“If there were more than one,” rejoined Sandy, peering fearfully across at the subject of their conversation, “I think I’d be inclined to pull this blanket over my head. I simply wouldn’t want to see ’em.”
Dick’s amused laugh was broken short by a sudden snarling from the huskies. This continued until Toma cracked his whip and shouted out a sharp word of command.
“No like ’em wolves either,” he explained. “You promise no be afraid if I tell you something.”
“Certainly,” answered Dick. “What is it?”
Sandy and Dick, following directions, drew in a quick breath of alarm. Two more wolves, equally as large as the one on their right, trotted along unconcernedly across the drifts, their furry forms plainly distinguishable in the moonlight.
“Lord help us!” exclaimed Sandy, with no thought of irreverence.
“Can you beat that?” Dick wanted to know.
“No see wolves any more when morning comes,” Toma attempted to cheer them. “You wait.”
After that the hours seemed interminable. Both Dick and Sandy had forgotten about the novelty of their ride. Intermittently Toma’s whip cracked; the huskies moved on; there was no sound except the slight noise of their progress across the field of white. On either side trotted the wolves, three dark shapes, moving like ghosts, never once quickening or slackening pace. It was with a sigh of relief that Dick finally perceived the first faint glow of morning across the eastern sky.
“We stop pretty soon and have something to eat,” announced Toma, breaking the long silence.
And a few minutes later, when they drew up before a small log cabin, standing at the edge of a narrow sheltering woodland, their companions of the night—the three wolves—were nowhere in sight.
“What I tell you,” their guide reminded them.
“Right, as usual,” grumblingly admitted Sandy. “But tell me, Toma, whose place is this?”
“Another friend—him live here,” answered Toma. “We have breakfast, sleep two, three hours, then go on some more. No like to travel night.”
It took but a few moments to unhitch and feed the huskies. Dick looked on with interest as Toma threw each one of the dogs its ration of frozen fish. Then the three boys strode forward toward the cabin, upon the door of which the young half-breed knocked loudly. But no answer ensued.