Page:Hendryx--Connie Morgan with the Mounted.djvu/280

262 a hundred yards or so from the door and deposited it on the snow. Returning to the cabin he proceeded to pack his own sled. Every ounce of grub about the place was neatly packed, then his own bed-roll, into which was bound the axes, and cutlasses of the men, and the bolts from their rifles, was bound to the top of the load and the six big malamutes harnessed. Once more Connie mounted his bench. The men had finished their fish and stood eying the cabin sullenly. "How did you like your breakfast?" asked the boy and laughed. "I'm feeding you dog's feed, and I'll make you do dog's work. It's an insult to dogs, and I ought to get bit for doing it. But I'm going to poke a babiche line out through this hole. Your beds are on that sled. Make the line fast and hike out on the back-trail." "W'ere's our grub?" asked one of the men in sudden alarm.

"Oh, I'll take care of the grub end of it," answered Connie. "All you've got to do is to tie onto that sled and beat it. And the quicker you get at it the quicker you'll eat again because we're going to be ten miles from here by dinner time."

He poked the rope through the hole and with much