, captain. See you yonder bluff with the bush
on the top of it?"

"Where away, Master Hendrick? D'ye mean the one lyin' to wind'ard o'
that cliff shaped like the side of a Dutch galliot?"

"The same. It is not more than a quarter of a mile off--make straight
for that. You'll be sure to fall in with game of some sort between this
and that. Wait there till we come up, for we shall breakfast there.
You can keep yourself warm by cutting wood and kindling a fire."

Rather pleased than otherwise with this little bit of pioneer work that
had been given him to do, Trench stepped boldly into the snow, carrying
his cross-bow in one hand, and the hatchet over his shoulder with the
other. He was surprised, indeed, to find that at the first step beyond
the encampment he sank considerably above the knees, but, being
wonderfully strong, he dashed the snow aside and was soon hid from view
by intervening bushes. Oliver, bearing his bow and bludgeon, followed
smartly in his track.

When they were gone Paul turned a look of inquiry on his companion.
Hendrick returned the look with profound gravity, but there was a faint
twinkle in his eyes which induced Paul to laugh.

"What mean you by this?" he asked.

"I mean that Master Trench will be the better of a lesson from
experience. He will soon return--sooner, perhaps, than you expect."

"Why so--how? I don't understand."

"Because," returned the hunter, "it is next to impossible to travel over
such ground in deep snow without snow-shoes. We must make these,
whether we advance or retreat. Meanwhile you had better blow up the
fire, and I will prepare breakfast."

"Did you not tell the captain we were to breakfast on the bluff?"

"I did; but the captain will never reach the bluff. Methinks I hear him
returning even now!"

The hunter was right. A quarter of an hour had barely elapsed when our
sturdy mariner re-entered the encampment, blowing like a grampus and
perspiring at every pore! Oliver was close at his heels, but not nearly
so much exhausted, for he had not been obliged to "beat the track."

"Master Hendrick," gasped the captain, when he had recovered breath,
"it's my opinion that we have only come here to lay down our bones and
give up the ghost--ay, and it's no laughing business; Master Paul, as
you'll find when you try to haul your long legs out of a hole three futt
deep at every step."

"Three futt deep!" echoed Oliver, "why, it's _four_ futt if it's an
i