us."

They put this plan into operation, walking slowly on in the intervals of
firing as nearly in the direction of the camp as they could judge. They
could see absolutely nothing save a sort of haze in front of their eyes,
and, as the cold continued to increase, they knew the sun must have gone
down.

"Can you see the Northern Lights?" asked Jerry.

"No. Can you?"

"Not a thing. Go on, it's your turn to shoot."

Following the report of Fred's gun they listened intently for an
answering shot. None came. For an hour longer they walked on, firing by
turns.

"I have only three more cartridges left," announced Jerry at length.

"And I have only two. This is getting serious. Maybe we're wandering
away from the camp instead of toward it."

"If we are, and have to stay out in the open all night, we'll have to
burrow down under the snow, the way the dogs do. I guess----"

"Hark! What's that?" asked Fred quickly.

"It's a shot!"

Fred quickly fired his rifle in answer.

"There it goes again!"

It was unmistakably a shot. Then Jerry fired, and again there came a
response.

"Let's yell," suggested Fred, and they united their voices in a shout.

To their great relief they heard persons calling. The voices came
nearer, and then they could distinguish Mr. Baxter's cry.

"Boys! Boys! Are you all right?" he asked anxiously.

"All right except that we're snow-blind!" replied Jerry.

"Oh, I feared you had been attacked by a pack of wolves, Jerry," said
his father. "And, Fred, are you all right?"

"We're both blind!"

"Well, that will pass away. I should have warned you to wear snow
goggles. I did not think you were going so far from camp, and I did not
realize that the sun was so strong on the snow. We began to get worried
about you a while ago, so Holfax and I started out after you. We heard
your shots, and traced you by them. It's a good thing you had your guns.
But come on, I'll lead you back to camp."

It did not take long to reach it, for the boys had been advancing in the
right direction. They were warmed with many cups of hot tea, and after
bathing their eyes in warm water their sight gradually came back, but
they could not see well until the next morning.

"After this you must wear goggles; we all will," said Mr. Baxter.
"Holfax has some, made from wood."

The goggles were queer affairs. They were merely pieces of wood, long
enough to extend across the eyes, and wide enough to completely cover
the