Fortunately the shore was near, not more than three or four miles away.  Within half an hour land was reached.  A forest came down to the edge of the lake.  From the nearer trees Morse sliced birch bark.  An abundance of fairly dry wood was at hand.  Before a roaring fire Cuffy lay on a buffalo robe and steamed.  Within an hour he was snuggling a contented nose up to Beresford’s caressing hand.

Fagged out, the travelers went to bed early.  Long before daybreak they were up.  The blizzard had died down during the night.  It left behind a crusted trail over which the dogs moved fast.  The thermometer had again dropped sharply and the weather was bitter cold.  Before the lights of an Indian village winked at them through the trees, they had covered nearly forty miles.  In the wintry afternoon darkness they drove up.

The native dogs were barking a welcome long before they came jingling into the midst of the tepees.  Bucks, squaws, and papooses tumbled out to see them with guttural exclamations of greeting.  Some of the youngsters and one or two of the maidens had never before seen a white man.

A fast and furious melee interrupted conversation.  The wolfish dogs of the village were trying out the mettle of the four strangers.  The snarling and yelping drowned all other sounds until the gaunt horde of sharp-muzzled; stiff-haired brutes had been beaten back by savage blows from the whip and by quick thrusts of a rifle butt.

The head man of the group invited the two whites into the largest hut.  Morse and Beresford sat down before a smoky fire and carried on a difficult dialogue.  They divided half a yard of tobacco among the men present and gave each of the women a small handful of various-colored beads.

They ate sparingly of a stew made of fish, the gift of their hosts.  In turn the officers had added to the menu a large piece of fat moose which was devoured with voracity.

The Indians, questioned, had heard a story of a white man traveling alone through the Lone Lands with a dog-train.  He was a giant of a fellow and surly, the word had gone out.  Who he was or where he was going they did not know, but he seemed to be making for the great river in the north.  That was the sum and substance of what Beresford learned from them about West by persistent inquiry.

After supper, since it was so bitterly cold outside, the man-hunters slept in the tepee of the chief.  Thirteen Indians too slept there.  Two of them were the head man’s wives, six were his children, one was a grandchild.  Who the rest of the party were or what relation they bore to him, the guests did not learn.

The place was filthy and the air was vile.  Before morning both the young whites regretted they had not taken chances outside.

“Not ever again,” Beresford said with frank disgust after they had set out next day.  “I’ll starve if I have to.  I’ll freeze if I must.  But, by Jove!  I’ll not eat Injun stew or sleep in a pot-pourri of nitchies.  Not good enough.”