g course
he had taken. His father had died involved in debt, and Blake
suspected that it had cost Challoner something to redeem the share of
his mother's property which brought him in a small income. That it had
been carefully tied up was not, he thought, enough to guard it from the
Blake extravagance and ingenuity in raising money. Afterwards the
Colonel had brought him up and sent him into the army, doing so with a
generous affection which was very different from cold charity, and
demanded some return. Then Bertram had never been jealous of the
favour shown his cousin, but had given him warm friendship, and Blake,
who was much the stronger, had now and then stood between the lad and
harm. He had done so again in Bertram's greatest need, and now he must
not grumble at the consequences.

Of late they had seemed heavier than formerly, for in tempting him
Clarke had made a telling suggestion--suppose he married? This
appeared improbable; for one thing, no girl he was likely to be
attracted by would look with favour on a man with his reputation, but
he had thought a good deal about Millicent Graham during the weary
march. He imagined that she had inherited enough of her father's
reckless character to make her willing to take a risk. She would not
have a man betray his friend for an advantage that he might gain; she
had a courage that would help her, for love's sake, to tread a
difficult path. Still, there was no reason to believe that she had any
love for him, or indeed that she thought of him except as a stranger to
whom she had, perhaps, some reason to be grateful. Resolutely breaking
off this train of thought, he threw fresh wood upon the fire and sat
shivering and making plans for the march to the factory, until Benson
relieved him. When the grey dawn broke above the trees he got up stiff
with cold and after eating his share of a very frugal breakfast
carefully examined his rifle. Though he kept it clean of superfluous
grease, there was some risk of the striker and magazine-slide freezing,
and a missfire might prove disastrous. Then he glanced up between the
branches and noticed the low, dingy sky, while he thought it was not
quite so cold.

"I'm going to look for a caribou," he said. "I'll be back by dark."

"We'll have snow," said Harding. "If there's much, you'll find it hard
to get home."

"I'd find it harder to do without breakfast and supper, which is what
may happen very soon," Blake rejoined