The Silver Horde

village. It boasts no travel in summer, but by winter an occasional toil-worn traveller may be seen issuing forth from the Great Country beyond, bound for the open water;

away from the main-travelled routes to the interior and w

rable city, for there are ten plants, in all, scattered along several miles of the river-bank; but in winter they stand empty and still, their great roofs drummed upon by the fierce Arctic storms, their high stacks point

ing since dawn, and the dim sled-tracks were hidden beneath a six-inch fluff which rendered progress difficult and called the whip into cruel service. A gray smother sifted

hem down like some impalpable, resistless burden. There was no reality in earth, air, or sky. Their vision was

aying grotesquely, as if suspended by invisible wires. At times, it seemed to the driver's whimsical fancy as if each o

and to strip the ice-pellets from between their toes. But the "wheelers" were too tired to make the effort, so Emerso

f I don't see a tree or something with enoug

ind," observed Emerson grimly, as he bent to hi

I go in up to my hips. It's like walking a plank a foot deep in feathers, and I feel like I was a mile above the earth in

the man at the

er, good-naturedly. He felt out a pipe from his pocket and e

man can't practice no vices whatever in th

completed his task, he came back to the

from them blue-coated minions of the law, I don't know. You says it's for company, to

lk enough for

ourself liable to the 'square-toes.' You ain't the

as tired of myself, and you interested me. Besides," Emerson added,

, "I knew you'd had some kind of a run-in. What was it? This is low d

not sufficiently ingenious to be a

ellow will separate easiest." He stopped and tightened his snow-shoe thong, then rising, gazed curiously at the listless countenance of his tr

er face I ever see; it's as blind as a plastered wall. You ain't had a re

ly, and with a crack of the whip the little car

downy covering. A cold breath sucked up from the sea; ahead they saw the ragged ice up-ended by the tide, but their course was well marke

netrating the hummocks that marked the tide limit. Evidently it led to the village which they knew lay somewhere on

t. They mounted a swelling ridge and rushed down to the level river ice beyond, but as they did so they felt their footing sag beneath them, heard a shivering creak on every side, and, before they could do more than cry out warningly, saw water rising about the sled-runn

w a churning tangle of broken fragments, men and dogs struggling in a liquid that seemed dark as syrup contrasted with the surrounding whiteness. The lead animals, under whose feet the ice was still firm, turned inquiringly, then settled on their haunches with lolling tongues. The pair next ahead of the sledge p

fforts only enlarged the pool. The chill went through them like thin blades, and they chattered gaspingly, fighting

ut the other spat out a mouthf

can't

rward end of the sled, and seeking out the sheath-knife from beneath his parka, cut the harness of the t

d their tails and whined excitedly at this unusual form of entertainment. Each time he tried to lift the sled he crashed through fres

he would not sacrifice those dumb brutes now growing frantic. One of them pawed the sheath-knife from his hand. He had becom

n from his hasty glance Emerson marvelled at the outfit, having never seen the like in all his travels through the North, for each animal of the twelve stood hip-high to a tall man, and

ich a score of fluffy tails fell free, and he saw that this was no Indian, but a half-breed of peculiar coppery lightness. The man ran forward till he neared the edge of the opening where the tide had caused the floes to separate and the

strength, and as the dogs scratched and tore for firm foothold, the sled came crunching closer and closer through the half-inch ski

ly, but now spoke in a strange patois, and the b

freeze." He pointed back whence the two men had

n this brief exposure to the open air had served to harden his w

dry clothes? Our

translated some w

here. We go quick over yo

t the trail and circled toward the shore, the driver standing erect upon the heels of the runners, guiding his team with

hood, and then it was gone. For a moment they stood and stared after the fast-dwindling team, wh

culated. "Good Lord, it's

f. "Nonsense! She must

e yellow hair!" d

riding they ran with the sled till their blood beat painfully. Their outer coverings were like shells, their underclothes wer

them to a high-banked cabin, from the stovepipe of which they saw heat-waves pouring. The dogs broke into cry, and were answered by many others conjured f

ll him we're wet," said Em

ckles transformed into unmanageable lumps of ice, so he wrenched the camp axe from the sled and cut the thongs, then hacked loose the stiff

ed, a strange, dazed look on his face. He was followed by a large

he rest of the stuff

raser replied; "

forgetting the co

ong? Someb

e matter. This man just

watchman, nodded his h

t no

Never mind the room, we'll get along somehow." He advanced with the tight-rolled

r! You find anoder ho

n drew back, whereupon the unwelcome visitor crowded past, jostling his inhospitable host roughly, laughing the while, although in his laughter there rang a dangerous metallic note. Emerson's qu

!" Turning to the owner of the house, who lumbered in a

more firewood, will you? I'm chilled to the bone. That's a good fellow

d hung with steaming garments. They took possession of the house, and ordered the Swede and his squaw

g the fellow, and now r

t ails th

ature fell away from Boy

n before. There's something back of this-he's got some

man reappeared. Evidently his sluggi

har!" he said.

is arms, and did not answer. When Fraser likewise ignor

f may hous

e him, at which the fellow advanced heavily, and threat

, Ay trow

s flapped to the floor in four directions, whereat the Scandinavian let forth a bellow; but Emerson struck him heavily on the jaw with his open hand, then hurled him backward into the room so violently that he reeled, and his legs colliding with a bench, he fell against the wall. Before he cou

ith you now-I don't

he doorway screamed, and the Swede fell full length. Again Boyd was upon him, the restraint of the past long weeks now unbridled, his temper unchecked. He dragged his victim through the store-room, grinding his face into the fl

y, as if at some utterly strange phenom

y gentle, I must say. I d

ackinaw, and filled it from a tobacco-box on the window-sill; then, leaning back in h

lence just upset me