eyes reappeared. Up leapt the rifle, but ere his hand had compressed the
trigger a sound from behind arrested him. His head turned instantly,
and, gazing through the light, drifting fire smoke, he beheld the
outline of a monstrous figure bearing down upon the camp in an almost
human manner. In size the newcomer dwarfed the trapper; it came slowly
with a shuffling gait. Suddenly it dropped to all-fours and came on
quicker. Nick hesitated only for a second. His mouth set firmly and his
brows contracted. He knew that at all hazards he must settle the puma
first. He glanced at the sleeping Ralph. He was about to rouse him; then
he changed his mind and swung round upon the puma, leaving the fire
between himself and the other. He took a long and deadly aim. The
glowing eyes offered a splendid target and he knew he must not miss. A
report rang out, followed almost instantaneously by a piteous,
half-human shriek of pain; then came the sound of a body falling, and
the eyes had vanished. After firing Nick swung round to the figure
beyond the fire. It loomed vast in the yellow light and was reared to
its full height not ten yards away. A low, snarling growl came from it,
and the sound was dreadful in its suppressed ferocity. Ralph was now
sitting up gazing at the oncoming brute,--a magnificent grizzly. Nick
stooped, seized a blazing log from the fire, and dashed out to meet the
intruder.

It was a strange and impressive sight, this encounter of man and beast.
But Nick, with his wide experience, was master of the situation. He
boldly went up to within two yards of his savage and fearless foe and
dashed the burning brand into the creature's face. Down dropped the
grizzly upon all-fours again, and, with a roar of pain and terror,
ambled hastily away into the forest.

"B'ar?" questioned Ralph, from the shelter of his fur bag.

"Yes--an' puma," replied Nick unconcernedly, as he returned to his seat
to await the coming of morning.

And so the long night passed, and the slow day broke over the bleak,
pitiless world. The dogs awoke, and clambered from their warm, snowy
couches. The routine of the "long trail" obtained, and once more the
song of the sled rang out at the heels of the eager beasts.

Nor was the short day and long weary night in such a region without
effect upon the men. A feeling of superstitious uneasiness seized upon
Nick. He said nothing, he was possibly too ashamed of it to do so, but
the dread steadily grew, and n