ise. Wolf howl long--shrill--dog he howl short an' quick."

Mr. Baxter and Fred listened intently. Now that their guide had called
their attention to it, they could distinguish a difference in the howls,
which did not sound at all like those of the brutes that had once
attacked them.

"Then if those are dogs, there must be Indians close to us," went on Mr.
Baxter.

Holfax nodded.

"What are they doing near here? Is that the camp where Zank and the
others went?"

"No," replied Holfax. "Them Indians follow us."

"They are following us?"

"'Bout three miles back," added Holfax. "Can hear plain on cold night."

"Do you mean they are coming after us to get the gold?" inquired Mr.
Baxter.

Once more Holfax nodded.

"Them camp now," he said. "Follow us in mornin'."

Mr. Baxter, as Fred could see in the glare of the Aurora Borealis,
looked grave. Their worst fears were realized. It would have been better
to have a pack of wolves after them, than to have this band of savage
Alaskan Indians, led on probably by a daring and unscrupulous white man.

"Shall I stay up and keep watch with you?" asked Fred.

"No. I think, as Holfax says, that they will not attempt to creep up on
us during the night. They will do nothing until morning. Then we must be
on the lookout."

Holfax proved that he had guessed correctly. There was no disturbance
that night, but, in the morning, after they had started, the Indian
mounted a hill, near which they had encamped.

"There Zank and his men," he announced, pointing to the rear. "Can see
smoke of fire."

Mr. Baxter looked. A thin thread of smoke could be observed ascending in
the frigid morning air, but no camp was in sight.

They started off soon after they had made a hasty breakfast. It seemed
colder than at any time yet, but a glance at the thermometer showed that
it was only thirty degrees below zero. Still that was cold enough,
though what made it seem more piercing was a stiff wind that sprang up.

"Hark!" exclaimed Holfax, when they had gone several miles.

He halted the dogs and listened. The others could hear nothing.

"What is it, Holfax?" asked Mr. Baxter.

"Them come," replied the Indian. "Can hear dogs howl, an' sound of sleds
on ice."

This may have been so, but the hearing of the Indian was more acute than
that of the travelers.

"So the enemy is after our gold?" remarked Mr. Baxter. "Well, they'll
have to fight to get it."

"Suppose they outnumber us?" aske