Although he had no difficulty in
finding the trail, it was so much harder to walk with a heavy load than
it had been without one that a full hour had passed before he again
came within sight of the lonely tent in the forest.
One of the children who was outside spied him and announced his coming,
so that when he entered the tent he again found a frightened group
huddled together and apprehensively awaiting him. But they were
stronger now, and the children uttered little squeals of joy at sight
of the meat he had brought, while even the haggard face of their mother
was lighted by a fleeting smile.
For the pleasure of seeing the children eat Cabot toasted a few strips
of venison over the coals, and these smelled so good that he cut off
some more for himself. In this occupation he spent another hour
without realising the flight of time, and had eaten a quantity of meat
that he would have deemed impossible had it all been placed before him
at once.
As he was bending over the fire toasting a strip that he said to
himself should be the last, a slight cry from one of the children
caused him to look up. He barely caught a glimpse of a face at the
entrance as it was hastily withdrawn, but in that moment he recognised
the features of Arsenic. At sight of the ill-favoured young Indian all
of Cabot's former resentment flamed up, and springing to his feet he
dashed from the tent, determined to give Arsenic the thrashing he
deserved.
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