reeze unless looked after.

Supper was cooked, and things made as cheerful as the conditions
allowed. Indeed, most of the boys thought that it was rather in the
nature of a novel experience to be forced to sleep amidst the snow
banks, and with only a scanty brush shelter between themselves and the
clear, cold sky.

Few of them secured much sleep, it may as well be admitted. Paul
himself was on the alert most of the night. Dozens of times his head
bobbed up, and his suspicious eyes covered the cowering forms of the
two prisoners, who had been placed where they would get the full
benefit of the twin fires.

Then again the fires needed frequent attention, and Paul took it upon
himself to see that they did not die down too low; for the night was
still bitter cold. As an abundant supply of wood had been gathered by
willing hands it was not very hard to toss a few armfuls on each fire
from time to time.

Morning came at last, and the scouts were up with the break of day.
The fires were again attended to, and breakfast started, for the lads
knew they would have a hard day's journey before them.

There was a strong possibility that they would encounter some huge
drifts which might block their passage; and it was this that gave Paul
the most concern.

It was nearly eleven when they finally sighted the place where the
one-time canal merged its waters with the Radway river, forming the
connecting link between that waterway and the home stream.

"Looks like an old friend," asserted Jud, when they had turned off the
wider stretch and started to follow the canal.

"But see the snow piles ahead of us, will you?" cried Bobolink in
dismay. "We're going to have some jolly work climbing through those!"

"If you only look," remarked Paul, "in most cases you'll find you're
able to go around the hills that bar your way."

It was very much as Paul said, for, as a rule, they were able to find
a passage around the huge drifts. Still progress was very tedious, and
when the scouts finally reached the river the afternoon was well
along.

"Look! will you?" called out Sandy Griggs, exultantly. "The dear old
Bushkill is swept as clear as a barn floor, and the ice is
gilt-edged!"

"Why!" echoed Bobolink, equally pleased, "our troubles have vanished
just like smoke wreaths. We can run all the way home with this nice
breeze that's coming up the river as fair as anything. Whoop! we're in
great luck, fellows!"

Stanhope was reached half