The snow-storm had spent itself; the moon shone out of a cloudless sky, while myriads of stars lent their aid to the illumination of the night.

Even the cold was less noticeable than in the afternoon, when the damp wind blew off the water and the snow was falling so fast.
"It was worth while your being indiscreet for once, seeing that it has brought us out on a night like this," Miles said, as he crouched low in the sledge, holding on with both thickly mittened hands, for Katherine was driving, and the dogs were going with leaps and bounds, which made the sledge bounce and sway in a very erratic fashion.
"You won't say the indiscretion was worth while if it turns out that we are the second arrivals and not the first," Katherine answered.

But her tone was buoyant and hopeful; for she had little doubt about getting to the scene of her father's accident before Oily Dave and Stee Jenkin had succeeded in locating the spot.
"Wolves! listen to them!" exclaimed Miles, as a hideous yapping and howling sounded across the snowy waste.
"They are a good way off though, and I brought a pair Of Father's revolvers in case of accident," Katherine replied, her heart beating a little quicker, although in reality she would much rather have met two or three wolves just then than have encountered Oily Dave and the man who had wanted to buy the Black Crow tobacco.
"I'm glad you thought to bring them," said Miles.

"Nick Jones told me the wolves are uncommonly hungry for so early in the year, and they are in great numbers too.

He trapped twenty last week." "That means twenty less to bother us to-night, which is a great comfort," she answered, laughing nervously, for the yapping and howling seemed to be coming nearer and nearer.