ed to the deerskin
lodge to think. Now that he was alone with the Indians, he was not at
all sure that he did not regret his decision to remain with them and
share their uncertain fortunes.

For a moment the thought occurred to him that he might even yet follow
Bob's trail and overtake him in his night camp. But he thrust the
impulse aside at once as unworthy consideration. He had come to his
decision, and he was determined to remain and play the game to a
finish.

He craved action and excitement, and the glamour of romance that
surrounded the Indians and their nomadic life had attracted him. It
was this, together with the human instinct to play at games of chance,
and the primordial instinct slumbering in every strong man's breast to
throw off restraint and, untrammelled, match his brains and strength
against the forces of untamed nature, that had led Shad to adopt the
red man's life for a period which he believed would not exceed three
or four weeks at most.

In preparation for departure the following day, the Indians erected
upon an elevated flat rock, which winds had swept bare of snow, a log
shelter some five feet square and five feet high. After lining the
bottom and sides of this shelter with spruce boughs, a quantity of
jerked venison and dried fish was deposited in it, the top covered
with boughs, and the roof, consisting of logs laid closely side by
side and weighted with stones, was placed in position. This precaution
was taken to protect the cache from marauding animals.

In the dim light of the cold December morning the deerskin covering of
the wigwam was stripped from the poles, folded and packed upon the
toboggans, together with the simple housekeeping equipment of the
Indians, and a sufficient quantity of fresh bear's meat and jerked
venison to sustain them for a fortnight.

Immediately the march was begun toward the Lake of Willows,
Sishetakushin and Mookoomahn in turn taking the lead and breaking the
trail, the others following, single file.

Day after day they pushed on and still on through scattered forests,
across wide barrens and over frozen lakes, always on the alert for
caribou but always disappointed.

Once a small flock of ptarmigans was seen along the willow brush that
lined a stream. Shad drew his shotgun from his toboggan, but the
Indians would not permit him to use it, and in disgust he returned it
to its place while he watched Sishetakushin and Mookoomahn kill the
birds with bows