CHAPTER XXV.
SNOWED IN.
With the coming of night the downfall of snow increased until it wasimpossible to see a dozen feet in any direction. The wind also increasedin fury until it blew a regular gale. At first this was in their favor,being directly on their backs and sending them over the ice at a furiouspace, but soon it shifted, first to the left and then to in front ofthem, and now further progress appeared out of the question.
"I'm afraid we can't make it!" gasped Dick, turning to catch his breath."I'm almost winded now."
"I've got to stop," came from Sam. "I'm ready to drop."
"I can't see a thing," said Tom. "And I'm in mortal terror of skatinginto some big air-hole."
"You are right, lads, we'll have to give up the idea of reaching campto-night," came from John Barrow seriously. "But where to take you toout of this awful storm I scarcely know."
"Any kind of shelter will do," said Sam. "We can rig up a hut under somebig cedar tree."
"In that case, let us stick as closely to the river as possible."
"Why?"
"We can get fish then, if we need 'em."
No more was said, and the guide at once led the way to a thick clump ofcedars growing but a rod away from the edge of the river. The cedarsformed something of a circle, about fifteen feet in diameter, and byclearing out some brushwood in the center they made quite a cozy restingplace. On the outside the cedars were laced together, and the snow wasbanked up on all sides, leaving but one opening, two feet wide andseveral feet high, for the purpose of supplying them with fresh air.
By the time the shelter was ready for use all the boys were so faggedout they could scarcely stand. Dick and the guide had brought blanketswith them, and one of these was placed over the opening temporarily, tokeep out a large part of the wind. Then a candle was lit and John Barrowburnt up a little brushwood, "jest to take the chill outer the place,"as he explained. They did not dare to let the flames grow too high forfear of setting fire to the cedars themselves.
As the boys lay on the brushwood resting, they heard the wind outsideincreasing in violence, and saw the cedars bend to and fro, and listenedto them creak dismally.
"Mr. Barrow, how long do you reckon this storm will last?" questionedTom.
"There is no tellin', lad. Perhaps through the night, an' perhaps for acouple o' days."
"If it lasts two days, we'll be snowed in for keeps!" came from Sam.
The guide shrugged his shoulders. "True, Sam, but we've got to take whatcomes."
"Let us take account of our provisions," said Dick. "If there is anyprospect of our being snowed in we'll have to eat sparingly, or run therisk of being starved to death."
There was not much to count up: some meat and crackers Dick and theguide had brought along, and the meat, crackers, and the rabbit in Tomand Sam's store. In his pockets John Barrow also carried some coffee,sugar, and some salt.
"Not such a very small lot," was Dick's comment. "But it might be more."
A scanty evening meal was quickly disposed of, and then the candle wasblown out, and all retired to rest. The boys were soon sound asleep, andpresently the guide followed, but with his hand on his gun, ready forany attack by man or beast, should it come.
The night passed quietly enough, for presently the wind went down. Thesnow grew thicker than ever, until it covered the river to a depth oftwo feet and more. Around the cedars there was a huge drift, buryingthe shelter completely.
It was Dick who roused up first, to find all pitch-dark around him.Bringing out a match, he lit the candle and looked at his watch.
"Seven o'clock!" he murmured. "Guess I'll go out and see what theweather is."
Stretching himself, he walked to the blanket which had been placed overthe opening, and tried to thrust it aside. At once a mass of snow cametumbling down and sifted in all directions, a good share on Tom's face.
"Hi! who's washing my face with snow?" cried Tom, as he opened his eyesand sat up. "That's a mean trick, Dick, on a fellow who is dead tiredout."
"I didn't mean to do it, Tom. I was going outside, to see how theweather is. I reckon the snow is pretty deep."
The talking aroused the guide and Sam, and soon all were on their feet.The snow in the opening was pushed back and they forced their wayoutside, to find themselves in a drift up to their waists.
"Gosh, but we are right in it!" was Tom's comment. "See, the river iscompletely covered. That settles skating."
"And the worst of it is, it is still snowing," came from Dick.
