Gasping and swaying to and fro, his puffed lips wreathed into a ghastly
semblance of his old scornful smile, Yorke dropped his guard and stuck
out his chin. He mouthed and pointed to it tauntingly. In spite of
himself, a sorry grin flickered over George's battered, weary young face.
He mouthed back--speech was beyond either; sagging at the knees he reeled
forward and his right arm went poking out in a wobbling, uncertain punch.

It glanced harmlessly over Yorke's shoulder, but the violent impact of
his body sent the other heavily to the ground. An ineffectual struggle
to maintain his equilibrium and he, too, fell--face downwards, with his
head pillowed on Yorke's heaving chest.




CHAPTER V

We're poor little lambs who've lost our way,
Baa! Baa! Baa!
We're little black sheep who've gone astray,
Baa--aa--aa!
Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree,
Damned from here to Eternity,
God ha' mercy on such as we,
Baa! Yah! Bah!
KIPLING


A great peace lay upon the frozen landscape--the deep, wintry peace of
the vast, snow-bound Nor'West. A light breeze murmured over the crisping