The Honor of the Big Snows

by James Oliver Curwood

  CHAPTER XVIII

  BROTHER JAN

  When he came into the cabin for breakfast that morning, Jan's faceshowed signs of the struggle through which he had gone. Cummins hadalready finished, and he found Melisse alone. Her hair was brushed backin its old, smooth way; and when she heard him, she flung her longbraid over her shoulder, so that it fell down in front of her. He sawthe movement, and smiled his thanks without speaking.

  "You don't look well, Jan," she said anxiously. "You are pale, and youreyes are bloodshot."

  "I am not feeling right," he admitted, trying to appear cheerful, "butthis coffee will make a new man of me. You make the best coffee in theworld, Melisse?"

  "How do you know, brother?" she asked. "Have you drunk any other thanmine since years ago at Churchill and York Factory?"

  "Only Iowaka's. But I know that yours is best, from what I remember ofthe coffee at the bay."

  "It was a long time ago, wasn't it?" she asked gently, looking at himacross the table. "I dreamed of those days last night, Jan, though Idon't remember anything about your going to Churchill. I must have beentoo young; but I remember when you went to Nelson House, and how lonelyI was. Last night I dreamed that we both went, and that we stoodtogether, looking out over the bay, where the tides are washing awaythe gun case coffins. I saw the ship that you described to me, too, andthought that we wanted to go out to it, but couldn't. Do you supposewe'll ever go to Churchill together, Jan, and ride on a wonderful shiplike that?"

  "It may be, Melisse."

  "And then I dreamed that you were gone, and I was alone; and some oneelse came to me, whom I didn't like at all, and tried to MAKE me go tothe ship. Wasn't that strange?" She laughed softly, as she rose to givehim another cup of coffee. "What did you mean, Jan Thoreau, by runningaway from me like that?"

  "To get even with you for running away from me on the mountain," hereplied quickly.

  She paused, the cup half filled, and Jan, looking up, caught her eyesfull of mock astonishment.

  "And were you sorry I ran away from you?"

  Despite himself, his pale cheeks flushed.

  "Do you think I was?" he replied equivocally.

  "I--don't--know," she answered slowly, filling his cup. "What are yougoing to do to-day, Jan?"

  "Drive out on the Churchill trail. Ledoq wants supplies, and he's toobusy with his trap-lines to come in."

  "Will you take me?"

  "I'm afraid not, Melisse. It's a twelve-mile run and a heavy load."

  "Very well. I'll get ready immediately."

  She jumped up from the table, darting fun at him with her eyes, and ranto her room.

  "It's too far, Melisse," he called after her. "It's too far, and I've aheavy load--"

  "Didn't I take that twenty-mile run with you over to--Oh, dear! Jan,have you seen my new lynx-skin cap?"

  "It's out here, hanging on the wall," replied Jan, falling into herhumor despite himself. "But I say, Melisse--"

  "Are the dogs ready?" she called. "If they're not, I'll be dressedbefore you can harness them, Jan."

  "They'll be here within fifteen minutes," he replied, surrendering toher.

  Her merry face, laughing triumph at him through the partly open door,destroyed the last vestige of his opposition, and he left her withsomething of his old cheeriness of manner, whistling a gay forest tuneas he hurried toward the store.

  When he returned with the team, Melisse was waiting for him, a graything of silvery lynx fur, with her cheeks, lips and eyes aglow, hertrim little feet clad in soft caribou boots that came to her knees, andwith a bunch of the brilliant bakneesh fastened jauntily in her cap.

  "I've made room for you," he said in greeting, pointing to the sledge.

  "Which I'm not going to fill for five miles, at least," declaredMelisse. "Isn't it a glorious morning, Jan? I feel as if I can run fromhere to Ledoq's!"

  With a crack of his whip and a shout, Jan swung the dogs across theopen, with Melisse running lightly at his side. From their cabin Jeanand Iowaka called out shrill adieus.

  "The day is not far off when they two will be as you and I, my Iowaka,"said Jean in his poetic Cree. "I wager you that it will be before hernext birthday!"

  And Melisse was saying:

  "I wonder if there are many people as happy as Jean and Iowaka!"

  She caught her breath, and Jan cracked on the dogs in a spurt that lefther panting, a full dozen rods behind him. With a wild halloo hestopped the team, and waited.

  "That's unfair, Jan! You'll have to put me on the sledge."

  He tucked her in among the furs, and the dogs strained at their traces,with Jan's whip curling and snapping over their backs, until they wereleaping swiftly and with unbroken rhythm of motion over the smoothtrail. Then Jan gathered in his whip and ran close to the leader, hismoccasined feet taking the short, quick, light steps of the trainedforest runner, his chest thrown a little out, his eyes upon thetwisting trail ahead.

  It was a glorious ride, and Melisse's eyes danced with joy. Her bloodthrilled to the tireless effort of the grayish-yellow pack ofmagnificent brutes ahead of her. She watched the muscular play of theirbacks and legs, the eager outreaching of their wolfish heads, and theirhalf-gaping jaws--and from them she looked to Jan. There was no effortin his running. His pale cheeks were flushed, his black hair swept backfrom the gray of his cap, gleaming in the sun. Like the dogs, there wasmusic in his movement, there was the beauty of strength, of endurance,of manhood born to the forests. Her eyes shone proudly; the colordeepened in her cheeks as she looked at him, wondering if there wasanother man in the world like Jan Thoreau.

  Mile after mile slipped behind, and not until they reached the mountainon which he had fought the missionary did Jan bring his dogs to a walk.Melisse jumped from the sledge and ran quickly to his side.

  "I can beat you to the top now!" she cried. "If you catch me--" Therewas the old witching challenge in her eyes.

