The Gold Hunters / A Story of Life and Adventure in the Hudson Bay Wilds

trange pallor in his face that the white boy found himself calling on his comrade in a voice filled with choking sobs. The driver of the dog mail d

pened his eyes, gazed into the rough visage of the courier, then closed them again. There was relief in the courier's face as he pointed to the dogs from Wabinosh House. The exhausted animals were lying stretched upon the snow, their he

, "see the dogs! He's been running-ru

y of his comrade's last words had filled him with a new and terrible fear. What had happened to Minnetaki? Why had the factor's son come all this distance for him? Why had he

speak to him, until the courier pushed h

commanded. "We've got to get something hot into him, and rub

ire blazing upon the snow by the time the dog mail drew up with its unconscious burden. While the driver was loosening Wabi's clothes and bundling him in heavy bearskins Rod added dry limbs

watched Wabi slowly returning to life, and, so quickly that it had passed in a minute or two, there flashed through his mind a vision of all that had happened the last few months. For a few moments, as his mind traveled back, he was again in Detroit with his widowed mother; he thought of the day he had first met Wabigoon, the

olitudes! As Wabigoon's breath came more and more regularly he thought of that wonderful canoe trip from the last bit of ci

ome to her beloved brother and the white youth of whom she had heard so much-the boy from civilization-Roderick Drew. He remembered how his cap had blown off into the water, how she had rescued it for him. In a flash all that passed after that came before him like a picture; the days that he and Minnetaki had rambled together in the forest, the furious battle in which, single-handed, he had saved her from those fierce outlaw Indians of the North, the

l that his own copy of that map was there, the map which was to have brought him back into this wilderness a few weeks hence,

iled him, and his eyes closed again. There was a look of terror in Roderick's face as he turned to the courier, who came to his side. Less than twenty-four hours before he had left Wabigoon in the full strength of his spl

ng lifelessness of his hands, made him shiver with dread. Was it possible that a few short hours could bring about that remarkable tran

his arms and the courier placed a cup of the hot soup to his lips. The warmth of the liquid put new life into the famishe

" he said faintly.

tretched out his arms, and with his companion's assistance staggered to his f

d-I wouldn't

What has happened?

a himself is her captor, and they are taking h

?" gasped Rod slowly

give us fat for Mukoki's wound, you discovered a trail. You told us that you followed the sledge tracks, and that after a time the party had been met by others on snow-shoes, and that among the imprints in the snow was one that made you think of Mi

t live another day. Everything depends on you. You and the dying guide are the only two who know where to find the place where the attack was made. It has been th

and then sank down on the sle

pretty nearly killed the dogs. As a last chance we doubled up the tea

mystery. Both Minnetaki and her brother had told him more than once of the relentless feud waged against Wabinosh House by this bloodthirsty savage and d

ival, and when the white man won in the battle for love his fierce heart blazed with the fire of hatred and revenge. From that day the relentless strife against the people of Wabinosh House began. The followers of Woonga turned from trappers and hunters to murderers and outlaws, and became known all over that wilderness country as the Woongas. For years the feud had continued. Like a hawk Woonga watched his opportunitie

his hands clenched

to the North Pole if we have to! We beat the Woongas in the chasm-we

e the faint pistol-like cracks of a w

nts the three

ce came

Wabigoon, "Mukoki