or him in the
bank.

"The squaw had heard of 'Old Hal,' the guide, and was evidently
surprised to find him lost while so near the trail.

"'With this kid, I couldn't take any chance at hunting for the trail any
longer,' he explained, 'but decided to follow the most sensible course,
and wait until Spring!'

"We offered the squaw the bear-pelts if she would return with help and
rescue us. In the native manner of 'hearing without speaking' she
stalked away, and we were not sure as to whether she would return or
not.

"In a few days, however, we again heard the sound of a shot which came
from the direction of the woods, and after forcing the door open we
found the squaw with two young men from her tribe.

"'Trail--him all right,' mumbled the squaw.

"We found the weather clear enough to enable us to travel, so we packed
all of our belongings upon the sledge, leaving the canoe in the
snowbank, where it lay hidden against the house. The bear-steaks were
almost gone, but Hal showed the squaw where the other food was buried,
and told her she could use the hut any time she liked. She nodded, and
as soon as the dogs were hitched to the sledge, we proceeded on our
journey, guided by the squaw and the two boys.

"We had only a few hours in which to travel, but in that time we reached
the cave the squaw had told us of, and there spent the night. The
following morning, we continued the journey, reaching the village before
dark.

"The settlement was small, comprising but a dozen families and about six
huts, but it seemed like a town to us, who had been lost all Winter with
nothing but wild animals and snow around us.

"Our dogs were delighted at being able to join some of their breed
again, and, upon the whole, we were all treated as well as could be
expected.

"We stayed there for two nights, then made an early start on the third
morning for Forty-Mile.

"The faithful squaw and her two boys accompanied us a short distance,
until Hal had gotten his bearings and said he would be all right.

"We started on the trail at a goodly speed, and reached a small
settlement by night-fall. The next day we arrived at the first real
colony of white people we had encountered since we left the camp, and a
week after we had left the squaw we came to the town of Forty-Mile,
where we filed the papers for the claim Herrick and Dwight had staked
out.

"Hal knew this was an important matter, and wondered if the rascal who
stranded us had