is braves, who probably now realised that
they had gone too far, than into those of Big Bear, who
was a fiend. Of course, he, Pasmore, would come with
them.

"But are there no fresh horses for us, Child-of-Light?"
asked Pasmore. "If the others have got a good start and
fresh horses, can we catch them up?"

"I have said I have sent all the horses of Douglas away
for safe keeping. We must overtake them with what we
have. The Great Spirit is good, and may do much for us."

"Then let us push on, Child-of-Light, for it will be a
grievous thing if evil befall our friends now."

For three days they travelled in a north-easterly direction,
but the sun had gained power, and spring had come with
a rush, as it does in that part of the world. The first
chinook wind that came from the west, through the passes
of the Rockies from warm southern seas, would render
travelling impossible--their sleighs would be useless.
The great danger was that Douglas and the others would
have passed over the Saskatchewan, and the ice breaking
up behind them would have cut off their retreat.

In those three days the party was tortured with alternative
hopes and fears. Now it was a horse breaking through the
softening crust of snow and coming down, and then it
would be one playing out altogether. If in another day
those in front were not overtaken, it was pretty certain
they must run into Big Bear's band, and that would mean
wholesale massacre. In order to catch them up they walked
most of the night, leading their horses along the trail.
On the fourth day they sighted the broad Saskatchewan,
now with many blue trickling streams of water upon its
surface and cracking ominously. They scanned the opposite
shore in the neighbourhood of the trail anxiously.

"Look, brother," cried Child-of-Light, "they are camped
on the opposite bank, and away over yonder, coming down
the plateau, are Indians who must belong to Big Bear's
band. But the river is not safe now to cross. I can hear
it breaking up and coming down at the speed of a young
broncho away up the reaches. Before the sun sets this
river will be as the Great Falls in the spring, when the
wind is from the west."

It was as the keen-eyed and keen-eared Red man said.
There were the rancher and his party camped on the other
side, in all innocence of the Indians who, unseen, were
stringing over the plateau. There was no time to be lost.

"You give me your jumper, Child-of-Light, and your
pony-