mply.

The desperado staggered to the sled and leaned against it faintly. His
huge body swayed. The revulsion was almost too much for him.

"I--I--knowed you couldn't treat an old pardner thataway, Tom," he
murmured.

Morse took the man out to a fir tree. He carried with him a blanket, a
buffalo robe, and a part of the dog harness.

"Whad you aimin' to do?" asked West uneasily. He was not sure yet that
he was out of the woods.

"Roll up in the blankets," ordered Morse.

The fellow looked at his grim face and did as he was told. Tom tied
him to the tree, after making sure that his hands were fast behind
him.

"I'll freeze here," the convict complained.

The two officers were lean and gaunt from hard work and insufficient
nourishment, but West was still sleek and well padded with flesh.
He had not missed a meal, and during the past weeks he had been a
passenger. All the hard work, the packing at portages, the making of
camp, the long, wearing days of hunting, had fallen upon the two whose
prisoner he was. He could stand a bit of hardship, Tom decided.

"No such luck," he said brusquely. "And I wouldn't try to break away
if I were you. I can't kill you, but I'll thrash you with the dog-whip
if you make me any trouble."

Morse called Cuffy and set the dog to watch the bound man. He did not
know whether the St. Bernard would do this, but he was glad to see
that the leader of the train understood at once and settled down in
the snow to sleep with one eye watchful of West.

Tom returned to his friend. He knew he must concentrate his efforts to
keep life in the battered body of the soldier. He must nurse and feed
him judiciously until the fever wore itself out.

While he was feeding Win broth, he fell asleep with the spoon in his
hand. He jerkily flung back his head and opened his eyes. Cuffy still
lay close to the prisoner, evidently prepared for an all-night vigil
with short light naps from which the least movement would instantly
arouse him.

"I'm all in. Got to get some sleep," Morse said to himself, half
aloud.

He wrapped in his blankets. When his eyes opened, the sun was beating
down from high in the heavens. He had slept from one day into the
next. Even in his sleep he had been conscious of some sound drumming
at his ears. It was the voice of West.

"You gonna sleep all day? Don't we get any grub? Have I gotta starve
while you pound yore ear?"

Hurriedly Tom flung aside his wraps. He leaped to his