<h2 id="c5"><br/>CHAPTER V <br/>PLANNING A PERILOUS JOURNEY</h2>
<p>The house in which the girls lived was a
cunningly built affair. Eight long poles, brought
from the distant river, had been lashed together
at one end. Then they had all been raised to an
upright position and spread apart like the pole
of an Indian’s tepee. Canvas was spread over
this circle of poles. That there might be more
room in the tent, curved willow branches were
lashed to the poles. These held the canvas away
in a circle. After this had been accomplished
the whole inside was lined with deerskins. Only
an opening at the top was left for the passing
of smoke from the Yukon stove. The stove stood
in the front center of the house. Back of it
was a platform six by eight feet. This platform
was surrounded on all four sides and above by a
second lining of deerskin. This platform formed
the floor and the deerskins the walls of a little
room within the skin house. This was the
sleeping room of Marian and Patsy.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_56">[56]</div>
<p>A more cozy place could scarcely be imagined.
Even with the thermometer at forty below, and
the wind howling about the igloo, this room was
warm as toast. With the sleeping bag for a
bed, and with a heavy deerskin rug and blankets
piled upon them, the girls could sleep in perfect
comfort.</p>
<p>In this cozy spot, with one arm thrown loosely
about her cousin’s neck, Marian lay that night
for a full five minutes in perfect silent repose.</p>
<p>“Patsy,” she said, as her arm suddenly tightened
about her cousin’s neck in an affectionate
hug, “would you be terribly afraid to stay here
all by yourself with the Eskimos?”</p>
<p>“How—how long?” Patsy faltered.</p>
<p>“I don’t know exactly. Perhaps a week,
perhaps three. In the Arctic one never knows.
Things happen. There are blizzards; rivers can
not be crossed; there is no food to be had;
who knows what may happen?”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_57">[57]</div>
<p>“Why, no,” said Patsy slowly, “with Attatak
here I think I shouldn’t mind.”</p>
<p>“I think,” said Marian with evident reluctance,
“that I should take Attatak with me.
I’d like to take old Terogloona. He’d be more
help; but at a time like this he can’t leave the
herd. He’s absolutely faithful—would give his
life for us. Father once saved him from drowning
when a skin boat was run down by a motor
launch. An Eskimo never forgets.”</p>
<p>“How strangely you talk,” said Patsy suddenly.
“Is—is the purple flame as serious an
affair as that?”</p>
<p>“Oh, no!” answered Marian. “That may
become serious. They may be killing our deer,
but we haven’t caught them at it. That, for the
present, is just an interesting mystery.”</p>
<p>“But what are you—where are you going?”</p>
<p>“Listen, Patsy,” said Marian thoughtfully;
“do you remember the radio message we picked
up three days ago—the one from the Government
Agent, sent from Nome to Fairbanks?”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_58">[58]</div>
<p>Patsy did remember. She had spent many
interesting hours listening in on the compact but
powerful radio set her father had presented to
her as a parting gift.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she said, “I remember.”</p>
<p>“When did he say he was leaving Nome?”</p>
<p>“The 5th.”</p>
<p>“That means he’ll be at the Siman’s trading
station on about the 12th. And Siman’s is the
spot on the Nome-Fairbanks trail that is nearest
to us. By fast driving and good luck I can get
there before him.”</p>
<p>“But why should you?” persisted Patsy.</p>
<p>Then Marian confided to her cousin the new
trouble they were facing, the almost certain loss
of their range, with all the calamities that would
follow.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_59">[59]</div>
<p>“If only I can see the Agent before he passes
on to Fairbanks I am sure he would deputize
someone to come over here and compel Scarberry
to take his herd from our range. If I
can’t do that, then I don’t see that we have a
single chance. We might as well—as well—”
there was a catch in her voice—“as well make
Scarberry a present of our herd and go on our
way back to Nome. We’d be flat broke; not a
penny in the world! And father—father would
not have a single chance for a fresh start. But
we will be ruined soon enough if we try to put
up a fight all by ourselves, for Scarberry’s too
strong; he’s got three herders to our one. The
Agent is our only chance.”</p>
<p>For a long time after this speech all was
silence, and Marian was beginning to think that
Patsy had gone to sleep. Then she felt her soft
warm hand steal into hers as she whispered:</p>
<p>“No, I’m not afraid. I—I’ll stay, and I’ll
do all I can to keep that thief and his deer off
our range until you get back. I’ll do it, too!
See if I don’t!”</p>
<p>Patsy’s southern fighting blood was up. At
such a time she felt equal to anything.</p>
<p>“All right, old dear; only be careful.” Marian
gave her a rousing hug, then whispered as she
drew the deerskins about her:</p>
<p>“Go to sleep now. I must be away before
dawn.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_60">[60]</div>
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