ere."

"You want Quong--flesh tea--make blead--now?"

"No, no; go to sleep," said Gunson, laughing. "Allee light. I get up
and makee fi' keep bun; no let fi' go out."

He coiled up again under his blanket, and we sat some little time in
silence before Gunson rose.

"Good-night, boys," he said; and he went to the rough sleeping-place he
had chosen.

"S'pose we had better go too," said Esau, after we had sat looking at
the fire a few minutes in silence.

"I'm ready," I said quickly, and we went to our places, where I lay
listening to the hard breathing of my companions, for sleep would not
come. All was so new and strange. The fire had sunk down into a faint
glow which brightened now and then as a light breeze swept by the house,
and then sank down again, making the fireplace look ruddy, while all the
rest of the place was intensely dark. Then all grew blacker still, and
I was listening to Mr John Dempster's hopeful words about meeting me at
his brother-in-law's home, and--

I was staring hard at the fire again, awake and fully aware that I had
been fast asleep, and that something was wrong. The door was wide open.
I was sure of it, for I could see the square opening lit up with
brilliant stars, and to add to my certainty, the embers of the wood
fire, which had sunk lower and lower, were glowing again, as the soft
air from the door swept over them, in a curious phosphorescent way.

I listened, and heard that the others were sleeping heavily, and as I
gazed at the door I saw some of the stars blotted out by something
moving, while almost at the same instant a faint sound made me glance
toward the fire, where for a moment I saw against the faint glow the
shape of some animal. A panting sound; it was a wolf I was sure, and I
lay there paralysed with dread, as I heard the soft pit-pat of the
animal's feet, and directly after a movement that did not seem to be
that of an animal.

I was right in that; for the fire glowed up, and I could see that it was
a man standing close by now, whose dress indicated that he must be an
Indian, for I just made out the edge of a hunting shirt, and I saw that
he wore leggings.

What ought I to do? I thought if I shouted to spread the alarm it might
mean a sudden quick attack, perhaps death at once for me, while the
others would be unable to defend themselves in the dark. The cold
perspiration oozed from my face, and I felt a sensation as if something
was moving the roots of