weren't
going to show up at all. Look at what we've done. I believe you've been
lying out in the woods just to dodge work. Where'd you steal _that_
dog?"

"Hello, Dick," replied Sam, unslinging his pack. "I'm tired. Tell her to
rustle grub."

He leaned back against a cedar, half-closing his eyes, but nevertheless
keenly alert. The changed atmosphere of the camp disturbed him. Although
he had not realised it before, he preferred Dick's old uncompromising
sulkiness.

In accordance with the woods custom, little was said until after the
meal was finished and the pipes lit. Then Dick inquired:

"Well, where you been this time, and what did you find?"

Sam replied briefly as to his journey, making it clear that he had now
covered all the hunting districts of this region with the single
exception of one beyond the Kenogami. He had discovered nothing; he was
absolutely sure that nothing was to be discovered.

"I didn't go entirely by what the Injuns told me," he said, "but I
looked at the signs along the trapping routes and the trapping camps to
see how many had been at it, and I'm sure the number tallies with the
reg'lar Injun hunters. I picked up that dog over to Leftfoot Lake. Come
here, pup!"

The animal slouched forward, his head hanging, the rims of his eyes
blood red as he turned them up to his master. He was a powerful beast,
black and tan, with a quaintly wrinkled, anxious countenance and long,
pendent ears.

"Strong," commented Dick, "but queer-looking. He'll have trouble keeping
warm with that short coat."

"He's wintered here already," replied Sam, indifferently. "Go lie
down!"

The dog slouched slowly back, his heavy head and ears swinging to each
step, to where May-may-gwan was keeping his peace with the other
animals.

"Now for that Kenogami country," went on Sam; "it's two weeks from here
by dogs, and it's our last chance in this country. I ain't dared ask too
many questions, of course, so I don't know anything about the men who're
hunting there. There's four families, and one other. He's alone; I got
that much out of the last place I stopped. We got to wait here for snow.
If we don't raise anything there, we'd better get over toward the
Nipissing country."

"All right," said Dick.

The older man began to ask minutely concerning the equipment,
provisions, and dog food.

"It's all right as long as we can take it easy and hunt," advised Sam,
gradually approaching the subject that was really t