mouth and nose. I felt a stifling, suffocating, choking, in my throat; and, with a cry that would come out, I cursed her there and then. I know no more."
His voice got very low and quiet; and he paused a long painful pause—thinking; then he spoke.
"I think they came and found me there. I turned to look for her, but she was gone.
"The moon was still bright, and beautiful. There was no wind and everything was still. I thought I'd waked up from a dream; but, as I passed my hand across my eyes, I felt there was something on it that wasn't there before.
"It was a thin gold, wedding ring. It's there still, Harry, and she's—ah! God—"
We'd left a shovel behind at the claim that evening. I went to fetch it, and as I crossed the creek, and stumbled through the ferns, a stifled heavy sob came down to me from where the hut lay in the quiet moonlight of that Christmas Eve.
