ut at last he succeeded. And this
time his vision was not so blurred. He could see plainly. Joanne was there,
hovering over him, and just beyond her was the great bearded face of Donald
MacDonald. And then, before words had formed on his lips, he did a
wonderful thing. He smiled.

"O my God, I thank Thee!" he heard Joanne cry out, and then she was on her
knees, and her face was against his, and she was sobbing.

He knew that it was MacDonald who drew her away.

The great head bent over him.

"Take this, will 'ee, Johnny boy?"

Aldous stared.

"Mac, you're--alive," he breathed.

"Alive as ever was, Johnny. Take this."

He swallowed. And then Joanne hovered over him again, and he put up his
hands to her face, and her glorious eyes were swimming seas as she kissed
him and choked back the sobs in her throat. He buried his fingers in her
hair. He held her head close to him, and for many minutes no one spoke,
while MacDonald stood and looked down on them. In those minutes everything
returned to him. The fight was over. MacDonald had come in time to save him
from Quade. But--and now his eyes stared upward through the sheen of
Joanne's hair--he was in a cabin! He recognized it. It was Donald
MacDonald's old home. When Joanne raised her head he looked about him
without speaking. He was in the wide bunk built against the wall. Sunlight
was filtering through a white curtain at the window, and in the open door
he saw the anxious face of Marie.

He tried to lift himself, and was amazed to find that he could not. Very
gently Joanne urged him back on his pillow. Her face was a glory of life
and of joy. He obeyed her as he would have obeyed the hand of the Madonna.
She saw all his questioning.

"You must be quiet, John," she said, and never had he heard in her voice
the sweetness of love that was in it now. "We will tell you
everything--Donald and I. But you must be quiet. You were terribly beaten
among the rocks. We brought you here at noon, and the sun is setting--and
until now you have not opened your eyes. Everything is well. But you must
be quiet. You were terribly bruised by the rocks, dear."

It was sweet to lie under the caresses of her hand. He drew her face down
to him.

"Joanne, my darling, you understand now--why I wanted to come alone into
the North?"

Her lips pressed warm and soft against his.

"I know," she whispered, and he could feel her arras trembling, and her
breath coming quickly. Gently she drew