e some blood-stains
and torn scraps of white fur. Beyond a single trail led to the foot of a
tree and there ended.

"Marten," explained Pat briefly in response to the looks of inquiry.
"He ran Mr. Longlegs down here, ate his dinner and took to the trees.
I've had a hunch that there were marten in this neck of woods, but
haven't had a chance to trap them yet."

Later they put up a flock of spruce grouse, but it was out of season and
the boys had too much respect for the spirit as well as the letter of
the law to be even tempted to shoot. After the noon lunch Pat quickened
the pace somewhat. The temperature had moderated rapidly and the sky was
overcast. "It's a weather breeder, and we're in for more snow," said Pat
as he scanned the sky with some appearance of anxiety. "I don't like the
looks of it. We want to reach the cabin before the storm breaks, and
we've got to hit it up faster in order to do it. How are your legs?"

"Still doing business," replied Hal. "The stiffness is out, but I guess
I won't object to reaching that little old cabin. How about you, Walt?"

"Same here," replied Upton. "I'm game for the rest of the distance, but
the cabin will look good to me, all right, all right. Hope Alec will
have dinner ready. I've no sooner eaten than I'm hungry again."

"My tummy, oh, my tummy!"

began Hal, but Pat cut him short with the order to fall in, and started
off at a pace which left Hal no breath to waste on doggerel. They now
buckled down to the trail in earnest. Pat's fears proved well grounded,
for they were still some three miles from the cabin when the first
needle-like particles began to hiss through trees and sting their faces.
By the time they entered the pass to Smugglers' Hollow the tracks of Big
Jim had been entirely obliterated and Pat was holding the trail by the
blazed trees, a feat by no means easy because of the difficulty of
looking ahead in the face of the storm.

In the narrow pass they stopped for a few minutes for a breathing spell.
There the force of the storm was broken, but when they emerged into the
Hollow they found that they must force their way into the very teeth of
it. The wind had risen, and it drove the fine icy particles with a force
that almost cut the exposed skin. The blinding cloud swirled about them
and completely hid their surroundings. Pat, in the lead, partly broke
the force of the storm for those behind. It seemed to them as if he must
be going by blind instinct,