Part 14 (1/2)

”But that tree is right in the road now,” declared Jerry ”The storehouse is on the other side of it We can't get through, and it will be a risky thing to try to tunnel around it”

Hamp was not satisfied until he had crawled forward several feet Then a perfect network of interlacing branches drove hiht so,” said Jerry ”There is only one thing to do, fellows WeBy then the storm may be over At any rate, the snoill be more solid and compact, and won't cave in so easily We will be able to et at the storehouse froic, and as no one could suggest a better plan, the boys started despondently back through the tunnel, crawling in single file

They reached the end withoutshelter of the cabin once more

Brick looked at his watch and wound it up It was just half-past eight o'clock in the evening Of course, the boys were not sleepy, and it looked as though they would have to turn night into day They were savagely hungry, and longingly eyed the cartridge box that held the scanty remnants of their supper But they put the tereater need would coed their daether under blankets in a corner of the cabin

It was four o'clock when the boys finally dropped off to sleep, overcome more by mental than physical exhaustion They rested soundly, and awoke to find that another day had dawned--dawned hours before, for Brick's watch indicated eleven o'clock The hands could be barely seen by the h a crevice in the roof

The storm was over--the wind, part of it, at least The silence was oppressive Evidently the drifted snoas piled ht penetrated to the boys filtered through the outspreading branches of the fallen pine

CHAPTER XII

DECOYED TO DANGER

The first thing was breakfast Prudence was no reedily devoured the last scrap of food They even searched the pine boughs for fallen cru at all,” said Brick, ood, square meal,” said Jerry

”The snow must be packed pretty hard by this ti”

”And there won't bein,” added Haan the great undertaking Their very lives depended on reaching the storehouse

”I hope we can get out of this,” replied Brick ”I' what became of those two men”

”They're either dead, or snowed up so badly that they can't help theo to their assistance as soon as we get a chance That fellow, Raikes, put hier to help us, you know”

It was shortly after le file Jerry took the lead, and the others followed close at his heels

The snoas rather sticky and coe the top and sides of the passage as they went along Not a single cave-in was found They easily made the two turns, and reached the scene of Hamp's disaster on the previous day

Here the actual work began, for, though the storehouse was close ahead, the fallen tree effectually barred the way The boys turned sharply to the left, and tunneled cautiously along for ten or twelve feet through the pitch blackness

Then they struck the bank of the ravine, and followed it down for two yards

”We must have passed under the trunk of the tree by this tiht course for the storehouse And it's got to be straight, for if we dig only a foot or two to right or left, we'll strike either the tree or the other side of the ravine”

”Go ahead,” replied Hamp ”We'll make it, old fellow”