"And the other nights too," answered Altamont; "only the snow has covered their tracks."
"No," said the doctor; "it's more likely that they waited for the end of the storm; they went to the bay to catch some seals, and then they scented us."
"True," said Altamont; "so it is easy to know whether they will return to-night."
"How so?" asked Bell.
"By rubbing out some of their tracks; and if we find new ones to-morrow, we can be sure that they are trying to get into Fort Providence."
"Well," said the doctor, "we shall at least know what to expect."
The three then set to work, and soon effaced all the tracks over a space of about six hundred feet.
"It's strange, however," said Bell, "that they could scent us at so great a distance; we didn't burn anything greasy which could attract them."
"O," answered the doctor, "they have very fine sight, and delicate sense of smell! Besides, they are very intelligent, perhaps the most intelligent of animals, and they have found out something strange here."
"Perhaps," continued Bell, "during the storm, they came up as far as the plateau."