now. How
the devil did you do it? Playing the friend stunt, eh! And keeping
yourself in the background while your Kogmollocks did the work? Was
that it?"

Blake nodded. His face was darkening as he looked at Philip and the
light in his eyes was changing to a deep and steady glare. In that
moment Philip had failed to keep the exultation out of his voice. It
shone in his face. And Blake saw it. A throaty sound rose out of his
thick chest and his lips parted in a snarl as there surged through him
a realization that he had been tricked.

In that interval Philip spoke.

"If I never sent up a real prayer to God before I'm sending it now,
Blake," he said. "I'm thanking Him that you didn't have time to harm
Celie Armin, an' I'm thanking Him that Bram Johnson had a soul in his
body in spite of his warped brain and his misshapen carcass. And now
I'm going to keep my word. I'm not going to lose another minute. Come!"

"You--you mean--"

"No, you haven't guessed it. We're not going over the Barren. We're
going back to that cabin on the Coppermine, and you're going with us.
And listen to this, Blake--listen hard! There may be fighting. If there
is I want you to sort of harden yourself to the fact that the first
shot fired is going straight through your gizzard. Do I make myself
clear? I'll shoot you deader than a salt mackerel the instant one of
your little murderers shows up on the trail. So tell this owl-faced
heathen here to spread the glad tidings when his brothers come in--and
spread it good. Quick about it! I'm not bluffing now."

CHAPTER XXII

In Philip's eyes Blake saw his match now. And more. For three-quarters
of a minute he talked swiftly to the Eskimo. Philip knew that he was
giving the Kogmollock definite instructions as to the manner in which
his rescue must be accomplished. But he knew also that Blake would
emphasize the fact that it must not be in open attack, no matter how
numerous his followers might be.

He hurried Blake through the door to the sledge and team. The sledge
was heavily laden with the meat of a fresh caribou kill and from the
quantity of flesh he dragged off into the snow Philip surmised that the
cabin would very soon be the rendezvous of a small army of Eskimo.
There was probably a thousand pounds of it, Retaining only a single
quarter of this he made Celie comfortable and turned his attention to
Blake. With babiche cord he re-secured his prisoner with the
"manacle-hitch," which g