o
shiver, despite their thick clothing.

Finally night closed in, and the raft was still drifting, the wind
carrying it four or five miles an hour. The night was so short that the
hope was general that the straightforward progress would continue until
sunrise, though Tim, who was better acquainted with the region,
expressed the belief that a storm of several days' duration had set in.

Since there was nothing to do, the men and boys disposed of themselves
as comfortably as possible on the lee side of the raft, beyond reach of
the waves, though the spray now and then dashed against their rubber
blankets which each had wrapped about his shoulders and body. After a
time Jeff took his station at the bow, though an almost imperceptible
change of wind caused the structure to drift partly sideways.

Roswell and Frank, who were seated back to back and in an easy
attitude, had sunk into a doze, when both were startled by a bump which
swung them partly over. They straightened up and looked around in the
gloom, wondering what it meant.

"We've struck shore," called Jeff, who was the only one on watch. "The
voyage is over for the time."

There was hurrying to and fro, as all perceived that he had spoken the
truth. The corner of the raft had impinged against some ice that was
piled on the beach. The gloom was too deep for any one to see more than
a few rods, so that Tim, who had traversed the sheet of water before,
was unable to guess where they were.

"Provided we've come over a straight coorse," said the Irishman, "we
can't be far from the fut of the lake."

"We'll know in the morning, which can't be far off," replied Jeff;
"we'll make ourselves as comfortable as we can until then."

Despite the wind, they managed to light several matches and examine
their watches. To their surprise, the night was nearly gone, and it was
decided not to attempt to put up their tent until daylight.
Accordingly, they huddled together and spent the remaining hour of
gloom in anything but comfort.

At the earliest streakings of light all were astir. Springing from the
ground, Tim McCabe hurriedly walked a short way to the northward. The
others had risen to their feet and were watching him. As the gray light
rapidly overspread the scene, they saw the lake, still tossing with
whitecaps, stretching to the south and west, with the shore faintly
visible. On the east, north, south, and west towered the snow-capped
mountains, with Mount Lotne and o