HALT! 
237 
ing Fox ! Come back, or I'll stop ye in a way ye 
won't like ! " 
Hold on, Solomon," interposed the leader, seeing that 
his follower was really in earnest, " you can't stop him 
now, and if you did he'd make off within tw^enty-four 
hours. The sooner he goes, the sooner he'll get back." 
"I tell you he's goin' to get some tribe o' Bears or 
Penguins or Catamaounts or some o' his ugly packs daown 
on us," said Solomon, still fingering his rifle excitedly. 
Thar never was an honest Injun yit, an' I don't believe 
the line's started with a Fox." 
By this time the altercation was needless, for, with a 
parting wave of his hand, Peeschee was lost to sight in 
the thick "black growth" that covered the foot-hills of 
the lofty range along the horizon. 
" Well," resumed Mr. Button, with a sigh, " there's one 
less mouth to feed for a month, any way." 
"We can't stay in these tents much longer," suggested 
Hugh, " or we'll freeze to death. I was aw^fully cold last 
night." 
It was curious that nobody referred to the map. 
There seemed to be a tacit understanding that it should 
not be consulted in this emergency. The last time Mr. 
Button had produced Peeschee' s masterpiece, which had 
travelled across the continent to Sheldon a year before, 
and back again in the wealthy mill-owner's inside vest- 
pocket, a strange expression had come into the faces that 
were gathered around him, and were looking over his 
