were back. He looked where she looked, and as he gazed upon the red and gold b

fighting voice of the man new-born. "I will be your knight, as you have read of the knigh

old her hand. Then she gently wit

you. I believe-when I tell you that last thing which you must do-that you will regard me as a monster, and draw back. But it is necessary. If you fight for me, it must be in the dark. You will not know why you are doing the things

ou have dreamed that knights of old have done. To leave you now would be"-he turned his head with a gesture of hopeles

e words from a book. But their very quietness made them convincing. She started, and

this danger that must be buried-deep-deep. And you will bury it. You will urge no questions that I do not wish to an

face had grown as

e rocks if you live up to the tests ahead of you. You will think me mad when I have finished. But I am sane. Off there, in the Snowbird Lake country, is my home. I am alone. No other white man or woman is with me. As my knight, the one hope of salvation that I cling to now, you will return with me to that place-

t come back," she finished, so gently that he scarcely heard

er head to where the red and gold billows of