THE WILDERNESS CASTAWAYS [Illustration: He waited, his axe grasped in both hands [_Page 272_]] THE WILDERNESS CASTAWAYS BY DILLON WALLACE AUTHOR OF “THE LURE OF THE LABRADOR WILD,” “THE LONG LABRADOR TRAIL,” “BEYOND THE MEXICAN SIERRAS,” ETC ILLUSTRATED BY HENRY S. WATSON CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG & CO. 1936 COPYRIGHT A. C. MCCLURG & CO. 1913 Copyrighted in Great Britain CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I GETTING ACQUAINTED 1 II THE FIRST BEAR 23 III A HUSKY CAMP 34 IV THE WILDERNESS PRIMEVAL 49 V WRECKED 64 VI THE CASTAWAYS ABANDONED 86 VII ADRIFT ON AN ICE PAN 95 VIII FACING STARVATION 111 IX THE WATERS CLEAR 124 X A NARROW ESCAPE 140 XI A DEATH STRUGGLE 151 XII FACTOR MACTAVISH OF FORT RELIANCE 163 XIII WINTER SHELTER AND HARD WORK 184 XIV A LONELY CHRISTMAS 194 XV THE TRAPPER FROM INDIAN LAKE 209 XVI RELEASED FROM BONDAGE 219 XVII THE SNOWSHOE JOURNEY TO INDIAN LAKE 231 XVIII STALKED BY WOLVES 252 XIX ON THE FUR TRAILS 270 XX WINNIPEG AT LAST 285 XXI BAD NEWS AND GOOD 295 XXII HOW PAUL AND DAN MADE GOOD 306 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE He waited, his axe grasped in both hands _Frontispiece_ “Keep un nerve,” soothed Dan 84 Dan struck up a tune 116 Fired several more shots after the retreating birds 136 He could feel its sharp claws tearing his flesh 162 The Eskimos were watching them curiously from the beach 174 “You’re a big coward” 180 The boys were startled. They had heard no one approach 208 The three put their heads together 286 THE WILDERNESS CASTAWAYS CHAPTER I GETTING ACQUAINTED “Dan Rudd,” roared Captain Zachariah Bluntt, “if I has to tell you again to keep that mouth organ below decks, I’ll wring your neck! Yes, wring your neck! By the imps of the sea, I will!” “Aye, aye, sir,” answered Dan Rudd, a robust, sunny-faced sailor lad of sixteen, quickly slipping the offending harmonica, upon which he had been playing a lively air, into his pocket.