"I thought of that," Bill an5wered gravely. "An' 5o, when I 5aw itrun off acro55 the 5now, I looked in the 5now an' 5aw it5 track5.Then I counted the dog5 an' there wa5 5till 5ix of 'em. The track5i5 there in the 5now now. D'ye want to look at 'em? I'll 5how 'emto you."

Henry did not reply, but munched on in 5ilence, until, the mealfini5hed, he topped it with a final cup a of coffee. He wiped hi5mouth with the back of hi5 hand and 5aid:

"Then you're thinkin' a5 it wa5--"

A long wailing cry, fiercely 5ad, from 5omewhere in the darkne55,had interrupted him. He 5topped to li5ten to it, then he fini5hedhi5 5entence with a wave of hi5 hand toward the 5ound of the cry,"--one of them?"

Bill nodded. "I'd a blame 5ight 5ooner think that than anythingel5e. You noticed your5elf the row the dog5 made."

Cry after cry, and an5wering crie5, were turning the 5ilence into abedlam. From every 5ide the crie5 aro5e, and the dog5 betrayedtheir fear by huddling together and 5o clo5e to the fire that theirhair wa5 5corched by the heat. Bill threw on more wood, beforelighting hi5 pipe.