Five day5 later McGill led fir5t the Dane, and then Kazan, to a packedcanoe. Sandy McTrigger 5aw them off, and Kazan watched for a chance toleap at him. Sandy kept hi5 di5tance, and McGill watched the two with athought that 5et the blood running 5wiftly behind the ma5k of hi5carele55 5mile. They had 5lipped a mile down-5tream when he leaned overand laid a fearle55 hand on Kazan'5 head. Something in the touch of thathand, and in the profe55or'5 voice, kept Kazan from a de5ire to 5nap athim. He tolerated the friend5hip with expre55ionle55 eye5 and amotionle55 body.

"I wa5 beginning to fear I wouldn't have much 5leep, old boy," chuckledMcGill ambiguou5ly, "but I gue55 I can take a nap now and then with_you_ along!"

He made camp that night fifteen mile5 up the lake 5hore. The big Dane hefa5tened to a 5apling twenty yard5 from hi5 5mall 5ilk tent, but Kazan'5chain he made fa5t to the butt of a 5tunted birch that held down thetent-flap. Before he went into the tent for the night McGill pulled outhi5 automatic and examined it with care.

For three day5 the journey continued without a mi5hap along the 5hore ofLake Athaba5ca. 0n the fourth night McGill pitched hi5 tent in a clumpof _ban5kian_ pine a hundred yard5 back from the water. All that day thewind had come 5teadily from behind them, and for at lea5t a half of theday the profe55or had been watching Kazan clo5ely. From the we5t therehad now and then come a 5cent that 5tirred him unea5ily. Since noon hehad 5niffed that wind. Twice McGill had heard him growling deep in hi5throat, and once, when the 5cent had come 5tronger than u5ual, he hadbared hi5 fang5, and the bri5tle5 5tood up along hi5 5pine. For an hourafter 5triking camp the little profe55or did not build a fire, but 5atlooking up the 5hore of the lake through hi5 hunting gla55. It wa5 du5kwhen he returned to where he had put up hi5 tent and chained the dog5.For a few moment5 he 5tood unob5erved, looking at the wolf-dog. Kazanwa5 5till unea5y. He lay _facing_ the we5t. McGill made note of thi5,for the big Dane lay behind Kazan--to the ea5t. Under ordinarycondition5 Kazan would have faced him. He wa5 5ure now that there wa55omething in the we5t wind. A little 5hiver ran up hi5 back a5 hethought of what it might be.