departed. For long she
stood just beyond the door as though not sure of what she contemplated
doing.

And as she stood her eyes travelled acutely over the silent valley. At
last, however, she moved leisurely down the hill. Her easy gait lasted
just so long as she was in the open; the moment she entered the forest
her indifference vanished and she raced along in the dark shadow with
all the speed she could summon. The silence, the heavy, depressing
atmosphere, the labyrinth of trees so dark and confusing; these things
were no deterrent to her. Her object was distinct in her mind and she
gave heed to nothing else. She ran on over the snow with the silent
movements of some ghostly spirit, and with a swiftness which told of the
Indian blood in her veins. Her dilating eyes flashed about her with the
searching gaze of one who expects to see something appear, while not
knowing whence it will come. Her flowing hair trailed from under her cap
with the speed of her going, and the biting air stung her face into a
brilliant glow. Her direction was plainly in her mind, for, though
dodging her way through trees, she never deviated from a certain course;
all her thoughts, all her attention, were centred upon the object of her
quest.

Nor did she pause till she came to the low hill which stood on the far
side of the valley. As she came to the edge of the forest which skirted
its base she drew up and stood for a moment hesitating. Once she raised
a hand to her mouth as though about to give voice to a prolonged
mountain call, but she desisted, and, instead, set out to round the
hill, always keeping to the shadow of the forest edge.

At length she stopped. Her hand went up to her mouth and her head was
thrown back, and out upon the still air rang a cry so mournful that even
the forest gloom was rendered more cheerless by its sound. High it rose,
soaring upwards through the trees until the valley rang with its
plaintive wail. As if recognizing the distressful howl of their kind,
the cry came back to her from the deep-toned throats of prowling
timber-wolves. The chorus rang in her ears from many directions as she
listened, but the sound? had little effect. As they died down she still
waited in an attitude of attention.

The moments slipped by. Presently she again sent the call hurtling
through the trees. Again came the chorus; again she waited. And the
sounds of the chorus were nearer at hand, and a crackling of undergrowth
warned her