to find, of a sudden, that, unknown to him perhaps, his soul has been
hungering for them all the while. The feel of cool linen comes like the
caress of a forgotten sweetheart, the tinkle of glass and silver are so
many chiming fairy bells inviting him back into the foretime days. And so
these two unkempt men, toughened and browned to the texture of leather by
wind and snow, brought by trail and campfire to disregard ceremony and
look upon mealtime as an unsatisfying, irksome period, stood speechless,
affording the girl the feminine pleasure of enjoying their discomfiture.

"This is m--marvelous," murmured Emerson, suddenly conscious of his rough
clothing, his fur boots, and his hands cracked by frost. "I'm afraid we're
not in keeping."

"Indeed you are," said the girl, "and I am delighted to have somebody to
talk to. It's very lonesome here, month after month."

"This is certainly a swell tepee," Fraser remarked, staring about in open
admiration. "How did you do it?"

"I brought my things with me from Nome."

"Nome!" ejaculated Emerson, quickly.

"Yes."

"Why, I've been in Nome ever since the camp was discovered. It's strange
we never met."

"I didn't stay there very long. I went back to Dawson."