n his horns."

"Well so much the better for us, when we start to eat him," chuckled
Thad; "because the meat'll be just that much more tender, you see."

"Then let's get busy, and cut him up, Thad," Step Hen went on. "Seems to
me night's coming right along down on us; and the chances are we'll be
awful late getting back to camp."

What Thad really thought he did not take the trouble to mention; but no
doubt he had long before then made up his mind that they would never
make camp that evening, for he felt that Step Hen must be nearly all in.

He did start to work, however, and with the other to assist in various
ways, managed to get the deer cut up, after a fashion. The meat they
expected to carry with them, together with the head, which Step Hen
would not think of leaving behind, was made up into two packs, so that
each of them might carry a fair portion.

By that time it was pitch dark. Indeed, Step Hen had to kindle another
little fire of dry pine cones in order that the operation of getting the
meat secured might be brought to a finish.

"Wow! just look how dark it is!" exclaimed Step Hen, when finally Thad
announced that he was ready to go on, after getting his bearings, which
he did easily by sighting the North star, the clouds having very
conveniently disappeared, and all present danger of a heavy snowfall
vanishing with their going.

Step Hen was rather slow and clumsy about getting his load fastened, and
Thad had to assist him. He knew full well what was the matter. The other
was really dead tired, and could hardly put one foot before the other
without a great effort. He had been artificially kept up by the
excitement until the game was secured, and now the reaction was setting
in.

They had been slowly moving along for about ten minutes, when from a
little distance away there broke out a strange sound that, heard under
those peculiar conditions, struck Step Hen as more blood-curdling than
he had ever thought it before, when sitting safely in a camp beside a
cozy fire, and surrounded by comrades.

It was that same long-drawn howl of the Canada gray wolf; and as he
listened to a second answering cry from another quarter, somehow Step
Hen found himself shuddering.

CHAPTER XII.

BROUGHT TO BAY BY WOLVES.

"Ooh! how awfully queer them howls seem, Thad!" remarked Step Hen,
presently, just as the patrol leader expected he would; for he had a
pretty good idea as to what was just passing in the mi