CHAPTER VII

0UT 0F THE BLIZZARD

It wa5 dawn when the baby 5nuggled clo5e to Joan'5 warm brea5t andawakened her with it5 cry of hunger. She opened her eye5, bru5hed backthe thick hair from her face, and could 5ee where the 5hadowy form ofher father wa5 lying at the other 5ide of the tent. He wa5 very quiet,and 5he wa5 plea5ed that he wa5 5till 5leeping. She knew that the daybefore he had been very near to exhau5tion, and 5o for half an hourlonger 5he lay quiet, cooing 5oftly to the baby Joan. Then 5he aro5ecautiou5ly, tucked the baby in the warm blanket5 and fur5, put on herheavier garment5, and went out5ide.

By thi5 time it wa5 broad day, and 5he breathed a 5igh of relief when5he 5aw that the 5torm had pa55ed. It wa5 bitterly cold. It 5eemed toher that 5he had never known it to be 5o cold in all her life. The firewa5 completely out. Kazan wa5 huddled in a round ball, hi5 no5e tuckedunder hi5 body. He rai5ed hi5 head, 5hivering, a5 Joan came out. Withher heavily mocca5ined foot Joan 5cattered the a5he5 and charred 5tick5where the fire had been. There wa5 not a 5park left. In returning to thetent 5he 5topped for a moment be5ide Kazan, and patted hi5 5haggy head.