"With no signs of letting up," finished John Barrow. "Boys, I am afraidwe are snowed in, or snowed up, just as you feel like calling it."
"Do you mean we'll have to remain here?" questioned Sam quickly.
"For the present. We are a good four miles from the pond, and we can'ttramp that in this storm."
The wind was rising again, with a dull moaning through the timber, andsending the flakes whirling in all directions, and they were glad enoughto get back to the shelter of the cedars.
"We'll clear a space in the snow and start a fire," said the guide. "Ahot cup o' coffee will do us all good."
"And we can cook that other rabbit Tom and I brought along," put in Sam.
Brushwood was handy, and Tom helped to cut some of this with the huntingknife he had brought along. Soon a lively blaze was warming them up, andwater was boiling for the coffee, while the rabbit was cleaned, andbroiled on a long fork in the guide's outfit. Crackers were running low,and they had but two apiece.
"I'll try fishing as soon as I'm done," said John Barrow, and was asgood as his word.
It was no easy task to cut a hole through the ice, but once this wasaccomplished the fish were found to be lively enough, despite the stormand the cold. Inside of an hour they had a mess of nine, sufficient tolast them for several meals. And while the others were fishing, Dickcaught sight of a flock of birds, and brought down three.
"There, we won't starve yet awhile," said Dick, as he began to clean hisgame.
"That's true," answered Tom, "although we may get pretty tired of birdsand fish before we get out of here and strike something different."
"I wonder how the Baxter crowd is faring," said Sam. "Unless they gotback to the cave they can't be having a very good time of it."
"They don't deserve a good time of it," grumbled Tom. "They deserve tosuffer."
"Bill Harney is a good enough guide to know what to do," put in JohnBarrow. "He will pull them through somehow--that is, if he knows enoughto remain sober."
They had hoped that the storm would let up by noon, but twelve o'clockfound the snow coming down as fast as ever, blotting out the landscapeon every hand. Outside of the moaning of the wind all was as silent as atomb.
There was but a little for the boys to do, and after the fishing wasover they were glad enough to take it easy in the shelter and listen toseveral stories John Barrow had to tell. The guide also related what heknew concerning Goupert and the various hunts made for the missingtreasure.
"He must have been a fierce sort of a man in his day," observed Dick."I don't wonder the most of the folks in this region were content toleave him alone."
It was almost nightfall when the snow stopped coming down, and then itwas too dark to attempt the journey to Bear Pond.
"We'll have to make another night of it here," said John Barrow. "Then,if it's clear, we can start for the pond early in the morning."
"Hark!" cried Tom, rousing up. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" came from the others.
"I thought I heard somebody calling."
All listened. For a few seconds silence reigned, then came an uncertainsound from a considerable distance.
"There it is!"
"That's somebody calling, sure," said the guide. "Must be down along theriver. I'll go out an' look."
"Can I go along?" asked Dick. "You may want help--if somebody is introuble."
"All right. Bring your gun with you."
In another
minute they had started out, each with his gun, and with histrouser legs tied up with bits of cord, to keep the deep snow fromreaching up to their boot-tops. Their course was directly for the river.
It was so dark they could see little or nothing, saving the whitenesswhich spread in all directions.
"Hullo! hullo!" yelled John Barrow, when the river was gained.
"Help!" came back faintly. "Help!"
"Somebody over thar!" said the guide, and pointed a short distance upthe stream. "Guess he's in a peck o' trouble, too."
He started in the direction, and Dick came close behind. The party indistress was a man, whose cries for aid were gradually becoming weakerand weaker. Before they reached the individual his voice ceasedentirely.
"He has fainted from exhaustion," said John Barrow, as he reached thewayfarer.
"Why, it's Jasper Grinder, our old teacher," ejaculated Dick.
The eldest Rover was right. The unfortunate man was indeed the formerteacher of Putnam Hall, but so pinched and haggard as to be scarcelyrecognized. He had fallen on a bare rock, and this had cut open his leftcheek, from which the blood was flowing.
The Rover Boys In The Mountains; Or, A Hunt for Fun and Fortune Page 26