now ceased to fall; and
morning broke clear and cold. Garth had turned in, intending to rise at
four; but Nature exacted her due, and it was seven before he awoke. The
sky was a bowl of palest, fleckless azure; the sun shone gloriously on
the field of snow; and the air stung the nostrils like the heady fumes
of wine. But he was in no temper to take any delight in morning
beauties; he ached in every bone and muscle as if he had been beaten
with a club; and at the sight of the mounting sun, he bitterly
reproached himself--and Rina, for the lost hours.

As for Charley, a glance at the boy showed that he was quite incapable
of further travelling for the present. He suffered as much from the blow
on the head as from the exposure in the snow. His mind was hopelessly
confused and wandering. In any case they had but a single horse left;
and only the one course of action was open to Garth. He instructed Rina
to remain where she was and care for the boy, while he pushed ahead.

Even Rina betrayed some surprise. "What you do?" she said. "Three men to
shoot, and Mary to watch _her_. You got no chance!"

"I'll find a way!" he said desperately. "This Death River, tell me about
it!"

Rina pointed northwest. "Big river, moch water," she said. "Come from
mountains. Ver' moch high falls; mak' lak thunder! Above falls, ver'
rough rapids, no can cross. Below falls, deep black hole; breeds say bad
spirits go there. Only one place to cross, half-mile below falls."

Garth caught the horse, who had fed himself as best he could by pawing
the snow off the grass, and packed his blankets and a supply of food,
including what was left of the little carcass Rina roasted. He learned
it was a lynx; but the flesh was sweet, and he was too thankful for
fresh meat to quarrel with the nature of it. He left Rina and Charley
with a better will, knowing she could doubtless get others, as she had
snared the first.

There was about ten inches of snow on the flat, with deep encumbering
drifts in the hollows; and his advance was very slow. The ill-nourished
horse wearied immediately; and any pace beyond a walk was out of the
question. Had Garth only possessed snow-shoes he could have made much
better time on foot. The vast expanse was as empty as a clean sheet of
paper; nevertheless, he saw the prairie was not without its busy
population, as evidenced by the number of tracks of little furry paws
that had crossed his course already since the snow finished fa