That day and that night Doctor Joe remained with his patient. On the following morning it became necessary for him to return to The Jug for additional dressings and medicines. Eli drove him over.
The sky was clear, and the morning was bitterly cold, with rime hanging like a filmy veil in the air and glistening like flakes of silver in the sunshine. Doctor Joe and Eli ran in turns by the side of the komatik, while the dogs trotted briskly.
"What's that, now?" asked Eli, pointing to a black object far out on the white field of ice, as they approached The Jug.
"I can't make out," said Doctor Joe after a long scrutiny.
"We'll see," and Eli turned the dogs toward the object.
"It looks like a flatsled," said Doctor Joe as they approached.
"'Tis a flatsled," said Eli. "'Tis the men ran away from the lumber camp."
A gruesome sight met them as Eli brought the dogs to a stop. Huddled close and lying by the side of the toboggan, partially covered by drift, were the stiff-frozen bodies of two men.
"They were lost in the storm," said Eli presently. "They must have been wanderin' about till the frost got the best of un."
Doctor Joe and Eli lifted the remains to the komatik, attaching the toboggan to trail behind, and with their ghastly burden they turned in at The Jug.