crawled into the sleeping bags, where they remained
until the sun, coming just a little way up, told them another day had
begun. The sun did not rise very high, and the day was of short
duration, but the Aurora Borealis at night partly made up for the short
visits of Old Sol.

Breakfast was a short meal, as indeed were all the ones that they had in
that cold clime, for it is not pleasant to linger sitting down with the
thermometer hovering around thirty below zero. The dogs, who always
seemed ravenous, were tossed some frozen whitefish, which they bolted
almost whole. Then the harness was adjusted, the sleds looked to and the
start made.

Though the dogs were capable of great speed and endurance, even while
pulling the heavy sleds, which each contained a load of over four
hundred pounds, Mr. Baxter had given orders that the animals were not to
be driven to their utmost. He wanted to be sure of reaching his
destination and getting back.

It was about noon when, having passed through a gloomy stretch of
woodland, they came out on a vast, level snow-plain which seemed to
stretch away for many miles. At the farther end was a low range of
mountains.

"Those are the mountains we are headed for," said Mr. Baxter in a low
voice to the two boys. "There is where we will begin to search."

They knew by that he meant that was where the treasure might be hidden.

Suddenly Fred, whose sled was in advance, uttered a cry, and pointed to
what seemed like a black rock on the snow.

"What is it?" called Mr. Baxter.

"A moose! A big moose! I'm going to have a shot at it!"

As he spoke Holfax gave a cry, and the dogs of all the sleds stopped.
Fred was busy loosening the fur robe that covered him in order to get
up.

"Take the snowshoes!" advised Mr. Baxter.

The driver of Fred's sled must have understood, for he handed the boy a
pair of the contrivances which enable one to walk on top of soft snow.
Fred, with the Indian's aid, quickly adjusted them. By this time the
moose, which had been nosing under the snow to get the mosses which grow
there, and on which it feeds, lifted its immense head with the sweeping
horns.

"Oh! He's a beauty!" cried Fred. "I wonder if I can get him?"

"I'll help!" cried Jerry.

"No, let Fred see if he can't get it alone," advised Mr. Baxter.

With a snort the big animal was off, but the snow was deep, and it sank
down at every step. Holding his rifle in readiness, Fred glided forward
on the sn