Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial321dodg).pdf/578

“It ’s rough on the trappers,” the other responded. “Some of them have claims on Elephant Creek, too, and to-morrow is the last day for registering these claims. If they are delayed—”

“The captain has ordered us to go up to Mellin’s Peninsula at eight to-night. The break is around the curve and in a confoundedly bad place. In this pitchy blackness a man and his dogs might be in the water before they knew it. Hello, who was that?” for Swedie had given a half-cry and was hurrying from them with all his might.

“It ’s Kalmar’s son,” the other policeman replied. “It’s likely his father is out and the boy is anxious. The poor little beggar is afraid of his shadow, anyway, the lads tell me.”

Swedie's feet had wings. Eight o’clock. Why did the police wait until then? It was six now. In two hours his father, half blinded by the storm, might have gone down in the black, icy river, with no one to answer his cries for help, no one to hold out a hand to save him.

Without a thought for his own safety, Swedie made up his mind, and in half an hour Viking was harnessed to the little sled and the two were speeding in the face of the storm away from the cabin and down the steep hill to the river.

Swedie had his lantern, but did not light it. His ride would last for several hours and the lantern held but little oil. In a way he was glad it was not colder, for bis coat was none too thick and his left-hand mitten was worn through the end. The three bells on Viking's harness shook merrily, aud Swedie shouted to him encouragingly from time to time, sitting secure on his sled with an old shawl of his mother’s wrapped about his legs. He was quite sure he would reach the peninsula in time; then he would take the trail around the bank until he could descend to the river again. He would meet his father, explain the danger, they would journey home in safety together, and on the way he would tell him the wonderful news, making him guess a little at first to excite his