" said Cora. "They say a rumour has
come that they are starving."

"I heard of that, but hope it is not true," observed Lambert.

"Oh! they always talk of starving," said old Ravenshaw. "No fear of
'em."

At that moment there was a sound of shuffling in the porch, the door was
thrown open, and a gaunt, haggard man, with torn, snow-sprinkled
garments, pale face, and bloodshot eyes, stood pictured on the
background of the dark porch.

"Baptiste Warder!" exclaimed Lambert, starting up.

"Ay, what's left o' me; and here's the remains o' Winklemann," said
Warder, pointing to the cadaverous face of the starving German, who
followed him.

Need we say that the hunters received a kindly welcome by the Ravenshaw
family, as they sank exhausted into chairs. The story of starvation,
suffering, and death was soon told--at least in outline.

"You are hungry. When did you eat last?" asked Mr Ravenshaw,
interrupting them.

"Two days ago," replied Warder, with a weary smile.

"It seems like two veeks," observed the German, with a sigh.

"Hallo! Elsie, Cora, victuals!" cried the sympathetic old man, turning
quickly round.

But Elsie, whose perceptions were quick, had already placed bread and
beer on the table.

"Here, have a drink of beer first," said the host, pouring out a foaming
glass.

Warder shook his head. Winklemann remarked that, "beer vas goot, ver
goot, but they had been used to vatter of late."

"Ah!" he added, after devouring half a slice of bread while waiting for
Cora to prepare another; "blessed brod an' booter! Nobody can know vat
it is till he have starve for two veek--a--I mean two days; all de same
ting in my feel--"

The entrance of a huge bite put a sudden and full stop to the sentence.

"Why did you not stop at some of the houses higher up the river to
feed?" asked Lambert.

Warder explained that they meant to have done so, but they had missed
their way. They had grown stupid, he thought, from weakness. When they
lost the way they made straight for the river, guided by the pole-star,
and the first house they came in sight of was that of Willow Creek.

"How can the pole-star guide one?" asked Cora, in some surprise.

"Don't you know?" said Lambert, going round to where Cora sat, and
sitting down beside her. "I will explain."

"If I did know I wouldn't ask," replied Cora coquettishly; "besides, I
did not put the question to _you_."

"Nay, but you don't object to my answering it, d