“Are you ready to go now?” Katherine asked, a sudden pang of pity stabbing at her heart, for in the strong light her father’s face looked worn and furrowed, more than she had ever seen it before; indeed, a look of age had crept over his countenance during the last few days that was very marked, while his dark hair showed streaks of grey which had certainly not been there a week ago.  He had momentarily taken off his cap, to do something to one of the lappets which was not comfortable; but now he put it on again, covering his head, ears, and a good part of his face as well.

“Yes, I am ready, and rather keen on starting, for there is a damp smell coming in the air which may mean a slight thaw or more fall, and either would be bad for us to-day,” he answered, lifting his head and sniffing, like a dog that scents a trail.

“Can’t the dogs pull you a piece, Miss?” asked the agent in a tone of concern.  “It is a shocking long way for a bit of a girl, even though she is on snowshoes.”

“It is not longer for me than for Father, and I don’t even have to drag the sledge as he does,” Katherine replied brightly, as she fitted her moccasined feet into the straps of her snowshoes.

The dogs were in a great hurry to start, and one, a great brown-and-white beast which always followed next the leader, kept flinging up its head and howling in the most dismal manner until they were well on their way.  The noise got on Katherine’s nerves to such an extent that she was tempted to use her whip to the dog, and only refrained because it seemed so cruel to thrash a creature for just being miserable.  To cheer the animals for the heavy work before them, she talked to them as if they were human beings, encouraging them so much that they took the first ten miles at a tremendous rate, following so close on the track of the first sledge that presently ’Duke Radford held up his hand as a signal for stopping, then turned round to expostulate in a peevish tone:  “What do you mean by letting the dogs wear themselves out at such a rate?  We shall have one of them dropping exhausted presently, and then we shall be in a nice fix.”

“I haven’t used the whip once, Father, but I thought it was better to get them on as fast as I could, for I have felt and seen ever so many snowflakes in the last half-hour,” Katherine said penitently.

’Duke Radford turned his face rather anxiously windward, and was considerably worried to find that a few small snowflakes came dancing slowly down, and that the slight draught of the morning was changing to a raw, cold wind from off the water.

“It is a fall coming, and by the look of it, it may be heavy.  You had better keep the dogs coming as fast as you can.  But stop if I throw up my hand, or you will be running me down.”

“Shall we change places for a time?” asked Katherine.  “I am not a bit tired, but you look just worn out.”

“No, no, I can’t have you dragging a sledge.  But be careful and keep the dogs from rushing down the slopes and overrunning me,” he answered, then started forward again.