air; but this was more than he could bring himself to do.
His comrades were very hungry, and some animal might climb to the
frozen meat. It was unthinkable that he should run any risk of losing
the precious food. He decided to take as much as he could carry and
make a depot of the rest, and set to work with the hunting knife in
anxious haste.

It was now quite dark; he could not see what he was cutting, and if he
gashed his hand, which was numbed and almost useless, the wound would
not heal. Then the haft of the knife grew slippery and tough skin and
bone turned the wandering blade. It was an unpleasant business, but he
was not fastidious and he tore the flesh off with his fingers, knowing
that he was in danger while he worked. There were wolves in the
neighbourhood, and their scent for blood was wonderfully keen; it was a
question whether they would reach the spot before he had left it, and
when he stopped to clean the knife in the snow he cast a swift glance
about.

He could see nothing farther off than a fallen trunk about a dozen
yards away; beyond that the trees had faded into a sombre mass. A
biting wind wailed among them, and he could hear the harsh rustle of
the needles, but except for this there was a daunting silence. He
began to feel a horror of the lonely wood and a longing to escape into
the open, though he would be no safer there. But to give way to this
weakness would be dangerous and, pulling himself together, he went to
work more calmly.

It was difficult to reach the branches of the spruce he chose, and when
he had placed the first load of meat in safety he was tempted to
flight. Indeed, for some moments he stood irresolute, struggling to
hold his fears in subjection; and then went back for another supply.
He climbed the tree three times before he was satisfied that he had
stored enough, and afterwards gathered up as much of the flesh as he
could conveniently carry. It would soon freeze, but not before it had
left a scent that any wolf which might happen to be near could follow.

He left the wood with a steady stride, refraining from attempting a
faster pace than he could keep up, but when he had gone a mile he felt
distressed.

His load, which included the rifle, was heavy, and he had been exerting
himself since early morning. The wind was in his face, lashing it
until the cold became intolerable, the dry snow was loose, and he could
not find his outward trail. Still, he was thankfu