  She sped up the side of the ridge. Panting and breathless, Jan pursuedwith the dogs. Her advantage was too great for him to overcome thistime, and she stood laughing down at him when he came to the top of theridge.

  "You're as pretty as a fairy, Melisse!" he exclaimed, his eyes shiningwith admiration. "Prettier than the fairy in the book!"

  "Thank you, brother! The one with golden hair?"

  "Yes, all of them."

  "I can't imagine how a girl would look with golden hair; can you, Jan?"Before he could answer she added mischievously: "Did you see anyfairies at Churchill or York Factory?"

  "None that could compare with you, Melisse."

  "Thank you again, brother mine! I believe you DO still love me alittle."

  "More than ever in my life," replied Jan quickly, though he tried tohold his tongue.

  As they went on to Ledoq's, he found that the joyousness of the morningwas giving way again to the old gloom and heartache. Brother Jan,Brother Jan, Brother Jan! The words pounded themselves incessantly inhis brain until they seemed to keep time with his steps beside thesledge. They drove him back into his thoughts of the preceding night,and he felt a sense of relief when they reached the trapper's.

  Ledoq was stripping the hair-fat from a fox-skin when the team pulledup in front of his cabin. When he saw the daughter of the factor at LacBain with Jan, he jumped briskly to his feet, flung his cap through thedoor of the shack, and began bowing and scraping to her with all hismight. It was well known in the province of Lac Bain that many yearsbefore Jean de Gravois had lost a little brother, who had disappearedone day in the woods; and there were those who hinted that Ledoq wasthat brother, for Jean and he were as like as two peas in the ready useof their tongues, and were of the same build and the same briskness.

  Melisse laughed merrily as Ledoq continued to bow before her, rattlingaway in a delighted torrent of French.

  "Ah, thes ees wan gr-r-reat compleeman, M'selle Melisse," he finishedat last, breaking for an instant into English. He straightened like aspring and turned, to Jan. "Did you meet the strange te
am?"

  "We met no team."

  Ledoq looked puzzled. Half a mile away, the top of a snow-covered ridgewas visible from the cabin. He pointed to it.

  "An hour ago I saw it going westward along the mountain--three men andsix dogs. Whom have you out from Lac Bain?"

  "No one," replied Jan. "It must have been the new agent from Churchill.We expect him early this winter. Shall we hurry back, Melisse, and seeif he has brought our books and violin-strings?"

  "You must have dinner with me," objected Ledoq.

  Jan caught a quick signal from Melisse.

  "Not to-day, Ledoq. It's early, and we have a lunch for the trail. Whatdo you say, Melisse?"

  "If you're not tired, Jan."

  "Tired!"

  He tossed the last package from the sledge and cracked his long whipover the dogs' backs as they both cried out their farewell to thelittle Frenchman.

  "Tired!" he repeated, running close beside her as the team swunglightly back into the trail, and laughing down into her face. "Howcould I ever get tired with you watching me run, Melisse?"

  "I wouldn't mind if you did--just a little, Jan. Isn't there room fortwo?"

  She gave a coquettish little shrug of her shoulders, and Jan leapedupon the moving sledge, kneeling close behind her.

  "Always, always, I have to ask you!" she pouted. "You needn't get toonear, you know, if you don't want to!"

  The old, sweet challenge in her voice was irresistible, and for amoment Jan felt himself surrendering to it. He leaned forward until hischin was buried in the silken lynx fur of her coat, and for a singlebreath he felt the soft touch of her cheek against his own. Then hegave a sudden shout to the dogs--so loud that it startled her--and hiswhip writhed and snapped twenty feet above their heads, like a thingfilled with life.

  He sprang from the sledge and again ran with the team, urging them onfaster and faster until they dropped into a panting walk when they cameto the ridge along which Ledoq, two hours before, had seen thestrangers hurrying toward Lac Bain.

  "Stop!" cried Melisse, taking this first opportunity to scramble fromthe sledge. "You're cruel to the dogs, Jan! Look at their jaws--seethem pant! Jan Thoreau, I've never seen you drive like that since thenight we were chased in from the barrens by the wolves!"

  "And did you ever see me run any faster?" He struggled, droppingexhausted upon the sledge. "I remember only one other time."

  He took a long breath, flinging back his arms to bring greater volumeof air into his lungs.

  "Wasn't that the night we heard the wolves howling behind us?" Melisseasked.

  "No, it was many years ago, when I heard, far to the south, that mylittle Melisse was dying of the plague."

  Melisse sat down upon the sledge beside him without speaking, andnestled one of her hands a little timidly in one of his big, brownpalms.

  "Tell me about it, Jan."

  "That was all--I ran."

  "You wouldn't run as fast for me now, would you?"

  He looked at her boldly, and saw that there was not half of thebrilliant flush in her cheeks.

  "I ran for you, just now--and you didn't like it," he replied.

  "I don't mean that." She looked up at him, and her fingers tightenedround his own. "Away back--years and years and years ago, Jan--you wentout to fight the plague, and nearly died in it, for me. Would you dothat much again?"

  "I would do more, Melisse."

  She looked at him doubtfully, her eyes searching him as if in quest ofsomething in his face which she scarce believed in his words. Slowly herose to his feet, lifting her with him; and when he had done this hetook her face between his two hands and looked straight into her eyes.

  "Some day I will do a great deal more for you than that, Melisse, andthen--"

  "What?" she questioned, as he hesitated.

  "Then you will know whether I love you as much now as I did years andyears and years ago," he finished, gently repeating her words.

  There was something in his voice that held Melisse silent as he turnedto straighten out the dogs; but when he came back, making hercomfortable on the sledge, she whispered:

  "I wish you would do it SOON, Brother Jan!"