L. P. Wyman

“ He knew that he was safe so far as the wolves were concerned, but the intense cold was beginning to work through his clothing. Hustling along on snow-shoes at forty below zero was one thing, but roosting up in the branches of a tree at the same temperature was quite another, he told himself. He wondered why Jack and Lucky had not put in an appearance and then, for the first time he noticed that a strong wind was blowing and that it was coming from the direction of the camp.
"Perhaps that wind's so strong that they haven't heard the wolves or the shots," he thought. ”

“ Lucky declared.
The door was not locked and yielded readily to his touch and he quickly stepped inside leaving it wide open as the Indian had ordered. It was pitch dark inside and, for an instant, he listened. Soon he was conscious of heavy breathing and, pressing the spring of the flashlight, he threw its beams about the room. As he had expected it was the kitchen and in one corner, near the stove, lay the body of a man. As Bob bent over the form he perceived that it was a man slightly past middle age. He bent over and touched the man lightly on the shoulder. ”

“ He told us that his name was Blake and that he had a brother who was also a captain, but you do not look like him." Bob smiled.
"That's true," the captain smiled back. "Frank is light and small while I am dark and rather above the average in size, but he's my brother just the same and more than that he's the best brother a man ever had."
"I can easily believe that, sir," Bob began and then stopped short. "No, I don't either," he corrected. "Make it as good a brother as a man ever had and I won't say a word, but he can't be any better than the one I've got." ”

“ Thursday morning Jack had shot a small buck deer and the meat was a very welcome addition to their larder as they had brought with them only enough fresh meat for a couple of days. Their respect and liking for the Indian increased every day for they found him not only abounding in resourcefulness, but he had proved, as Jack put it, a mighty likeable fellow.
"I always thought Indians were solemn and never laughed or anything of that sort," he said to Bob one day as they were some distance behind the sled, Lucky leading the way. ”

“ Lucky examined the harness, but found it had not been injured during the fight and, at his cry of "mush" the dogs were off again.
"My, what a man," Bob said in a low tone as he and Jack fell in behind.
"And then some," Jack added.
"It seems queer," Bob continued.
"What seems queer?"
"Why, Lucky."
"But what do you mean queer?"
"Well, he looks like an Indian and he acts like an Indian and we have it from no less authority than the great Pete Slinger that he is an Indian, but he talks like a Canuck and has an Irish name. Can you beat it?" ”

“ Bob asked the Indian as the latter picked up his long whip.
"Put 'em een binder pack on sled."
"Then I reckon we're all ready to start, eh?"
"Oui, we go queek."
But at that instant, just as Lucky was about to give the word to the dogs, Jack grabbed Bob by the arm and whispered:
"Look."
At the same time he pointed toward the cabin and Bob's heart skipped a beat as he saw that there was a light in the big room.
"Now the fat's in the fire," he gasped.
"But it isn't burnt, not yet," Jack told him. "If Lucky got all their guns they can't do much." ”

“ Several times during the night they heard the howls of wolves above the noise of the storm, but they did not come very near thanks undoubtedly to the fire which the Indian kept burning brightly all the time. It was eight o'clock when Lucky awoke them to find that the storm had nearly blown itself out and that breakfast was ready. Over a foot more of snow had fallen and they knew that their progress would be slow that day.
"It's almost as bad as the case of the frog jumping out of the well," Jack declared as he poured himself a cup of coffee. ”

“ Jack whispered a few minutes later.
"Neither was that one," Bob replied.
"Hope they know that they're supposed to be afraid of fire."
"Same here."
The dogs were getting more and more uneasy as the wolves came closer and soon the boys heard the Indian again moving. He threw some more wood on the fire and then, going to where the dogs were stationed, he spoke to them in a low tone as if fearful that he would awaken the boys. At his words the dogs ceased their growls, but a low whining told that they were not fully reassured.
"We're not asleep," Bob called out. ”

“ Beneath an overhanging rock, the ground was almost free from snow as a circle of thick spruce trees in front and about twenty feet away had protected it on the open side. Here they made beds of thick spruce boughs and a roaring fire soon warmed the face of the rock by its reflection so that it seemed impossible that the temperature outside was nearly forty below. Before leaving the river early the preceding day, they had stopped long enough to cut a hole in the ice and allow Jack to catch a dozen large trout and five or six salmon, enough, as Bob said, to last them a couple of weeks. ”

