e hours. Then they arrived at the
three huts where the Indian had received such a disappointment on
finding them deserted. A close examination showed that the stranger had
spent a night in one of them, and, from various indications, Cheenbuk
came to the conclusion that he had been much exhausted, if not starving,
while there.

Getting on the sledge again, he continued to follow up the trail with
renewed diligence.

They had not gone far when an object was seen lying on the ice not far
ahead of them.

Anteek was first to catch sight of it, and point it out to his
companion, who did not speak, but let out his lash and urged the dogs
on. As they approached, the object was seen to move, then there came
towards them what sounded like a prolonged melancholy howl.

"The dog is alive," whispered Anteek.

"I hope the man is--but I fear," returned his comrade.

In a few moments more they were alongside, and the dog started up with a
snarl as if to defend its master, who was lying motionless on the ice;
but the snarl was feeble, and the poor beast was obviously in a state of
exhaustion.

"He is not dead," said Cheenbuk, putting his hand over the Indian's
heart, while Anteek caught poor Attim by the nose and held him gently
back.

It turned out as the Eskimo had said. Nazinred was not dead, but he was
very nearly so, and it is probable that another hour of exposure and
inaction would have ended the career of both himself and his dog.

He had walked on persistently until that peculiar feeling of an
irresistible desire to lie down and sleep overcame him. No one knew
better than himself the danger of his condition, yet the fatal lethargy
is such that no resolution is sufficient to overcome it. Lying, or
rather falling, down, he had remained still for a few moments--then the
state of quiet, but deadly repose had supervened and he would never have
risen again if succour had not been sent.

As it was, the Eskimos set to work with tremendous energy to chafe and
resuscitate him, but it seemed at first that they were too late. By
dint of untiring perseverance, however, they became successful. A
slight effort to exert himself was observable in the Indian, and then,
getting him on his feet, Cheenbuk on one side and Anteek on the other,
they forced him to stagger about until vitality began to revive.

"Now, boy, we'll get him into the sledge, and away back to the igloes."

Without delay they led Nazinred to the sledge, r