de had passed beyond the next ice-pile. Rover had
followed.

But the boy's college days had not been for naught; he knew a trick or
two. As if stunned by the fall, he relaxed and lay motionless. Seeing
this, the man took time to plant his knees on the boy's chest before
moving his horny hands toward his throat.

The next instant, as if thrown by a springboard, the man flew into the
air. Phi sprang to his feet, his one thought of escape. Turning, he
dashed around an ice-pile, then another and another. But fate was not
with him. Just at the moment when he felt that he could elude his
pursuer, his foot struck a crevice in the ice, and he went sprawling.
Again the wild terror was upon him.

But this time there came tearing over the ice a new wild terror, and
this one his friend. Old Rover, silent and determined, sprang clean at
the man's throat. The assailant went down, striking out with hands and
feet, and roaring for mercy.

Phi dragged the dog off. "Get!" he said. The man looked surly, but
one look at the determined boy and the eager jaws of the dog set him
slouching away.

"You're some dog!" the boy laughed at the old leader. "Well, now, I'll
say you are!"

CHAPTER XII

"WHAT IS THAT?"

When the man had gone, Phi sat down upon an up-ended ice-cake to rest
and think. His logical course was evident enough; to wait for perhaps
half an hour, allowing the man, who would doubtless be able to overtake
his guide, to get a sufficient distance ahead to prevent any further
unpleasant encounters. Still, he was glad now to have his rifle, small
as it was. He had brought only a few cartridges for it, as they were
an added weight. These had been spilled from his pocket in the
scuffle, but by a diligent search he was able to find five. He was
about to abandon the search when, with an exclamation of astonishment,
he sprang forward, and bending, picked up an envelope.

"The blue envelope," he exclaimed. "My blue envelope. He must be the
bearded miner the girls told me about. It was lucky he tried to
assassinate me after all."

The envelope had been torn open, but the letter, though blurred with
grime and dirt, was still in it. With eager fingers he pulled it out.

"Couldn't read our cipher, so he was going to Nome for help, I reckon,"
he muttered. "All I've got to say is, it's lucky he lost it and I
found it."

He read the missive hastily, then a light of hope shone in his eye.

"If only I ca