Suppose they _never_ found us!"
"Then," said I, "we should have to live here, forever and ever."
She looked at me curiously. "Could we?" she asked.
"Until I was too old to hunt, you too weak to sew the robes or cook the
food."
"What would happen then?"
"We would die," said I. "The world would end, would have to begin all
over again and wait twice ten million years until man again was evolved
from the amoeba, the reptile, the ape. When we died, this dog here would
be the only hope of the world."
She looked at the eternal hills in their snow, and made no answer.
Presently we turned to our duties about the camp.
It was understood that we should stay here for at least two days, to
mend our clothing and prepare food for the southern journey. I have said
I was not happy at the thought of turning toward that world which I had
missed so little. Could the wild freedom of this life have worked a
similar spell on her? The next day she came to me as I sat by our meager
fireside. Without leading of mine she began a manner of speech until now
foreign to her.
"What is marriage, John Cowles?" she asked of me, abruptly, with no
preface.
"It is the Plan," I answered, apathetically.
Pages:
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280