thin him and he turned toward the door, with
clenched hands, as if about to rush out and choke from the dead man's
throat what he wanted to know, and force his glazed and staring eyes to
look for just one instant on the face of the girl in the picture. In
another moment his brain had cleared itself of that insane fire. After
all, would Tavish kill himself without leaving something behind? Would
there not be some kind of an explanation, written by Tavish before he
took the final step? A confession? A letter to Father Roland? Tavish
knew that the Missioner would stop at his cabin on his return into the
North. Surely he would not kill himself without leaving some work for
him--at least a brief accounting for his act!

He began looking about the cabin again, swiftly and eagerly at first,
for if Tavish had written anything he would beyond all doubt have placed
the paper in some conspicuous place: pinned it at the end of his bunk,
or on the wall, or against the door. They might have overlooked it, or
possibly it had fallen to the floor. To make his search surer David
lowered the lamp from its bracket in the ceiling and carried it in his
hand. He went into dark corners, scrutinized the floor as well as the
walls, and moved garments from their wooden pegs. There was nothing.
Tavish had cheated him again! His eyes rested finally on the chest. He
placed the lamp on a stool, and tried the lid. It was unlocked. As he
lifted it he heard voices indistinctly outside. Father Roland had
returned with Mukoki. He could hear them as they went to where Tavish
was lying with his face turned up to the moon.

On his knees he began pawing over the stuff in the chest. It was a third
filled with odds and ends--little else but trash; tangled ends of
_babiche_, a few rusted tools, nails and bolts, a pair of half-worn shoe
packs--a mere litter of disappointing rubbish. The door opened behind
him as he was rising to his feet. He turned to face Mukoki and the
Missioner.

"There is nothing," he said, with a gesture that took in the room. "He
hasn't left any word that I can find."

Father Roland had not closed the door.

"Mukoki will help you search. Look in his clothing on the wall. Tavish
must surely have left--something."

He went out, shutting the door behind him. For a moment he listened to
make sure that David was not going to follow him. He hurried then to the
body of Tavish, and stripped off the blanket. The dead man was terrible
to look