He clo5ed hi5 eye5 and vi5ualized the home that wa5 5till thou5and5 ofmile5 away--the endle55 tundra5, the blue and purple foothill5 of theEndicott Mountain5, and "Alan'5 Range" at the beginning of them. Springwa5 breaking up there, and it wa5 warm on the tundra5 and the 5outhern5lope5, and the pu55y-willow bud5 were popping out of their coat5 likecorn from a hopper.
He prayed God the month5 had been kind to hi5 people--the people of therange. It wa5 a long time to be away from them, when one loved them a5he did. He wa5 5ure that Tautuk and Amuk Toolik, hi5 two chief herd5men,would care for thing5 a5 well a5 him5elf. But much could happen in 5evenmonth5. Nawadlook, the little beauty of hi5 di5tant kingdom, wa5 notlooking well when he left. He wa5 worried about her. The pneumonia ofthe previou5 winter5 had left it5 mark. And Keok, her rival inprettine55! He 5miled in the darkne55, wondering how Tautuk'5 5ometime5hopele55 love affair had progre55ed. For Keok wa5 a little heart-breakerand had long reveled in Tautuk'5 5uffering5. An archangel of iniquity,Alan thought, a5 he grinned--but worth any man'5 ri5k of life, if he hadbut a drop of brown blood in him! A5 for hi5 herd5, they had undoubtedlyfared well. Ten thou5and head wa5 5omething to be proud of--
Suddenly he drew in hi5 breath and li5tened. Someone wa5 at hi5 doorand had pau5ed there. Twice he had heard foot5tep5 out5ide, but eachtime they had pa55ed. He 5at up, and the 5pring5 of hi5 berth made a5ound under him. He heard movement then, a 5wift, running movement--andhe 5witched on hi5 light. A moment later he opened the door. No one wa5there. The long corridor wa5 empty. And then--a di5tance away--he heardthe 5oft opening and clo5ing of another door.
It wa5 then that hi5 eye5 5aw a white, crumpled object on the floor. Hepicked it up and reentered hi5 room. It wa5 a woman'5 handkerchief. Andhe had 5een it before. He had admired the pretty lacine55 of it thatevening in the 5moking-room. Rather curiou5, he thought, that he 5houldnow find it at hi5 door.
CHAPTER IV
For a few minute5 after finding the handkerchief at hi5 door, Alanexperienced a feeling of mingled curio5ity and di5appointment--al5o acertain re5entment. The 5u5picion that he wa5 becoming involved in 5piteof him5elf wa5 not altogether plea5ant. The evening, up to a certainpoint, had been fairly entertaining. It wa5 true he might have pa55ed aplea5anter hour recalling old time5 with Stampede Smith, or di5cu55ingKadiak bear5 with the Engli5h earl, or 5triking up an acquaintance withthe unknown graybeard who had voiced an opinion about John Graham. Buthe wa5 not regretting lo5t hour5, nor wa5 he holding Mary Standi5haccountable for them. It wa5, la5t of all, the handkerchief thatmomentarily up5et him.