Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/294

280 manner of the garments. "I think they all are white!"

"Six!" the girl repeated.

She sensed that if this was so two of those who had left the village were not now returning. Where were these two men? Why had they not come back?

The four advance men from the approaching party came near enough to be better recognised. Two were strangers—white men apparently, as the Eskimo and Koehler had said; one of the other men was an Eskimo who had gone with Eric and Geoff; the fourth man was Eric.

Now Margaret saw too that her brother was with the six men who had remained behind. So Geoff and Eric both had come back with the Eskimos who went with them in pursuit of Latham. The parley with the four men from the village was short and satisfactory. Some one signalled for the rest of the strangers to approach; and Eric left the parley and came on to the group before the snow huts.

As she saw him come toward her Margaret had a strange feeling that brought back to her the dread and suspense of the moments on the