, taking the lead. But
presently the tall cadet called a halt.

"What's the matter now?" questioned Randy. "See any more game ahead?"

"No." Gif was staring around first to the right and then to the left.
"Hang it if I know whether we are on the right trail or not!"

"Do you mean to say, Gif, you don't know in what direction the Lodge is
located?" questioned Spouter quickly.

"I think it's off in that direction, Spouter," was the reply, and Gif
pointed with his hand, "but I'm not dead sure of it. Circling that
clearing threw me off the track."

"Well, were you sure of the trail before we came over here?" questioned
Jack. "If you were, we can go back you know, even though it is quite a
tramp."

"I thought I was sure, Jack. But now I'm not sure of anything," answered
Gif helplessly. "Someway or other, I seem to be completely turned
around."

"Gee! then we're in a pretty pickle," groaned Fred, who was beginning to
grow tired of tramping through the snow.

"If we could only get down to the river again we'd be all right," came
from Randy.

"I wonder if I could locate the Lodge from the top of one of these
trees," remarked Jack. "It would be quite a climb to get such a view,
but it would be better than tramping around without knowing where one
was going."

"I'll do the climbing," answered Gif quickly. "I got you fellows into
this mess, and it's up to me to get you out."

"Oh, don't think I'm complaining," returned Spouter quickly.

"None of us is complaining, Gif. We all know it's the easiest thing in
the world to get lost in a big woods like this--especially when there is
snow on the ground to cover up the landmarks."

A tall pine was selected, and the others boosted Gif upward as far as
they could. Then he mounted from branch to branch, and the others waited
below as patiently as possible for what he might have to report. In the
meantime a few flakes of snow came drifting downward, and soon it was
snowing steadily.

"Well, what can you see?" called out Jack, after those below had waited
quite a while for their chum to make a report.

"I can't see very much on account of the snow coming down," announced
Gif. "I can see the edge of a clearing that might be the one where Cedar
Lodge is located, but I am not certain of it."

"Well, take another good look," advised Spouter. "Wish we had field
glasses," he added.

It was a full fifteen minutes before Gif rejoined the others. He had
located but one place tha