Gabriel Conroy

  CHAPTER VII.

  IN WHICH THE FOOTPRINTS BEGIN TO FADE.

  She had been dead about a week. The features and clothing were scarcelyrecognizable; the limbs were drawn up convulsively. The young surgeonbent over her attentively.

  "Starved to death?" said Blunt interrogatively.

  The surgeon did not reply, but rose and examined the scatteredspecimens. One of them he picked up and placed first to his nose andthen to his lips. After a pause he replied quietly--

  "No. Poisoned."

  The men fell back from the body.

  "Accidentally, I think," continued the surgeon coolly; "the poorcreature has been driven by starvation to attack the specimens. Theyhave been covered with a strong solution of arsenic to preserve themfrom the ravages of insects, and this starving woman has been the firstto fall a victim to the collector's caution."

  There was a general movement of horror and indignation among the men."Shoost to keep dem birds," said the irate Swiss. "Killing women to savehis cussed game," said another. The surgeon smiled. It was aninauspicious moment for Dr. Devarges to have introduced himself inperson.

  "If this enthusiastic naturalist is still living, I hope he'll keep awayfrom the men for some hours," said the surgeon to Blunt, privately.

  "Who is he?" asked the other.

  "A foreigner--a _savant_ of some note, I should say, in his own country.I think I have heard the name before--'Devarges,'" replied the surgeon,looking over some papers that he had picked up. "He speaks of somesurprising discoveries he has made, and evidently valued his collectionvery highly."

  "Are they worth re-collecting and preserving?" asked Blunt.

  "Not now!" said the surgeon. "Every moment is precious. Humanity first,science afterward," he added lightly, and they rode on.

  And so the papers and collections preserved with such care, the evidenceof many months of patient study, privation, and hardship, the records oftriumph and discovery were left lying upon the snow. The wind came downthe flanks of the mountain and tossed them hither and thither as if inscorn, and the sun, already fervid, heating the metallic surfaces of thebox and portfolio, sank them deeper in the snow, as if to bury them fromthe sight for ever.

  By skirting the edge of the valley where the snow had fallen away fromthe mountain-side, they reached in a few hours the blazed tree at theentrance of the fateful ca[~n]on. The placard was still there, but thewooden hand that once pointed in the direction of the buried huts had,through some mischance of wind or weather, dropped slightly, and wasominously pointing to the snow below. This was still so deep in driftsthat the party were obliged to leave their horses and enter the ca[~n]ona-foot. Almost unconsciously, this was done in perfect silence, walkingin single file, occasionally climbing up the sides of the ca[~n]on wherethe rocks offered a better foothold than the damp snow, until theyreached a wooden chimney and part of a roof that now reared itself abovethe snow. Here they paused and looked at each other. The leaderapproached the chimney, and leaning over it called within.

  There was no response. Presently, however, the ca[~n]on took up the shoutand repeated it, and then there was a silence broken only by the fallingof an icicle from a rock, or a snow slide from the hill above. Then allwas quiet again, until Blunt, after a moment's hesitation, walked aroundto the opening and descended into the hut. He had scarcely disappeared,as it seemed, before he returned, looking very white and grave, andbeckoned to the surgeon. He instantly followed. After a little, the restof the party, one after another, went down. They stayed some time, andthen came slowly to the surface bearing three dead bodies. They returnedagain quickly, and then brought up the _dissevered_ members of a fourth.This done they looked at each other in silence.

  "There should be another cabin here," said Blunt after a pause.

  "Here it is!" said one of the men, pointing to the chimney of the secondhut.

  There was no preliminary "hallo!" or hesitation now. The worst wasknown. They all passed rapidly to the opening, and disappeared within.When they returned to the surface they huddled together--a whisperingbut excited group. They were so much preoccupied that they did not seethat their party was suddenly increased by the presence of a stranger.