Isobel : A Romance of the Northern TrailCurwood, James Oliver
General
Isobel : A Romance of the Northern Trail
Curwood, James Oliver
Northwest, Canadian -- Fiction
He came up to the door of the cabin quietly, wondering why Pelliter
did not see him or hear the three or four sharp yelps the dogs had
given. He twisted off his snow-shoes, chuckling as he thought of the
surprise he would give his mate. His hand was on the door latch when
he stopped. The smile left his lips. Startled wonderment filled his
face as he bent close to the door and listened, and for a moment his
heart throbbed with a terrible fear. He had returned too late--
perhaps a day-- two days. Pelliter had gone mad! He could hear him
raving inside, filling the cabin with a laughter that sent a chill of
horror through his veins. Mad! A sob broke from his lips, and he
turned his face up to the gray sky. And then the laughter turned to
song. It was the sweet love song which Pelliter had told him that the
girl down south used to sing to him when they were alone out under the
stars. Suddenly it broke off short, and in its place he heard another
sound. With a cry he opened the door and burst in.
"My God!" he cried. "Pelly-- Pelly--"
Pelliter was on his knees in the middle of the floor. But it was not
the look of wonderment and joy in his face that Billy saw first. He
stared at the little golden-haired creature on the floor in front of
him. He had traveled hard, almost day and night, and for an instant it
flashed upon him that what he saw was not real. Before he could move
or speak again Pelliter was on his feet, wringing his hands and almost
crying in his gladness. There was no sign of fever or madness in his
face now. Like one in a dream Billy heard what he said.
"God bless you, Billy! I'm glad you've come!" he cried. "We've been
waiting 'n' watching, and not more'n a minute ago we were at the
window looking along the edge of the Bay through the binoculars. You
must have been under the ridge. My God! A little while ago I thought I
was dying-- I thought I was alone in the world-- alone-- alone. But
look-- look, Billy, I've got a fam'ly!"
Little Mystery had climbed to her feet. She was looking at Billy
wonderingly, her golden curls tousled about her pretty face, and
gripping two or three of Pelliter's old letters in her tiny hand. And
then she smiled at Billy and held out the letters to him. In an
instant he had dropped Pelliter's hands and caught her up in his arms.
"I've got letters for you in my pocket, Pelly," he gasped. "But--
first-- you've got to tell me who she is and where you got her--"
Briefly Pelliter told of Blake's visit, the fight, and of the finding
of Little Mystery.
"I'd have died if it hadn't been for her, Billy," he finished. "She
brought me back to life. But I don't know who she is or where she came
from. There wasn't anything in his pockets or in the igloo to tell. I
buried him out there-- shallow-- so you could take a look when you
came back."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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