that rifle. The trick
was to catch sight of him at the earliest possible moment.

How much of a lead the stranger had was a matter at which he could
guess with considerable accuracy. The freshness of the trail was only
slightly dimmed by snow, which was ample proof that it had been made at
the very tail-end of the storm. He believed that it was not more than
an hour old.

For a good two hundred yards Philip set a dog-trot pace for Celie, who
ran courageously at his side. At the end of that distance he stopped.
Celie was panting for breath. Her hood had slipped back and her face
was flushed like a wildflower by her exertion. Her eyes shone like
stars, and her lips were parted a little. She was temptingly lovely,
but again Philip lost not a second of unnecessary time. He picked her
up in his arms again and continued the race. By using every ounce of
his own strength and endurance in this way he figured that their
progress would be at least a third faster than the Eskimos would
follow. The important question was how long he could keep up the pace.

Against his breast Celie was beginning to understand his scheme as
plainly as if he had explained it to her in words. At the end of the
fourth hundred yards she let him know that she was ready to run another
lap. He carried her on fifty yards more before he placed her on her
feet. In this way they had gone three-quarters of a mile when the trail
turned abruptly from its easterly course to a point of the compass due
north. So sharp was the turn that Philip paused to investigate the
sudden change in direction. The stranger had evidently stood for
several minutes at this point, which was close to the blasted stub of a
dead spruce. In the snow Philip observed for the first time a number of
dark brown spots.

"Here is where he took a new bearing--and a chew of tobacco," said
Philip, more to himself than to Celie. "And there's no snow in his
tracks. By George, I don't believe he's got more than half an hour's
start of us this minute!"

It was his turn to carry Celie again, and in spite of her protest that
she was still good for another run he resumed their pursuit of the
stranger with her in his arms. By her quick breathing and the bit of
tenseness that had gathered about her mouth he knew that the exertion
she had already been put to was having its effect on her. For her
little feet and slender body the big moccasins and cumbersome fur
garments she wore were a burden in themsel