“ It was his favorite rifle and he was very choice with it. More than one buck had fallen before it in the woods of Maine and once it had brought down a large moose. With it he felt safe.
Although he could hardly believe it the thermometer said forty below when he left the camp, but so clear and dry was the air that it hardly seemed cold at all.
The passage between the mountains was very narrow, in fact, there was hardly any level ground between them, one seeming to rise at the foot of the other, so he had little fear of missing the cabin provided it was really there. ”

“ Bob Lakewood replied as he slid from the upper bunk to the floor. "We'd better get dressed so as to be on the safe side."
"I'll say we had," Jack agreed pulling off his pajamas. "I don't suppose it's anything—"
"All hands on deck, quick!"
The order was shouted outside their door to be repeated an instant later further down the corridor.
"That sounds ominous," Bob declared pulling on his trowsers.
"I'll say it does. We'd better make it snappy."
"Don't forget your money."
"And we'd better slip on a life preserver," Jack added as he pulled two of them out from beneath the bunk. ”

“ He had urged them the night before to stay over a day and they had agreed after Lucky had assured them that a day's rest would be of great benefit to the dogs and that they would more than make up for the lost time.
"One day geeve snow time to settle an' mak' more bon goin'," he assured them.
By noon they had interviewed probably nearly everyone in the village, Jules going with them and introducing them. They found the people universally courteous and eager to be of service, but they learned no more than they already knew. ”

“ While the men had, in a way, treated them kindly they knew that they were men who would hesitate at nothing to accomplish their purpose whatever that might be.
"Well, we've got to do some tall thinking and do it quick," Bob declared. "What's your opinion, Lucky?"
"We must no geet caught again."
"That's easy to say," Jack said. "But how are we going to help it? We can't move a foot in this snow without leaving tracks and they're six to our three and in a rough and tumble we wouldn't be in it for a minute." ”

“ TIMBER WOLVES.
The town of Batzahakat is very much like Red Shirt. A few log cabins, one of which serves as a store, huddled together on the bank of the river. It was growing dark when two very tired boys and six nearly played out dogs and an Indian, who acknowledged that he had been more rested, dragged themselves up the bank and made their way along the single short street to the store.
"Do you know the man who keeps the store?" Bob had asked the Indian earlier in the day.
"Oui, Injun know heem. Heem name Jules Lamont. Heem Frenchman, no breed," Lucky told them. ”

“ Although Bob had tried hard to conceal his fears he had been much worried since Lucky had left them. To be sure he had unbounded confidence in the Indian, but he also realized that he was not infallible and he had little doubt regarding the character of the Eskimo who had stolen their food. Any man who would do a thing of that sort would not be likely to hesitate at even murder were his safety threatened. Should anything happen to prevent his return they would be in a pretty desperate situation especially now that Jack was helpless. ”

“ Bob laughed.
"Hope he's as good a cook as he is at other things," Jack whispered.
"It'll be funny if he isn't."
"You mean it'll be a tragedy."
But their fears were groundless for in less than an hour from the time they had reached the woods the Indian announced that supper was ready. Venison steak and potatoes baked in the camp fire constituted the main part of the meal and both boys declared that nothing had ever fasted better. The Indian seemed pleased at their words of praise and urged them to eat until both declared that they could not get another mouthful down. ”

“ Believe me I would like to be with Lucky when he gets him. I'm afraid he won't do the case justice."
"Leave it to him. I think he'll be equal to the occasion."
The flapjacks proved pretty dry eating without coffee to wash them down, but they managed to make out with melted snow.
"What'll we do to pass the time?" Jack asked as soon as they were finished.
"Let's go hunting," Bob suggested. "We ought to be able to get a deer; goodness knows we've seen plenty of tracks and we need the food."
"Goodness knows that too," Jack laughed as he crept into the tepee for the rifles and snow-shoes. ”

