exhortations to his brethren of other days.

Taking advantage of neighboring pines, he worked rapidly, and
Ruth watched him make a cache similar to those sometimes used by
hunters to preserve their meat from the wolverines and dogs. One
after the other, he bent the tops of two small pines toward each
other and nearly to the ground, making them fast with thongs of
moosehide. Then he beat the dogs into submission and harnessed
them to two of the sleds, loading the same with everything but
the furs which enveloped Mason. These he wrapped and lashed
tightly about him, fastening either end of the robes to the bent
pines. A single stroke of his hunting knife would release them
and send the body high in the air.

Ruth had received her husband's last wishes and made no struggle.
Poor girl, she had learned the lesson of obedience well. From a
child, she had bowed, and seen all women bow, to the lords of
creation, and it did not seem in the nature of things for woman
to resist. The Kid permitted her one outburst of grief, as she
kissed her husband--her own people had no such custom--then led
her to the foremost sled and helped her into her snowshoes.
Blindly, instinctively, she took the gee pole and whip, and
'mushed' the dogs out on the trail. Then he returned to Mason,
who had fallen into a coma, and long after she was out of sight
crouched by the fire, waiting, hoping, praying for his comrade to
die.

It is not pleasant to be alone with painful thoughts in the White
Silence. The silence of gloom is merciful, shrouding one as with
protection and breathing a thousand intangible sympathies; but