og driver,
though in a general way our bosses aren't given to joking. Walthew
will tell you there's a difference between physicking a horse and
harnessing a sledge team."

"It's marked," Walthew agreed with a chuckle. "When I first tried to
put the traces on I thought they'd eat me. Even now I have some
trouble, and I'll venture to remind my superior that he'd be short of
some of his fingers if they didn't serve us out good thick mittens."

"That's right," said Lane good-humouredly. "I'm sure no good at dogs.
If you're going to drive them, you want to speak Karalit or French.
Plain English cussin's no blame use."

By and by Emile said that supper was ready, and the police watched
their new acquaintances devour it with sympathetic understanding, for
they had more than once covered long distances on very short commons in
the Arctic frost. Afterwards they lighted their pipes, and Emile,
being tactfully encouraged, told them in broken English stories of the
barrens. These were so strange and gruesome that it was only because
they had learned something of the wilds that Harding and his friends
believed him. Had they been less experienced, they would have denied
that flesh and blood could bear the things the half-breed calmly talked
about. While he spoke there broke out behind the camp a sudden
radiance which leaped from the horizon far up the sky. It had in it
the scintillation of the diamond, for the flickering brilliance changed
to evanescent blue and rose from pure white light. Spreading in a
vast, irregular arc, it hung like a curtain, wavering to and fro and
casting off luminous spears that stabbed the dark. For a time it
blazed in transcendental splendour, then faded and receded, dying out
with Unearthly glimmering far back in the lonely North.

"Now," said Lane with mild approval, "I allow that's pretty fine."

Blake smiled, but made no answer. He and his comrades were getting
drowsy, and although a stinging wind swept the camp and the green wood
burned badly, they were filled with a serene content. The keen bodily
craving was satisfied, they had eaten and could sleep, while it looked
as if their troubles were over. The dogs were obviously fit for
travel, because they were still engaged in a vigorous quarrel over some
caribou bones, the toil of the journey would be lightened by carrying
their loads on the sledge, and the party was strong enough to assist
any member of it whose strength might give w