And he realized the vital necessity of building it up again.

So he first wrote a letter to Ellen McCormick, and in this placed a second letter--carefully sealed--which was not to be opened unless they found Mary Standish, and which contained something he had found impossible to put into words in Sandy's cabin.

It was trivial and embarrassing when spoken to others, but it meant a great deal to him.

Then he made the final arrangements for Olaf to carry him to Seward in the _Norden_, for Captain Rifle's ship was well on her way to Unalaska.

Thought of Captain Rifle urged him to write another letter in which he told briefly the disappointing details of his search.
He was rather surprised the next morning to find he had entirely forgotten Rossland.