our couches of spruce twigs and slept soundly. It was
after midnight, by the altitude of the moon, when the prospector roused
me, and I sat up with chattering teeth, for there was a bitter wind.

"Don't you hear it?--there--again!" he said.

I was not quite awake, and, when a tramp of footsteps came faintly out of
the obscurity, at first I felt only elation. Johnston had escaped and
followed our trail, I thought. This was short-lived, and was replaced by
superstitious dread, for there could be no human being within leagues of
us, and yet the ghostly footsteps drew steadily nearer and nearer. Even
the miner, who had spent half his life in the ranges seemed uneasy, for
he stretched out his hand for the rifle, and Harry started upright as a
challenge rang through the stillness.

"Stop there, and call out what you want, whoever you are!"

There was no answer from the silence, only the footsteps still
approaching, and Harry looked at me curiously when the miner called
again.

"Keep back--tell us who you are before we fire on you!"

Then a hoarse voice reached us: "If you have nothing to eat it won't
matter much if you do. We are three starving men, and past doing anybody
an injury."

"Come forward," I shouted. "We have food here," and three figures
staggered into the glow of the fire. The foremost seemed familiar, and I
could not repress a start when the red blaze leaped up, for Geoffrey
Ormond stood before us leaning heavily on a rifle. His face was thin and
furrowed, his coat badly rent, and his very attitude spoke of utter
weariness.

"Lorimer, by all that's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "You were not exactly
friendly the last time we met. In fact, I almost fancied you wished to
ride over me. I hope we're not intruding, but we're most confoundedly
hungry."

The last words were unnecessary, for the way the men behind him glanced at
the meat showed it plainly enough.

"I must apologize for a fit of temper," I said, holding out my hand, "but
it happened near the settlements, and old quarrels don't hold up here. We
have food to give you, and we hope that you will consider yourselves
welcome."

They certainly did so, for more bear steaks were laid on the embers, and
while one of the newcomers, stripping a cartridge, rubbed powder grains
into the flesh another produced a few of the fern roots which in times of
scarcity the Siwash Indians eat. When at last they had finished, one of
the party, pushing back his fur cap,