.

The trails which the other three were to hunt led off, one from the
other--Dick's, Bill's and then the Big Hill trail, with tilts at the
juncture points and along them in a similar manner to the arrangement
of Ed's, and each trail covering about the same number of miles as
his. Each man could therefore walk the length of his trail in five
days, if the weather were good, and, starting from one end on Monday
morning have a tilt to sleep in each night and reach his last tilt on
the other end Friday night. This gave him Saturday in which to do odd
jobs like mending, and Sunday for rest, before taking up the round
again on Monday.

It was yet too early by three weeks to begin the actual trapping, but
much in the way of preparation had to be done in the meantime. This
was Tuesday, and it was agreed that two weeks from the following
Saturday Ed and Dick should be at the tilt where their trails met and
Bill and Bob at the junction of their trails, ready to start their
work on the next Monday. This would bring Dick and Bill together on
the following Friday night and Bob and Ed would each be alone, one at
either end of the series of trails and more than a hundred miles from
his nearest neighbour.

"I hopes your first cruise'll be a good un, an' you'll be doin' fine
th' winter, Bob. Have a care now for th' Nascaupees," said Ed as they
shook hands at parting.

"Thanks," answered Bob, "an' I hopes you'll be havin' a fine hunt
too."

Then they were off, and Ed's long winter's work began.

The next afternoon Dick's first tilt was reached, and a part of his
provisions and some of Ed's that they had brought on for him, were
unloaded there. Dick, however, decided to go with the young men to the
tilt at the beginning of the Big Hill trail, to help them haul the
boat up and make it snug for the winter, saying, "I'm thinkin' you
might find her too heavy, an' I'll go on an' give a hand, an' cut
across to my trail, which I can do handy enough in a day, havin' no
pack."

An hour before dark on Friday evening they reached the tilt. Dick was
the first to enter it, and as he pushed open the door he stopped with
the exclamation:

"That rascal Micmac!"

VI

ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

The stove and stovepipe were gone, and fresh, warm ashes on the floor
gave conclusive proof that the theft had been perpetrated that very
day. Some one had been occupying the tilt, too, as new boughs spread
for a bed made evident.

"More o'