onality was submerged in a simple
acquiescence in plans and decrees she could not understand.

It appeared that the dreariness of the long hours had lessened. The
imminent threat of the day before was no longer so vivid and racking,
for the man kept on breathing with fair ease, and his pulse was
perhaps a little stronger. She was wondering why Stefan had not
returned as he had promised, when the now familiar sound of dogs and
sled fell again on her ears. To her joy and surprise she found that it
was the doctor, returning with the Swede.

"Managed to get away after all," explained the former. "It's the
devil's own thing to think there's a chap somewhere that a fellow
might perhaps help, and then be obliged to let him go because others
are calling for you. Women are desperately fond of asking their
husbands if they would save them or their mothers first, in case of
need. It's the deuce and all of a question to answer. But we fellows
who practice on the edge of the wilderness are all the time confronted
by beastly questions of that sort. How is he?"

"I really think he's better," she hastened to inform him, and
described how the sick man had spoken and been quite lucid for some
moments. Dr. Starr went in and stopped at the side of the bunk,
looking down with his chin resting on his hand.

To Madge he had seemed to be a man of few words, rather stern in his
manner and apt, as she thought, to view humanity from a very
materialistic point of view. His recent speech was the longest she had
heard from him. In a somewhat cynical vein he had referred to some
hard problems the lone practitioner has to solve at times.

"At any rate, he seems to be holding his own," he finally admitted. "I
can't see that he is a bit worse. It seems to me that you're a pretty
capable nurse. Some brains and lots of good strong will."

He looked away from her as he talked and began to rub his hands
together.

"Tell you what," he said, turning again to her. "This night might be
the decisive one, and I think I'll stick it out here again. I'll catch
the freight back in the morning, as I did to-day. We'll have a look at
the wound now, and see how those drains are working. Did you follow my
orders? But I think I needn't ask. Put more water on the stove,
Stefan."

Madge had been holding the lamp for him, and when the doctor passed
his hand over Hugo's forehead the eyes opened and the man blinked.
Also there seemed to be a relaxing of the tense, hol