therine answered.

"He wants you to go up to the second portage with him this
afternoon. Another boat got in this morning with some mails on
board, and there are stores to be taken for Astor M'Kree," said
Mrs. Burton.

"That will be lovely!" cried Katherine, giving Lotta a toss up in
the air, after which Beth had to be treated in a similar fashion to
prevent jealousy. "I am simply yearning to be outside in the
sunshine and the cold. I have been wishing all the morning that I
were a man; then I could go off hunting, trapping, or even
lumbering, and so breathe fresh air all day long."

Mrs. Burton smiled. "I expect if you were a man you would just do
as other men do; that is, smoke a dirty little pipe all day long,
and so never breathe fresh air at all."

"That is not the sort of man I would be," retorted Katherine, with
a toss of her head.

Then she put the twins into their high chairs: her father and the
boys came in, and dinner began. It was a hasty meal, as early
dinner has to be when half of the day's work lies beyond it, and in
less than half an hour Katherine was getting into a thick pilot
coat, fur cap, mittens, and a big muffler; for, although the sun
was so bright, the cold was not to be trifled with.

'Duke Radford, short for Marmaduke, was a sombre-looking man of
fifty. Twenty-five years of pioneer life in the Keewatin country
had worn him considerably, and he looked older than his years. But
he was a strong man still, and to-day he had loaded a sledge with
stores to draw himself, while Katherine looked after the four great
dogs which drew the other sledge.

The track for the first three miles was as bad as a track could be.
'Duke Radford went first, to beat or pack the snow a little firmer
for Katherine and the dogs; but even then every movement of her
snowshoes sent the white powdery dust flying in clouds. The dogs
followed close behind, so close that she had often to show a whip
to keep them back, from fear that they would tread on her snowshoes
and fling her down.

It was five good long miles to the abode of Astor M'Kree, beyond
the second portage, but the last two miles were easy travelling,
over a firm level track. "Astor M'Kree has been hauling timber or
something over here to-day. I wonder how he managed it?" called
out Katherine, as her father's pace on the well-packed snow
quickened, while she flew after him and the dogs came racing on
behind. He shouted back some answer that w