When he staggered to his
feet, expecting a final assault that would end him, Bram was
kneeling beside his pack. A mumbling and incoherent jargon of
sound issued from his thick lips as he took stock of Philip's
supplies. Of Philip himself he seemed now utterly oblivious. Still
mumbling, he dragged the pile of bear skins from the sledge,
unrolled them, and revealed a worn and tattered dunnage bag. At
first Philip thought this bag was empty. Then Bram drew from it a
few small packages, some of them done up in paper and others in
bark. Only one of these did Philip recognize--a half pound package
of tea such as the Hudson's Bay Company offers in barter at its
stores. Into the dunnage bag Bram now put Philip's supplies, even
to the last crumb of bannock, and then returned the articles he
had taken out, after which he rolled the bag up in the bear skins
and replaced the skins on the sledge.
After that, still mumbling, and still paying no attention to
Philip, he reseated himself on the edge of the sledge and finished
his breakfast of raw meat.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99