iles he bore
slightly north along the old trapper's trail that Upton remembered the
sheriff had taken in his search for Alec the previous fall. From this
point they bore south, and presently came to the edge of a small pond
glistening white and spotless in the moonlight. At that hour it was
seemingly safe to cross, but Alec was taking no chances and kept to the
cover around the edge.

At the entrance to the draw of which Pat had told them they paused for a
whispered conference. The boys were cautioned to watch every step and to
guard against the slightest sound. Pat was to place them in hiding to
the rear of the camp where they would be out of all possible danger
should there be any shooting and he once more impressed upon them the
fact that they were Scouts under orders and under no circumstances were
they to move unless signaled. Alec would hide near the spring, while Pat
would secrete himself where he could cover the cabin-door.

Making a detour Pat led the boys to a point slightly up the hill and
back of the clump of hemlocks in which he said the cabin was hidden.
Upton and Sparrer he placed together in a thicket directly to the rear
of the camp, and Hal he stationed a hundred yards to the right. Then
once more charging them to make no sound he left them and vanished as
completely as if the ground had opened and swallowed him.

The moon still rode high, but already the gray of approaching dawn
appeared in the east and dulled its silver radiance. They had arrived
none too soon. Upton strained his eyes to make out the cabin, but in the
uncertain shadows it was impossible. He found himself actually wondering
if Pat and Alec were not mistaken. He found it hard to believe that
there could be any other human beings within miles of them. It was
bitter cold, and despite the extra clothing the boys felt the chill of
it. It seemed to creep into the very marrow of their bones and the
excitement which had exhilarated them at the start subsided in direct
ratio to their increasing discomfort.

The gray in the east crept higher and the moon waxed pale. The shadows
grew less dense and objects more distinct. Little by little something
took shape down there among the firs. At first it was little more than a
mound of white, but presently Upton made out that what he had at first
taken to be a little blacker shadow than the rest was nothing less than
the smoke-blackened top of a short chimney into which he could look from
his positi