hail for
about an hour, but after that it quickly froze again, the air turning
intensely cold. Then Paul beheld the whole world sheathed in glittering
ice. The sight was so dazzling that his eyes were almost blinded, but it
was wonderfully beautiful, too. The frozen surface of the lake threw back
the light in myriads of golden sheaves, and every tree, down to the last
twig, gleamed in a silvery polished sheath.

"It 'pears to me," said Shif'less Sol lazily, "that we ain't on an islan'
no longer. The Superior Powers hev built a drawbridge, on which anything
can pass."

"That's so," said Paul. "The ice must be thick enough now to bear a war
party."

"Ef that war party didn't slip up an' break its neck," said Shif less Sol.
"All that meltin' stuff froze hard, an' it's like glass now. Jest you try
it, Paul."

Paul went out in the hollow, and at his very first step his feet flew from
under him and he landed on his back. Everywhere it was the same way--ice
like glass, that no one could tread on and yet feel secure.

"We have our drawbridge," said Paul, "but it doesn't seem to me to be very
safe walking on it."

Nevertheless, Henry and Ross slipped away two nights later, and were gone
all the next day and another night. When they returned they reported that
the Miami village was pretty well snowed up, and that the hunters even
were not out. Braxton Wyatt was still there, and they believed he would
soon be up to some sort of mischief--it was impossible for him to remain
quiet and behave himself very long.

"Meanwhile what are we to do?" asked Paul.

"Just stay quiet," said Henry. "We'll wait for Braxton and his savages to
act first."

But the ice did not remain long, all melting away as the fickle
northwestern weather turned comparatively warm again, and the five once
more began to move about freely.

CHAPTER XV

WORK AND PLAY

Henry and Ross were gone to the mainland, and Paul, Shif'less Sol, and Jim
Hart were left on the island. Shif'less Sol stood at the edge of the
hollow, hands on hips, admiring the hut.

"Paul," he said, "I think that thar house is jest about the finest I ever
built."

"You built!" exclaimed Jim Hart indignantly. "Mighty little you had to do
with it, Sol Hyde, but eat in it an' sleep in it, which two things you are
willin' enough to do any time! It's me an' Paul who have reared that gran'
structure."

"It appeals to my instincts as an eddicated man," went on Sol, calmly
disr