trees and the dip.

Reluctantly he began the fourth stage in his flight, and his reluctance
was all the greater because the island for which he was making was at
least three hundred yards away, and the wind, cold as the Pole and cruel
as death, was rising to a hurricane. It made him waver as he ran, and
his fingers almost froze to his rifle. But he reached the fourth island,
where he sank down exhausted, the fierce wind having taken his breath
for the time. The fires now were far away and he could not distinguish
the Indians from the flames, but he did not believe any of them had come
upon the ice to attack him or to spy him out. While the tremendous cold
almost paralyzed him, it would also withhold their advance upon him for
a while.

He rose from his covert and started again, although he felt that he was
growing weaker. Such intense exertion, under such conditions, was bound
to tell even upon a frame like his, but he would not let himself falter,
passing from island to island, resting a little at every one, bearing
toward the southeast, and intending to enter the forest about a mile
from the fire on that side. Meanwhile, the chill of the deadly cold and
elation over his escape fought for the mastery of him. He reached the
last little island, scarcely ten yards from the shore, and as he stepped
upon it, two dusky figures threw themselves upon him.

Henry was thrown back upon the ice, but though the blow was like a
lightning flash, he realized, in an instant, what it meant. The warriors
had not been wholly paralyzed by the cold, and they had stationed guards
at other points along the lagoon to prevent his escape, but these two
were seeking so hard to protect themselves from the cruel wind that they
had not seen him until he was upon them. Knowing that the question of
his life or death would be decided within the next half minute, he put
forth every ounce of his mighty strength, and swept the two warriors
together in his arms.

His rifle clattered upon the ice, and with the two men clinging to him,
struggling vainly to reach tomahawk or knife, he rose to his feet, still
clutching the warriors. But the feet of all three slipped from under
them, and down they went again with a tremendous impact. The warriors
were on the underside, and Henry fell upon them. There was a rending
crash, as the ice, thinner at that point, owing to the protection of the
island, broke beneath the blow.

Henry felt the grappling fingers sli