winter, Father; we have not got rid of this
one yet!" exclaimed Mrs. Burton, who was entirely happy and
contented to-night, because of the omission of night school.

"It is going very fast anyhow, and I guess we shall see bare ground
in places to-morrow," Miles put in, talking in a sleepy tone; for
he too had been breaking out ice that day, and was desperately
tired.

"Yes, it is going, and I'm glad of it, for it has been the hardest
winter to live through that I can remember, and I'm thankful to see
the last of it," 'Duke Radford answered; and something in his look
and tone made Katherine ask quickly:

"Don't you feel well to-night, Father?"

"Yes, I feel better than I have done for many a week past," he
replied promptly; adding, in a tone too low for any but her to
hear, "and happier too."

"I believe you will feel better now, and get strong quickly," said
Mrs. Burton hopefully. "The winter had thoroughly gripped your
system, and that was why you could not get better before."

All night long the roar of the water seemed to grow louder and
louder, while the ice crashed, and the wild wind howled through the
leafless trees. But the morning broke fine, and the sun came out
to warm up a wet world. Such a very wet world it was, with the
river swollen to twice its ordinary width! But as Miles had
predicted, there was bare ground visible, and to eyes which had
looked on snow-covered earth for six long months the sight was
welcome indeed.

When breakfast was over, Katherine and Miles ran the boat down to
the water's edge, and floated it, getting in and paddling up and
down to see that there was no leakage, and to enjoy the novel
sensation after the long abstention from boating. But there was
work to be done, and they could not afford to spend even a part of
the day in rowing for their own amusement. Stores had to be taken
down to Seal Cove, and there was some bargaining to be done for
some tusks of narwhal ivory which 'Duke Radford had been
commissioned to obtain if possible. Narwhal ivory was getting
scarcer every year, and the storekeeper at Roaring Water Portage
was prepared to pay a very good price indeed for all that he could
obtain.

The journey down to Seal Cove was performed with ease and
swiftness, the only trouble necessary being the steering, which
called for the utmost care in that racing current.

"It will be stiff work coming back," commented Miles, thinking how
hard they would have to pull t