door?
Besides, you don't know the way. Suppose you should get lost?"

"No, no," insisted Tom. "None of these things will happen. I know
positively that a hungry wolf will stop chasing a human being and eat up
a dead wolf, or a shoe, or a rug, or anything that happens to be thrown
to him. I never was surer of anything in my life than that I can get
away from here before the beasts know it."

There was a storm of protestation from the others, but Tom Gray finally
overruled every objection and they reluctantly consented to let him go.

It was arranged that Reddy should stand on a bench by one of the small
windows and attract the attention of the wolves by throwing out a rabbit
skin that was nailed to one of the walls. While the beasts were tearing
this to pieces he was to shoot one of them. Furthermore, the instant the
live wolves had finished devouring the dead one, Reddy was to pitch out
another skin, of which there were many about the hut, of foxes, rabbits
and other small animals, which the trapper had collected.

This, they agreed, would probably keep the wolves occupied for awhile,
until Tom had got a good start down the trail.

Tom slipped his feet in the snowshoes and stood by the door waiting.
While the wolves howled and fought over the rabbit skin, bang went the
rifle.

"I got him!" cried Reddy.

In an instant Tom Gray had flung open the door and was off down the
trail.

As he had expected, the live wolves were hungrily eating the dead one
and had not apparently even noticed his departure.

The boys and girls in the hut sat breathlessly waiting, while Reddy
watched the famished animals gorge themselves with the blood and fresh
meat of their comrade.

Reddy had rolled up a fox skin into a small bundle, and was prepared to
pitch it out to them the moment they had finished.

Just as they had lapped the last drop of blood, he cast out the skin.
They sniffed at it a moment, gave a long, disapproving howl, that sent
the cold chills down the spines of the prisoners, and then made off down
the trail after Tom Gray.

Reddy gave a loud exclamation and jumped down from the bench.

"_They have followed Tom!_" he cried, in a high state of excitement.

There was a long pause.

"We'll have to go, then," said David finally. "Girls, you are safe as
long as you stay inside the hut, and some of us at least will be able to
bring help before long."

With that, all three of the boys, for Hippy was no coward, in sp