she
said, as she patted the great beast in an affectionate manner to
show that it was repression, not punishment, which was intended by
the tightening of the rope.

The dog whined, licking her mitten, but left off struggling, as if
it realized the uselessness of such a course. The other dogs were
fastened in like manner, for they had all been trained to hunt
wolves, and might bolt at an unexpected moment, wrecking the sledge
and scattering the things which were loaded upon it. Then came ten
minutes of hard work clearing away the snow and getting at the
packages which Katherine had been obliged to cache a few hours
before. One package had been torn open, and its contents
scattered, which showed that the wolf had already started thieving
operations; so that even if Oily Dave and his companion had
contemplated no raid on the cache, there would not have been much
left later which was worth carrying away.

"I don't like you having to draw that sledge. Suppose it overruns
you, and you get hurt, like Father did this afternoon," Miles said
in a troubled tone, as Katherine prepared to go forward with the
hand sledge, while he followed behind with the dogs.

"I don't intend to let it overrun me, so there is no need to worry.
In fact there is much more danger for you if the dogs hear the
wolves and try to bolt. But let us get along as fast as we can, or
Nellie will be in a fine state of anxiety about us," Katherine
replied. Then, gathering the lines of the sledge round her arms,
as her father had taught her, she set out at a good pace, followed
by Miles and the dogs.

For a time little was to be heard save the creaking of the babiche
lacing of the snowshoes, for the dogs were running silently, and
Miles, saving his breath for the work of getting along, was
controlling them merely by dumb show, flourishing the whip to hold
them back when they took on a spurt, or beckoning them along when
they showed signs of lagging. They were less than a mile from
home, and going well, when suddenly a hideous uproar broke out near
at hand--the long-drawn howling of wolves, human shouts and cries,
and the crack of a revolver.

CHAPTER IV

A Night of Rough Work

"Phil, where is Katherine?" asked Mrs. Burton, coming out of her
father's room about half an hour after the two had started to bring
home the stores.

"She has gone to help Miles to do some work outside, though what it
can be I'm sure I don't know," grumbled Phil,