of the Top Gallants. There was not a track 

 on the barrens, he said ; not a sign of wolf or 

 caribou, which had probably wandered deeper 

 into the woods for shelter. So they ate their 

 bread to the last crumb and their bird to the 

 last bone, and, giving up all thought of hunt- 

 ing, started up the big barren, heading for 

 the distant lodge, where they had long since 

 been given up for lost. 



They had crossed the barren and a mile of 

 thick woods beyond when they ran into the 

 fresh trail of a dozen caribou. Following it 

 swiftly they came to the edge of a much 

 smaller barren that they had crossed yes- 

 terday, and saw at a glance that the trail 

 stretched straight across it. Not a caribou 

 was in sight ; but they might nevertheless 

 be feeding, or resting in the woods just 

 beyond ; and for the little hunters to show 

 themselves now in the open would mean 

 that they would become instantly the target 

 for every keen eye that was watching the 

 back trail. So they started warily to circle 

 the barren, keeping just within the fringe of 

 woods out of sight. 



157 



7m//s ff>al Cross 



m^ 



