92 
Northern Trails . Book I 
away again. Next morning he saw the tracks and under¬ 
stood them; and as he trailed away through the still 
woods he was wondering, in his silent Indian way, why^ 
an old wolf should always bring Malsunsis, the cub, for 
a good look and a sniff at anything that he is to avoid 
ever after. 
When all else fails follow the caribou, — that is the 
law which governs the wolf in the hungry days; but 
before they crossed the mountains and followed the long 
valleys to the far southern ranges the wolves went back 
to the hills, where the trail began, for a more exciting 
and dangerous kind of hunting. The pack had held 
closer together of late; for the old wolves must often 
share even a scant fox or rabbit with the hungry and 
inexperienced youngsters. Now, when famine drove 
them to the very doors of the one enemy to be feared, 
only the wisest and wariest old wolf was fit to lead 
the foray. 
The little fishing village was buried under drifts and 
almost deserted. A few men lingered to watch the boats 
and houses; but the families had all gone inland to the 
winter tilts for wood and shelter. By night the wolves 
would come stealthily to prowl among the deserted lanes; 
and the fishermen, asleep in their clothes under caribou 
skins, or sitting close by the stove behind barred doors, 
would know nothing of the huge, gaunt forms that flitted 
noiselessly past the frosted windows. If a pig were left 
