The Wbite Wolf of tbe North 363 



What then ? I'd follow the trail as far as I could, 

 then curl up. I had the flask and the infernal 

 ptarmigan, and I'd live on them for two days any- 

 way. But the cold oh! yes, the cold well, it 

 would freeze me stiffer than the North Pole in 

 twenty minutes and then ? The Gray Wolf 

 would come and nuzzle for ears and nose and 

 fingers and they'd snap like icicles and he'd thaw 

 them in his steamy old paunch along with the con- 

 founded ptarmigan ; but his teeth would click and 

 slip on the flint-hard larger parts and I'd at least 

 have the satisfaction of compelling him to wait for a 

 thaw! The rasp of a twig across my cold nose 

 startled and hurt me so that I roused from the first 

 stage of the deadly, cold-begotten drowsiness, and 

 dimly realized that I was running into cover. The 

 edge of the wood ! Yes, and there was Jo's track 

 and Jo himself just ahead. 



In ten minutes we were in the cabin. Fifteen 

 minutes later we had got rid of snowy outer garb 

 and had looked upon something hot and oh ! so 

 welcome. Presently Jo raised his drawn face from 

 his hands and said: 



" Bad to kill dem white snowbird. But you good 

 run like bull moose else los' ! " 



I muttered something I hate to try remember 

 what, for my eyes were closing in utter weariness. 



And even now, when the blizzard ramps among 

 the crowded structures of the great city, the mad 

 white wrath of it reaches a sleeper's ear and well, 

 the poor little wifey gets up and makes herself some 

 sort of shake-down on the lounge ! 



