. .' And yet what? Can you guess how that sentence was going to
end?"

Granger was bewildered by his ferocious earnestness. He could not
imagine its purpose, or what had caused it. "Why, of course I heard
what he said," he replied. "I suppose Antoine's been trying to
persuade the factor that I am dead, and he's loath to believe it."

"If that is what he meant all the better for us, but I doubt it."

But why he doubted it Granger could not get him to confess; so,
turning his mind to other thoughts, like a sensible man, he set about
launching the canoe, preparatory to the return to Murder Point. The
last sight they saw as they paddled away, was the four gray huskies,
which Spurling had brought with him on his first arrival, seated on
their haunches in a row by the water's edge, raising their dismal
voices to the sky. "Looks as though those damned beasts were doing
their best to call Pilgrim back," said Spurling.

On the way to the Point they talked matters over, and determined that,
since they had no time to waste, they would stop at the store only so
long as was necessary for the getting together of an outfit, and would
depart for the Forbidden River that night. Eyelids and Beorn were to
be left in charge at Murder Point, which would serve to flatter at
least one of them, and would keep them occupied. If they should demand
an explanation for this sudden going away, the answer was obvious,
that Granger did not choose to be arrested by the factor of God's
Voice. There was only one embarrassment which stood in their way,
which was that in Granger's absence the boat would probably arrive
from Garnier, Parwin and Wrath, bringing articles of trade in exchange
for his year's collection of furs, letters of instructions from the
partners for the future conduct of their interests, and expecting to
carry back to Winnipeg his annual statement of accounts. He made up
his mind to meet this difficulty by ordering Peggy to tell the
partners that he was dead. Such a report, he calculated, were it
believed and properly circulated, would help him greatly in his escape
from Keewatin, when he had gathered his gold on the Forbidden River
and was ready to go out. This course of action had been suggested to
him by the unfinished sentence of Robert Pilgrim, which they had
overheard.

As they drew near the Point, they were struck with the profoundness of
its quiet. They themselves had experienced so great a change in their
four days of abs