for the last stage of their journey.

"Father, you must help yourself," the girl cried despairingly. "I
can't possibly get you out of the tree alone, and you will just
freeze to death if you are not quick."

The urgency of her tone seemed to rouse him a little, and, seeing
that he appeared to be coming to himself again, she rubbed his face
briskly with snow, which quickened his faculties, and incidentally
made the wound on his cheek smart horribly; but that was a minor
matter, the chief thing being to make him bestir himself. Then by
a great effort she lifted him up again, and this time he put out
his hand and clutched at the trunk of the tree, and so kept himself
from slipping back into the fork, while she ran round and pulled
him clear of the trees, making him lean upon her whilst she debated
on her next move.

"I don't know how we shall get home; I can't walk," he said feebly.

"Of course you can't; that is entirely out of the question," she
said briskly. "I must unload the two sledges, and cache the things
close to this tree, under your sledge; then the dogs can draw you
home. There is not much over three miles to be done, so we shall
not be long."

She made him sit on the snow while she set about her preparations,
for he seemed too weak to stand alone. Most of the goods were
taken from the dog sledge and piled in a heap at the foot of the
forked trees. The other sledge was brought alongside and unloaded
also, then Katherine dragged the hand sledge on to the top of the
packages, with the runners sticking upwards, so that a curious wolf
might think it was a trap of a fresh shape, and avoid it
accordingly. All this took time, however, and when she had got her
father packed into the sledge in readiness for a start it was
almost dark, while the snow was coming down thicker than ever. The
brown-and-white dog was howling dismally again, while the black one
which had a cropped ear seemed disposed to follow suit.

It was of no use trying to guide the dogs now, and, falling into
the rear, Katherine shouted to them to go forward, and left it to
their instinct to find the way home. She had to keep shouting and
singing to them the whole of the way. If from very weariness her
voice sank to silence, they dropped into a slow walk; but when it
rang out again in a cheery shout, they plunged forward at a great
pace, which was maintained only so long as she continued shouting.
But at last, after what seemed an inter