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told of a hunter who discovered the spirit Wendigo’s trail in the snow. Jamie asked where this had taken place.
    Telie-kwazie pointed up the Kazon. “I do not know for certain,” he said, “but I have heard it was near the Great Stone House, a day’s journey to the north.”
    â€œWhat is the Great Stone House?” Jamie immediately wanted to know.
    â€œI have not seen it,” Telie-kwazie replied, “but it is said that by the Kazon-dee-zee stands a house made of big stones. It is shaped like the wooden houses that the whitemen build, but it is much older than any white man. In ancient times it marked the boundary between our hunting lands and the country of the Eskimos. No one knows when it was built, or by what manner of men.”
    As the boys lay under their blankets that night, Jamie whispered, “Awasin! Let’s go have a look at that stone house!”
    Awasin had been half expecting this, and he was ready for it.
    â€œNo!” he said firmly. “If we go anywhere it will be back south when the six days are up. Forget about it.”
    Jamie sighed. “Oh well,” he said, “maybe the deer will come tomorrow.”

 

    CHAPTER 6
    No Man’s Land
    T HE DEER DID NOT COME THE NEXT day, nor the day after. The boys put in long hours fishing but they caught nothing. They walked for miles over the plains, but they saw no more game. By the third day even Awasin was restless.
    The two Chipeweyans went hunting during the afternoon and by suppertime had not yet returned to camp, so the boys ate alone. As the sun sank close to the horizon, Jamie drained his mug of tea, and spoke. “I’m going tocheck the nets. Maybe there’ll be some fish for breakfast.”
    He strolled down to the canoe. With a quick movement he flipped it over and shoved it half into the water. Whistling casually, he put the paddles aboard and then, choosing a moment when Awasin wasn’t looking, he hurriedly lifted two bundles that had been lying under the canoe, and stowed them aboard. Then with great nonchalance he picked up his rifle, climbed in and shoved the canoe out from the beach. He paddled a dozen feet, then let the canoe drift idly.
    â€œI may be a while looking for the nets!” he shouted. “First I have to go and see about a stone house—down the river!”
    Awasin dropped the tea-can, and came down the slope at a run. “Jamie!” he yelled. “Jamie, come back! You can’t go down-river alone!”
    Balancing the paddle on his knees, Jamie grinned. “I don’t want to go alone,” he said.
    Awasin knew that he was beaten, and secretly he was rather glad. His desire to explore down-river had been almost as great as Jamie’s, though tempered with caution and the knowledge that he was responsible for both of them. Now the decision was taken out of his hands.
    â€œAll right!” he shouted. “I’ll go!”
    Jamie laughed as he paddled to the beach. “I’ll bet you want to go as much as I do!”
    â€œPerhaps,” Awasin said. He paused. “We must leave a message for the Chipeweyans.”
    There was a little square of rough sand near where the canoes were kept, and here Awasin drew an arrow in the sand pointed north. Beyond it he placed a tiny pile of little stones that vaguely looked like a house. Under the arrow he drew the universal symbol for two days’ time—two suns with rays radiating from them. Then he climbed into the canoe.
    Of all the great rivers that flow through the arctic, the Kazon is among the mightiest. Under its rolling surface there is a deep and unseen power that defies the puny strength of men. Coming down it from Kazba Lake, the boys had felt no fear of the river, for they had been traveling with men who know how to respect its power. Now they were alone, and in the shrinking twilight the great river had an awesome majesty. The water was black and heavy and the thrust