Mr. Macksey was about to leap on the back of the horse and start off, when the same driver who had noticed the change in the wind called out:
"I say, Mr. Macksey, I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"Maybe you won't have to go for help, after all. Why can't we take the forward bob from under the rear sled and put it in place of the broken one on the first sled? We can easily pass the bob by the second sled even if the place is narrow."
"By hickory! Why didn't you think of that before?" demanded the hunter. "Of course we can do it! Lively now, and we'll make the change. Got to be quick, or it'll be pitch dark."
It would have been very dark long ago had it not been for the snow, which gave a sort of reflected light.
"Come on!" cried Mr. Macksey. "We'll make the change. I guess I'll have to ask you folks to get out again," he said to the players in the first sled. "But it won't be for long. We'll have a good runner in place of the broken one, and then we can pile into two sleds and get into Elk Lodge. We'll leave the last sled until to-morrow."
"But what about our baggage?" asked Miss Pennington. "That is in the rear sled. Can we take that with us?"
"Not all of it," answered the hunter, "but you can crowd in as much as possible. The rest can wait."
"I want all of mine," declared the former vaudeville actress.