AN UNEXPECTED PERIL
The snow continued to come down thickly. The weather had moderated to a great extent and this made the snow heavy and clinging. It came down on the shelter steadily until the top of Birch Tree Inn resembled the top of some large sugar-coated cake.
The roof of the shelter was not as strong as it should have been, for the young hunters were amateurs in the construction of such an affair. It held up bravely until the weight of snow became too heavy, and then it began to bend lower and lower and commenced to snap and crack, as one tree after another gave way.
The boys and the old hunter slept on, unconscious of their danger, until an extra loud crack awoke Whopper. The lad sat up, looked around him and listened. Then came another snap.
"Must be a log on the fire," said Whopper to himself. "But it didn't seem to come from there. Perhaps—Oh!"
Whopper heard a crack directly over his head, then down came a heap of snow that all but buried him.
"Hi! Wake up, everybody!" he yelled, in alarm. "The roof is coming down!"
"What's that?" called Jed Sanborn, rolling out of his blanket and struggling to his feet, only to be hurled flat by the snow that came down on his head.
By this time the boys were all awake and trying to get up. They heard several cracks, and then more snow came down and with it several sticks of good size.
"We must get out! If we don't we'll be hurt!" cried Whopper. "Come on," and he leaped for the doorway, which had been well closed, to keep out the cold.