the lonely howl of a wolf. He listened to the sounds
with a quiet pleasure instead of creeping thrills which they once sent
through him. Every sound spoke of Jeanne--of Jeanne and her world, into
which each stroke of his paddle carried them a little deeper.

And yet the truth could not but come to him that Jeanne was but a
stranger. She was a creature of mystery, as she lay there asleep in the
bow of the canoe; he loved her, and yet he did not know her. He
confessed to himself, as the night lengthened, that he would be glad
when morning came. Jeanne would clear up a half of his perplexities
then, perhaps all of them. He would at least learn more about herself
and the reason for the attack at Fort Churchill.

He paddled for another hour, and then looked at his watch by the light
of a match. It was three o'clock.

Jeanne had not moved, but as the match burned out between his fingers
she startled him by speaking.

"Is it nearly morning, M'sieur?"

"An hour until dawn," said Philip. "You have been sleeping a long
time--" Her name was on his lips, but he found it a little more
difficult to speak now. And yet there was a gentleness in Jeanne's
"M'SIEUR" which encouraged him. "Are you getting hungry?" he asked.

"Pierre and my father always ask me that when THEY are starving,"
replied Jeanne, sitting erect in her nest so that Philip saw her face
and the shimmer of her hair. "There is everything to eat in the pack,
M'sieur Philip, even to a bottle of olives."

"Good!" cried Philip, delighted, "But won't you please cut out that
'm'sieur?' My greatest weakness is a desire to be called by my first
name. Will you?"

"If it pleases you," said Jeanne. "There is everything there to eat,
and I will make you a cup of coffee, M'sieur--"

"What?"

"Philip."

There was a ripple of laughter in the girl's voice. Philip fairly
trembled.

"You were prepared for this journey," he said. "You were going to leave
after you saw me on the rock. I have been wondering why--why you took
enough interest in me--"

He knew that he was blundering, and in the darkness his face turned
red. Jeanne's tact was delightful.

"We were curious about you," she said, with bewitching candor. "Pierre
is the most inquisitive creature in the world, and I wanted to thank
you for returning my handkerchief. I'm sorry you didn't find a bit of
lace which I lost at the same time!"

"I did!" exclaimed Philip.

He bit his tongue, and cursed himself at this