eys for cooking.

"Do you think there is a storm coming?" asked Tom.

"Looks to me like snow, an plenty of it."

"I hope it doesn't come until we reach Bear Pond," said Dick, "I don't
want Dan Baxter and his crowd to get ahead of us."

"They won't have no better time o' it than we'll have," was the guide's
grim comment. "Aint no fun trampin' over the mountains with the snow
comin' down heavily; I can tell you that."

The wind continued to increase, and after the supper was cooked and
brought into the shelter, the guide took it upon himself to bank the
fire with great care, that it might not blow into the forest and start a
big conflagration.

"We've had some terrible fires here," he said. "One threatened my barn
two years ago, and we had to stay out two days an' a night a-fightin'
it. It would be a bad thing a night like this."

To keep out the cold, Dick crawled to the top of the opening and bound
in the cedar limbs closer than ever. He also got some brush-wood and
some vines, and on these placed a thick layer of snow.

"That's fine!" cried Sam, from below. "It's almost as tight as the roof
of a cabin."

Tightening the roof made a big difference inside, and when they had hung
up a blanket behind the upright sleds, and placed some cedar brush on
the floor, it was very cozy. They had brought along some candles, and
one of these was lit and placed in a lantern which was in one of the
packs. It was not a bright light, but it was better than sitting in the
dark, and it seemed to make the shelter warmer than ever.

CHAPTER XVI.

ON THE WRONG TRAIL.

One of the turkeys was finished even to the neck piece, and then both
Tom and Sam declared that they were so sleepy they could scarcely keep
their eyes open.

"It must be the mountain air," said Dick. "I'm sleepy, too. Let us turn
in."

"Will anybody have to stand watch?" asked Sam.

At this John Barrow shook his head. "Don't know as it's necessary," he
said. "Reckon we're safe enough. I'll keep my gun handy, in case any
animal prowls around."

The boys laid down and were soon in the land of dreams. Tom and Sam
slept near the back wall, with Dick next, and the guide near the
opening, which, however, was now completely closed by the blanket. The
fire was allowed to die down, for they did not dare to build it up, with
such a wind blowing.

Nothing came to disturb them. Once during the night Dick roused up and
heard the distant howling of a wolf. But t