anket that only a small
orifice was left through which to breathe. His first sensation was that
of pressure, as if a heavy weight was distributed over the blanket and
was bearing him down. He moved his arm and found that the blanket, from
some cause, was really heavier than usual. A vigorous flirt freed his
shoulder from the wrapping, and he then saw the cause of the peculiar
feeling he had noticed: the earth was covered with several inches of
snow. Anyone coming upon the camp in the gray light of morning would
have noted nothing but the mass of lumber, the flowing river, the
overturned canoe and several white mounds. The snowfall had ceased, and
fortunately there had been a considerable rise of temperature. The snow
was soft and wet, and one could move about without extra protection,
and not suffer from cold.

Victor lay still for a minute or two, engaged in thinking. Then he
gently pushed the blanket off his shoulder and body, so as to leave his
limbs free. With the same stealth he rose to his feet and looked
around. There lay his three friends, encased even to their heads and
feet in the warm protection.

"I think there couldn't be a better time for me to settle my accounts
with you fellows," muttered the lad, looking down on the mounds.

"Master George Shelton, you have a bad habit of making slurring remarks
about my walking pretty fast from the wounded antelope, forgetting that
by doing so I drew him on to his own destruction. You need a lesson and
I'm going to give it to you.

"Mr. Mul-tal-la, you didn't say much at the time I was explaining that
little matter to George, but I saw the grin on your face, and I knew
you were thinking a good deal more than you had any right to think. You
need to be taught better manners.

"As for you, Mr. Deerfoot, you are the worst of all. I can't forget the
scandalous tricks you have played on me. It will take a long time to
even matters between us, but I'm going to make a good start to-day."

Knowing how lightly the Shawanoe slept, Victor picked his way with
great skill until he had taken a dozen or more steps. The down-like
carpet enabled him to do this absolutely without noise, a fact which
explains why Deerfoot did not awake.

Victor now stooped and began silently manufacturing snowballs. He
packed the soft substance as hard as he could while circling it about
in his palms and rounding it into shape. When the missile suggested a
12-pound shot he laid it at his feet, wit