"The animals must know of some places, more favored than others," Dick explained, "where the grass stays fairly green throughout the winter. Snows may come and melt, and the cold waves be tempered by hot springs every little while." "Then I wish we could run across another of those boiling springs before it gets dark, and find a herd of elk hanging around it," and Roger undoubtedly meant every word he spoke. As the day had been pretty well along when they managed to break out of their snow prison they could not hope, before night, to get any great distance on the way to the big lake. This being the case, it was really a matter of greater importance to Dick and his two companions that they succeed in their quest for food than that they cover any considerable distance before camping. The prospect of another long night, without a morsel of food to stay the pangs of hunger, appalled them. Dick himself felt badly about it, although he managed, as usual, to hide his growing disappointment better than Roger, partly for the sake of cheering the other up. "There is one thing none of us seem to have noticed," Dick observed, after another half hour had crept by; "the clouds have broken, and we may even see the sun before it sets." "That is certainly cheering news," Roger returned; "because if we had another fall of snow on top of this, winter would set in 'for keeps.' And we did hope to be safe back in camp before that." Before Dick could make any further remark an exclamation from Mayhew drew the attention of the two lads. The guide happened to be a little ahead of them at the time, and was now seen to be beckoning eagerly. "He must have struck the trail of an elk at last!" exclaimed Roger, showing all the signs of the eager hunter. "It looks that way," admitted his cousin, "because he seems to be pointing down at his feet, as though something he had discovered interested him." "Oh! I hope it turns out that way, and that if it is a trail it was not made by a file of reds, or some of those ugly French trappers." They were hurrying forward while exchanging these remarks, and speedily reached Mayhew's side. "What is it?" asked Roger, immediately. "A fresh trail!" came the answer, and, looking down, the boys could see for themselves where some large animal had pushed through the deep snow. "An elk?" Dick inquired. "No, a buffalo, I believe," came the reply. "One or the other, what do we care, so long as we can bag him?" commented Roger. "So let us be on the move. Every minute counts, with the sun so low in the western sky, and night coming on." There was indeed need of haste, for the short afternoon would soon be gone and, unless they had the good fortune to overtake the stray buffalo within half an hour or so, all their hopes would be dashed. They immediately started forward; but the depth of the snow in places retarded their progress, and Roger often drew long breaths that stood for impatience, for he dared not vent his feelings aloud.