“ In spite of the deep snow they had on the whole made fairly good time as their muscles were hardening and they were able to maintain a faster pace. There had been no more snow and that which had fallen had drifted so hard that in most places it held the sled and dogs though, of course, Lucky and the boys were obliged to wear snow-shoes. In view of the fact that they were on a trip where time might mean a man's life they had decided that they were justified in traveling on Sunday although under other circumstances they would not have considered it. ”

“ The fever was broken and, barring the unexpected, the captain was on the road to recovery.
"Thank God," Bob breathed as they moved away.
"Amen," Jack added.
Great was the joy of Baptist and Jacques, when they returned from a trip to their traps shortly before dark, to learn the good news.
"And it's all due to your nursing, Pierre," Bob declared.
"Non—non. Le Bon Dieu, heem watch over heem," the Frenchman insisted.
"Yes, he'll pull through all right now," the doctor said when he came the following day. "Didn't I tell you he was a good nurse?"
"He's the best ever," Bob assured him. ”

“ They, in turn, took him into their confidence as to the object of their journey and he expressed great surprise that their lather had sent them on such a mission.
"Alaska is a mighty big place," he told them, "and in the winter it's a very rough place let me tell you."
"You think it's dangerous: the trip up the Yukon, I mean?" Bob asked him.
"Well, for you two boys to take such a trip at this time of the year would be decidedly dangerous, not to say foolhardy, but if you get a good native to go with you the risk will, of course, be much less." ”

“ Her name was Sue Stebbins and her father, Jeb Stebbins, was manager of the large ranch which was owned by a Mr. Leeds who lived in the East. Sue, who was something of a tomboy when it came to out-of-doors sports, ruled all hands, including her father, with, as the latter often declared, a rod of iron. But her rule was a generous one and she was a general favorite with all the hands from the manager down to the Chinese cook.
"If that was so you'd have been dead long ago," Jack retorted. "You've only got one life, you know, and a cat has nine." ”

“ Jack grinned.
"Didn't you hear me yelling?" Bob asked.
"No. You see I was about six feet more or less underneath when I landed and about the time you were yelling I reckon I was pawing my way surfaceward."
"Where are your snow-shoes?" Bob asked.
"Down below. I'm afraid they didn't come through as well as I did."
"White boys stay here Injun git team, git shovel." Lucky turned and was gone before they had time to say anything.
"Believe me, he was one scared Indian when he saw you go over that cliff. Don't ever tell me that Indians have no feelings or that they never show them. ”

“ Bob told him.
It was but a few moments before they heard a loud voice calling on a team of dogs to stop and Lucky whispered:
"Eet Eskimo."
"Then we might as well show ourselves," Jack suggested.
They at once stepped out from behind the cabin, the Indian in the lead, and saw that he had been right in his estimate of the nationality of the stranger. He was a short fat man completely swathed in furs and was accompanied by a team of four dogs with an nearly empty sled. ”

“ Eet may be mile mebby two, mebby three. Fellers up here no sure of distance."
"In which respect they haven't a thing on a lot people back home," Jack laughed. "Remember that farmer, Bob, up near Jackman, who told us it was only a little over a mile to town when it was exactly four and a half?"
"And he'd lived there all his life," Bob laughed.
After a short rest they started off again, Bob taking the lead with strict orders from Lucky to go slow and not get tired. Not a breath of wind stirred the branches of the trees and not a sound save the crunch of their snow-shoes on the dry snow. ”

“ Doors were opening all along the corridor now and people, some fully dressed and others only half clothed, were rushing toward the stairway.
"Better put on life preservers," Bob yelled.
Some turned back at the suggestion while others in a state of frenzy rushed along the corridor intent only on getting to the upper deck.
"Why doesn't she hurry?" Jack asked impatiently as he glanced both ways. ”

“ Jack said.
"Oui, ver' queek or heem no wake," Lucky added
"How many wolves did you kill?" Bob asked.
"We didn't stop to count them," Jack laughed. "But we must have shot all of a dozen. What do you think, Lucky?"
"Mebby dozen, mebby more. Two three got 'way."
"Well, I hope I never see another wolf as long as I live," Bob declared.
"Same here," Jack added.
"We see heap more," Lucky shook his head. ”