blur of dots on the white
surface, and after a couple of seconds began to count softly to
himself. "Un, deux, trois, quatre----" Then he stopped. "Four dogs and
one man," he said, turning to his companion. "But Chigmok it ees not.
Behold, m'sieu, he comes dis way."

"Then who----"

"Dat ees not to be told. Zee men in zee wilderness are many." As he
finished speaking a gust of wind drove suddenly in their faces,
bringing with it a few particles of snow, and he looked up into the
leaden sky. "Presently," he said, "it weel snow, m'sieu. Let us go and
eat, then eef Chigmok has not appeared we weel go meet dat man out
dere. He may haf zee news."

Reluctantly Stane turned with him, and went back to the camp. He had no
desire for food, but he forced himself to eat, and when the meal was
finished he assisted his companion to load the sledge. Then Benard
spoke again.

"We weel tak' one look more, m'sieu, before we harness zee dogs."

They went up to the outlook together. The lake once more showed its
white expanse unbroken; the little blot of moving dots having
withdrawn. Stane stared on the waste, with an expression of blank
dismay upon his face, then he turned to his companion.

"Zee man, he camp," explained Benard. "He not pushed for time, an' he
know it snow b'fore long. We find heem, m'sieu, an' den--By gar! Look
dere!"

As he gave vent to the exclamation, he pointed excitedly up the lake,
two miles beyond the island, the neighbourhood of which Stane had gazed
at so often and hopelessly during the last three hours. A dog-train had
broken from the wood, and taken to the surface of the lake, three men
accompanying it.

"Chigmok! Behold, m'sieu!"

On a mutual impulse they turned and running back to the camp, began
hurriedly to harness the dogs to the sledge. A few minutes later they
were on the move, and turning the corner of the cliff began the descent
towards the lake. As they did so both glanced at the direction of the
sled they were pursuing. It was moving straight ahead, fairly close in
shore, having evidently sought the level surface of the lake for easier
travelling. More than that they had not leisure to notice, for the
descent to the lake was steep, and it required the weight and skill of
both to keep the sled from overrunning the dogs, but in the space of
four minutes it was accomplished, and with a final rush they took the
level trail of the lake's frozen and snow-covered surface. As they did
so a gust