The sun had sunk behind the range, and the sky was green. In places the
high white peaks were touched by fading pink; the snow that rolled down
to the timber-line was blue. Mist floated about the pines by the river,
but did not reach the hotel terrace, and the evening was warm. Looking
down at the dark valley, one got a sense of space and height.
At the end of the terrace, a small table carried a coffee service, and
Laura occupied a basket chair. She smoked a cigarette and her look was
thoughtful. Jimmy, sitting opposite, liked her fashionable dinner dress.
He had met Laura in Switzerland, but he felt as if he had not known her
until she went with Stannard to the Canadian hotel. In fact, he imagined
she had very recently begun to allow him to know her. Stannard had gone
off a few minutes since, and Deering was playing pool with a young
American.
"Since you came back from the ranch I've thought you preoccupied," Laura
remarked.
"I expect you thought me dull," said Jimmy with an apologetic smile.
"Well, for some days I've been pondering things, and I'm not much used
to the exercise. In a way, you're accountable. You inquired not long
since if I knew where I went?"
"Then you got some illumination at the ranch?"
"You're keen. I got disturbed."
"Does to stop at a ranch disturb one?" Laura asked in a careless voice.
"I expect it depends on your temperament," Jimmy replied and knitted his
brows. "Kelshope is a model ranch; you feel all goes as it ought to go.
When you leave things alone, they don't go like that. At Jardine's you
get a sense of plan and effort. The old fellow and his daughter are
keenly occupied, and their occupation, so to speak, is fruitful. The
trouble is, mine is not."
Laura saw that when he, some time since, apologized for his loafing, her
remarks had carried weight. Jimmy had begun to ponder where he went, and
she wondered whether he would see he ought to return to the cotton mill.
Still she did not mean to talk about this.
"You stopped Miss Jardine's horse?" she said.
"I did not stop the horse. I tried, but that's another thing. If I had
not meddled, I expect Miss Jardine would have conquered the nervous
brute and I would not have got a nasty kick."
"Oh, well," said Laura. "Sometimes to meddle is rash, but your object
was good."
Then Stannard came to the veranda steps and looked about the terrace.
"Hello, Jimmy! Deering has beaten Frank and we must arrange about our
excursion to-morrow."
Jimmy frowned and hesitated. When he had talked to Laura before,
Stannard had called him away, but he thought she did not mean him to
stay and he went off. When he had gone Laura mused.
She knew Stannard was jealous for her. He did not allow her to join him
when his young friends were about, and she did not want to do so. For
the most part she lived with her mother's relations, who did not approve
of Stannard and were not satisfied about her going to Canada.
To some extent Laura imagined their doubts were justified. She knew
Stannard had squandered much of her mother's fortune, and now that her
trustees guarded the small sum she had inherited, he was poor. Yet he
belonged to good clubs and went to race meeting and shooting parties. It
looked as if sport and gambling paid, and Laura saw what this implied.
Yet her father was kind and when she was with him he indulged her.
She had remarked his calling Jimmy away. As a rule, his touch was very
light, and she wondered whether he had meant to incite the young fellow
by a hint of disapproval; but perhaps it was not his object and she
speculated about Jimmy. He was now not the raw lad she had known in
Switzerland, although he was losing something that at the beginning had
attracted her. She thought he ought not to stay with Stannard and
particularly with Deering, and she had tried to indicate the proper line
for him to take. Well, suppose he resolved to go back to Lancashire?
Laura knew her charm and imagined, if she were willing, she might go
with Jimmy. Although he could not yet use his fortune, he was rich, and
after a time would control the famous manufacturing house. Besides, he
was marked by some qualities she liked. Laura got up with an impatient
shrug, and blushed. She would not think about it yet. She was poor, but
she was not an adventuress.
In the morning, Stannard, Deering and Jimmy started for the rocks. Their
object was to follow the range and look for a line to the top of a peak
they meant to climb another day. They lunched on the mountain, and in
the afternoon stopped at the side of a gully that ran down to the
glacier. The back of the gully was smooth, and the pitch was steep, but
hardly steep enough to bother an athletic man. In places, banks of small
gravel rested, although it looked as if a disturbing foot would send
down the stones.
Some distance above the spot, the top of another pitch cut a background
of broken rocks, streaked by veins of snow. The sun was on the rocks and
some shone like polished steel, but the gully was in shadow and Jimmy
had felt the gloom daunting. Deering pulled out his cigar-case. His face
was red, his shirt was open and his sunburned neck was like a bull's.
"My load's two hundred pounds, and we have shoved along pretty fast
since lunch," he said. "Anyhow, I'm going to stop and take a smoke."
"To lean against a slippery rock won't rest you much," Stannard
remarked. "We'll get on to the shelf at the top of the slab."
"Then, somebody's got to boost me up," Deering declared, and when
Stannard went to help, put his boot on the other's head and crushed his
soft hat down to his ears.
Next moment he was on the shelf and shouted with laughter. Sometimes
Deering's humor was boyishly rude, but his friends were not cheated, and
Jimmy thought the big man keen and resolute. Stannard went up lightly,
as if it did not bother him. He was cool and, by contrast with Deering,
looked fastidiously refined. Jimmy imagined he had an object for leaving
the gully. Stannard knew the mountains; in fact, he knew all a sporting
gentleman ought to know and Jimmy was satisfied with his guide.
