aces of blood.
In the deer yard they found at least a dozen carcasses of deer killed by
the wolves, but none very recent. They saw but few deer and nothing more
of the wolves, for the crust had made all the country easy, and both
kinds fled before the hunters.

Exploring a lower level of willow country in hopes of finding beaver
delayed them, and it was afternoon when they returned to the half-way
shanty, to find everything as they left it, except that their Pack of
furs had totally disappeared.

Of course, the hard crust gave no sign of track. Their first thought
was of the old enemy, but, seeking far and near for evidence, they found
pieces of an ermine skin, and a quarter mile farther, the rest of it,
then, at another place, fragments of a muskrat's skin. Those made it
look like the work of the trapper's enemy, the wolverine, which, though
rare, was surely found in these hills. Yes! there was a wolverine
scratch mark, and here another piece of the rat skin. It was very clear
who was the thief.

"He tore up the cheapest ones of the lot anyway," said Rolf.

Then the trappers stared at each other significantly--only the cheap
ones destroyed; why should a wolverine show such discrimination? There
was no positive sign of wolverine; in fact, the icy snow gave no sign of
anything. There was little doubt that the tom furs and the scratch marks
were there to mislead; that this was the work of a human robber, almost
certainly Hoag.

He had doubtless seen them leave in the morning, and it was equally
sure, since he had had hours of start, he would now be far away.

"Ugh! Give him few days to think he safe, then I follow and settle all,"
and this time the Indian clearly meant to end the matter.

Chapter 45. The Subjugation of Hoag

A feller as weeps for pity and never does a finger-tap to
help is 'bout as much use as an overcoat on a drowning man.
--Sayings of Si Sylvanne.

SOME remarkable changes of weather made some remarkable changes in their
plan and saved their enemy from immediate molestation. For two weeks it
was a succession of thaws and there was much rain. The lake was covered
with six inches of water; the river had a current above the ice, that
was rapidly eating, the latter away. Everywhere there were slush and wet
snow that put an end to travel and brought on the spring with a rush.

Each night there was, indeed, a trifling frost, but each day's sun
seemed stronger, and broad, bare pat