his whole weight
back to hold the sled. The St. Bernard floundered in the water for a
few moments and tried to reach Morse. The harness held Cuffy back.
Beresford ran to the edge of the break and called him. A second or two
later he was helping to drag the dog back upon the firm ice.

In the bitter cold the matted coat of the St. Bernard, froze stiff.
Cuffy knew his danger. The instant the sled, was across the crack, he
plunged at the load and went forward with such speed that he seemed
almost to drag the other dogs with him.

Fortunately the shore was near, not more than three or four miles
away. Within half an hour land was reached. A forest came down to the
edge of the lake. From the nearer trees Morse sliced birch bark. An
abundance of fairly dry wood was at hand. Before a roaring fire Cuffy
lay on a buffalo robe and steamed. Within an hour he was snuggling a
contented nose up to Beresford's caressing hand.

Fagged out, the travelers went to bed early. Long before daybreak they
were up. The blizzard had died down during the night. It left behind
a crusted trail over which the dogs moved fast. The thermometer had
again dropped sharply and the weather was bitter cold. Before the
lights of an Indian village winked at them through the trees, they
had covered nearly forty miles. In the wintry afternoon darkness they
drove up.

The native dogs were barking a welcome long before they came jingling
into the midst of the tepees. Bucks, squaws, and papooses tumbled
out to see them with guttural exclamations of greeting. Some of the
youngsters and one or two of the maidens had never before seen a white
man.

A fast and furious melee interrupted conversation. The wolfish dogs
of the village were trying out the mettle of the four strangers. The
snarling and yelping drowned all other sounds until the gaunt horde
of sharp-muzzled; stiff-haired brutes had been beaten back by savage
blows from the whip and by quick thrusts of a rifle butt.

The head man of the group invited the two whites into the largest hut.
Morse and Beresford sat down before a smoky fire and carried on a
difficult dialogue. They divided half a yard of tobacco among the men
present and gave each of the women a small handful of various-colored
beads.

They ate sparingly of a stew made of fish, the gift of their hosts.
In turn the officers had added to the menu a large piece of fat moose
which was devoured with voracity.

The Indians, questioned, had hea