"There is no place to go, so far as I know," said Boris. "All you wanted to do when you started, if you will remember, was to get away where there would be no more lashings. We are away now, so what more can you ask?" "You mean that we will just wander around until we die of cold or starvation?" asked Jack. "Exactly." "Well, we won't," said Jack. "We'll go along with some definite object in view. Now, which way would you take the railroad to be?" Boris swung an arm in a southerly direction. "Off there--some place," he said. "Good; then we'll head that way," and Jack swung the horses in the direction indicated. "But there is no chance of reaching the railroad," protested Boris. "There is always a chance," said Jack calmly. "Always a fighting chance so long as one has breath in his body. It is better to be moving toward a definite objective than to lie idle and wait for death." "Well, I guess you are right there," said Boris. "But after we reach the railroad--if we do reach it--then what? If we are picked up we will probably be sent right back where we came from." "We won't cross that bridge until we come to it," returned Jack quietly. "Our first consideration is to reach the railroad." "If we could be so fortunate as to strike a road," said Boris, "we might have a chance; but to go driving through the snow like this, blindly, we have no hope of getting there." "Do you suppose these horses have been over the road often enough to pick it out themselves?" asked Jack. "I don't know; you might try them." Jack gave the animals their head. Immediately they slowed down, and then the off horse began to pull toward the right. After some resistance the other followed him. "He's going some place," said Jack hopefully. "And we are going along," replied Boris with a grim attempt at humor. Half a mile ahead, having pulled the sleigh over steep piles of drifted snow, the horses again headed southward. The going was much easier. The ground ahead now showed signs of recent travel. "By Jove! They have picked the trail," declared Jack. "So they have," said Boris. "Do you know, I am beginning to have hopes that we shall reach the railroad." "Of course we shall," said Jack confidently. "It may be hard work, but we shall reach there." "And then?" demanded Boris. Again Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows?" he muttered and gave his undivided attention to the road that stretched out ahead. All day they drove slowly along, for they did not wish to tire the horses more than was necessary. It was bitterly cold, but the two travelers had been fortunate enough to find heavy rugs in the sleigh, and these kept them quite comfortable. Also Jack had come upon one pair of gloves. These had to do for both, so the one kept his ungloved hands beneath the robes while the other did the driving. It grew dusk.