the shore
was close by. Will declared he could even hear the lapping of the
waves on the pebbly strand.

"We might have made it in much less time, you understand," said Frank,
"if it had not been for the fallen trees we had to go around; and then
there was the ravine we skirted a long way before meeting with a place
where we could cross."

"But it's all right in the end, Frank; and let me tell you I'm
thankful we came through the business as well as we did. Now the only
thing to bother us is the fate of the other fellows."

"Oh! they're all right, you can depend on it," said Frank.

"But I don't hear any chopping or talking, and we must be close enough
to the cabin to get that, you know," speculated Will.

"Which proves my theory was sound, and that they had to stay all night
in the village. You can depend on it, Will, they fared better than we
did, because the chances are they slept on feather beds, and had all
they wanted to eat."

"Oh, good, now we can cook something! I'm about as near empty as I
want to be, and feel able to make way with the biggest beefsteak
going. There, I can see the cabin, Frank! I'm glad to find out the
storm didn't pick it up bodily and carry it into the lake, as I
sometimes thought it might have done."

Both of them hurried their steps a little, for the thought of a warm
and tasty breakfast certainly appealed to them as seldom before.
Consequently they soon reached the cabin on the Point, which they now
called their camp home.

CHAPTER XIV

THE RETURN OF THE VOYAGERS

"After all the old cabin has had a pretty narrow escape, Will."

Frank, as he said this, pointed to where a tree had crashed to the
ground close by. It lay with its head toward the northeast. Had the
wind been more in the west at the time of its fall the roof of the log
structure must have been crushed in like an egg-shell.

Will was just about to enter when Frank caught hold of his arm and
held him back.

"What's the matter, Frank?" instantly questioned the other, looking
around him in surprise.

"Why, I wonder how it comes that the door is ajar. We both know as
well as anything that we made sure to shut it securely at the time we
left."

"Then Bluff and Jerry must have got back home!" exclaimed Will,
excited again. "Since they don't seem to be here, I reckon they've set
off to search for us, believing we must have gone out for a stroll,
and been caught in the storm."

"You forget one thing, Will.