dith felt sure
that Frank must be safe from _them_ at least, as she knew that Chimo was
too brave to have left his master to perish alone. The dog submitted
with much impatience to this examination, and at last broke away from
Edith and ran yelping towards the hills again, stopping as before, and
looking back.

The resolute manner with which Chimo did this, and the frequency of its
recurrence, at length induced Edith to believe that the animal wished
her to follow him. Instantly it occurred that he might conduct her to
Frank; so without bestowing a thought on the danger of her forsaking the
igloo, she ran in for her snow-shoes, and putting on her hood and thick
mittens, followed the dog to the margin of the lake. Chime's impatience
seemed to subside immediately, and he trotted rapidly towards the ravine
into which Frank had entered in pursuit of the wolf that morning. The
dog paused ever and anon as they proceeded, in order to give the child
time to come up with him; and so eager was Edith in her adventure, and
so hopeful was she that it would terminate in her finding Frank, that
she pressed forward at a rate which would have been utterly impossible
under less exciting circumstances.

At the foot of the ravine she found the remains of the wolf which had
been caught in the snow-trap that morning. Frank had merely pulled it
out and cast it on the snow in passing, and the torn fragments and
scattered bones of the animal showed that its comrades had breakfasted
off its carcass after Frank had passed. Here Edith paused to put on her
snow-shoes, for the snow in the ravine was soft, being less exposed to
the hardening action of the wind; and the dog sat down to wait patiently
until she was ready.

"Now, Chimo, go forward, my good dog. I will follow you without fear,"
she said, when the lines were properly fastened to her feet.

Chimo waited no second command, but threaded his way rapidly up the
ravine among the stunted willow bushes. In doing so he had frequent
occasion to wait for his young mistress, whose strength was rapidly
failing under the unwonted exertion she forced herself to make. At
times she had to pause for breath, and as she cast her eyes upwards and
around at the dreary desolation of the rugged precipices which
everywhere met her view, she could with difficulty refrain from shedding
tears. But Edith's heart was warm and brave. The thought of Frank
being in some mysterious, unknown danger, infused