are very tough. The young boys, the old men and
the old women helped him and were directed by him.

Scarcely any young warriors were left in the village and Will's strength
and intelligence fitted him for leadership. The weaker people began to
rely upon him and, as he learned the ways of the wild and fused them
with the ways of civilization, he became a great source of strength in
the village. He wore a beautiful deerskin suit which several of the old
women had made for him in gratitude for large supplies of food that he
had given to them, and he had a splendid overcoat which Inmutanka and he
had made of a buffalo robe.

The lodge of Inmutanka and Waditaka, who had once been known as Wayaka,
became the most attractive in the village. Will lined the fire hole in
the centre with stones, and in the roof he made a sort of flue which
caused the vent to draw so much better that they were not troubled by
smoke. He reinforced the bark floor with more bark, over which the great
bear robe was spread on one side of the fire, while the other side was
covered with the skins of smaller bears, wolves and wildcats. Many small
articles of decoration or adornment hung about the walls. Inmutanka had
been in the habit of shutting the door tightly at night, but as Will
insisted upon leaving it open partly, no matter how bitter the weather,
they always had plenty of fresh air and suffered from no colds. Will,
too, insisted upon the utmost cleanliness and neatness, qualities in
which the Indian does not always excel, and his example raised the tone
of the village.

A period of very great cold came. Will reckoned that the mercury must be
at least forty degrees below zero, and, for a week, the people scarcely
stirred from their lodges. Then occurred the terrible invasion of the
mountain wolves, the like of which the oldest man could not recall. Will
and Inmutanka were awakened at dawn by a distant but ferocious whining.

"Wolves," said Inmutanka, "and they are hungry, but they will not attack
a village."

He turned over in his warm buffalo robes and prepared to go to sleep
again, but the whining grew louder and more ferocious, increasing to
such an extent that Inmutanka became alarmed and went to the door. When
he pulled back the flap yet farther the howling seemed very near and
inexpressibly fierce.

"It is a great pack," said the old Sioux. "I have never before heard so
many wolves howl together, and their voices are so big and fierce t