About three o’clock in the morning, the doctor stood for some minutes beside the bunk, and Charnock shivered as he watched his face.  The shack seemed very quiet except for the throb of the river and the grinding of the ice.  Then the doctor gave him a nod that hinted at satisfaction, and told him to refill the iron drum at Festing’s feet with hot water.  By and by he put fresh wood in the stove, moving cautiously and taking as long as possible, because it was a relief to do something after sitting still in suspense.

At daybreak there was a knock at the door, and Charnock, finding Kerr and Norton outside, looked at the doctor, who put on his fur-coat and went out to them.

“Have you any news for us?” Norton asked.

“No change yet.  That’s encouraging, as far as it goes.”

“What about breakfast?  Ours is ready.  Will you join us?”

“I think not.  If my patient doesn’t come out of his stupor, I must try to rouse him soon.  Send a man here and take Mr. Charnock.  I expect he needs food.”

“Very well,” said Kerr.  “We’ll see the cook looks after you; but can you give us no idea about Festing?  You see, there are matters, business matters—­”

“He has had a bad shock and it will be a long job; a month anyway.  I can’t stop long and he ought to have a nurse, although it would be difficult to get one to come here.  But I can’t form an opinion yet.”

He dismissed them and Kerr took Charnock away.  It was very cold.  The white pines were growing into shape; their tops caught the light in the east and glimmered with a faint warm flush against the dim blue shadow.  Smoke and puffs of steam floated up from the gorge, and the ringing clang of steel pierced the turmoil of the river.  Charnock felt braced but dizzy.  Now he came to think of it, he had eaten no supper, and after a day of laborious effort the night’s watch had fatigued him.  Besides, his face smarted under the bandage, and his back was sore.

When he sat down in Norton’s shack, where a plate was put for Kerr, he felt ravenously hungry and did not talk much until the meal was over.  Then Norton made him sit near the stove.

“It’s an awkward business,” he said.  “To begin with, what are we going to do about a nurse?  This is hardly the place for a woman, and I doubt if we could get anybody to undertake the job.”

“I’ll write to Mrs. Festing.”

“Would she come out?”

“I imagine so,” said Charnock thoughtfully.  “Still she doesn’t know much about nursing.”

“His wife is the proper person to look after him,” Kerr interposed.  “Then I have a young fellow in the rail gang who could help; found him useful once or twice when the boys got hurt.  In fact, I suspect he’s had some medical training, though I didn’t ask why he quit.”

Norton smiled.  It is not unusual to find men whose professional career has been cut short working on a Western track.