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If the young Galliard has beenhere it gives us a bit of a clue.
His mother was
a Cree Indian and his father one of the old-time Hudsons Bay factors.
He
remembered the young Ravelstons words. There was telephoning and telegraphing
far andwide, but no result.
The valley mounted by steps, each one marked by the
thunder of acataract in the gorge. Ive had Lew with me on half a dozentrips.
I
thought that there was something pathological abouthis marvellous
vitality.
Whenever you geta borderland where Latin and Northman meet, you get
this uncannysensitiveness. Hekept me up till three in the morning listenin to
his stuff. There, the afternoonbefore, he had had the first hour of bodily
comfort he had knownfor months.
He had abandoned his oldworld and had never
shown the slightest hankering after it. If the young Galliard has beenhere it
gives us a bit of a clue. His hair was a little ruffled by the wind, and one
hand wasrepelling the advances of a terrier.
You can put up at the farm, and I
dare say I canget a shake-down at the presbytery.
It is aconglomeration of
problems, most of which we cannot define. Thecontract was for a month, but with
provision for an indefiniteextension. But first Iwant to go up the stream
again. A fellow called Lew Frizel, a breed, but of a very specialkind. No such
travellers as Galliard and Lew Frizelhad as yet been reported north of the
railways. Francis has forgotten all about his antecedents. When I asked more
about the chap he felt he had said toomuch and shut up like a clam. Yes, but
remember that it was a strange world to him. I doubt if he is satisfied by what
he does, orparticularly happy.
And there wassomething beyond of which the
memory was even sharper. I didnt get a great deal out of the old man, said
Johnny.
It was the fourth day of May, a perfect spring day. He cares aslittle
about his origin as Melchizedek. He was convinced beyond doubt that he had come
toClairefontaine in the spring.
For he had arrived at a provisional assessment
ofthe man. A pedlar or two, and a drover in the fallfor the farm cattle.
Tell
mefirst what happened when he went away. Buther sister offered an exposed front
to fortune. But something hadhappened to one of them to shatter a happy
partnership.
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