tin' wonderful fast,
and you might be goin' abroad from the trail. The wind'll be risin' a
bit, and if she blows hard 'twill make for nasty traveling and I'm
thinkin' when the snow starts the wind'll come up quick, and be blowin'
wonderful hard before you knows un."

"Oh, I'll be all right," Charley assured confidently. "I ought to know
my way by this time, even if the snow does cover my tracks."

"'Twill be safer to turn back," said Toby. "Don't go to the fox traps.
'Twill do no harm to let un stand over a day."

Charley had reached the last of the rabbit snares before the first
flakes of the threatened storm fell. He had three rabbits in a game bag
slung over his shoulder, and he was hesitating as to whether or not he
should visit the fox traps or heed Toby's warning to turn back, when he
was startled by a flock of ptarmigans, or "white pa'tridges," as Toby
called them, rising at the edge of the marsh.

The partridges flew a short distance out upon the marsh, and alighted
upon the snow. Charley could see them plainly. They offered a good shot,
and it would be a feat to bag some of them.

Quite excited with the prospect, he followed them, and with careful
stalking brought down two, one with each barrel of his gun. Startled by
the shots, the remainder of the flock flew farther into the open marsh,
and elated with his success Charley picked up the two birds he had
killed, and following the flock soon succeeded in bagging two more. The
next flight was much farther, but he overtook them and shot a fifth
bird. They now took a long flight, and were lost in the mist of snow,
which was now falling thickly.

Forgetting all caution, Charley continued to follow in the direction in
which the birds had disappeared. On and on he went without a thought of
danger. He was sure the birds had not gone far, and he must have one
more shot at them before turning back.

All at once, he found himself in a rocky, barren region. He had crossed
the marsh, and was rising upon higher ground. This must certainly, he
concluded, be a barren beyond the marsh of which Toby had told him, and
he suddenly realized that he had gone much farther than he had yet
ventured.

In the brief space of time since he had last flushed the birds the wind
had risen and was fast gaining strength. Already the snow was drifting
so thickly that he could not see the marsh, which lay between the
barrens and the forest. But still he was not alarmed.

"I've got five