ions, and
the getting together of their teams of huskies.

Just before they left, a visit was paid to Spurling in the cabin, and
the key was handed over to Granger. While there, Granger referred to
the matter which he had been wanting to mention all day. Turning to
Eyelids, as though it were of little importance, he said, "Before you
return, as I daresay you've noticed, something will have happened. I
want you to promise me to come back for Christmas Eve, so that we may
celebrate the event." Then, throwing aside his disguise of
indifference, he spoke more earnestly, "I want you and Beorn to
promise me that."

Spurling looked sharply up from his corner; being ignorant of the
matter which Granger hinted at, he watched to see if the words
contained a reference to himself. Peggy turned her head away and began
to steal softly out. But her brother stayed her, and throwing his arm
about her shoulder, said, "I promise you; we shall return." And Beorn
gave him his hand as a sign of his assent.

They closed and locked the door on the prisoner, and the father and
son set out.

A sudden instinct for carefulness had prompted him to make that
request. At the last moment he had thought that he noticed on Beorn's
part a certain uneasiness in handing over to him the custody of
Spurling. He was afraid that the distrust might grow upon him, causing
him to return unexpectedly, perhaps just at the time when he and
Spurling were starting on their southward journey. It was to prevent
such an interference with his plans that he had named a definite time
for their next meeting, for, by so doing, he had given Beorn to
understand that he intended to remain at Murder Point throughout
December. The hinting at the birth of his child had added to his
request a show of naturalness, and had at the same time let them know
that he was aware of his wife's condition--a difficult knowledge to
communicate to people who spoke rarely, and then only of trivial
affairs. As yet he had not decided as to when he would set out, for he
hesitated between the manfully fulfilling of his new responsibility
and the callously accomplishing of his old purpose; if he should
choose the latter, he had provided for Peggy so that she would not be
left too long by herself, by the promise which he had exacted from her
brother and father to return for Christmas Eve.

For the first time he was left truly alone with her. Standing side by
side, they watched the trappers descend