e right away,
generally mean frosted or frozen feet, and that always means trouble in
the woods in the winter time."

Down they all trooped to Escoumains. They stopped in at Madame
LaBlanche's boarding house to let her know that they would be there for
lunch.

"Make us up some of those good biscuits of yours," said Mr. Waterman to
her in French.

She promised to do so and also said that her son would be ready at one
o'clock to drive them all back to the woods.

"Are we going to drive back?" asked Bob.

"Yes," said Mr. Anderson. "We'll take in quite a supply of grub, for we
do not expect to come out except for mail for at least a month. We'll
have to go in via the ford, as we did the first time, and you know that
that is some sixteen miles away."

The boys all received letters and busied themselves reading them and
writing others. They spent the morning very pleasantly and were at the
boarding house in good time. They presented quite a different appearance
from the trim young city fellows that had eaten there on their arrival
such a short time before. Now they were clothed for the woods, with blue
shirts, mackinaws, heavy trousers and shoe packs. At a distance, one
could hardly distinguish them from the numerous woodsmen that were to be
seen around the village. They brought back from the woods great
appetites, and the famous LaBlanche biscuits disappeared by the
plateful. Chicken was once more the center of the meal, and it was
thoroughly enjoyed.

"Thank Heaven," said Pud, as they got up from the table, "we don't have
to walk back. I'm so full I couldn't walk if I tried."

"You'll do some walking," said Mr. Waterman. "We have only one pair of
horses and a wagon. We'll all walk on the hills."

Soon they were off, Mr. Waterman and Mr. Anderson on the front seat with
the driver, and the boys seated on the bags that were stowed behind. The
little Canadian horses set off at a sharp trot. The boys nodded at every
one they met as they went through the village, not forgetting even the
vivacious, petite, dark-haired and dark-eyed French Canadian misses that
did not fail to come to many of the windows or doors as the wagon
rattled by. It was a fine day and they were happy as the gods. They
laughed and talked and sang and asked innumerable questions. Their two
leaders were also full of good spirits and gave them all the information
they had. For the first five miles the horses went along famously. Then
the roads got po