"No, his throat troubles him," the young actor replied. "But every other man at the Lodge is. Mr. Macksey told us to come this way, and if we didn't locate you we were to meet him at some place where there are two cabins."
"We just came from there," Ruth said, "and we had the oddest adventure. I'll tell you about it when we get back. We tried to get a guide to show us the path, but as it happened we didn't need one. Oh, I believe it's snowing again!"
Some white flakes were sifting down.
"It's only a little flurry," decided Paul. "And it won't matter, for the path back is very plain now. But what happened?"
The girls told him, and when he heard that Merley was in the neighborhood, and apparently uninjured, Russ said:
"I always thought that fellow was a faker. I'd like to know what his game was."
"Do you think it is a game?" asked Alice.
"Yes, and I think it's more of a game than the game they are after up here. I think they're hatching some plot."
They arrived at Elk Lodge a little later, and leaving the girls with their father, Russ and Paul went after the other searchers, to tell them that the lost ones were found.
"You must not go away alone again," cautioned Mr. DeVere to his daughters, when all the searchers had returned, and there was a joyful reunion in the big living room.