't borrow
trouble before it comes. We have enough on our hands now."

He pointed to the roof, which was sagging down considerably in the
middle. There was evidently a heavy weight of snow on top.

"No way to remedy that," he added. "We can't get up there in such a deep
snow. Let's make the best of it, fellows. I'm thankful that I feel well
after my cold bath last night."

"If anything happens, those men may help us," suggested Hamp.

"Not likely," replied Jerry. "I'll bet anything they're worse off than
we are. Probably they've got nothing to shelter them but a couple of
rocks or a flimsy lean-to."

"Then I pity them," declared Brick. "But let's have something to eat,
fellows. I'm ravenous."

His companions were equally hungry. All sat down on the straw, and for
half a minute no one spoke or moved. An expression that was half
serious, half comical, stole over each face.

Then Hamp opened a tin box and took out several dozen biscuit. He
unrolled a napkin and disclosed about half a pound of chipped beef. He
spread these things significantly in front of his companions. The act
was enough to tell the tale.

"I thought so," exclaimed Brick, dismally. "We'll starve, sure. What
fools we were to leave everything in the storehouse."

"What confounded fools," echoed Hamp. "But we couldn't have known what
was going to happen."

The storehouse, it must be explained, was a triangular hollow between
two rocks that stood in the center of the ravine, half-a-dozen yards
below the cabin.

Here, snugly covered with one of the sleds, rested most of the
provisions--tinned biscuit and meats, potatoes, flour, lard, coffee,
pork, and various other articles.

This place had been selected because there was not sufficient room in
the cabin.

"We can't keep alive long on this handful of crackers and beef,"
declared Jerry. "We've got to get at the supplies somehow or other.
Light the lantern till we look about us. Where are the matches?"

"In the storehouse," muttered Brick. "The sealed bottle, I mean. But we
had a box here last night. I saw it lying in that corner."

Alas! the corner was heaped up with snow, and when Brick dug out the
box, it was a sight to be seen. It had been left partly open, and the
heads of the matches were one sticky mass.

"Look in your pockets," Jerry fairly shrieked.

Every pocket was quickly searched, but to no purpose. Not a match could
be found.

"No light, and hardly any food," muttered Jerry,