"Well, were you sure of the trail before we came over here?" questioned Jack. "If you were, we can go back you know, even though it is quite a tramp."
"I thought I was sure, Jack. But now I'm not sure of anything," answered Gif helplessly. "Someway or other, I seem to be completely turned around."
"Gee! then we're in a pretty pickle," groaned Fred, who was beginning to grow tired of tramping through the snow.
"If we could only get down to the river again we'd be all right," came from Randy.
"I wonder if I could locate the Lodge from the top of one of these trees," remarked Jack. "It would be quite a climb to get such a view, but it would be better than tramping around without knowing where one was going."
"I'll do the climbing," answered Gif quickly. "I got you fellows into this mess, and it's up to me to get you out."
"Oh, don't think I'm complaining," returned Spouter quickly.
"None of us is complaining, Gif. We all know it's the easiest thing in the world to get lost in a big woods like this—especially when there is snow on the ground to cover up the landmarks."
A tall pine was selected, and the others boosted Gif upward as far as they could. Then he mounted from branch to branch, and the others waited below as patiently as possible for what he might have to report. In the meantime a few flakes of snow came drifting downward, and soon it was snowing steadily.
"Well, what can you see?" called out Jack, after those below had waited quite a while for their chum to make a report.