them. The sky was now growing quite dark.
“I don’t like this,” was Phil’s comment. “We’ll have no fun of it getting back to school, especially if the snow gets so deep that we can’t skate on the ice.”
“Say, this puts me in mind of a story,” commenced Shadow. “Once two boys were caught in a storm and – ”
“We haven’t any time for yarns now, Shadow!” cried Dave. “It’s back to the camping place as fast as we can get there, and then off for school, unless we want to be snowed in along the route!”
All started across the island, which, at that point, was not over seventy-five yards wide. They came out at a spot just above where they had stopped for lunch. Soon all of them stood close to where lay the remains of the campfire, now covered with the fast-falling snow.
“Hello! What does this mean?”
“Where is the hamper?”
“Where is the game?”
“What has become of the skates?”
“Where is that overcoat I left on the tree?”
These and several other questions were asked in rapid succession. Then the Oak Hall students looked at each other in blank dismay.
And not without good reason. For everything left at the camping spot when they had continued the hunt – game, hamper, skates, an overcoat, a sweater, and some other things of lesser importance – all had disappeared!
CHAPTER V – A TRAMP THROUGH THE SNOW
“What do you make of this, Dave?”
“I don’t know what to make of it, Roger – excepting that somebody has taken our things.”
“Do you think it’s a joke, or just plain stealing?” demanded Ben.
“That remains to be found out,” replied Ben. “One thing is certain, the things didn’t walk off by themselves.”
“Footprints of two persons!” exclaimed Gus, who had been scanning the snow-covered ground in the vicinity of the trees and bushes.
“Where do they lead to?” asked Dave, eagerly.
“Here they are – you can follow them as easily as I can,” was the reply, and the heavy-set youth pointed out the tracks in the snow. They led all around the trees and bushes and then in the direction of the river. Here there were a jumble of tracks and further on the marks of skate runners.
“Stopped to put on their skates,” remarked the senator’s son.
“And they have skated off with all our things!” grumbled Buster Beggs. “What are we going to do?”
“Say, that puts me in mind of a story,” came quickly from Shadow. “Once two boys were out skating and – ”
“For the sake of the mummies of Egypt, let up on the story-telling, Shadow!” burst out Phil. “Don’t you realize what this loss means to us? It’s bad enough to lose the hamper and clothing, but what are we to do in this snowstorm, with night coming on, and so far from Oak Hall without skates?”
“Humph! I guess we’ll have to walk,” grumbled the story-teller of the school. “But that will take time, and if this storm keeps up – ”
“We’ll be snowed under!” finished Chip Macklin.
“Well, no use in staying here,” came from two of the students.
“That is just what I say,” said Dave. “Those skate marks lead down the river and that is the way we want to go. By following them we’ll be getting nearer to the Hall and at the same time closer to the fellows who took our things.”
“We’ll never catch those fellows,” grumbled Ben. “They can skate five times as fast as we can walk.”
“Never mind, we’ll go after ’em anyway,” replied Gus. “And if we catch ’em – ” He did not finish in words but brought his right fist down hard into his left palm, which left no doubt as to how he intended to treat the thieves.
“Maybe it’s a trick, of some of the Rockville cadets,” suggested Buster, when the crowd were on their way down the river.
“Say, don’t you remember my saying I thought I saw somebody near the camp, just before we went away?” burst out Ben. “You all thought I was mistaken.”
“Well, I reckon you were not mistaken,” answered Dave. “It’s a great pity we didn’t investigate more before leaving.”
“No use in crying over spilt milk,” said Sam.
“Which puts me in mind of a sto – ” commenced Shadow, and then suddenly stopped talking and commenced to whistle to himself.
“Say, boys, if anybody should ask you, you can tell him it is snowing some,” puffed Buster, who was struggling to keep up with those in front. “If it wasn’t that we were on the river, it would be easy to lose our way.”
“That’s true,” replied Dave. “The snow seems to be coming down heavier every minute.”
“Yes, and the wind is coming up,” added Roger. “We’ll have a hard time of it reaching the Hall. We’ll never do it by supper-time.”
“Then where are we going to get something to eat?” demanded Buster. “I’m not going without my supper just because I can’t get back.”
“Perhaps we can get something at some farmhouse,” suggested Phil.
“I’ve got an idea!” cried Dave. “Why can’t we get some farmer to hook up a carriage or a sleigh and take us to the Hall that way?”
“Hurrah, just the cheese!” cried Ben, who did not relish walking such a distance. “The thing is, though, to find the farmer,” he continued soberly.
“Keep your eyes open for lights,” suggested Dave, and this was done.
A quarter of a mile more was covered, the students hugging the north shore of the stream, as that afforded the most shelter from the rising wind. Then Roger gave a cry.
“I think I saw a light through the snow! Just look that way, fellows, and see if I am right.”
All gazed in the direction indicated, and presently three of the boys made out a glimmer, as if it came from a lantern being swung to and fro. Then the light disappeared.
“Perhaps it’s some farmer going out to care for his cattle,” said Dave. “Let us walk over and see,” and this was done.
Dave was correct in his surmise, and soon the boys approached a big cow-shed, through a window of which they saw the faint rays of a lantern. Just as they did this they heard a voice cry out in wonder.
“What be you fellers a-doin’ in my cow-shed?”
“Oh, we just came in to rest out of the storm,” was the answer, in a voice that sounded strangely familiar to Dave. “We are not going to hurt your shed any, or the cattle either.”
“It’s
