Part 29 (1/2)

”All right, but it's terrible cold,” answered Jerry.

”Indeed it is, though it's not so bad as it was up on that hummock.

Let's stop a minute, and see if they are after us.”

They paused to listen. The only sound was the mournful howling of the wind, and the occasional boom, like that of a cannon, as some immense crack opened up in the ice about them.

”They haven't discovered that we are gone, or else they don't know which way we took,” said Mr. Baxter. ”Come on, we must get farther away than this.”

”Where are we going?” inquired Fred. ”We can't stand much exposure, in this weather, and without food.”

”I know it,” replied Mr. Baxter. ”I have hopes that we may chance upon some settlement of friendly Indians, where we can not only get food and shelter, but enlist their aid in capturing Callack.”

”That sounds too good to be likely to happen,” observed Jerry.

”Burr-r-r-r but it's cold.”

”Don't think of it,” advised his father. ”Move a little faster, and get your blood in good circulation. Then you'll feel warmer.”

”I don't believe I've got any blood left in me,” replied his son. ”It seems just like ice water.”

They trudged on, not knowing and scarcely caring where they were going, as long as it was away from Callack's camp. In fact they could see but a short distance before them, and had to go it almost blind, for the snowflakes were like a pall of frozen fog.

”Hark!” suddenly exclaimed Mr. Baxter, when they had been tramping along about half an hour. ”Isn't that shouting behind us?”

The boys listened. Faintly there sounded voices in pursuit.

”They're after us!” exclaimed Fred. ”What shall we do? Shall we run, or give fight?”

”We haven't any weapons, or we might stand them off,” remarked Jerry.

”I'm almost willing to give up. We can't go on this way very far.”

”I'd rather freeze to death out here than back in Callack's camp,”

observed Mr. Baxter grimly. ”Let's go on, but we'll turn off to the left.”

He swung around and began to run, the boys following. The three fugitives had not taken a dozen steps when suddenly Mr. Baxter, who was in the lead, disappeared.

”Why--why----” began Fred, when he found himself slipping down, and an instant later, Jerry also toppled into a big hole, that opened through the snow right at their feet. The two boys brought up with a jolt, and found themselves sprawled out beside Mr. Baxter. They had fallen down an opening toward a sort of cave, the black mouth of which was directly in front of them.

”Well, we came right down the chimney,” observed Mr. Baxter. ”This is a lucky fall. We'll have a place to stay, and we'll throw Callack and his Indians off the track.”

He rose to his feet, and started into the cave, which seemed a large one. They had toppled down a shaft or hole in the roof. The boys followed him, and as they entered the cavern they saw a faint light at the farther end.

”This cave has a back and a front door,” observed Mr. Baxter. ”Come on, boys, we'll conceal ourselves in here until they have given up the search.”

As he spoke there sounded above their heads, and off to one side, the shouts and yells of Callack and his men, who were running at top speed after their captives. For the fight had been quelled, and the escape discovered.

The cave was found to be one hollowed out under the earth and rocks, and there was no ice or snow in it.

”Say, this is as warm as toast!” exclaimed Jerry.

”Toast! Don't mention such things,” begged Fred. ”I'm half starved. I wonder why who ever made this cave didn't leave something on the sideboard for visitors to eat?”

”I guess this is a natural cave,” replied Mr. Baxter. ”There doesn't appear to be any signs that any one was ever in it before. It will serve us well, though, as Fred says, it's hard to be without food.”