"What's the matter?" asked Alice, quickly. "Are you ill?"

"No, don't worry about me, dear. I'm only--out of breath!"

"I positively believe you're getting stout!" laughed Alice, and Ruth was
glad that she could laugh, even in the face of impending danger. "You
must take more exercise," she went on.

"I'm getting plenty of it now," observed Ruth. "Oh, but it is hard going
in this snow!"

Together they struggled on, and finally reached the rock. As Alice had
surmised, the big boulder did give them shelter, and they were grateful
for it, as they were quite exhausted by their battle with the storm.

"What a relief!" sighed Alice, as she leaned back against the big stone.

"Oh, isn't it!" agreed Ruth. "But, Alice, if we are so played out by
that little trip, how are we ever going to get back to Elk Lodge?"

"I don't know, dear," was the hesitating answer. "But we must get back.
Maybe the snow will stop after a little, and we can see our way. That is
really all we need--to see the path. I'm sure I've been out in worse
storms than this."

"It is bad enough," responded Ruth, apprehensively. "See how it snows!"

Indeed the white flakes were coming down with increased violence, and
the wind swept and howled about the rock with a melancholy sound. The
girls huddled close together.

"Can you ever forgive me for bringing you out in such weather as this?"
begged Alice, self-reproachfully.

"It wasn't your fault at all, dear," Ruth reassured her and her arms
went about her sister in a loving embrace. "I wanted to come. Neither of
us knew this storm would make us get lost."

Alice said nothing for a moment. She was busy arranging a scarf more
tightly about her throat, for she felt the flakes blowing and sifting on
her, and did not want to take cold. The girls were warmly dressed, which
was in their favor.

For five or ten minutes they remained under the lee of the rock, not
knowing what to do. They realized, though neither wanted to mention it
to the other, that they could not remain there very long. Night would
settle down, sooner or later, and they could not remain out without
shelter. Yet where could they go?

"If it would only stop!" cried Ruth.

"Yes, or if someone from Elk Lodge would come after us!" added Alice.

"I'm sure they will!" cried Ruth, catching at this slender hope. "Oh,
Alice, I'm sure they'll come."

"And so am I, as far as that is concerned," agreed Alice. "The only
trouble is they will not