The days passed, and the winter began merging imperceptibly into the Northland spring that comes like a thunderbolt of suddenness.

It was the spring of 1896 that was preparing.

Each day the sun rose farther east of south, remained longer in the sky, and set farther to the west.

March ended and April began, and Daylight and Elijah, lean and hungry, wondered what had become of their two comrades.

Granting every delay, and throwing in generous margins for good measure, the time was long since passed when they should have returned.