el, breaking the pause.

Banks nodded again. "You remember that sheepman down in Oregon they
brought in from the range. The one that ripped up his comforter that night
at the hotel and set the wool in little rolls around the floor; thought he
was tending sheep? Well, that's what was happening. And Hollis was two
days late. Dave had started for the coast; not the regular way to
Fairbanks and out by stage to Valdez, but a new route through the Alaska
Range to strike the Susitna and on to Seward. And he had fresh dogs. He
was through Rainy Pass when Tisdale began to catch up."

"He did catch up?" Annabel questioned again hurriedly.

Banks nodded once more. He drew his hand away and rose from his seat on
the chair arm. His eyes were shining like blue glacier ice. "It was in a
blizzard; the same as the day I lost my fingers--only--Hollis--he was too
late." He turned and walked unsteadily to the door and stood looking out.
"I wasn't three hundred miles from the Aurora," he added. "I could have
been in time. I can't ever forget that."

Annabel rose and stood watching him, with the emotion playing in her face.
"Johnny!" she exclaimed at last. "Oh, Johnny!" She went over and put her
arm protectively around his shoulders. "I know just how you feel; but you
didn't drive him to it. You were just busy and interested in your work.
You'd have gone in a minute, left everything, if you had known."

"That's it; I ought to have known. I ought to have kept track of Dave; run
over once in a while to say hullo. I'd have likely seen it was coming on,
then, in time. When Tisdale found him, he'd been setting out little pieces
of spruce, like an orchard in the snow. You see," he added after a moment,
"Dave always expected to come back here when he struck it rich and start a
fruit ranch. He was the man who owned this pocket."

A sudden understanding shone in Annabel's face. "And that's why you got an
option on it; you want to carry out his scheme. I'll help you, Johnny,
I'll do my level best."

Banks turned and looked at her. "That's all I want, Annabel. I was a
little afraid you'd be sick of the place. But, my, we can go right ahead
and set a crew of men to grubbing out the sage on both sections to once.
Folks might have said, seeing you take up with a undersized, froze-up
fellow like me, you was marrying me for my money; but they can't, no,
ma'am, not when they see the valuable claim you are developing in your own
right."

Annabel laugh