CHAPTER XVI THE BARRIER
The curiosity of the two girls knew no bounds as they neared the strangeabode. Who was this man? Why did he live here all by himself? How had hebrought his pipe organ to this remote spot? Whence had come thosepeculiar skylights through which the yellow light gleamed? Whence camethe power for those electric lights? How had this strange man known oftheir coming? Or had he known? Had he been expecting someone else and hadhe, as a perfect host, pretended it was Marian he had known to be at thedoor? These, and many other questions, flashed through Marian's alertmind as she guided her deer over the remaining distance and up to theentrance to the cave-like structure.
Lights flashed on here and there as they passed inside. A long corridor,walled on either side by hewn logs, led to a stall-like room where wasfood in abundance for their reindeer, and, what was better still, perfectprotection from any night prowler.
Marian was wondering what sort of meal was being prepared for them whenthey were at last led into the large room. Here, on the side opposite thepipe organ, great logs crackled merrily in a fireplace half as wide asthe room itself.
After taking their fur parkas, the host motioned them to seats beside thefire. There, charmed by the drowsy warmth, Marian experienced greatdifficulty in keeping awake. Strange fancies floated through her mind.She fancied she was aboard a ship at sea; the walls about her were thewalls of her state-room; the huge beams above, the ship's beams; thestrange cupola affairs above, the lights to her cabin.
As she shook herself free from this fancy, she realized that aside fromthe fireplace, the inside of the room was very like a cabin of a highclass schooner.
"It must all come from some vessel," she reasoned. "Even the lightingfixtures look as if they had been taken from a ship. I wonder what ship,and why?"
She thought of stories she had read of beach combers who wrecked ships bydisplaying fake shore lights on stormy nights that they might gather thewreckage from the beach. For a moment she fancied this bearded patriarchplaying such a role. Finding this too absurd even for fancy, she shookherself free from it.
"Food," she murmured to herself, "I'm ravenously hungry. He spoke ofputting on the birds. I wonder what he could have meant?"
She did not have long to wait. A moment later there came to her nostrilsthe delicious aroma of perfectly brewed coffee. Mingled with it werevarious savory odors which gave promise of a rich meal.
"You are not yet fully warmed," said their host, "so you may eat by thefire."
He was pushing before him a tea-wagon of wonderful design andcraftsmanship. This was fairly creaking under its load of chinaware ofexquisite design, and silver which did not require a second look to tellthat it was sterling. Marian barely avoided a gasp at sight of it.
If the service was perfect, the food was no less so. Four ptarmigan,those wonderful "quail of the Arctic," broiled to a delicious turn, wereflanked with potatoes, gravy, peas and apple sauce. The desert wasblueberries preserved in wild honey.
"Only idleness or indifference," smiled their host as he caught theirlooks of appreciation, "can hinder one from securing appetizing foods inany land."
"And now," he said as they finished, "there are questions you may wish toask; information that you may wish to impart."
"Why--we--" Marian began in some confusion.
He interrupted her with a wave of the hand. "It will all keep untilmorning. This habit young people have, of sitting up talking all hours ofthe night because life seems too exciting for sleep, is all wrong. Youare in need of rest. 'Everything in its good time' is my motto.Fortunately my guest room is warm. The fire is not yet burned out. Lastnight I had the honor of furnishing a night's lodging to the Agent of ourGovernment."
"The Agent?" Marian asked in surprise.
"Yes. He came up here to ask me about the lay of the land above here. Ithink," there was a merry twinkle in his eye, "that I may lay claim tobeing the oldest resident of this town. No doubt I was able to give himsome valuable information."
"And he is--is gone?" Marian gasped.
"Left this morning. Why? Did you wish to see him? Surely--yes, you would.Being connected with the reindeer business, you would. Unfortunate thatyou did not reach here a few hours earlier. He left on foot. The trailaround the rapids is rough. He did not try to bring his dogs and sledsthrough. Left them with his driver at the foot of the rapids. Well enoughthat he did. Couldn't have made it."
Upon realizing that she had missed the man she had come so far to see,Marian could have burst into tears.
"You may find him at the Station, though," her host assured her. "Ibelieve he means to stay there a day or two. His dogs are footsore fromtravelling over crusted snow."
Marian's heart gave a leap of joy. But what was this about the trail andthe rapids?
"Did--did you say that one could not pass over the trail with a sled?"she asked in the calmest tone she could command. "Are the rapids not yetfrozen over?"
"Frozen?" he stared at her incredulously. "Have you not heard them? Ah,then, you came from up stream. The forest shuts out the sound. Slip onyour parka and come with me, and you shall hear. It is grand music, thatceaseless rush and roar, that beating of waters and tumbling of ice."
It may have seemed glorious to the old man, but to Marian, who listenedto the wild tumult of waters, it was frightening and disheartening.
"Can a boat run the rapids?" she asked, though she knew the question wasfoolish and that no boat could run them.
"None ever has."
"Can--can a sled pass over the trail above?"
"None has. None can. The way is too rough; the trees too closely crowdedtogether. Dogs, reindeer, men, yes; but sleds, no."
"How far is it to the station?" Marian faltered.
"Three days journey."
"Are there any houses on the way?"
"None."
"Then, without our sleds, we would not dare undertake the journey."
"No. It would not do. You would starve or freeze."
It required all Marian's power of will to remain standing as shefaltering said; "Then we are defeated. We--we must turn back. We--" Shecould not go on.
The aged man studied her face for a moment. Then quietly he asked:
"Is it very important that you get to the station; that you see theAgent?"
"Oh, very, very important! We--"
Again he motioned for silence. "Do not tell me now. I think it can bearranged that your sleds may pass the rapids. It _shall_ be arranged. Ipromise it. Come, you are worn out. It is time you should sleep."