over his burned wrist where the skin
was broken, taking care that all of the exposed flesh was well covered
with the sap. Jamie had, indeed, fallen upon the best antiseptic
dressing that the surrounding woods supplied.

This done to his satisfaction, he bound his wrists with the improvised
bandages, applying them carefully, after the manner in which Doctor
Joe had taught him in his lessons in first aid.

"'Tain't so bad," commented Jamie holding the wrists up and surveying
them with satisfaction. "They feels a wonderful lot easier, whatever.
But I'd never been knowin' how if 'tweren't for Doctor Joe showin'
me."

Jamie stretched himself upon the bed of boughs, and for a time lay
watching the fire and thickly falling snow and listening to the wind
shrieking and howling through the tree tops. Several times he fancied
he heard the report of distant rifle shots, and at these times he
would start up and listen intently and look cautiously out, half
expecting and fearful that he would see the two lumbermen coming to
recapture him.

But no one came to disturb him, and he assured himself at length that
he had heard only the cracking of dead branches in the storm, and that
there had been no rifle shots. Then, at last, his eyes drooped and he
slept.

Hours afterward Jamie awoke. He was shivering with the cold. The fire
had burned out, save the backlog which still glowed. It was night. The
storm had passed and the wind dropped to fitful blasts. The stars were
shining brightly, and the sky was clear save for feathery, fast moving
cloud patches.

Jamie rebuilt the fire, and lay down to await morning. He was so
hungry that he could scarce lie still, but again his eyes drooped and
again he slept.

It was near daybreak when Jamie was startled by some unusual noise,
and sat up with a jerk. He listened intently, and satisfied that
someone was approaching sprang up and looked cautiously out, seized
with panic and ready for flight. In the dim starlight he could plainly
see two men coming toward him over the marsh.

CHAPTER XIX

SEARCHING THE WHITE WILDERNESS

Nearly three hours passed before Doctor Joe and David returned to
camp, disheartened and thoroughly alarmed, to report that they had
found no trace of Jamie. In the thick-falling snow and darkness they
had been forced to relinquish the search until daylight should come to
their assistance.

Andy and the boys were dazed. It could hardly be comprehended or
credi