he other? Why, the other's
just making a darn fool of old Prov. And I guess old Prov hates being
made a darn fool of."

But for all Kars' reckless spirit he possessed the wide sagacity and
vigorous responsibility of a born leader. It was this which inspired
the men he gathered about him. It was this which claimed their
loyalty. It was partly this which made Bill Brudenell willingly
abandon his profitable labors in a rich city for the hardship of a life
at his friend's side. Perhaps the other part was that somewhere under
Bill's hardly acquired philosophy there lurked a spirit in perfect
sympathy with that which actuated the younger man. There was not a day
passed but he deplored to himself the stupendous waste of energy and
time involved. But he equally reveled in outraging his better sense,
and defying the claims of his life in Leaping Horse.

No less than Kars he reveled in the sight of the battle-field which lay
before them.

Abe Dodds and Saunders gazed upon it, too. It was their first sight of
it, and their view-points found prompt expression, each in his own way.

"Say, this place kind o' makes you feel old Dante was a libelous guy
who'd oughter be sent to penitentiary," Abe remarked pensively. "Guess
we'll likely find old whiskers waiting around with his boat when we get
on down to the river. Still, it's consoling to figger up the cost o'
coaling hell north of 'sixty.'"

An unsmiling nod of agreement came from his companion.

"Makes me feel I bin soused weeks," he said earnestly. He pointed down
at the forbidding walls enclosing the river. "That's jest mist around
ther', ain't it? It ain't--smoke nor nothin'. An' them hills an'
things. They are hills? They ain't the rim of a darn fool pit that
ain't got bottom to it? An' them folks--movin' around down there.
They are folks? They ain't--things?"

Both men laughed. But their amusement was wide-eyed and wondering.

Kars' half military caravan labored its way forward. It made its own
path through virgin woodland breaks, which had known little else than
wild or Indian life since the world began. There were muskegs to
avoid. Broken stretches of tundra, trackless, treacherous. Cruel
traps which only patience, labor, skill and great courage could avoid.
Apart from all chances of hostile welcome the Bell River approaches
claimed all the mental and physical sweat of man.

The movements of the outfit if slow were sure, and seemingly
inevit