INTO DARKNESS 45

behind me as the third sleigh drew close. There was
no other sound except the steady sizzling drag of
sleigh-runners, the crunch of moccasined feet on
snow and the occasional clank of a chain.

The sun had cast a million diamonds on the snow
at noon, and had melted the flakes on our moc-
casins as we sat on our sleighs eating lunch. But
now we trotted behind our teams and beat our
mitts together and held our scarves over our faces
when the wind swept down the trail. Tears froze
in our eyes and on our cheeks; our handkerchiefs
were too stiff to use.

“Wo, there, Cleo. WO! Here, Albert, stop a
minute. Look at that cursed pup of mine!”

The pup in question had his traces twisted round
his long, silly legs. The little bitch who was leader
pulled him mercilessly forward; his back was bent
into a curve of mute distress; he lifted his innocent
face in despair as numbed fingers sought to free
him and clip his harness into place. With difficulty
he was disentangled, and the procession again
moved forward.

The sky lost its changing clouds and strips of blue,
and levelled itself into a flat, dark grey above the
black line of distant trees and the hard white curves
of the hills. The Indian was muttering about moose.

“Oh, to hell with the moose, Albert! We're