Storm-Bound; or, A Vacation Among the Snow Drifts

the right track, or have we lost our be

ing easy, plea

t sassy kid who was so eager to have

my name's George Robbins. I'm beginning to smell

rections, and that instead of heading straight for the winte

boy who had called himself George, at the same time glancing app

arty, and whose good-natured face usually screwed itself up in

emed to depend considerably, as though he might be a leader among them; "let's rest up a bit here, and look

outs the wide world over. Of course they wore heavy woolen sweaters in addition, for the time w

lively town was situated many miles to the south of the place

of his time at his lonely cabin in the forest. Here in the summer he studied, and experimented to his heart's content; while during the winte

rofessor among scientists. Many times the boy had received a warm invitation to run up and visit the old gentleman,

. When he mentioned the scheme to Elmer, as well as two other scout

even heard of Uncle Caleb, so that the boys hardly knew which way to turn. Just then they happened to run across a lanky boy with a grinning face, whom Elmer "pumped," with the result

they had managed to tramp into the very heart of what seemed to be a trackless forest. In every direction stretched that never ending array of tall and little trees, each snow spl

human presence. Not a shout or a gunshot had they heard; in vain had they searched the snowy gro

ricked by that glib-tongued native lad, who had chuckled so disagreea

r; but two of them also carried guns; and Toby had strapped on his pack a pair of snow-shoes his uncle had once presented to him,

hey should turn; "and while I'm liable to be mistaken just as much as anybody else, I really think we'd have a better chance to

ion of assistant scout master of the troop. When the regular scout master, a young man named Mr. Roderic Ga

mer often found it a difficult task to satisfy their expectations. And so it was he had in the start given t

ys ready with objections and questions and serious shakings of the head. They called him "Doubting George," but grown people woul

be jumping out of the fryingpan into the fire if we

being questioned, for he knew George of old, and in fact would have been c

hom his schoolmates had in a spirit of fun long ago dubbed "Lil Artha," which ridiculous nick-name

s," George hastened to say, looking almost alarmed; "if I did

e old thing out, and both Toby'n me feel that we can't do better than try what he says. I only hope the walking's better than it's been

figure out how we'd find any use for skates where there was only swamp, marsh, and mebbe a few little crooked creeks nearly always covered with a foot of snow. So I

it," observed Elmer drily, as he shot a dubious gla

is feet, showing sign

do a thing to us, p'raps. We haven't got only enough grub for a single day. I guess matches are about the

Elmer, who was an exact contrast to George in that he always saw the silve

t shy of the same I reckon you could depend on me to get fire by making a little bow, and sawing the same on a pointed stick, South Sea Islander way. I've done it more'n once, though I never seem able to depend on my cunning. So

r any sign of footprints in the snow that would give them encouragement, though as time passed, and

scovering smoke rising amidst the trees. Hope died hard, and only George grumbled when more th

rested in examining the trail, and speculating on whether it had been of the ordinary red variety, or a gray animal

body of the fox, as well as his brushy tail, must have scraped as he slipped past. It was plainly a red hair, and even George coul

these, so as to figure out what was chasing bunny to induce him to take such enormous jumps. But the fact of their being astray in that unknown forest, with night not far away, and a

that fashion in every crowd of scouts. As a rule he has some good qualities that make his friends forgive his bad ones, and finally they get so accustomed to his grumblings that they pay little attention to them. In fact

ings, except that the light was showing signs of failing, and perhaps George stumbled mor

is way either, Elmer," su

rol, cheerily; as though it would have to be something more than this to discourage him, because he had made it his business in li

came abruptly from

ave to make a scout litter and carry you the rest of the way, if you ke

grin; "but what's the use trying to poke along any further? Might as well be killed fo

" echo

night's comin' on right fast; and then if you take a look you'll see that it's begun to snow!" and as