By the dim light of the dying fire she donned the coat, cap and mitts that Kitty had made for her.  Then seizing her snow-shoes, she cautiously opened the back door.  As she did so she could hear the other door creaking beneath the weight of several bodies pressing against it from the opposite side.  That it would soon give way she felt certain, so she must make her escape while there was time.  Stepping out into the night, she looked fearfully around.  Seeing no one, she sped along the trail, and in another minute was within the sheltering arms of the great forest.  Here she paused and looked back.  Nothing could she see but the house standing black and drear in the midst of the little clearing.

It took her but a few minutes to arrange her snowshoes on her feet, and she had just straightened herself up from her stooping position when a crash and a medley of shouts fell upon her ears.  She knew the meaning of these sounds, and her heart beat wildly.  The door had been burst open, and the men were in the room searching for her.  Presently she saw several come out of the house and look around.  Waiting to see no more, she sped along the trail which stretched out before her.  Never had she travelled with such speed, her great fear urging her forward.  Would the slashers follow her? she asked herself.  At times she stopped and listened with the strained attention of a hunted animal.  But nothing could she hear, so encouraged she pressed onward.

At first she did not find the walking difficult, owing partly to her excitement and the freedom she felt in being away from the house of dread.  She had no trouble in following the trail, for sufficient light sifted down through the trees to show the beaten track.  She wondered who had travelled that way as she had not heard Norman refer to any one coming from the great river.  She had no idea as to the time of night, although she hoped that it might be late for then she could look forward more hopefully to the dawn.  That the trail would lead her to the mast-cutters she had not the slightest doubt, so this gave her considerable comfort.

She had been travelling about an hour when the snow began to fall.  Among the trees it did not at first impede her progress, but she could tell by the roaring overhead that a heavy storm was abroad.  When crossing a wild meadow or a small inland lake she experienced some of the force of the wind, and the snow almost blinded her.  She was always glad when the trail led once more into the shelter of the woods.

At length, however, a sudden weariness came upon her.  The walking grew heavy, and she was finding much difficulty in following the trail.  Occasionally she stepped aside and sank into the deep snow, out of which she struggled with great effort.  Each time it was harder to extricate herself, and her feet would slip provokingly off the snow-shoes.  And all the time the storm increased in fury, reminding