too greatly concerned with Hurley's and Turk's condition to give thought as yet to the inspiration which a little later was to shape from Carruthers' words. And in the cabin, watching Rose Hurley with her hand locked in Ed's and her eyes always on his, he had in his mind room only for thoughts of the way in which human destiny worked forward to the unguessed end, how little events and big shaped themselves into Fate that Fate in turn might become Providence; how, in its way, Rose's sickness was now responsible for the presence here of Dr. Gilchrist in Ed Hurley's time of sorest need.
"Ed'll pull through," he said to himself with firm conviction, "just because it is meant that he should."
Later when Turk, at his own request, was moved to a tent in order to give the cabin over to the Hurleys, and when Dr. Gilchrist had come away leaving Rose as nurse in charge, Steele quieted all of his uneasiness over a pipe … and his inspiration blazed out upon him.
"By the Lord!" he cried suddenly, slapping his this resoundingly. "Just the thing!"
"What is?" demanded Dr. Gilchrist.
But Steele, shaping that which had started up in his mind, grew suddenly silent. As his eyes brightened his silence grew the more marked.
"Another little joke on the Queen!" was what he said finally as he went away to see Carruthers who was "looking over" the Goblet and the scene of last night's fight. Whereupon Dr. Gilchrist set him down as eccentric and forgot all about the matter.
