r to town
after you. But the darkness and this heavy fall of snow is bothering me
tremendously."

"What do you think we ought to do?" questioned Fred anxiously. The
situation was making the youngest Rover boy a little fearful.

"I guess about the best thing we can do is to strike a bee-line for the
island," answered Uncle Barney. "It won't be much harder to break
through these snowdrifts than it is to try to find our way around them
in this wind and darkness."

"Are you sure you know the way to the island?" questioned Jack, who knew
only too well that it was the easiest thing in the world to get turned
around in such a situation as this.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I haven't lost my bearings," answered the old
lumberman. "However, to make sure, maybe I had better have a squint at
my compass."

"Oh, say! that puts me in mind!" burst out Randy. "What's the matter
with using one of our flashlights?" for the boys had brought along two
of those useful articles, which were now packed in the baggage on the
bobsled.

"Yes, let's get out both of the flashlights," returned Fred. "In this
darkness we'll want all the light we can get."

Sheltering themselves as best they could from the wind, which seemed
every minute to be increasing in violence, the boys unstrapped part of
their load and managed to bring forth the two flashlights. While this
was being done, Uncle Barney brought from his pocket a small compass.

"Now, I think north is in that direction," he said, pointing with his
hand. With the aid of one of the lights, the compass was inspected, and
it was found that the old lumberman was almost right, he having pointed
a little to the northwest.

"If we'd gone on the way I expected to go, we'd have struck the lower
end of the island instead of the upper," he explained. "It wouldn't have
made a great deal of difference, but we might as well take the
straightest line we know how. Come on! Follow me, and I'll break the way
for you."

Once more they started forward, and in a minute more the boys found
themselves struggling through snow which was several feet deep.

"Gee! a fellow ought to have snowshoes instead of skates!" panted Fred,
when in the midst of the drift. "This is the worst ever!"

"The drift isn't very wide, Fred," announced Jack, who was ahead of his
cousin, flashing one of the lights around. "Here we come to the clear
ice again," and a few seconds later they found themselves skating along
as easily as before