238 The Ptarmigan Family 



louder and louder at the death-song. At last, 

 with a roar and a wild horizontal rush of snow, 

 the full strength of the storm struck us. Then 

 we heard the true howl of the " White Wolf of 

 the North " as the men in igloes hear it when the 

 sea solidifies. Mercifully it was at our backs — 

 any other point would have meant — but there's 

 cold comfort in that ! I knew that if Joe once got 

 out of sight I might be found frappeed when the 

 springtime came ; and winters are long on the 

 North Shore. Besides, I had things to attend to 

 later, my people to see, and my ptarmigan to 

 mount; so I chased on. And ever before me 

 was the snowy back, ever in my ears the White 

 Wolf's howl, and in my breast the tortured engine 

 pumping to bursting strain. I cursed the ham- 

 pering clothes and the buttons that seemed ever 

 drawing tighter, the thongs that cut deep now, 

 and the nets that had to be swung true while 

 they felt like lead to the feet. 



At last came the blessed "second wind," and 

 none too soon, for it found me rocking. The 

 snow-padded back was ten yards ahead now, ris- 

 ing and falling with the same old motion. Ever 

 and anon a savage swirl would hide it in a blur 

 of white, but I was going easier and felt I could 

 close the gap at will. Presently it vanished, and 

 on the instant of its disappearance I realized my 

 danger and spurted vigorously. Before I had 



