hat night. They were
compelled to remain under the shelf of rock, because outside
everything was soaking wet; and besides, the night wind blew unusually
cold for that time of year. Without a fire to cheer them it would have
been unbearable to try to stay in the open.

Of course the rocks proved very hard. Every little while the boys
would change their positions in the endeavor to relieve their aching
limbs. Many times did Will find himself sighing for his blanket, which
had never seemed half so precious as now, when it was far away.

Frank managed to divide the piece of hard dried beef with his knife,
and give the larger portion to Will, who, of course, knew nothing of
the sacrifice. They munched away from time to time, taking minute
bites, and grinding the tough meat between their teeth as long as
possible before swallowing it.

This served in some measure to keep their thoughts away from their
unhappy condition, which was one object Frank had in mind.

At times they talked of the two comrades who had gone off, aboard the
boat, bent on reaching the far distant village on the lake shore. Will
worried about them. Frank professed to have the utmost confidence in
the ability of the chums to look after themselves.

"Stop and figure it all out, Will," he told the other. "If they made
as good time as we expected, they must have reached the village long
before noon came. In fact, we felt pretty sure they were in port at
the time we ate our own lunch in camp."

"Yes, that's what we agreed," admitted the other, briskly.

"Well, let's try to guess what they'd be apt to do," continued Frank.

"I know what Jerry would have in his mind first of all, if it happened
to be anywhere around noon," said Will. "Jerry never forgets when it's
meal time; and the chances are ten to one he'd try to make sure they
were going to get dinner somewhere."

"All right," agreed Frank; "that might bring them to nearly one
o'clock. Afterward they'd want to get a hustle on them trying to
gather up a supply of butter and fresh eggs, according to their
orders. Now if they had to go outside the place to get the supplies it
would be long after two before they'd be in shape even to think of
starting back to camp."

"I see what you're hitting at, Frank; you mean they'd likely enough
notice how the inky black clouds were moving up in the sky about that
time, because being so close to the big lake they could see all this;
while the woods hid it from u