the future were disquieting.

At the end of the first week in December, Bill Campbell and Shad
returned from their fortnight on the trail to find their friends
already at the river tilt and discussing the situation.

"What you havin', this cruise, Bill?" asked Dick, when the greetings
were over.

"Th' worst cruise I ever has," Bill replied, as he drew off his
adicky. "One white fox--nothin' else, an' no footin' now t' speak of.
Shad an' me never see a hair or feather barrin' th' fox I catches, an'
he were a poor un."

"I gets one marten an' a red, up an' back," said Dick. "Ed gets
nothin', an' Bob gets one marten. 'Tis a wonderful bad showin'."

"Aye, a wonderful bad showin', gettin' never a hair, an' that's what I
gets," declared Ed, in disgust. "If th' next cruise don't show a
wonderful lot better, I starts for th' Bay th' mornin' after
Christmas, an' I'll not be comin' back till th' middle o' February,
whatever."

The dough bread, fried pork, and tea, which Ed and Bob had been
preparing, were ready, and, the meal disposed of, pipes were lighted
and the discussion of the all-important question was resumed.

"'Tisn't th' havin' a poor cruise now an' again's what's botherin'
me," began Ed, "but they ain't no footin'; and where they ain't no
footin', they ain't nothin'; an' where they ain't nothin', they ain't
no use huntin' it."

"They ain't even a pa'tridge t' be killed for th' pot," complained
Bill.

"No, an' we'll be seein' th' end of our grub, with nothin' t' help
out, by th' end o' February, whatever," Ed dolefully prophesied.

"Isn't there danger of scurvy if we have nothing but salt pork to
eat?" asked Shad.

"That they is, sure as shootin'," agreed Ed.

"If you'd like to go along with me, Shad," suggested Bob, who up to
this time had said little, "we'll take a flat-sled with your tent an'
a tent stove, an' a couple weeks' grub, an' go down t' th' nu'th'ard
an' see if we can't run onto some deer. Th' deer's somewheres, an' if
they ain't here they must be t' th' nu'th'ard."

"Of course I'll go with you, Bob," said Shad, delighted with the
prospect of individual action and new experiences.

"An' you may be runnin' into some o' th' Mountaineers an' Nascaupees
down north, an' let un know about th' tradin' next year," suggested
Dick. "If you tells one Injun, th' hull passel o' both tribes'll know
about un. Things travels wonderful fast among th' Injuns."

The following day two toboggans were packe