"Since you reckon we ought to get from under, why'd you fix on this line
down?" Deering inquired.
"The line's good, but we were longer than I thought, and the sun has
been for some time on the snow."
"Sure," said Deering. "The blamed trough looks like a rubbish shoot."
Jimmy had trusted Stannard's judgment, but now he saw a light; for one
thing, the back of the gully was smooth. The mountain fronted rather
north of west, and so long as the frost at the summit held, the party
did not run much risk, but when the thaw began snow and broken rocks
might roll down. When Deering had nearly smoked his cigar he looked up.
"Something's coming!"
Jimmy heard a rumble and a crash. A big stone leaped down the gully,
struck a rock and vanished. A bank of gravel began to slip away, and
then a gray and white mass swept across the top of the pitch. Snow and
stones poured down tumultuously, and when the avalanche was gone
confused echoes rolled about the rocks.
"That fixes it," said Deering. "I'm going the other way. Had we shoved
along a little faster, we might have made it, but I was soft, and
couldn't hit up the pace." He laughed his boisterous laugh and resumed:
"The trouble is, I played cards with Jimmy when I ought to have gone to
bed. Well, since we didn't bring a rope, what are you going to do about
it?"
"If we can reach the top, I think we can get down along the edge,"
Stannard replied.
After something of a struggle, they got up, and for a time to follow the
top of the gully was not hard. Then they stopped on an awkward pitch
where a big bulging stone, jambed in a crack, cut their view.
"I'll try the stone, but perhaps you had better traverse out across the
face and look for another line," Deering said to Stannard.
Jimmy went with Deering, and when they reached the stone saw a broken
shelf three or four yards below. On one side, the rocks dropped straight
to the gully; in front, the slope beyond the shelf was steep. For a few
moments Deering studied the ground.
"A rope would be useful, but if we can reach the shelf, we ought to get
down," he said. "I'll try to make it. Lie across the stone and give me
your hands."
Jimmy nodded. At an awkward spot the second man helps the leader, who
afterwards steadies him. The rock was rough and a small knob and the
deep crack promised some support. Still, caution was indicated, because
the shelf, on which one must drop, was inclined and narrow. Jimmy lay
across the stone and Deering, slipping over the edge, seized his hands.
He was a big fellow and Jimmy thought the stone moved, but he heard
Deering's boots scrape the rock and the strain on his arms was less.
Then he heard another noise, and snow and rocks and a broken pine rolled
down the gully. The avalanche vanished, the uproar sank, and Deering
gasped, "Hold fast!"
The load on Jimmy's arms got insupportable. He imagined the noise had
startled Deering and his foot had slipped from the knob. It looked as if
he must hold the fellow until he found the crack. Jimmy meant to try,
although the stone rocked, and he knew he could not long bear the
horrible strain. If Deering fell, he would not stop at the shelf; he
might not stop for three or four hundred feet. Jimmy set his mouth and
tried to brace his knees against the rock. The stone was moving, and if
it moved much, Deering would pull him over. Yet in a moment or two
Deering might get his boot in the crack, and to let him fall was
unthinkable.
Jimmy held on until Deering shouted and let go. He had obviously found
some support, and Jimmy tried to get back, but could not. His chest was
across the edge, and the stone rocked. He was slipping off, and saw,
half-consciously, that since he must fall, he must not fall down the
rock front. Pushing himself from the edge, he plunged into the gully,
struck the rock some way down, and knew no more. Deering, on the shelf,
saw him reach the bottom, roll for a distance and stop. He lay face
downwards, with his arms spread out.
A few moments afterwards Stannard reached the spot and looked down.
Deering's big chest heaved, his mouth was slack, and his face was white.
When he indicated Jimmy his hand shook.
"I pulled him over," he said in a hoarse voice.
Stannard gave him a keen, rather scornful glance. "Traverse across the
front for about twenty yards and you'll see a good line down. When you
get down, start for the hotel and bring the two guides, our rope, a
blanket and two poles. Send somebody to telegraph for a doctor."
"Not at all! I'm going to Jimmy. I pulled the kid over."
Stannard frowned. "You are going to the hotel. For one thing, I doubt if
you could reach Jimmy; you're badly jarred and your nerve's gone. Then,
unless you get help, we can't carry Jimmy out."
"You mustn't leave him in the gully," Deering rejoined. "Suppose a fresh
lot of stones comes along?"
"Go for help," said Stannard, pulling out his watch. "Come back up the
gully. If you have a flask, give it to me. I'm going down."
"But if there's another snow-slide, you and Jimmy will get smashed.
Besides, the job is mine."
"The snow and stones come down the middle and they'll stop by and by.
Don't talk. Start!"
Deering hesitated. He was big and muscular, but he admitted that on the
rocks Stannard was the better man. Moreover, to know he was accountable
for Jimmy's plunge had shaken him, and he saw Stannard was very cool.
"Take the flask," he said and went off at a reckless speed.