The marks at least cleared away the mystery of their disappearance.

Sometime during the night they had fled by dog-sledge into the North.
He was tired when he returned to the hotel and it was rather with a sense of disappointment than pleasure that he learned the work-train was to leave for Le Pas late that night instead of the next day.

After a quiet hour's rest in his room, however, his old enthusiasm returned to him.

He found himself feverishly anxious to reach Le Pas and the big camp on the Wekusko.

Croisset's warning for him to turn back into the South, instead of deterring him, urged him on.