tered. "Well, we must be on our guard. Two in the right against
three in the wrong. Those are fair odds. _Two_ in the right! Suppose
it is only one."

He hurried back towards the scene of the encounter, guided by the
faintly glowing embers lying here and there, and the dark, blinding
wood-smoke which was borne towards him by the light icy wind which came
down the defile.

"Suppose they have killed him!"

"Who are you? But whoever you are," came in a hoarse whisper, "if it
hadn't been for you those ruffians would have settled me."

"Thank heaven, then, I was in time. Can you help me trample out the
rest or this fire?"

"Hadn't we better escape? You might help me drag my sled into a place
of safety."

"There is no place of safety near," was the reply; "and it's cold enough
to freeze us to death. We had better stay here."

"But we dare not light a fire; they would see us, and come and pick us
off."

"I don't think the cowardly hounds will dare to come back."

"But they might, and I dare not risk it."

"Are you hurt?"

"Not seriously, but wrenched and strained in the struggle. Can you
understand what I say? I don't know my own voice."

"Yes, I can hear you. What is it--a cold?"

"No; I was right enough an hour ago. That red-bearded dog caught me by
the throat. He was trying to strangle me. I fired at random, and then
my senses were going, but I heard your shots. He has quite taken away
my voice. Where is your hand, sir?"

"Here: what do you want?"

"Just to make mine speak to it in a friendly grip. God bless you, sir!
you've saved my life. I can't say more now."

"Don't. There: we have no light to betray us now."

CHAPTER FOUR.

NATURE'S MISTAKE.

"But hadn't we better go on?"

"No: warmth is everything here. The ground is hot where the fire was,
and we'll camp there till morning. I saw you had a sledge. We'll drag
that to one side for shelter."

"And there is theirs, too," was said huskily.

"Mine!" was the reply. "The scoundrels inveigled me into staying with
them, and I had a narrow escape."

"Hah! Just as they served me. I saw their light and came up, and they
professed to be friends. I didn't like the look of them, but one can't
pick one's company out here, and a good fire was very tempting."

"Hist!"

The warning was followed by the clicking of pistol locks, after which
the pair listened patiently for some minutes.

"Nothing. Here, let's get the two s