The Magnetic North

Tag' mal-wer bist du?

du denn son

er mu? ich jeden kennen u

n Revier nicht die ganze Erde umfasst ... 's

the timidities that assail the easy liver in the centres of civilisation. Potts was the on

the Jesuit had gone his way, surrounding the Big Cabin with a false wall, that final and effectual barrier against Boreas-finishing touch warranted to convert a

eir short bushy branches, but planted close together, after burning the ground cleared of snow. A second visitation of mild weather, and a further two days' thaw, made the Colonel determine to fill in the space between the spruce stockade and the cabin with "burnt-out" soil closely pac

ozen highway, became a conspicuous feature in the landscape, welcome as the weeks went on t

d on the horizon, with the second team the camp had seen, the driver much concerned to steer clear of the softened snow and keep

at it. He had promised to "

ed more in haste to leave his new friends than

inted Boy. "I wanted awf'ly to see how your

olas scornfully; "him

n' to try soon's t

interrupte

word of farewell. He knelt down in th

h ivory! Jee! fastened with sinew and wooden pegs. Hey?"-looking u

ail!" as contemptuously as though

daisy! When y

o'-bye! Mush!" shouted Nicholas to his compa

ded sled, examining, praising, while the dogs, after the merest affectation of trying

sh. Show nex'

e tugged at the goodly load, so neatly disposed under an ol

Pymeut you can go hauling it down river? Well, sir, we want f

es

ght y

on we j

las had o

itched his body in the

nough there for a regiment.

shook h

e roof!" advised

about for your health,

an't get fish through the ice. You sell some of it to us." But Nicholas shook h

fur-fur tay," s

sugar,"

cco," tempte

abin he unlashed the load, and it quickly became manifest that Nich

? Oh yes, me give hea

be humbugged by any Prince alive) the purchase of a portion of that load of f

y suspicion of them found lodgment in the bosom of the Prince. With the exception of some tobacco, he left all his ill-gott

done by then. What do you say

a scornfu

r chimney

ve so tall hole your hou

want to co

own-bring in snow-drive fire out." He shivered i

te men

to now? Whe

s great ally, the Father Superior of Holy Cross,

er send Nicholas when him want man go

njarred by remembrance of how his

you off

" He tapped his deerskin-covered chest.

ack with Fa

las n

break the news to Mac-"you'll be back in time for the big Blow-Out." To clinch matters, he accompanied Nicholas from the cabin to the river trail, explaining: "You savvy? Big feast-all same Indian. He

n joyful anticipation, and promi

first thing in the morning the Boy looked the problem in the face, and devise

oach the subject. He devised scenes in which, airily and triumphantly, he introduced Father Wills, and brought Mac to the point of pining for Jesuit

nother. It's just over little things like this that trouble begins. Mac's one of us; Father Wills is an outsider

od priest's chances of tumbling into an air-hole, or being devoured by a timely wolf. But no, life was never so considerate as that. Yet he could neither face being the cau

ted, insulted, and go off wounded, angry, leaving the Boy with an irreconciliable quarr

c of events it was impossible not to cling to the idea of me

him the priceless bait of a golden-tipped emperor goose, dressed in imperial robes of rose-flecked snow? Or who, knowing Mac, would not trust a Xema Sabinii to play the part of a white-winged angel of peace? Failing some such heavenly messenger, there was nothing for it but that the Boy should face the ignominy of going forth to meet the Father on t

ck to camp, and the men were at s

bulging in

o' s

ck it

in-music, boys; give

tle Cabin to "wood up" for the night, "I'll walk down with

wed wood that did duty for a chair, with some difficulty and a deal of tuggin

hing tightly clasped in h

ng his eyes from the

t?" "Piece

took the thing nearer the faint li

by a little f

Any more?

returned instantly, lugging in something b

I came along home. Thought it

hausted on a ragged bit of burlap by the bunks. Mac knelt down opposite, pou

asped out, masking his ec

?" inquir

ook hi

has primigenius; and if I'm right, it's 'a f

oy leaned his head a

ocks. I saw the end of a tusk stickin' up out of the snow, and I scratch

? How

" "We'll go and g

er from

ly,

it's a g

if i

. I'd do more 'n

r if you'll do something for me." He watched with a sinking heart Mac's sharp uprising from the worshipful attitude. It was not li

s your

don't know as I want to walk ten hours again in this kind o' weather with an elephant on my back just for-for th

eated Mac sternly, as t

wered; but he paused, turned, and le

'd like, would be to hear you say you wouldn't kick up a hel

il-finder; and he, without waiting for more, simply open

Boy had had his grub half an hour before the usual time,

ipping bucket, and sat do

way'd

y? Down

n't go over

n the faint light he'd seen the Boy far down on the river-trai

eet ... a .

fled. "Don't believe he'll run like a ha

'd discovered a

N

t light out, too, an

r more blisters and chilblains, and another huntin' antediluvian elephants." The Colonel s

e frozen river, where, turned up to the pale northern dawn, were lying the bones of a beast that had trampled tropic forests, in that other dawn

of the other, two sleds covered with reindeer-skins held down by stones. In the corner formed by the angle of rocks and sleds,

ked about sharply for the Boy, as he had been doing this two hours. There was the Jesuit bending over the fire, bettering the precariou

Indians, squatting on the other side of the fire, scrambled away as the shifting wind brought a

d, winked, and wiped his we

?" Mac looked t

dded betw

n there? Call him

no w

ook on a look of

brought the last words to the pri

right by-and-by,"

p like that jus

nd general weakness.

