“Oh, I can walk all right!” the invalid declared.

“Through this thick snow?  I should say not!  We’ve got to make up some kind of a sled and give you the first sleigh-ride of the season!”

“And while we’re about it, we can make a sled that we can move the tents and provisions on,” suggested Will.

The boys had little to make a sled with, but they finally managed to bind saplings together with such cord as they had in their possession, and so manufacture a “drag” upon which the wounded boy could be carried back to camp.  The lads were strongly tempted to help themselves to Antoine’s provisions before they left, but they finally decided not to do so, especially as they believed that they had plenty of their own.

“He’ll need them all before he gets rid of that sore wrist,” Sandy laughed.  “He won’t be in shape to do much hunting!”

“Now,” Thede observed, after wrapping George up in one of the bear robes taken from the wall of the cavern, “I’ve been thinking that the cabin is a great deal nearer the camp.  Of course I haven’t been to the camp, but I’ve heard the location described and I’m positive that it is four or five miles further away from us than the cabin.”

“So you want to take George directly to the cabin, do you?” asked Tommy, who still considered himself on guard and kept a constant lookout for Antoine.  “I don’t see why we shouldn’t do so,” he added.

“It isn’t far out of the way,” urged Thede.

“Then here we go to it!” laughed Tommy.  “I’ll chase on ahead and have a roaring fire built there before you get half way to it!”

“Oh, you will?” grinned Thede.  “I’d like to know how you’re going to find it!  George and I are the only ones in this party who can find the mysterious cabin in the bog!”

“Well, then,” Tommy admitted, “perhaps you’d better run on ahead and find it, while we come along with the kid!”

It was a long and painful journey to the cabin, but it was finished at last.  When the boys came to the edge of the swamp, however, they saw a great column of smoke rising from the chimney on the roof.

“Now do you suppose Antoine beat us to it?” asked Thede.

CHAPTER XIII

A FACE AT THE WINDOW

When the boys came nearer to the cabin, they saw many footprints dotting the level surface of the snow.  They peered through the window which gave on the side of their approach, but could see no one moving about on the inside.  Save for the great fire blazing in the rudely-constructed fire-place, the cabin seemed to be absolutely deserted.

“Suppose you give me a boost through this window,” Thede suggested, as the boys at last stood close against the rear wall.

“Why not go around to the door?” George asked.

“I might get a bullet in my coco when I turned the angle of the house!” replied Thede.  “There’s no knowing who’s around there.”