y hurried on, and discovered only a few skins in the first tent.
Then, separating, they eagerly searched the rest without result, and
when they met again were forced to the conclusion that there was no
food in the place. It was about three o'clock and a threatening
afternoon. The light was dim and a savage wind blew the snow about.
They stood with gloomy faces in the shelter of the largest tepee,
feeling that luck was hard against them.

"These northern Indians have often to put up with short commons while
the snow lies," Benson remarked. "No doubt, they set off for some
place where game's more plentiful when they found their grub running
out, and as they've all gone the chances are that they won't come back
soon. We've had our trouble for nothing, but we may as well camp here.
With a big fire going, one could make this tepee warm."

The others felt strongly tempted to agree. The cold had been extreme
the last few nights and weary and scantily fed as they were, they
craved for shelter. Still they had misgivings and Blake said, "We have
wasted too much time already, and there's only a few days' rations in
the bag. We have got to get back to the valley and ought to make
another three hours' march before we stop."

"Yes," Harding regretfully assented, "I guess that would be wiser."

Setting off at once, they wearily struggled up the hill, and it had
been dark some time when they made camp in a hollow at the foot of a
great rock. It kept off the wind and the spruces which grew close
about it further sheltered them, but Blake told his companions to throw
up a snow bank while he cut wood.

"I'm afraid we're going to have an unusually bad night, and we may as
well take precautions," he said.

His forecast proved correct, for soon after they had finished supper a
cloud of snow swept past the hollow and the spruces roared among the
rocks above. Then there was a crash and the top of a shattered tree
plunged down between the men and fell on the edge of the fire,
scattering a shower of sparks.

"Another foot would have made a difference to two of us," said Harding
coolly. "However, it's fallen where it was wanted; help me heave the
thing on."

It crackled fiercely as the flame licked about it, and sitting between
the snowbank and the fire, the men kept fairly warm, but a white haze
drove past their shelter and eddying in now and then covered them with
snow. In an hour the drifts were level with the top of the ba