truck a
series of rocks, and the next minute all of the boys, including Gif,
went tumbling from the boxsled, and some of their provisions followed.

"Whoa there! Whoa there, Mary and John!" called Gif to the team. But
this command was not needed, for the tired old horses were only too glad
to stop, and had come to a halt the moment the youths tumbled off.

All had landed in the snow, which at this point was rather deep; so none
of them was seriously hurt, although somebody stepped on one of Randy's
hands and Spouter got a scratch on his ear from some nearby bushes.

"Well, here's a mess!" exclaimed Fred, as he picked himself up. "Now we
are in a pickle."

"Oh, it might have been worse," declared Jack, as cheerfully as he
could, because he could easily see that Gif was in a state of mind
bordering on desperation. "Nobody is seriously hurt, I hope?"

All scrambled up, and then looked at the roadway immediately ahead. Here
was a somewhat level spot, and to this the sled was driven, and the lads
picked up the stuff which had fallen off in the snow and replaced it,
this time tying it down with some ropes and straps which were handy.

"I don't believe I'll drive any further on this road," said Gif. "It
doesn't seem to lead to anywhere, and I'm quite certain now that it
isn't the way to Cedar Lodge."

"What will you do?" asked Andy. "Go back to that other road?"

Everybody was stumped, and for several seconds nobody made any reply.

"Might as well go back," said Spouter.

Fred and Randy walked on ahead, trying to determine where the road led
to. But all they could see was the blackness of the forest, and the
roadway seemed to grow rougher and more perilous at every step.

It was no easy task to turn the team and the boxsled around without
spilling everything again. But it was accomplished at last, and then
slowly and painfully they climbed along the hill until they reached the
point where there had been another split in the road. Here they came to
a halt.

"Listen!" cried Randy suddenly.

All did as requested, and from a distance heard the low musical jingle
of sleigh bells.

"There's a sleigh!" exclaimed Gif. "And unless I'm mistaken, it's coming
this way!"

They listened again, and were overjoyed to note that the sounds were
gradually coming nearer. Then they stepped out behind the boxsled, and
presently discerned a large two-seated sleigh, drawn by a powerful pair
of horses, approaching.

The steeds were