s ragged,
knife-like edges. Mukoki's face became more serious as he carefully
examined the teams.

"Bad--ver' bad," he grunted. "We fool--fool!"

"For not bringing dog shoes?" said Wabigoon. "I've got a dozen shoes
on my sledge--enough for three dogs. By George--" He leaped quickly to
his toboggan, caught up the dog moccasins, and turned again to the old
Indian, alive with new excitement. "We've got just one chance, Muky!"
he half shouted.

"Pick out the strongest dogs. One of us must go on alone!"

The sharp commands of the two adventurers and the cracking of Mukoki's
whip brought the tired and bleeding animals to their feet. Over the
pads of three of the largest and strongest were drawn the buckskin
moccasins, and to these three, hitched to Wabigoon's sledge, were
added six others that appeared to have a little endurance still left
in them. A few moments later the long line of dogs was speeding
swiftly over the trail of the Hudson Bay mail, and beside the sled ran
Wabigoon.

Thus this thrilling pursuit of the dog mail had continued since early
dawn. For never more than a minute or two at a time had there been a
rest. Over mountain and lake, through dense forest and across barren
plain man and dog had sped without food or drink, snatching up
mouthfuls of snow here and there--always their eyes upon the fresh
trail of the flying mail. Even the fierce huskies seemed to understand
that the chase had become a matter of life and death, and that they
were to follow the trail ahead of them, ceaselessly and without
deviation, until the end of their masters was accomplished. The human
scent was becoming stronger and stronger in their wolf-like nostrils.
Somewhere on that trail there were men, and other dogs, and they were
to overtake them!

Even now, bleeding and stumbling as they ran, the blood of battle, the
excitement of the chase, was hot within them. Half-wolf, half-dog,
their white fangs snarling as stronger whiffs of the man-smell came to
them, they were filled with the savage desperation of the youth who
urged them on. The keen instinct of the wild pointed out their road to
them, and they needed no guiding hand. Faithful until the last they
dragged on their burden, their tongues lolling farther from their
jaws, their hearts growing weaker, their eyes bloodshot until they
glowed like red balls. Now and then, when he had run until his
endurance was gone, Wabigoon would fling himself upon the sledge to
regain breat