the front and the hind legs. Then Whopper took the front end of the
load and Shep the rear end, and thus they set off in the direction
they had come.

For perhaps a quarter of a mile all went well, for, despite the
falling snow, they managed to keep to the tracks they had made in
following the deer. Then, of a sudden, Whopper came to a halt and
Shep, of course, had to do likewise.

"What's up?" asked the latter.

"I can't see the trail anymore. The falling snow has covered it
completely."

Whopper was right, as Shep realized with much alarm. Both of the young
hunters gazed around in perplexity. The whirling snow hid the
landscape from view. In a moment more, turning this way and that, they
were completely bewildered.

"Well, I declare!" burst out Shep. "Hang me if I know where I am!"

"I think the lake is in that direction," announced Whopper, after a
painful pause.

"Maybe you are right--I don't know." There seemed to be no sense in
standing still, with the snow coming down thicker every minute and the
wind whistling dismally all around them. On they went, for at least a
quarter of a mile further. The rocks bothered them a great deal and
twice both fell, dropping their load as they did so. "This is the
finest pleasure stroll I ever took in my life," was Whopper's rather