, nothing. What? Down in the corner a small, yellow face lying in a nest of fur. Bright, dark eyes stared roundly, and as

ar

and relieved all at once, there wa

said stiffly. "Who're yo

it, seeming lost in thought. Presently the small object stirred, struggled about feebly under the encompassing fur

its warm nest. It was woefully thin, and seemed, even to his inexperience, to be ins

w extremely embarrassing it would be if anyone came in and caught him. Clutching the small morsel awkwardly, he fumbled with the furs preparatory to getting rid, without delay, of

t the saucepan. The child was caught away from the surprised Mac, and the furs so closely gathered round the small shrunken body that the

comer, proceeded to feed Kaviak out of the saucepan, bl

" commented Mac. "Wh

't but a handful-all ailing and all hungry. I was tramping across an igloo there a couple of days ago, and I heard a strange little muffled sound, more like a snared rabbit than anything else. But the Indian with me said no, everybody who had lived there was dead, and he was for hurrying on. They're superstitio

goin' to d

rs will look after him for a wh

houldn

ghtway by choking and falling in

," said Mac, thinking of his medicine-chest.

g Mac's unheard of civil

gh; the jolting make

"Do you need that scarf?" he asked, as though he suspected Mac of wearing it for show. "Because if you didn't you could wrap it round Kaviak whil

Kaviak, fixing mel

ntleman so addressed. He picked up his

Kaviak. They loo

a furrow cutting deep into his square forehead between the straight brows. Slowly he pulled his gloves out of his pocket, and turned out from each beaver gauntlet an inner mitten of knitted wool. "Here," he said, and put both little moccasined feet into one of the capacious mittens. Much pleased with

y English, but punctilious manners were understanded of Kaviak. He relaxe

them both in the Father's sled. Already the true son of the Chur

ow that's with us. You know, the one that found you t

instant with Kavi

i-no s

seen hi

led child he made a gesture up

own this morni

Father Wills' dogs, Kaviak lying in the sled muffled to the eyes, still looking round out of the corners-no, strangely enough, the Kaviak eye had no corners, but fixedly he stared sideways at Mac. "Farva," seeming no

he drivers, the grate and swish of the ru

urious that the child seemed not to mind the

order of march

and brought the racing dogs to an abrupt halt. The priest and he righted the sled, and Mac straddling it, tucked in a loosened end of fur. When all was again in running order, Mac was on the same

ce on the trail. Hi! Stop!" he called to Andrew. The priest had said nothing; but divining what Mac would be at, he he

meet Kaviak's tearful but grateful eyes-it was only then, bending over the sl

his pace. He had never for a moment found the trail so smooth that he could return his

urden in Nicholas's arms. Kaviak was ill-pleased, but Mac, falli

t presently, with the air of a man who a

d the priest; "th

't told

all r

alled that h

ribe. His people belong to that bra

iak as I'm MacCann. I supp

boy's name?" "Robert Bruce." They went on in silence ti

O

's different. A boy must have chances if he's going to fight the battle on equal terms. Of cour

that look of brotherliness on his fac

e got to strike it rich over yonder." He lifted his head, and frowned defiantly in the general direction of the Klondyke, thirteen hundred miles

United

oy to the old country. I

led, but almos

old i

youngster." Mac spoke wi

therea

a half. But

cour

already-he's go

on that brought Mac nearer confessi

-my married life-didn't pan out very well. And I-ran away from home as a little chap-after a

you will, if yo

said Mac sharply, "all but Nicholas-and what

getting on. But they were to

Nonsense!" Mac interrupted, an

ur friends so," said the unsuspect

to break the journey may make a big differen

d to-it's hardly fair to burden a

ngster"-he thrust out his jaw-"they can settle the account with me

he was himself a qualified doctor in full and regular practice. He kept his eyes on the f

ndians, who had gone some distance ahead. "

e footpath. He got so excited when he heard the noise and saw the party that, inadvertently, he let

nt. I was takin' him in to the sate of honour be the foir. We thought it 'ud be a pleasant surprise fu

ould be dashed to pieces, the priest happened to glance back, and saw coming slowly

more than you bargained for a

n the hill babbl

tarvin' anny longer. There's Potts been swearin', be this and be that, tha

Elephas primigenius against a tuft of willow banked round with

l stood and watched t

w him with that thing tied over h

bettered

miss you?"

e after some tracks. I was lyin' under the Muff a few miles down when you came back, and you-well, I kind o' thought you seemed to have your han

he matter

howl about. Bu

el

l go and get you the r

s, who had waited for the Indians to come back, and

as he saw that the bundle Nicholas was

g us! What's that? Man alive

air, "is a little Esquimaux boy, and I

sfied wid yer elephunt. Not him, be the Siven! It's an Esquimer he must have to finish off his collection, wan wid the rale Arctic cowld in his head, and two eyes that goes