“Yes, sir.”
“Very well; we’ll devote to-morrow and the next day to a search for animals. If the signs are plentiful we’ll make our first station here.”
Bright and early the two boys were awake and up. They found the ground foot deep with snow, and the vast forests, now covered with a mantle of white, presenting the aspect of a vast, untraversed wilderness.
Mr. Hunter joined them as they gathered a lot of wood for a fire, and invited them to take a brief tour of inspection with him.
His practiced eyes passed by no marks in the snow, and whenever he came to a series of tracks he examined them closely.
“Plenty of small animals,” he remarked; “and an occasional fox and wolf.”
“What is this?” inquired Will.
He pointed to a deep, heavy furrow in the snow, which looked as if some object had been dragged over its surface.
Mr. Hunter proceeded at once to follow the marks. Here and there a hole like that made by a horse’s foot would appear outside of the smooth indentation.
It led direct to a dark ravine, and terminated at a cave-like aperture in a mound covered with stunted trees.