break when any strain was put on it."

Now, one would think from all these precautions that we were launched on
a perilous expedition. That was the impression we were trying to make on
ourselves, though, as a matter of fact, any one of us could have climbed
the cliff unaided and without any ice implements if he had used ordinary
care not to slip on the ice-clad ladder rounds or the snow-covered
ledges.

[Illustration: Fig. 199. Winter Expedition to the Goblins' Platform.]

A POOR SHELTER.

The climb was without mishap and we reached our tree house, only to find
it so badly racked by storm and weather that it was clearly out of the
question to attempt to spend the night there. The wind howled around the
house and whistled through dozens of cracks and chinks that had opened
in the walls. All that we could do, therefore, was to turn back to the
island and make the best of our straw hut again. On the way, however, we
stopped at Lumberville for some straw to be used for bedding. The
afternoon was spent sailing around on Lake Placid and the large smooth
stretch above the island.

A COSTLY CAMP FIRE.

After supper Bill and Reddy went into the hut to arrange the straw
bedding, while the rest of us gathered wood for a huge bonfire in front
of the hut. The wind was blowing right down the river and we expected it
to carry the warmth of the fire into the hut. The fire was built some
distance in front of the doorway, so as to prevent the hut from catching
fire. But we had evidently miscalculated the strength of the wind, for
no sooner was the fire fairly started than a shower of flaming brands
was blown right into the hut. In a moment the straw blazed up, cutting
off all escape for Bill and Reddy. Fortunately the framing was not
strong and the frost had loosened up the foundations, so that a few
frantic kicks opened an exit in the rear of the hut just in time to save
our comrades from cremation. Once it was fairly started we were
powerless to put out the blaze until the hut was ruined. The snow that
covered the walls checked the fire somewhat, but the thatching burned
from the inside, melting the snow and dropping it suddenly into the
flaming straw bedding on the floor. As we sat in a gloomy ring about the
camp fire, watching the tongues of flame play about the charred ribs of
our hut, we had reason to be thankful that the wind had played its
pranks before we turned in for the night. What a risk we had run of
being all b