orus
of yells and yelpings, the entire outfit streamed over the ridge to the
place where the unfortunate caribou lay motionless.

In his broken English Yim gave the lads to understand that it would be
advisable to camp where they were, in order to prepare their meat for
transportation, and also to mend their broken sledge shoe. This
latter, he explained, could be done much better with a mixture of blood
and snow than with any other available material. He furthermore
intimated that he feared they might be overtaken by a blizzard before
morning, in which case they could best defy it in a regularly built
igloo.

All these reasons for delay seemed so good that the others accepted
them, and the work outlined by Yim was immediately begun. In cutting
up the caribou, as in building the snow hut, Cabot, from lack of
experience, could give but slight assistance, and, realising this, he
made a proposal.

"Look here," he said. "The wood we have brought along won't last long
and I want a good fire to-night. I also want to carry some of this
meat to those poor wretches we have just left. We have got more than
we can take with us, anyhow. So I am going back with a leg of venison,
and on my return I'll bring all the wood I can pack."

"But you might lose the way," objected White.

"No one could lose so plain a trail as the one we have just made,"
replied Cabot, scornfully.

"Suppose it should be dark before you got back?"

"There will be three hours of daylight yet, and I won't be gone more
than two at the most. Anyhow, I must get some of this meat to those
starving children."

White's protests were ineffectual before Cabot's strong resolve, and,
as soon as a forequarter of the caribou could be made ready, the latter
get forth on his errand of mercy. Although he had no difficulty in
finding the trail, it was so much harder to walk with a heavy load than
it had been without one that a full hour had passed before he again
came within sight of the lonely tent in the forest.

One of the children who was outside spied him and announced his coming,
so that when he entered the tent he again found a frightened group
huddled together and apprehensively awaiting him. But they were
stronger now, and the children uttered little squeals of joy at sight
of the meat he had brought, while even the haggard face of their mother
was lighted by a fleeting smile.

For the pleasure of seeing the children eat Cabot toasted a few strips