h of
the two lumbermen, but it was decided that they had doubtless already
returned to the lumber camp.

"They'd probably say that they were only having sport with you, Jamie,
and meant you no harm," said Doctor Joe. "The people over at their
camp would believe them rather than a little Labrador lad. We may as
well waste no time with them. We'll leave them alone, and be thankful
that Jamie is safe and well except for the burned wrists, and they'll
soon be cured."

"And we'll be havin' a fine time campin' here," agreed Jamie. "I wants
to keep clear o' them men whatever."

It was a week later when they broke camp to return to The Jug, and
when the visiting lads said good-bye and set sail to their homes
across the Bay every one declared he had never had so good a time in
all his life.

With the coming of November the boats were hauled out of the water.
The shores were already crusted with ice and the temperature never
rose to the thawing point even in the midday sun. The mighty Frost
King had ascended his throne and was asserting his relentless power.
Presently all the world would be kneeling at his feet.

Buckskin moccasins with heavy blanket duffle socks of wool took the
place of sealskin boots. The dry snow would not again soften to wet
them until spring. The adiky, with its fur-trimmed hood, took the
place of the jacket, soon to be augmented by sealskin netseks or
caribou skin kulutuks.

"The Bay's smokin'," David announced one evening as he came in after
feeding the dogs. "She'll soon freeze now."

In the days that followed the smoke haze hung over the water until,
one morning, the Bay was fast, and the lapping of the waves was not to
be heard again for many months.

The nine sledge dogs were in fine fettle. Handsome, big fellows they
were, but fearsome and treacherous enough. They looked like sleek, fat
wolves, and they were, indeed, but domesticated wolves. Friendly they
seemed, but they were ever ready to take advantage of the helpless and
unwary, and their great white fangs were not above tearing their own
master into shreds should he ever be so careless as to stumble and
fall among them.

The sledge was taken out and overhauled by David. It was fourteen feet
long and two and a half feet wide. Twenty cross-bars formed the top.
Not a nail was used in its construction, for nails would not hold an
hour on rough ice. Everything was bound with sealskin thongs. The
sledge shoes were of iron. These David pol