return at once to their
last encampment to gather the scraps they had thrown away or left behind
as useless.

That night they went supperless to rest. Next morning, they set out
with heavy hearts for the encampment of the previous day. On reaching
it, and searching carefully, they found that one of the bundles of dry
meat had been forgotten. This accounted for the lightness of the
sledge, and, at the same time, revived their drooping spirits.

"What is to be done now?" inquired Nelly.

"Return to Silver Lake," said Roy, promptly. "We must go back, fish and
hunt again until we have another supply o' grub, and then begin our
journey once more."

Sadly and slowly they retraced their steps. Do what he would Roy could
not cheer up his sister's spirits. She felt that her back was turned
towards her father's house--her mother's home--and every step took her
farther from it.

It was a lovely evening, about sunset, when they reached Silver Lake,
and found the hut as they had left it, and enough of old scraps of
provisions to afford a sufficient meal.

That night they ate their supper in a more cheerful frame of mind. Next
day they breakfasted almost with a feeling of heartiness, and when they
went out to resume their fishing, and to set snares and make traps, the
old feeling of hopefulness returned. Ere long, hope became again so
strong in their ardent young hearts, that they laughed and talked and
sported as they had done during the period of their first residence
there.

At first they were so anxious to make up the lost quantity of food that
they did little else but fish, hunt, and dry their provisions when
obtained; but after a few days they had procured such an ample supply
that they took to shoosking again--having succeeded in making a new
sledge. But a thaw came suddenly and spoiled all their fish. A wolf
carried off the greater part of their dried meat one day while they were
absent from the hut. After this the frost set in with extreme violence,
game became more scarce, and fish did not take the bait so readily, so
that, although they procured more than enough for present consumption,
they were slow in accumulating a travelling store; and thus it came to
pass that November found Roy and Nelly still toiling wearily, yet
hopefully, on the shores of Silver Lake.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

THE MASSACRE.

We must return now to Robin Gore and his wife, who, on the morning on
which we re-introduce them to