“We will,” cried both Harry and Boxy, and they at once relieved Pickles, much to his satisfaction, for the pull up the hill had been by no means an easy one. And so, “cutting up like wild Indians,” as Jack expressed it, they continued on their tramp, up one hill and down another, crossing half-a-dozen tiny streams, and making their way through dense woods and thick patches of brush and heaps of rocks. Occasionally they roused up a squirrel or a rabbit, and once the loud drumming told them that partridges were not far off. Just before the noon hour Jack took his gun, and kept his eyes open for rabbits. It was not long before he shot two, and when they came to a halt for dinner these were quickly skinned and broiled over the fire Pickles kindled. “We want to be as saving as possible with our stores,” observed Harry, as he sat, sucking the meat from a rabbit leg. “We may get snowed in so that we can’t get out to shoot a thing.” “The first thing to do will be to lay in a supply of rabbits and squirrels,” returned Jack. “Then, if we get nothing better, we won’t starve, no matter what happens.” “That’s a good idea!” cried Andy. “Rabbit meat is better than nothing, even if you have it three times a day.” The meal finished, the things were quickly put away once more, and again the onward march was resumed. The character of the country now changed somewhat. The hills became higher and harder to climb, and the undergrowth more rugged. More than once they had to turn back and seek another path because they could not get through without carrying the sled and its load. Once they came to a deep ravine, all of ten feet wide, with no crossing place in sight. “Stumped!” cried Boxy. “Now what’s to be done?” “Let’s walk along this side for a few hundred feet,” suggested Harry. “It may grow narrower further up.” “I’ll stay here with the sled until you find out,” replied Jack, who had just taken hold. “It’s no use to pull it along, and then have to drag it back. If you find a place, yell out, and I’ll come.” Harry and Boxy went on, accompanied by Pickles. It was no easy work to follow the edge of the ravine, for in several places the ice and snow were treacherous, and ready to let them slide down should they venture too close. At last they reached a spot where the opening was scarcely five feet wide. “We ought to be able to cross here,” said Boxy. “Dat am so,” put in Pickles. “Why, I kin jump it, suah! See here!” And he made a wild leap over, and disappeared into a hollow filled with snow on the other side. “He’s gone!” shouted Boxy. “He’s all right,” returned Harry, as he saw Pickles’ woolly head slowly emerging from the drift. “By golly, I didn’t fink dat was so slopy heah!” sputtered the colored youth, as he stood up in snow to his waist. “If I hadn’t jumped so fah I’se dun reckon I would hab gone an’ rolled down to de bottom ob de crack suah!” “That settles it; we can’t cross here,” said Harry. “Let us go on a bit further.”