15? 



Wf/s Ifiat Cms 

 JntfteSnoir 



They had gone scarcely a hundred steps 

 when Noel whipped out a long arrow and 

 pointed silently across the open. From the 

 woods on the other side the caribou had 

 broken out of a dozen tunnels under the 

 spruces, and came trotting back in their old 

 trails, straight down-wind to where the little 

 hunters were hiding. 



The deer were acting quee'rly, — now plun- 

 ging away with the high, awkward jumps 

 that caribou use when startled ; now swing- 

 ing off on their swift, tireless rack, and before 

 they had settled to their stride halting sud- 

 denly to look back and wag their ears at the 

 trail. For Megaleep is full of curiosity as a 

 wild turkey, and always stops to get a little 

 entertainment out of every new thing that 

 does not threaten him with instant death. 

 Then out of the woods behind them trotted 

 five white wolves, — not hunting, certainly! 

 for whenever the caribou stopped to look the 

 wolves sat down on their tails and yawned. 

 One lay down and rolled over and over in 

 the soft snow; another chased and capered 

 after his own brush, 





