Asecondcryarose,piercingthesilencewithneedlelikeshrillness.Bothmenlocatedthesound.Itwastotherear,somewhereinthesnowexpansetheyhadjusttraversed.Athirdandansweringcryarose,alsototherearandtotheleftofthesecondcry."They'reafterus,Bill,"saidthemanatthefront.Hisvoicesoundedhoarseandunreal,andhehadspokenwithapparenteffort."Meatisscarce,"answeredhiscomrade."Iain'tseenarabbitsignfordays."Thereaftertheyspokenomore,thoughtheirearswerekeenforthehunting-criesthatcontinuedtorisebehindthem.