owy bed
to hunt for more sheltered quarters. There was a whine, a snarl, then
the sound of clashing teeth. In a moment every dog leaped up with
bristling hair. Instantly bedlam reigned. Over seventy dogs waged the
wildest kind of war and the distant woods reechoed the horrible din. A
dozen blanketed mounds rose up, and many long lashes whistled through
the air. The seething mass broke away and flew howling and yelping
into outer darkness followed by a roar of curses--but only in civilized
tongues.

Presently all was still again. The men lay down, and the dogs, one by
one, came slinking back to their resting places. But in a couple of
hours one of the half-frozen brutes silently rose up, cautiously
stepped among the sleeping men, and lay couched close to a smouldering
fire. Another followed and then another until most of the dogs had
left their beds. Growing bolder, a couple of the beasts fought for a
warmer spot. In their tussle they sprawled over one of the men, but a
few lusty blows from a handy frying-pan restored calm. As the night
wore on some of the dogs, not contented with sleeping beside the men,
curled up on top of their unconscious masters. Then for hours nothing
but the heavy breathing and snoring in camp and the howling of distant
wolves was heard. Slumber had at last overtaken the wild men of the
wilderness--who always made it a rule to kneel down every night, and
ask God to bless their little children at home.

Now, though time still sped on, silence possessed the forest--until:

"Hurrah, _mes bons hommes_! _Levey, levey, levey_! Up, up up, up,
up!" ending in a shrill yell from the guide startled the drowsy crew.
It was three o'clock in the morning. Had it not been for the
brilliancy of the Northern Lights all would have been in darkness. An
obscure form bent over an ash-bed and fumbled something. A tiny blaze
appeared and rapidly grew until the surrounding forest was aflare.
Over the fires frying-pans sizzled, while tea-pails heaped with snow
began to steam. A hurried breakfast followed. The sleds were packed.
The dogs, still curled up in the snow, pretended to be asleep.

"Caesar! Tigre! Cabri! Whiskey! Tete Noire! Pilot! Michinass!
Coffee! Bull! Brandie! Caribou!" shouted the men. A few of the dogs
answered to their names and came to harness while some holding back
were tugged forward by the scruff of the neck. Others were still in
hiding. The men searched among the