where the white
men come their people are rounded up on reserves, and I guess they'd
sooner have the whole country to themselves for trapping and fishing.
Then Clarke may have persuaded them to say nothing."

"It's possible," Blake said thoughtfully. "We'll push on for their
camp first thing to-morrow."

CHAPTER XXVI

THE RESCUE

Starting at daybreak, they reached a hillside overlooking the Stony
village on the third afternoon. Surrounded by willows and ragged
spruces the conical tepees rose in the plain beneath, but Blake, who
was leading, stopped abruptly as he caught sight of them. They were
white to the apex, where the escaping heat of the fire within generally
melted the snow, and no curl of smoke floated across the clearing. The
village was ominously silent and had a deserted look.

"I'm very much afraid Clarke's friends are not at home," he said with
forced calm. "We'll know more about it in half an hour; that is, if
you think it worth while to go down."

The others were silent a moment, struggling with their disappointment.
They had made a toilsome journey to reach the village, their food was
nearly exhausted, and it would cost them two days to return to the
valley which was their best road to the south.

Then Harding said, "Now we're here, we may as well spend another hour
over the job. It's possible they haven't packed all their stores
along."

His companions suspected that they were wasting time, but they followed
him down hill, until Benson, who was a short distance to one side of
them, called out. When they joined him he indicated a row of footsteps
leading up the slope.

"That fellow hasn't been gone very long; there was snow yesterday," he
said. "By the line he took, he must have passed near us. I wonder why
he stayed on after the others."

Blake examined the footsteps carefully, and compared them with the
impress of his own snowshoes.

"It's obvious that they can't be older than yesterday afternoon," he
said. "From their depth and sharpness, I should judge that the fellow
was carrying a good load, which probably means that he meant to be some
time gone. The stride suggests a white man."

"Clarke," said Harding. "He seems to be up here pretty often, though I
can't see how he'd do much prospecting in the winter."

"It's possible," Blake rejoined. "Anyhow, the point doesn't seem to
matter, and I'm anxious to find out whether there's anything to eat in
the tepees."

The