t, anyway," said Roger. "It takes
so long for the trees to grow again."

"Yes, and they are never so nice afterwards either," added Dave.

With security from the storm, at least for the time being, everybody
found himself hungry. A small fire of fir branches was started, and over
this they made a pot of coffee and broiled a piece of the mutton brought
along. They had some bread with them, and also some cheese-cake, and
managed to make a square meal. They took their time eating, since there
was nothing else to do.

"Wonder how long we'll have to stay here?" mused the senator's son.

"Until this awful wind lets up, I guess," answered Dave. "My! just
listen to it roar and whistle! I shouldn't care to be out on the
mountain top."

"You couldn't stand up there."

Hendrik brought in a large bundle of sticks and kept the fire going, so
that they were soon well warmed. In the meantime it was growing darker
and darker.

"We'll have to stay here until morning," announced Granbury Lapham. "To
attempt to move in this darkness would be foolhardy."

There was absolutely nothing to do after that but sit down and rest, and
soon the dancing of the fire made Dave sleepy. He rolled up in a blanket
and closed his eyes, and presently Roger followed his example.

When the two boys awoke it was morning, but only a faint light reached
them in their sleeping place under the cliff. They found Granbury Lapham
already up. The sleigh driver, worn out, was stretched beside the fire,
snoring lustily.

"Why, what has happened?" asked Dave, trying to look beyond the shelter.
"I declare, it looks as if we were snowed in!"

"That's about the size of it," returned the senator's son. "And it
looks to me as if it was still snowing."

"We'll have a time getting out on the road."

It was snowing thickly, so that but little could be seen beyond the
improvised shelter. Fortunately, however, the wind had gone down, so
that it was not nearly so cold as it had been.

They made themselves breakfast, and then Granbury Lapham aroused the
sleigh driver. Hendrik went beyond the shelter before eating and shook
his head dubiously.

"It will be a hard road to travel," he announced, in Norwegian, to the
Englishman. "A hard road indeed!"

"Don't you think we can reach Bojowak to-day?" asked Granbury Lapham.

"We can try," was the non-committal reply.

They did not start until nearly noon. First Hendrik broke the road with
the horses alone and then cam