When she closed the door behind him, he felt as one lost to hope.
As he grasped the canoe, preparatory to pushing it off, he suddenly became aware through his sharpened senses—he could not have said how—that some one was very near him. He noiselessly dropped to one knee; and unslinging his gun, waited. The wind was making confusing noises and he could not be sure. The suspense became too great to be borne in silence.
"Who's there?" he said sharply.
There came a strange, new, and yet familiar voice out of the darkness: "Garth, is that you?"
His heart began to beat wildly. "Who are you?" he whispered.
"Charley!" returned the voice with the boyish break in it.
They sprang to their feet simultaneously, not ten paces apart in the grass.
"I've brought you grub!" sang the boy. "How's Natalie?"
In an instant they were in each other's arms. A swift reaction passed over Garth; his knees weakened under him; he clung to the boy's shoulders; and lowered his head.