In places they could see for miles ahead
and behind them. And Joanne, each time that he looked at her, was a greater
joy to him. Constantly she was pointing out the wonders of the mountains to
him and MacDonald. Each new rise or fall in the valley held fresh and
delightful surprises for her; in the craggy peaks she pointed out
castlements, and towers, and battlemented strongholds of ancient princes
and kings. Her mind was a wild and beautiful riot of imagination, of
wonder, and of happiness, and in spite of the grimness of the mission they
were on even MacDonald found himself rejoicing in her spirit, and he
laughed and talked with them as they rode into the North.
They were entering now into a hunter's paradise. For the first time Joanne
saw white, moving dots far up on a mountain-side, which MacDonald told her
were goats. In the afternoon they saw mountain sheep feeding on a slide
half a mile away, and for ten breathless minutes Joanne watched them
through the telescope. Twice caribou sped over the opens ahead of them. But
it was not until the sun was settling toward the west again that Joanne saw
what she had been vainly searching the sides of the mountains to find.
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