United States or Christmas Island ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


Metoosin ought to be along with the dogs inside of three or four days, an' when we get that bunch of Airedales in action, there'll be some fun." Langdon sighted at the fire through the polished barrel of his rifle, and said doubtfully: "I've been having my doubts about Metoosin for a week back. We've come through some mighty rough country."

Metoosin was to have a day's start, and Bruce planned to return to camp that afternoon so that he and Langdon could begin their hunt up the valley the next day. It was a glorious morning. A cool breeze came from the north and west, and about nine o'clock Langdon fastened Muskwa to his tree, saddled a horse, and rode down the valley. He had no intention of hunting.

Philip had armed himself with a rifle and his automatic, and Josephine had packed both medicine and food in a large basket. The new snow was soft, and Metoosin had brought a toboggan instead of a sledge with runners. In the traces were Captain and five of his team-mates. "Isn't the pack going with us?" asked Philip.

"It is possible. We may need your help. I would have asked Metoosin, but it would have made him suspicious of something and he knows nothing. You have made friends with the dogs? You know Captain?" "Yes!" "Then go to them go as fast as you can, M'sieur.

Even though he was less afraid than he had been, he was terribly lonesome. He missed Thor, and he whimpered so softly that the men a few yards away could not have heard him had they been awake. If Pipoonaskoos had come into the camp then he would have welcomed him joyfully. Morning came, and Metoosin was the first out of his blankets. He built a fire, and this roused Bruce and Langdon.

Metoosin had taken up lynx and marten and mink that would sell the next year in London and Paris for a thousand dollars, and he had brought back a few small cans of vegetables at fifty cents a can, a little flour at forty cents a pound, a bit of cheap cloth at the price of rare silk, some tobacco and a pittance of tea, and he was happy.

Langdon was "queer," and to an Indian that sort of queerness boded no good to man. The next morning at sunrise the outfit was ready for its long trail into the northland. Bruce and Langdon led the way up the slope and over the divide into the valley where they had first encountered Thor, the train filing picturesquely behind them, with Metoosin bringing up the rear.

"Their brains comprehend the hand that feeds them. It is a sort of pledge of friendship between you and them." With Metoosin she drew a dozen steps back, and Philip found that he had become the centre of interest for the pack. One by one he pulled out the fish. Snapping jaws met the frozen feast in midair. There was no fighting no vengeful jealousy of fang.

Thor was now hidden among the boulders and broken masses of sandstone, following her trail. Within two minutes after the grizzly disappeared Bruce and Metoosin scrambled up over the edge of the coulee. From where they stood even the sky-line was within fairly good shooting distance, and Langdon suddenly began shouting excitedly, waving his arms, and pointing downward.

"Metoosin once called Josephine 'Wapikunoo' the White Owl, and the name has stuck ever since. I haven't known Mignonne to miss a walk on a moonlit winter night since I can remember. But I prefer my airings in the day. Eh, Miriam?" "And there is no moon to-night," laughed his wife. "Hush but there is Philip!" whispered Adare loudly.