breakfast of goose, a
little of the remaining bread, and one cup each of weak tea sweetened
with molasses.

"We'll have to be a bit careful o' the grub," advised Toby, "and not eat
all we wants. There's no tellin' how long 'twill be before the bay
freezes over. I'm thinkin' if we eats only twice a day 'twill be best."

"That's good sense," agreed Charley. "We'll not be doing anything but
waiting here, and we'll have to make two meals do us."

For four days and four nights the blizzard raged without abatement, and
when the sky cleared on the fifth day, a new intense cold had settled
upon the world. When the boys were able again to venture forth, they
discovered that while the smooth rocks of the island had been swept
clear of snow by the wind, huge drifts had formed against every
obstructing boulder, and among the trees the snow lay a full four feet
deep.

"It's a good time for me to learn to use snowshoes," suggested Charley.
"I'm going to put them on and try them."

"'Tis, now," agreed Toby. "Get un out, and we'll see how you likes un."

Toby adjusted the slings for Charley, and then donning his own the two
set out in the deep snow on the center of the island. At the beginning
Charley stumbled, and falling in the snow could not get upon his feet
without Toby's assistance; but in a little while he discovered that he
could swing along at a good pace, and Toby pronounced him an "easy
larner."

"I'm thinkin' Dad's at Black River tilt yet," said Toby when the
snowshoe lesson was finished and they had returned to their fire. "He'll
be havin' a wonderful bad time settin' up his path again. The marten
traps'll be above the snow, settin' on trees, but the mink and fox
traps'll be deep enough under."

"Our snares will all be covered up," suggested Charley. "We'll never
find them."

"We'll never dig _they_ out, whatever," agreed Toby. "When we gets home
we'll be settin' new ones."

"It seems to me it must be cold enough to freeze the bay," said Charley
wistfully. "We haven't much goose left, and if it doesn't freeze soon
we'll not have any left."

"'_Tis_ cold enough," said Toby, "but the sea'll have to calm down
before she freezes. We'll have to bide here three or four days more,
_what_ever."

Two days later they ate the last of the goose, and that night went to
their sleeping bags with no breakfast in view for the following morning.
Still the waters of the bay gave no promise of freezing when they awoke.
Heavy