"The storm's got us, fellows," he declared, with a forced laugh
that had little mirth in it.

"All my fault," remarked Bart gloomily. "I guess I'm a Jonah, I
picked out the wrong moment to take a tumble. Now we're in a fine
mess."

"We've been in worse," said Billy cheerily, "and pulled through
them just the same."

"That's the way to talk!" exclaimed Frank heartily, giving Billy a
slap on the back. "We'll get out of this scrape as we have out of
a lot of others. At the worst, it's only a matter of having to
wait till daylight. We're worth a dozen dead men yet. At any rate
we've got grub with us, so that there's no danger of our
starving."

"How about freezing to death?" said Tom, who was always inclined
to see the dark side of things.

"We won't do that either," replied Frank. "That is, if we keep
moving, and that's what we've got to do. It may not get us
anywhere, but at least it will keep the blood circulating. Then
too, there's the odd chance of our stumbling upon some hut or
other where we can find some kind of shelter."

"Better let me go first, then," put in Bart. "I'm good at
stumbling. In fact it's my long suit."

They all laughed and felt better.