Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/124

110 he straightened, he looked in awe about the silent house for the form of the man who had buried his comrade on the hill.

The coming up of the others and Koehler's question as to how he had found the door brought Geoff's senses back. It was plain that, since he found the door bolted without, the other man could not have died within. He had gone out to die—or to live? At least he had left all in order behind him.

"They—or one of them, anyway—lived here for a long time," Brunton said simply, as he examined the room where the stores had been. "We took away all we could load on our sledges, but we left more than enough supplies for two men for a year."

He showed the empty casks and cases.

Koehler nodded silently. He was searching for the container which would hold the account of what had happened there. Brunton turned over the clothing and blankets left behind; they might have belonged to either of the missing men. There was nothing to tell who had lived last.

"Bandages gone, and antiseptics!" The