glow from the two fine beds of coals, closed his eyes
once more and went to sleep. He did not look for wolves in his well,
although he heard them howling again the next night, the note plaintive
and fierce alike with the call of intense hunger. The fourth day, he
went out through the pass and killed more rabbits, adding them to his
store. He saw a deer floundering in the deep snow, but he would not
shoot it. The time might come when he would slay a deer, but he could
not do it that week.

Now he began to study the skies. He knew that the premature snow, deep
as it was, could not last long, and, likely enough, it would be followed
by heavy rain. Then the snow would certainly pour in a deluge down the
hillsides, and the water might rage in a torrent in the ravine. His well
would be flooded and he would have to take to flight, but it would be no
harder on pursued than on pursuers.

Two more days passed and the warm weather did not come. The snow ceased
to fall, but it lay gleaming and deep on the ground, and the sound of
boughs, cracking beneath its weight, was almost incessant. Indifferent
to the deep trail he left, he climbed again to the heights and ranged
over a considerable area. A second time, a floundering deer presented
itself to his rifle, and a second time he refused to fire. The deer
seemed to expect no danger, as it gazed at him with fearless eyes, and,
waving to it a friendly farewell, he passed on among the trees, every
one of which stood up an individual cone of white.

Then he heard the howl of wolves and traveling on to a valley beyond he
saw a pack running far ahead. Twenty they were, at least, and whether or
not they chased a deer he could not tell, but the fierce note of hunger
was in their voices, and whatever it was they pursued they followed it
fast.

Then he turned back toward his home, weary with walking through snow so
deep, too deep yet for his further flight northward, and the fires in
the covert seemed fairly to shine with welcome for him. That night he
broiled and ate an entire rabbit for supper, but felt that he must have
a more varied diet soon, if he was to preserve his strength. He looked
again for the clouds which were to bring the great rain, destroyer of
great snows, but the skies were clear, frosty and starry, and his eager
eyes did not find a single blur.

It was evident that he must use all his patience and keep on waiting. So
he set himself to the task of putting his body in t