sistible. He moved. He passed out from
behind the long limbs of his leafless shelter. He went at a run shouting
with all the power of his lungs. Again and again his prolonged cry went
up. And with each effort he waited listening, listening, only to receive
the mocking reply of the howling storm. But he persisted. He persisted
for the simple human reason that his desire outran his power to serve.
And in the end exhaustion forced him to abandon his hopeless task.

It was then the miracle happened. Far away, it seemed, a sound like the
faintest echo of his own voice came back to him, but it came from a
direction all utterly unexpected. For a moment he hesitated, bewildered,
uncertain. Then he sent up another shout, and waited listening. Yes.
There it was. Again came the faintly echoing cry through the trees. It
came not from the open battle ground of the storm, but from the shelter
of the forests somewhere away to the north of him.

* * * * *

A tall, fur-clad figure stood nearby to the sled which was already
partly unloaded. A yard or two away a fire had been kindled, and it
blazed comfortingly in the growing dusk of the forest. It was the moment
when the forest man came up somewhat breathlessly and flung out a mitted
hand in greeting.

"I guessed you were makin' your last run for shelter, Father," he cried.
"I just hadn't a hope you'd make through that storm. You beat it--fine."

The tall man nodded. His dark eyes were smiling a cordiality no less
than the other's.

"I guessed that way, too," he said quietly. "Then I didn't." He shrugged
his fur-clad shoulders. "No. It's not a northern trail that's going to
see the end of me. But it's your yarn I need to hear. How is it?"

"Bad."

The two men looked squarely into each others eyes, and the gravity of
the forest man was intense. The man who had just come out of the storm
was no less serious, but presently he turned away, and for a second his
gaze rested on the group of sprawling dogs. The beasts looked utterly
spent as they blinked at the fire which they were never permitted to
approach. He indicated the fire.

"Let's sit," he said. "It's cold--damnably cold."

The other needed no second invitation. They both moved back to the fire
and squatted over it, and the forest man pointed at the dogs.

"Beat?" he said.

"Yes. But they hauled me through. They're a great outfit. I fed 'em
right away and now they need rest. They'll be ready