him in steam. He helped the process with his fingers, working
loose small ice-chunks that fell rattling to the floor.

A wild outcry from the dogs without did not take him from his task.
He heard the wolfish snarling and yelping of strange dogs and the
sound of voices. A knock came on the door.

"Come in," Messner called, in a voice muffled because at the
moment he was sucking loose a fragment of ice from its anchorage on
his upper lip.

The door opened, and, gazing out of his cloud of steam, he saw a
man and a woman pausing on the threshold.

"Come in," he said peremptorily, "and shut the door!"

Peering through the steam, he could make out but little of their
personal appearance. The nose and cheek strap worn by the woman
and the trail-wrappings about her head allowed only a pair of black
eyes to be seen. The man was dark-eyed and smooth-shaven all
except his mustache, which was so iced up as to hide his mouth.

"We just wanted to know if there is any other cabin around here,"
he said, at the same time glancing over the unfurnished state of
the room. "We thought this cabin was empty."

"It isn't my cabin," Messner answered. "I just found it a few
minutes ago. Come right in and camp. Plenty of room, and you
won't need your stove. There's room for all."