I observed that Shalah looked closely at this, and that his face wore
an unusual excitement. He said something in his own tongue, and, when
the trench was dug, laid the dead man in it so that his head pointed
westwards.
We wrought in a dogged silence, and Elspeth's cheery whistling was the
only sound in that sullen morning. It fairly broke my heart. She was
whistling the old tune of "Leezie Lindsay," a merry lilt with the hill
wind and the heather in it. The bravery of the poor child was the
hardest thing of all to bear when I knew that in a few hours' time the
end might come. The others were only weary and dishevelled and ill at
ease, but on me seemed to have fallen the burden of the cares of the
whole earth.
Shalah had disappeared for a little, and came back with the word that
the near forests were empty. So I summoned a council, and talked as we
breakfasted. I had looked into the matter of the food, and found that
we had sufficient for three days. We had boucanned a quantity of deer's
flesh two days before, and this, with the fruit of yesterday's
trapping, made a fair stock in our larder.
Then I announced my plan. "I am going to try to reach Lawrence," I
said.
No one spoke. Shalah lifted his head, and looked at me gravely.
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