y storms in New York, but there the big buildings cut
off the force of the wind, except perhaps in some street canyon. But in
the backwoods, on this stretch of open fields, there was no protection
except that furnished by nature; or, in this case, by the sleds.

For a moment after the veteran hunter had called his warning no one
moved. They all seemed paralyzed by fear. Then Mr. Macksey called again:

"Into shelter, every one of you! What do you mean; standing there in
this storm? Get under the blankets--crouch down at the side of the
sleds. I'll go for help."

"But you--you'll freeze to death--I can't permit you to go!" protested
Mr. Pertell, yelling the words into the other's ear, to make himself
heard above the storm.

"No, I'm used to this sort of thing!" the hunter replied. "I know a
short cut to the lodge, and I can protect myself against the wind. I'll
go."

"I don't like it!" repeated Mr. Pertell, while Mr. Macksey was forcing
him back toward the protecting sled.

Meanwhile the others, now, if never before, feeling the need of shelter,
were struggling through the blinding snow toward the broken sled, from
which they had wandered a short time before while listening to the
attempts made at solving the problem of getting on.

"Isn't this awful!" gasped Ruth, as she clung to Alice.

"Awful? It's just glorious!" cried the young girl. "I wouldn't have
missed it for worlds."

"Oh, Alice, how can you say so? We may all die in this terrible storm!"

"I'm not going to think anything of the kind!" returned the other.
"We'll get out of it, somehow, and laugh at ourselves afterward for
being so silly as to be afraid. Oh, this is great!"

She was really glorying in the fierce outburst of nature. Perhaps she
did not understand, or appreciate, it, for she had never seen anything
like it before, and in this case ignorance might have been akin to
bliss.

But the others, especially the drivers of the two sleds, with anxious
looks on their cold faces, were trying to seek the shelter they so much
needed, and also look to the restless horses. For the animals were now
almost frantic with their desire to get away from that cutting wind and
stinging snow.

"Unhitch 'em all!" roared Mr. Macksey to his men. "Take the horses from
the sleds and get 'em back of as much shelter as you can find. Otherwise
they may bolt and upset something. I'll take old Bald-face, and see if I
can't get some kind of help."

Though what sort o