Ross opened the cabin door, and looked out. The weather had grown warmer. The blanket of clouds which had hovered over the earth for days had lifted and the snow lay dazzling in the strong light. When he closed the door, Weimer had donned his blue goggles. "Where's your big storm, Uncle Jake?" asked Ross. "Comin', comin'," answered Uncle Jake confidently. "It vill pe on us py mornin'. Dis light it vill not last." Ross sat down and took his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. "Every fall of snow," he thought, "makes our work so much more hopeless." Presently Weimer broke the silence. "Vell," he began meditatively, "ve haf t'ings to eat fer de vinter, anyvay," and Ross understood the circle around which Uncle Jake's thoughts had been winding. "Yes, it's Meadow Creek for us now, whether the dynamite is found or not." Ross's voice was grim. "We went over on the trail as far as the shoulder of Crosby to-day and whew! Uncle Jake, it was a sight to see. The wind has packed the snow into that trail until it hangs over the gorge in great masses and curls." "Looks," added Leslie, "as though a thousand tons or so might sweep down over the shoulder any minute. The trail is closed all right as far as I'm concerned. If I hadn't come in the McKenzies' footprints that morning I wouldn't have come at all." After dinner the boys fastened on their snow-shoes outside the door and then looked questioningly at each other. "Well--where to now?" asked Leslie despondently. "Sure enough--where?" returned Ross equally despondent. Weimer had offered no suggestions, and the boys were at the end of their resources. "We've hunted every place," said Ross absently, adjusting a buckle on the strap of his snow-shoe, "except our own premises here." No sooner had he heard his own voice speaking these careless words than their possible significance struck him. He sprang up with kindling eyes. "Less, do you hear?" he shouted, his thoughts in advance of his tongue. "There's where it may be, and maybe that was the reason why Sandy came back and looked. Hurry! Hurry up!" "What are you talking about?" yelled Leslie as Ross raced awkwardly around the cabin on his snow-shoes. Weimer opened the door and peered out through his colored goggles. "Has dot poy gone crazy?" he asked. Leslie, without pausing to answer, hurried after Ross. "Where to?" he yelled. "The tool house," returned Ross over his shoulder. "It's fastened between two trees, and hangs out over the foot of the dump! See?"