the Point to the pier, where
their dogs lay waiting them. The whips cracked and the teams
straightened out.

For a few strides they moved toward the opposite bank and then, to
Granger's amazement, wheeled to the left, and commenced travelling
up-river to the west. The loaded sleds swung lightly over the ice and,
as he listened, the shouting of the drivers and the yelping of the
huskies grew fainter, till they were no more heard. He was made
terribly afraid by the direction they had taken, for he knew that
Beorn's trapping grounds had always lain to the northwards, and never
around God's Voice; they were still less likely to do so now, since he
had quarrelled with the factor. Then why had he gone to the west?

He turned to the girl at his side to question her, "Did you know that
they were going there?" he said. She did not answer him; he saw that
her eyes were intently fixed upon the bend. Her lips moved, and her
hands made the sign of the cross upon her breast as if she were
praying. Without replying, she entered the shack.

He did not follow her, for his feelings were changed with anger. He
felt that, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they had betrayed him
through their secretiveness. While he had been absent they must have
heard that Spurling was a man with a price upon his head. They might
even have learnt it from Pilgrim at the time of his June visit, but
had not laid hands upon him because he had appeared to be his friend.
But now since their return, in his delirium he had probably uttered
words concerning Spurling which had left them with the impression that
he desired his death--and had given them their excuse for gratifying
their own covetousness and revenge for the Forbidden River trespass.

Even what he had said to them about returning for Christmas Eve might
have been taken as having a double meaning, referring not only to the
birth of the child, but also to the thousand-dollar reward to be
gained by the arrest. Spoken as it was, in the prison-cabin, that was
most likely how it had been taken. Since they had accepted him as
their confederate, it seemed evident that they did not know that the
arrest of Spurling might entail his own hanging. If all that he had
conjectured was true, he had now no option but to release Spurling and
to make good his escape with him at once; for from Murder Point to
God's Voice was no more than seventy miles. At once! But he would not
be strong enough to travel for some days y