glaring at the two
useless lanterns. "Now we must get to the storehouse. There are no two
ways about it. I suppose the snowshoes are with the other traps."

"Yes," said Hamp, dismally.

"If we had them here, we would be all right."

"Can't we dig a tunnel?" suggested Brick.

"That's just what I'm thinking about," replied Jerry. "It might be done,
though it will take a long time. The snow is so light that I am afraid a
tunnel will cave in."

"Let me try it, anyhow," said Brick. "You'll catch cold if you get into
the snow, Jerry."

"I'll attend to the tunneling," asserted Hamp. "I'm used to that sort of
thing. Do you remember our snow forts, Jerry?"

Jerry nodded.

"Do your best, old fellow. Everything depends on it. Let's all have a
bite to eat first."

As he spoke, a sharp, snapping noise was heard above the roar of the
storm. A terrific crash followed. The cabin quivered and reeled, and
black darkness shut out the pale gray twilight.

CHAPTER X.

A GREAT DISASTER.

The stunning crash and the succeeding darkness suggested an earthquake
to the frightened boys. They dropped down on the boughs and lay there
without moving for nearly a minute.

"Any one hurt?" asked Jerry, in a husky tone.

"I'm not," whispered Brick.

"Neither am I," added Hamp. "But we may be killed any minute. I wonder
what that was."

"I'll bet I know," exclaimed Jerry. "One of those big pine trees has
fallen right across the ravine. Luckily it hit the rock instead of the
cabin, and the thick branches are what makes it dark in here."

To prove his assertion, Jerry removed the plug from the hole over the
door. Sure enough, a couple of bushy, green limbs were seen protruding
from the cabin roof down into the snow.

"It's only the limbs that do that," declared Jerry. "The trunk of the
tree is on the rock. If it had fallen a little to this side we would
have been crushed like eggshells."

"The cabin is just as firm as ever," said Hamp, as he pressed his weight
against one side.

"It's firmer," asserted Brick. "It don't wobble one bit now, and it did
before."

"That's because the outspreading branches of the tree are holding it
like a vise," said Jerry. "I'll tell you what, fellows, this accident is
the best thing that could have happened to us. The cabin is as solid as
though it was built on stone, and the roof can't break down now, no
matter how deep the snow bec