94 
Northern Trails . Book I 
Almost every pleasant day a train of dogs would 
leave the village and go far back on the hills to haul 
fire-wood, or poles for the new fish-flakes. The wolves, 
watching from their old den, would follow at a distance to 
pick up a careless dog that ventured away from the fire 
to hunt rabbits when his harness was taken off. Occa¬ 
sionally a solitary wood-chopper would start with sud¬ 
den alarm as a big white form glided into sight, and the 
alarm would be followed by genuine terror as he found 
himself surrounded by five huge wolves that sat on 
their tails watching him curiously. Gripping his ax he 
would hurry back to call his companions and harness 
the dogs and hurry back to the village before the early 
darkness should fall upon them. As the komatik went 
careering over the snow, the dogs yelping and straining 
at the harness, the men running alongside shouting 
Hi-hi and cracking their whips, they could still see, 
over their shoulders, the wolves following lightly close 
behind; but when they rushed breathless into their 
houses, and grabbed their guns, and ran back on the 
trail, there was nothing to be seen. For the wolves, 
quick as light to feel the presence of danger, were 
already far away, trotting swiftly up the frozen arm 
of the harbor, following another sledge trail which 
came down that morning from the wilderness. 
That same night the wolves appeared silently in the 
little lodge, far up the Southeast Brook, where in a 
