in cap, and, leaving the cabin, fell to rummaging about in the
cache.

Nor could he wait the hour designated; for he was fifteen minutes ahead
of time in rousing his guest. The young giant had stiffened badly, and
brisk rubbing was necessary to bring him to his feet. He tottered
painfully out of the cabin, to find his dogs harnessed and everything
ready for the start. The company wished him good luck and a short
chase, while Father Roubeau, hurriedly blessing him, led the stampede
for the cabin; and small wonder, for it is not good to face
seventy-four degrees below zero with naked ears and hands.

Malemute Kid saw him to the main trail, and there, gripping his hand
heartily, gave him advice.

'You'll find a hundred pounds of salmon eggs on the sled,' he said.
'The dogs will go as far on that as with one hundred and fifty of fish,
and you can't get dog food at Pelly, as you probably expected.' The
stranger started, and his eyes flashed, but he did not interrupt. 'You
can't get an ounce of food for dog or man till you reach Five Fingers,
and that's a stiff two hundred miles. Watch out for open water on the
Thirty Mile River, and be sure you take the big cutoff above Le Barge.'
'How did you know it? Surely the news can't be ahead of me already?' 'I
don't know it; and what's more, I don't want to know it. But you never
owned that team you're chasing. Sitka Charley sold it to them last
spring. But he sized you up to me as square once, and I believe him.
I've seen your face; I like it. And I've seen--why, damn you, hit the
high places for salt water and that wife of yours, and--' Here the Kid
unmittened and jerked out his sack.

'No; I don't need it,' and the tears froze on his cheeks as he
convulsively gripped Malemute Kid's hand.

'Then don't spare the dogs; cut them out of the traces as fast as they
drop; buy them, and think they're cheap at ten dollars a pound. You can
get them at Five Fingers, Little Salmon, and Hootalinqua. And watch out
for wet feet,' was his parting advice. 'Keep a-traveling up to
twenty-five, but if it gets below that, build a fire and change your
socks.'

Fifteen minutes had barely elapsed when the jingle of bells announced
new arrivals. The door opened, and a mounted policeman of the Northwest
Territory entered, followed by two half-breed dog drivers. Like
Westondale, they were heavily armed and showed signs of fatigue. The
half-breeds had been borne to the trail and bore it easily; but the