Gilpin observer., 1911-06-29
CHAPTER Xxx.
A MoonIit Day,

The snow lay everywhere, save upon
the vertical face of the cliff itself, an
unrent, immaculate mantle over all
this arctic world. The valley, the
hills, the beach and the frozen sea
all lay at peace beneath 1t. as II asleep
or dead.
To Cayley, where he lay. suspended
in midsky, the moonlight cleaning
upon the sensitive fabric of his
planes, as It CLEANS upon the faint
ripples on a mill pond in the dead of
some June night-to Cayley this white.
sleeping, frozen world looked very
far away. He was a-wing for the
first time since that eternity ago when
he had descended upon the beach be-
side Jeanne to warn her OF the ap-
proach of the bear.
How long ago that was, by the
measure of hours and days and weeks.
he did not know. He had no data for
an estimate that would be better than
guess. He remembered how des-
perately they had worked that night
saving what they could from the burn
ing hut and carrying 1t back into the
cave; remembered with what labor he
ney to the only shelter that now re-
manned to them, the little pilot house
observatory upon the cliff-head; re-
membered the unremitting labor Of
uncounted hours while they adjusted
their way of life to the conditions i'm
posed by the calamitous loss of the
hut.
But after that there were lapses of
time which memory did not cover
During that time he knew the ut
most fury of the arctic winter had
been raging over them, without cessa-
ton. They had been sheltered from
it down in the heart of the great drift
of snow which the storm had heaped
about them. But, even in this security
the shock of those successive parox-
ysms of naturess titanic rage reached
down and benumbed them, body and
soul.
But at last the rage of the storm
had spent itself and had become still.
The bitterness of the cold relaxed and
became milder. Cayley had felt the
blood stirring in his veins again, the
power of consecutive thought and the
ambition to live. coming once more
into his possession. He had gone to
work, feebly and drowsily at first, but
with constantly increasing energy and
strength, at the task Of opening up.
once more, the tunnel through the
drift which the great storm had
choked.
When he had broken through the
outer crust of the drift, and the white
radiance of the midday moon shone
into the black tunnel where he had
been working. he stood for moment
drawing deep breaths and gazing over
the scene which lay beneath his eyes.
He hastened back into the little pilot
house.
Jeanne was doing upon heap OF
bear-skins. He reused her with some
difficulty; really waking up had been
hard matter lately. almost as hard
as really getting off to sleep. She
was still drowsy when he led her
along the tunnel to the cllff-head.
Breathe Deep" he told her. I'VE
were half poisoned in there. This air
will bring you back to life again. 1t
and the moonlight"
He had been supporting her with
his arm about her waist, but now, as
she held herself little straighter and
he could feel her lungs expanding
with the pure air she breathed, he
withdrew the arm and let her stand
alone. Even the white moonlight re-
vealed the color that was coming
back into her cheeks.
For a while she did not speak at
all: then, as IL replying to COM
ment of his. she said
Yes, it's beautiful. But.
Philip. it's dead. Dead"
Not this air that has ozone spar
king all through 1t. 1t is alive enough
10 make your blood dance. It's doing
| that now"
He tried to persuade her to take
| little exercise along the length of the
tunnel. but she demurred to that. In
stead. she asked him to bring out
some bear.skins and let her sit there
at the cliff-head looking out.
And" she supplemented, IF you
want to know what l should like most
of all, 1t would be to have you bring
your wings so that l can see you fly
ing again. and field-glass that can
watch you through"
He felt some hesitation. partly out
/, of fear OF leaving her and partly
from doubt concerning his own
strength; but neither OF these reasons
was one he cared to avow. So he un-
furled the bundle that had lain dis
used so long. spread and tightened
and tested It, and at last. with nod
Of farewell to the girl. dived Oh the
cliffhead.
Any doubt he may have had con-
cerning his strength disappeared at
once. The mere touch of those great
wings Of his seemed to bring It all
back, and hope and Joy and confidence
along with It.
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