Dick.

"Within a day and a half of us, anyway; probably much closer,"
supplemented Sam. "It's as plain as a sledge-trail."

"He's been warned," Dick reminded him.

But Sam, afire with the inspiration of inductive reasoning, could see no
objection there.

"This Chippewa knew we were in the country," he argued, "but he hadn't
any idea we were so close. If he had, he wouldn't have been so foolish
as to follow his own back track when he was going out. I don't know what
his ideas were, of course, but he was almighty surprised to see us here.
He's warned this Jingoss, not more than a day or so ago. But he didn't
tell him to skedaddle at once. He said, 'Those fellows are after you,
and they're moseying around down south of here, and probably they'll get
up here in the course of the winter. You'd probably better slide out
'till they get done.' Then he stayed a day and smoked a lot, and started
back. Now, if Jingoss just thinks we're coming _some time_, and not
to-morrow, he ain't going to pull up stakes in such a hell of a hurry.
He'll pack what furs he's got, and he'll pick up what traps he's got
out. That would take him several days, anyway. My son, we're in the nick
of time!"

"Sam, you're a wonder," said Dick, admiringly. "I never could have
thought all that out."

"If that idea's correct," went on Sam, "and the Chippewa's just come
from Jingoss, why we've got the Chippewa's trail to follow back, haven't
we?"

"Sure!" agreed Dick, "all packed and broken."

They righted the sledge and unbound the dogs' jaws.

"Well, we got rid of the girl," said Dick, casually. "Damn little fool.
I didn't think she'd leave us that easy. She'd been with us quite a
while."

"Neither did I," admitted Sam; "but it's natural, Dick. We ain't her
people, and we haven't treated her very well, and I don't wonder she was
sick of it and took the first chance back. We've got our work cut out
for us now, and we're just as well off without her."

"The Chippewa's a sort of public benefactor all round," said Dick.

The dogs yawned prodigiously, stretching their jaws after the severe
muzzling. Sam began reflectively to undo the flaps of the sledge.

"Guess we'd better camp here," said he. "It's getting pretty late and
we're due for one hell of a tramp to-morrow."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Some time during the night May-may-gwan rejoined them. Sam was awakened
by the demonstration of the dogs, at first hostile, then friendly with
recogn