Over a level piece the sled would travel at a moderate rate, and then shoot down a sudden decline that almost took their breath. Surely they must have traveled almost to the Lodge from which they had started.
Finally the path became level. Great trees rose all about them. They could see but a short distance in any direction because of the falling snow.
The sled stopped. The girls hopped off and Sammy struggled to his feet and shook the snow out of his eyes.
“Je-ru-sa-lem!” he choked. “What a slide! Did you ever, Tess?”
“No, I never did,” admitted Tess quite seriously.
“Oh!” cried Dot. “Let’s go home. I’m co-co-o-old. Why—why—” she gasped suddenly, looking about on all sides.
“Well, don’t cry about it,” snorted Sammy. “Of course we’ll go home. We must be almost there now—we slid so far.”
“Oh, yes. We must be near Red Deer Lodge,” agreed Tess.
It did not look like any place they had ever seen before. The trees were much taller than any they had noticed about the Lodge. Yet there was the open path ahead of them. They set Dot upon the sled again, and Tess helped Sammy drag it and her sister straight ahead. Somewhere in that direction they were all three sure Red Deer Lodge was situated.