stretches between the
granite, fir-clad islands that on that lake were so numerous. As
further they advanced they became more and more separated, until Alec
found himself alone with a young clerk from the trading post, who prided
himself on his skill and speed as a skater. He had been considered the
champion the previous winter, and naturally wished to retain his
laurels. Finding himself alone with Alec, whom he thought but a novice
compared to himself, he endeavoured to show off his speed, but was very
much annoyed and chagrined to find that, skate as rapidly as he would,
the Scottish lad kept alongside and merrily laughed and chatted as on
they sped. Ruffled and angry at being so easily matched by Alec, the
clerk abruptly turned around and skated back. Alec was at first a
little hurt by this discourteous action, but this feeling quickly wore
off as on and on he skated, fairly entranced by the beauty of his
surroundings and the excitement of his sport. After a time he noticed
that the lake was abruptly ending. Just as he was about to circle
around and begin the return journey he saw the mouth of a beautiful
little ice-covered river which ran up into the forest. The ice looked
so smooth and was so transparent, as there it lay in the beautiful
moonlight, and he was so fascinated by the sight, that he could not
resist the impulse to dash in upon it. On and on he glided, on what
seemed to him the most perfect ice that skater ever tried. He did not
appear to observe that this glassy, winding river, on which he was so
joyously skating, was gradually narrowing, until he observed the great
branches of some high trees meeting together and cutting off the bright
moonlight. Skating under these great shadowy branches, with the
glinting moonlight here and there in great patches of white upon the
ice, alternating with the shadows, was a new experience, and very much
did he revel in it, when-- What sound was that?

It must have been only the falling of some drift of snow from an
overloaded branch, or a broken branch itself, and so, although Alec was
startled at hearing any sound amidst these almost noiseless solitudes,
he soon recovered his spirits and dashed on along the narrowing, crooked
stream: but--there it is again! And now as Alec quickly turns his head
and looks he sees what blanches his face for an instant and shows him
the peril of his position. Four great northern grey wolves are skulking
through the snow on