Lost In The Barrens

In the morning the boys ready the sled and head toward the Stone Igloo Camp, only to realize the fawn Otanak is missing. They return to the woods with the rifle and find wolf tracks in the snow following the fawn’s prints. Soon they see the wolves on a hill and know the fawn is dead. They fire a shot to scatter the wolves, then stare at Otanak’s body. Jamie wants revenge, but Awasin claims that it was their own fault for domesticating the animal.

At the Stone Igloo Camp, they find two dogs attempting to gain access to a cache. Awasin thinks they escaped from an Inuit camp and tosses food to the dogs. They eat and vanish, but Awasin says they will follow them back to the Hidden Valley. After a few days of tossing meat outside the cabin, they build a trap for the dogs. Soon the dogs are inside the cabin, content to have warmth and food. Within a few days, the dogs are docile and agreeable, and the boys name them Fang and Ayuskeemo.

An illustration accompanies the chapter title, featuring two huskies on a snowy bluff.