“Well, I was busy fishing, and didn’t notice particularly,” returned the boy.
He said he wanted to catch just two fish more, and would then return to the lodge.
“All right, but don’t get frozen stiff doing it,” answered Joel Runnell.
“When do you think Joe and Harry will return?”
“They ought to be along inside of an hour. They’ll find that load a pretty heavy one.”
“I heard some shooting over there a while ago. But it has stopped now.”
To warm himself, the old hunter walked briskly in the direction of Snow Lodge. He felt uneasy; why, he could not explain.
“Those boys may have gotten into trouble,” he thought. “Perhaps I had better slip after them and find out.”
As he came in sight of the lodge an exclamation of astonishment burst from his lips. All of their traps and stores had been tumbled in a heap on the edge of the clearing, and the door was tightly closed, and the broken-out window partly barred.
“This is Skeetles’ work!” he muttered.