thing keeps up, we are in for
a trip full of excitement."

"Thank you, I don't want to meet any more wolves," replied the senator's
son.

All were worn out by what had happened and glad to sleep late the
following day. When they arose they found the storm had cleared away and
it was as bright as could be expected at this time of year. Once more
the sleigh was brought forth and the double team harnessed up. From the
mountaineer they obtained a few extra provisions, including a portion of
the mutton that had been killed. For this the man would take no pay, but
the boys made his wife a present of some silver that pleased the family
very much.

"And now to catch the exploring party!" cried Dave. "I don't think they
traveled any further than we did in that awful snowstorm."

"It all depends upon what road they were on, so Hendrik tells me,"
answered Granbury Lapham. Hendrik was the sleigh driver, a good-natured
man, although rather silent.

"Does he mean that they could travel on some of the roads, even if it
did storm?" asked Dave.

"Yes."

"Well, all we can do is to follow them the best we know how," said
Roger.

The new fall of snow had made traveling very heavy, and by noon they had
covered only nine miles. Not a hut was in sight, and they made a
temporary camp at the edge of a pine forest, where the trees sheltered
them from the wind. A fire was built and they broiled a piece of mutton
and made a large pot of coffee.

"What a sparsely settled country this is!" remarked the senator's son.
"I declare, it looks like some spots in the far West of the United
States."

"Norway is the most thinly settled country of Europe," answered Granbury
Lapham. "And instead of growing better it seems to grow worse. Many of
the peasants emigrate to Canada and the United States, where they can
get productive farms without much trouble."

It was necessary to let the horses rest for an hour, and during that
time the two boys strolled around the vicinity. There was, however, not
much to see, and once off the road they found walking uncertain and
dangerous.

"I can now understand why the driver didn't want to go on in that
storm," was Dave's comment, when he pulled himself out of a gully
several feet deep. "A little more and I'd have gone heels over head, and
what would happen to the turnout in such a place I don't know."

"If the sleigh breaks down, or we lose a horse, it will be very bad,"
answered the Englishman, gravely.