noon
Far away in the timber a wolf howled , and Leloo 's eyes at once assumed an expression of intense longing and he listened motionless until the sound died away , then with a glance at the _ babiche _ thong that secured him , settled slowly to the robe and lay with his long pointed muzzle upon his outstretched forepaws , and his dull yellow eyes blinking lazily . Early the following morning they skirted the south shore of Lake Ste. Therese , crossed the river , and headed for a range of hills that could be seen to the south-eastward . The day was warm , ten to fifteen degrees above zero , and the gusty south-east wind was freighted with frequent snow squalls . Toward noon , as they were crossing a frozen muskeg , Connie , who was in the lead , stopped to examine some fresh caribou tracks that led toward the timber of the opposite side in a course nearly parallel with their own . ` Merican Joe halted his team and came forward . Leloo nosed the tracks and , with no more show of interest than a slight twitching of the ears , raised his head and eyed first ` Merican Joe , then Connie . The trail was very fresh and the scent strong so that the other dogs sniffed the air and whined and whimpered in nervous eagerness .