like that. I'm
too much interested in my own personal salvation. I'm too keenly
conscious of a tremendous ignorance about tremendously important things
to continue setting myself up as a finger post for other men's spiritual
guidance. If I stay with the church now it seems to me it will only be
because I lack courage to get out and make my living along lines that
won't be so easy. I'd despise myself if I did that. So I've
resigned--quite a while ago, to be exact. I've been working for the H.B.
two months. That's why I asked about the trapping. I've been casting
about for what I'd best try next."

Tommy sat silent. When he did speak he touched very briefly on
Thompson's confession of faith--or rather the lack of it.

"When a man's heart isn't in a thing," said he, "it's better for him to
drop it. About the trapping, now--I don't think you'd do much at that
with the season so far along. This district is pretty well covered by
the natives. You'd get into difficulties right off the bat over setting
traps on their territory. They have a rude sort of understanding about
where their several trap lines shall run. And for some reason or other
furs are getting scarce. Up where young Lachlan and I were it was pretty
fair for awhile. We took some good skins. Lately we did a lot of
trap-tending for nothing much. I got fed up with it. Fact is, I'm about
fed up with this region. I think I'll pull out."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Thompson observed. "There isn't
much here for a man."

"Not now," Tommy amended. "I'd have been gone long ago only for Sophie
Carr. That was the magnet that held me. It happens that I've come to
something of your pass, right now. I can't afford to loaf any longer,
living off the wilderness. I had a bit of an income to keep me in loose
change when I wanted a taste of towns. But that's been chopped
off--probably for good. I'm strictly on my own henceforth. Every penny I
spend will first have to be earned. And so," he hesitated briefly, "I've
considered a move to the Coast, the Pacific, y'know. Going over the
continental divide while the snow makes a dog team useful. Then I'd go
down the western streams by boat--dugout canoe or bateaux, or whatever
simple craft a man could make himself in the woods. Probably be the last
big trip I'll get a chance at. I'll have roughed it clear across North
America then, and I rather fancy winding up that way. But it's a big
undertaking single-handed. I'm not so par