"No, Captain; leave me here and push on to Manitou Mountain. You ought to
make it in two days. I'm just as safe here as on the sleds, and less
trouble. A blind man's no good. I'll have a good rest while you're gone,
and then perhaps my eyes will come out right. My foot's nearly well now."

Jeff Hyde was snow-blind. The giant of the party had suffered most.

But Hume said in reply: "I won't leave you alone. The dogs can carry you
as they've done for the last ten days."

But Jeff replied: "I'm as safe here as marching, and safer. When the dogs
are not carrying me, nor any one leading me, you can get on faster; and
that means everything to us, now don't it?"

Hume met the eyes of Gaspe Toujours. He read them. Then he said to Jeff:
"It shall be as you wish. Late Carscallen, Cloud-in-the-Sky, and myself
will push on to Manitou Mountain. You and Gaspe Toujours will remain
here."

Jeff Hyde's blind eyes turned towards Gaspe Toujours, who said: "Yes. We
have plenty tabac."

A tent was set up, provisions were put in it, a spirit-lamp and matches
were added, and the simple menage was complete. Not quite. Jaspar Hume
looked round. There was not a tree in sight. He stooped and cut away a
pole that was used for strengthening the runners of the sleds, fastened
it firmly in the ground, and tied to it a red woollen scarf, used for
tightening his white blankets round him. Then he said: "Be sure and keep
that flying."