had been grazed off by other horses that had come through during the summer.
By the time they chose a place to make camp it was nearly dark, yet a few men were still trying to get over the snowy pass. Elizabeth could see their lanterns. She breathed deeply against her frayed nerves. The thought of climbing that pass was indeed intimidating.
They passed abandoned sleds, dead dogs, more bloated horses, their legs sticking up stiffly in death. In the distance two men were arguing about something, and in seconds they were battling each other with fists and feet.
They passed sacks of rotted potatoes, crates of canned goods, tents, saddles, sacks of flour. In some places men were ransacking abandoned supplies, stealing what they could carry. She didn’t need Clint to tell her that she’d better keep a close eye on their own supplies, and especially on the horses. By this point of the journey men were getting greedy and desperate. Even she, in all her ignorance of the ugly side of people, could understand that, just from what she saw here.
One returning party passed them, all the men bearded and looking haggard. One of them, whose nose was deeply peeled to an ugly red, nodded to Clint. “Not worth it,” he commented. “Just not worth it. I done lost part of my nose to frostbite. And the climb…” He shook his head and continued.
Clint stopped and looked back at Elizabeth. “You want to know the only reason I’m heading on?”
She frowned. “To find the man you’re after?”
“Oh, I can find him now or I can find him in the spring. If he’s really in Dawson, I have a feeling he’s going nowhere the rest of the winter.”
The statement confused her. “Then why?”
He looked her over rather scathingly. “Because you keep claiming that your God means for this trip to happen. You keep telling me that He will take care of us and keep us safe.” He turned back and kept walking. “We’ll see just what kind of a God He really is.”
The comment astonished her. So, was he “testing” God? Or was he just making fun of her? Was he out to prove her wrong? That would not surprise her. In fact, he was risking his very life to prove her wrong.
Lord, I guess it’s up to You to get us through this and prove me right, she prayed quietly. Just help me know how to handle this man and what to say to him while we do this. Help me act according to Your will…not my own.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast dove’s eyes within thy locks…thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely…thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
—Song of Solomon 4:1, 3 & 7
Clint tethered the horses, glancing over to watch Elizabeth build a fire with what little wood she could find. They were nearly out of the wood they had bundled to bring with them, which was good in a way; it was just too much weight. Now they were headed over a snowy mountain that would yield no wood at all, and he’d heard that beyond White Pass lay a near wasteland on the trek to Lake Bennett in British Columbia. There they hoped to buy a raft that would float them to Dawson. Meantime, they would probably not be able to build a fire for warmth.
He glanced at the snowy pass. Part of him hated the thought of dragging his poor horses and a spit of a woman through all that. The sight of so many dead horses did nothing to boost his hopes that Queen, Red Lady and Devil would survive the trip, and the thought of wading through drifts that could be deeper than Elizabeth was tall just made him even more unsure.
What a mess he’d gotten himself into! He turned back to finish tethering the horses, then unloaded more supplies. A fool, that’s what he was! This had all started with running down the man who’d grabbed Elizabeth’s handbag back in San Francisco. If he’d known what all that would lead to, he would have let the fool of a woman chase the man down by herself. To think that she could actually be right about God bringing them together irritated him no end.
What business did God have in his life anyway? He’d abandoned all faith a long time ago. God shouldn’t care what happened