... They waited an hour, two hours, saying little, neither trying to hide from the other the anxiety each felt, and then through the mist of snow between the trees came Anderton and Jean Bènard. Stane flashed a question at the policeman, who shook his head.
"Thank God!" said Stane, whilst Jean Bènard looked at Helen.
"Zee deaths een zee snow, eet ees nodings! I know. I haf seen a man die so. Eet ees as gentle as a woman's hand."
And as he finished speaking Helen turned and went to the little tent to pray for the repose of the man who had sinned, but had made the last complete reparation.
Two days later, when the storm had blown itself out, all of them took the trail to Fort Malsun, and at the end of the first day reached a small river that was unknown to Stane.
"Where does this go to?" he asked over the camp fire at night, pointing to the frozen waterway.
"It makes a big bend and falls into the river above Fort Malsun," said Anderton.
"And the other way? Where does it come from?"
"Don't know!" answered Anderton. "Never travelled it!"