Returningthusfromhissoul-devastatingexperienceofwartofindhislifedesolateandmaimedinallthatgaveitvalue，hemadetheappallingdiscoverythathewasleftalmostaloneofallwhomhehadknownandlovedinpastdays。Forofhisclosefriendsnonewereleftasbefore。Forthemostparttheywerelyingononeorotherofthefivebattlefrontsofthewar。Othershadfoundserviceinotherspheres。Onlyonewasstillinhishometown，pooroldPhilAmory，Frances’brother，half-blindinhisdarkenedroom，buttobringanythingofhisownheartburdentothatbravesoulseemedsacrilegeorworse。Trueenough，hewaspassingthroughthenewandthrillingexperienceofmakingacquaintancewithhisfather。ButoldGrantMaitlandwasahardmantoknow，andtheyweretoomuchalikeintheirreserveandintheirpovertyofself-expressiontomakemutualacquaintanceanythingbutaslowandinsomewaysapainfulprocess。
HenceinMaitland’shearttherewasanalmostextravagantgratitudetowardthisyounggenerous-heartedgirlwhosetouchhadthrilledhisheartandwhosevoicewithitspassionatenoteofloyalandunderstandingcomradeshipstillsanglikemusicinhissoul，“Alwaysandalways，CaptainJack，andevermore。“
“ByJove，Ihavegottofindsomewayofplayinguptothat，“hesaidaloud，asheturnedfromthegravelleddrivewayintothestreet。Andinthemonthsthatfollowedhewastofindthatthesearchtowhichhethencommittedhimselfwastocallfortheutmostofthepowersofsoulwhichwerehis。
Perrottewasbyalloddsthebestall-roundmanintheplaningmill，andforthesimplereasonthatforfifteenyearshehadfollowedthelumberfromtherawwoodthroughthevariousmachinestillheknewwoodsandmachinesandtheirwaysasnootherinthemillunlessitwasoldGrantMaitlandhimself。FifteenyearsagoPerrottehaddrifteddownfromthewoods，beatinghiswayonalumbertrain，havinglefthiswinter’spaybehindhimatthevergeofcivilisation，witholdJoeBarbeauandJoe’s“chuckerout。“Itwasthe“chuckerout“thatdraggedhimoutofthe“snakeroom“and，allunwitting，hadgivenhimaflyingstarttowardabetterlife。
PerrottecametoMaitlandwhentheseason’sworkwasatitsheightandeverysawandplanerwereroaringnightandday。