is in this carcase."

"May God bless ye, Pete!" and Alec stretched out his horny right hand.
Then in the silence of that little cabin these two hardy prospectors
joined hands, while their eyes filled with tears, at what they felt was
at last the parting of the ways.

Some time before Pete reached Klassan the trail became so bad that it
was impossible for the dogs to drag the sled with its load of meat and
the prospector's small outfit. The only thing to do was to cache the
supplies up between three trees, on a triangular scaffold made of fir
poles.

"Thar, laddies," said Pete, when the task was finished, "it's safe at
any rate, an'll keep till we kin come fer it."

With a small pack on his back and rifle in his hand, he pushed forward,
with the dogs bounding along by his side, glad of the freedom from
harness. Night had shut down over the land when at length the lights
of Klassan came into view.

"We'll soon be thar, b'ys," encouraged the old man, "an' I reckon yer
master'll be mighty glad to see us. Mebbe he'll have some supper
ready, though it is late, an' we won't be sorry, hey, Yukon?" and he
gave the faithful brute an affectionate pat on the head.

Into the village he strode, past the store, the miners' cabins, and up
the trail toward the Indian encampment. He had just reached the forks
of the road when a heart-rending cry for help split the air. Pete
paused in amazement, while with a roar Brisko bounded forward. It was
a woman's voice, he was sure of that, and his heart beat fast when he
realized that there was only one white woman in the place. With Pete
to think was to act, and springing up the trail with huge strides, he
soon reached the spot where the prostrate woman lay. He saw the dark
figure on the ground and heard the crashing of the bushes through which
Pritchen was struggling, at the same time beating off the furious onset
of the dog.

Pete lost not an instant, but drawing forth his match case, made of two
cartridge shells fitted closely together, he struck a light, and as it
flashed upon Constance's face so still and white, a deep groan escaped
his lips.

"My God," he cried, looking wildly around. "Whar is the villain who
has done this?"

Throwing aside his pack he stooped down, and lifting up the inanimate
form in his strong arms, carried her up the hill as tenderly as a
mother would bear her little child.

"Poor lassie! Poor lassie!" he crooned. "What has happened? Who
could