re inside the cabin, have the bar on the door and don't open, even
to us, unless you recognize our voices."

"Why, we'll feel as if we were living in a fort, at that rate," Dick
laughed.

"One has to, in the face of an enemy," Greg asserted. "But you can call
it a blockhouse, instead of a fort, Dick, and the logs will look more in
keeping."

Before four of the Grammar School boys departed on a forenoon tramp all
hands turned to and laid in a goodly supply of firewood and water.

In the afternoon Dick and Dave headed a party of young explorers,
leaving Tom and Greg on guard at the cabin.

The day after, morning and afternoon, the Grammar School boys fished
through the ice on the pond, catching enough pickerel and trout to last
famished boys for two meals.

During these two days neither Mr. Fits nor the Ripley crew made an
appearance. Still, the camp was not left unguarded. A few more days of
rare life and sport followed. Then there came a day when, an hour after
sun up, the crust proved too weak to support the Grammar School boys.

"We've a thaw coming," hinted Dave.

"Or else a storm," added Prescott.

"Whatever is coming will be all right," announced Tom, "if it isn't
another big blizzard. A second blizzard, and we'll be snowbound here for
the rest of the winter!"

The softness of the snow kept the Grammar School boys at the camp that
day. Their stock of books came in handy now. By four o'clock that
afternoon it began to rain. Soon it poured, and the downfall kept coming
all night long. It was still raining heavily when the new day came. That
warm rainstorm lasted until nearly evening of the second day. With every
hour of continued rain some of the snow vanished.

"We're going to lose the last bit of the good white stuff," predicted
Tom gloomily.

When the rain ceased at last the prophecy was verified. Throughout the
forest the recent "big snow" was visible only in small patches here and
there.

"The best part of our good time is gone," grumbled Dan.

"Have you fellows been watching the state of provisions lately, I
wonder?" asked Dick.

"What about 'em?" demanded Harry.

"Well, just look over the stock."

"We've enough for two days yet, haven't we?"

"I don't believe what we have will last us through to-morrow," Dick went
on. "Let's appoint ourselves a committee to take account of stock."

"We made a big mistake when we were figuring on what we'd need,"
grumbled Dan.

"No," replied Dick, wit