His eyes dilating with
hunger, he watched her preparations for his supper; and when at last--and
she had been but a moment--it was placed before him, his head swam, and
he turned faint with the stress of his longing. He would have swallowed
a basin of pea-soup at a draught, but she stopped him, holding the basin
till she thought he might venture again. Then came cold beans, and some
meat which she toasted at the fire and laid upon his plate. They had not
spoken since first entering the house, when tears had shone in his eyes,
and he had said:
"You have safe--ah, you have safe me, and so I will do it yet by help bon
Dieu--yes."
The meat was done at last, and he sat with a great dish of tea beside
him, and his pipe alight.
"What time, if please?" he asked. "I t'ink nine hour, but no sure."
"It is near nine," she said. She hastily tidied up the table after his
meal, and then came and sat in her chair over against the wall of the
rude fireplace. "Nine--dat is good. The moon rise at 'leven; den I go.
I go on," he said, "if you show me de queeck way."
"You go on--how can you go on?" she asked, almost sharply.
"Will you not to show me?" he asked. "Show you what?" she asked
abruptly.
"The queeck way to Askatoon," he said, as though surprised that she
should ask.
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