"

"I'll git him!" cried Johnson, gliding on his snowshoes after the dog.
But the brute saw him coming, and ran farther off.

"Hold on, or I'll shoot you!" called the negro.

"No, don't shoot!" cried Mr. Baxter. "If we lose even one dog it will go
hard with us."

"He's tearing the case!" yelled Fred.

"The map is lost!" exclaimed Mr. Baxter.

"Me get him!" spoke Holfax, running up. "Me show how make dog drop map."

It was a critical moment. In another instant the strong teeth of the dog
would make the map undecipherable, and the trip would end disastrously.

CHAPTER XV

IN THE CAVE

With a swift motion the Indian ran to the sled containing, among other
things, the food for the dogs. He burrowed beneath the fur coverings,
that were firmly lashed down, to prevent the animals eating all their
supplies at one meal, and brought out several frozen fish. Now the
Alaskan dog loves fish above everything else, and when Holfax had tossed
several on the snow, there was a mad rush of the shaggy, wolf-like
creatures to secure some.

Even those dogs crowded around the one that had the map-case, ceased
worrying him, and bolted to get a share of the good things so
unexpectedly cast before them. The rush, and the sight of the fish, was
too much for the canine thief. He dropped the map, and made a bolt for
the fish.

"Now git um," said Holfax, and Johnson, who was nearest, rushed forward
and secured the precious document.

"Is it injured?" asked Fred, as Mr. Baxter began to examine it.

"No, I think not. I'll have to be more careful in the future. That dog
nearly ate a fortune."

Stowing the map securely away, Mr. Baxter helped the boys and Johnson
strike the tent, and load the sleds for that day's trip. It was not as
cold as it had been during the night, but there was a feeling of snow in
the air.

"Git plenty bad storm quick soon," remarked Holfax, as he again fastened
the coverings on the provision sled.

"Do you think we had better start then?" asked Mr. Baxter.

"Bad here--bad there," replied the Indian, with a sweep of his arm
toward the distant mountain range. "Bad all over--plenty bad--bad
go--bad stay."

"Then as long as we're going to be in for it one way or the other, we
might as well start. Come, boys, are you ready?"

"All ready, dad," mumbled Jerry from the depths of his fur collar.

"How about you, Fred?"

"My sled is all ready."

"Then we'll start."

The long whips cracked, Holfax g