“Now, Parry, I’ll feed you,” Rex said.
“You untie hands, I be bon.” The breed declared with an imploring look.
But Rex shook his head.
“No, my friend. I’ve seen what you can do with those hands and I’m not going to take a chance.”
So he had to submit to being fed, an operation which took some little time as he was a big feeder.
“Well I guess I’ll be on my way,” Bob said as soon as the first gleam of the coming dawn showed in the east.
“Sure you can find the way?” Rex asked anxiously.
“Sure. I’ve got a map here and my compass. I’ll be all right and I ought to be back here by three or four o’clock. You be careful with that fellow and don’t let him get loose,” he cautioned as he fastened the thongs of his snow-shoes.
“Well so long,” he said as he shook hands with them.
As he had feared the snow was very wet and sticky and the going was hard from the start. But he was used to it and a merry whistle floated back to the two on the porch as they watched him until the mighty forest swallowed him.