Once three moving caribou, a mile or more away, brought a quick cry to his lips and Howland noticed that a sudden flush of excitement came into his face, replaced in the next instant by a look of disappointment.

After this he maintained a more careful guard over the Frenchman.

They had covered less than half of the distance to the caribou trail when in a small open space free of bush Croisset's voice rose sharply and the team stopped.
"What do you think of it, M'seur ?" he cried, pointing to the snow.
"What do you think of that ?" Barely cutting into the edge of the open was the broken crust of two sledge trails.

For a moment Howland forgot his caution and bent over to examine the trails, with his back to his companion.

When he looked up there was a curious laughing gleam in Jean's eyes.
"_Mon Dieu_, but you are careless!" he exclaimed.