elf
and Mr. Bogle into the wilderness.

"Isn't this a queer time of the year to go prospecting?" inquired Jerry,
during a lapse in the conversation. "I thought summer was the right
season."

Mr. Raikes' blue eyes expressed mild surprise, as he turned to the
speaker.

"This is just the time for our line of business," he replied; and if he
ever spoke the truth in his life, he spoke it then.

"We'll make out all right if the weather holds good," he added, hastily.
"I'm a little afraid there's a snow squall coming, though. The air just
feels like it. It's not nearly so cold as when I started."

"That's so," exclaimed Hamp. "I can feel it getting warmer."

"You'd think it was downright hot if you were in my place," declared
Jerry. "I'm actually sweating."

"That's the best thing for you," said Mr. Raikes, "only don't take cold
after it. Well, I must be off. You boys want to sleep, and I suppose
Joe is getting anxious about me. Of course, we will see each other
again, since we are such near neighbors?"

Without waiting for a reply, Mr. Raikes shouldered his gun and strode
down the ravine. The boys shouted good-by after him, and watched until
he disappeared in the gloom.

"Not a bad sort of a fellow," commented Brick.

"He has mighty restless eyes," said Hamp. "When they weren't looking at
you, they were searching around the camp."

"I noticed that he watched Brick pretty sharply," put in Jerry. "He was
a mighty talkative fellow. Come to think of it, he found out everything
about us, and didn't tell us a scrap about himself."

Here the discussion of the departed Mr. Raikes ended, for the boys were
too sleepy to think of anything else. Brick looked at his watch, and
uttered a gasp of surprise.

"Half-past three o'clock. It will soon be morning."

"The roof of the cabin must be fixed before we go to bed," cried Jerry.
"It may snow at any time. You fellows will have to manage it, for I
won't dare stir about till I get over this sweat."

Brick and Hamp undertook the contract, and, by following Jerry's
instructions, they completed the work in a very few minutes. Then they
dragged a big log down the ravine and put it on the fire.

The light faded, and dawn came. It was a dreary sort of a dawn, at best,
for the weather had changed in a truly terrific manner. At midday the
tired boys were still slumbering, blissfully ignorant of the warring
elements outside. The afternoon advanced, and it was well toward evening
w