He lighted his pipe and they sat in silence for a while. Then Crestwick rose and bringing a blanket from the tent wrapped it about him and lay down in the lee of the boulder near the fire. A few minutes later he was sound asleep; but Lisle sat long awake, thinking hard, while the snow drove by above him. CHAPTER XXIII A FORCED MARCH When Crestwick awakened, very cold, and cramped, a little before daylight the next morning, it was still snowing, but Lisle was up and busy preparing breakfast. "That looks like marching; I thought we were going to lie off to-day," observed the lad. "How do you feel?" Lisle inquired. "Horribly stiff; but that's the worst. Why are you going on?" "Because the freighters should leave the Hudson Bay post to-morrow with their dog-teams. It's the only chance of sending out a letter I may get for a long while, and I want to write to Nasmyth." Crestwick shivered, glancing disconsolately at the snow; he shrank from the prospect of a two days' hurried march. Had Lisle suggested this when he first came out, the lad would have rebelled, but by degrees the stern discipline of the wilds had had its effect on him. He was learning that the weariness of the flesh must be disregarded when it is necessary that anything shall be done. "Oh, well," he acquiesced, "I'll try to make it. If I can't, you'll have to drop me where there's some shelter." He ate the best possible breakfast, for as wood was scarce in parts of the country, and making a fire difficult, it was very uncertain when he would get another meal. Then he slipped the pack-straps over his stiff shoulders, and got ready to start with a burden he did not think he would have been capable of carrying for a couple of hours when he left England. "Now we'll pull out," he said. "But wait a moment: I'd better look for a dry place to put this paper currency." "Where did you get it? You told me at the last settlement that you had hardly a dollar left." Crestwick grinned. "Oh, some of the boys offered to teach me a little game they were playing when we thawed out that claim. I didn't find it difficult, though I must own that I had very good luck. It was three or four months since I'd touched a card, and there's a risk of reaction in too drastic reform. Anyhow, I'm glad I saw that game; one fellow had a way of handling trumps that almost took me in. If I can remember, it should come in useful."