nto the Arctic and their
immediate peril of an ambuscade would be over. Blake was surely aware
of that. If he had in mind a plan for escaping it must of necessity
take form before they reached the river.

"Where the forest thinned out and the edge of the Barren crept in
Philip ran at Celie's side, but when the timber thickened and possible
hiding places for their enemies appeared in the trail ahead he was
always close to Blake, with the big Colt held openly in his hand. At
these times Celie watched the back trail. From her vantage on the
sledge her alert eyes took in every bush and thicket to right and left
of them, and when Philip was near or behind her she was looking at
least a rifle-shot ahead of Blake. For three-quarters of an hour they
had followed the single sledge trail when Blake suddenly gave a command
that stopped the dogs. They had reached a crest which overlooked a
narrow finger of the treeless Barren on the far side of which, possibly
a third of a mile distant, was a dark fringe of spruce timber. Blake
pointed toward this timber. Out of it was rising a dark column of
resinous smoke.

"It's up to you," he said coolly to Philip. "Our trail crosses through
that timber--and you see the smoke. I imagine there are about twenty of
Upi's men there feeding on caribou. The herd was close beyond when they
made the kill. Now if we go on they're most likely to see us, or their
dogs get wind of us--and Upi is a bloodthirsty old cutthroat. I don't
want that bullet through my gizzard, so I'm tellin' you."

Far back in Blake's eyes there lurked a gleam which Philip did not
like. Blake was not a man easily frightened, and yet he had given what
appeared to be fair warning to his enemy.

He came a step nearer, and said in a lower voice:

"Raine, that's just ONE of Upi's crowds. If you go on to the cabin
we're heading for there'll be two hundred fighting men after you before
the day is over, and they'll get you whether you kill me or not. You've
still got the chance I gave you back there. Take it--if you ain't tired
of life. Give me the girl--an' you hit out across the Barren with the
team."

"We're going on," replied Philip, meeting the other's gaze steadily.
"You know your little murderers, Blake. If any one can get past them
without being seen it's you. And you've got to do it. I'll kill you if
you don't. The Eskimos may get us after that, but they won't harm HER
in your way. Understand? We're going the limit in this