"We'll keep the fourth room for possible visitors," announced Gif. "You know, Glutts and Werner may call on us," he added quizzically.

"Of course they'll call--when they are invited!" declared Jack. "Not but what it's your house, Gif," he added quickly.

"They'll never come here on my invitation," was the ready response.

Their previous experience in camping out stood the six cadets in good stead, and they knew exactly how to leave their fire so that it would keep burning until morning without doing any damage. Then, one after another, they speedily shoved off to bed and soon all of them were slumbering peacefully after a long and arduous day's traveling.

In the morning Jack was the first to arise and he was speedily followed by Gif and Spouter.

"Might as well let the others sleep for a while," said the oldest Rover boy. "They were pretty well tired out, Fred and Andy especially."

"Sure, let 'em sleep as long as they want to. Our time is our own, and there is no use in hurrying. Just the same, I bet Fred wakes up pretty quick when he smells boiling coffee and pancakes."

Some pancake flour had been brought along, and soon the appetizing odor of the cakes, along with the odor of steaming coffee, filled the Lodge.

Then came a call from one of the bedrooms, and, sure enough, it was Fred speaking.

"Hi there! don't you eat all those good things up before I get there,"

he called out. "Say! this air certainly gives a fellow an appet.i.te."

By the time breakfast was ready all of the boys were dressed. Jack and Spouter had gone outside for more wood, and they reported that it had begun to snow hard.

"All right, let it snow," said Randy. "Now that we are here, what do we care?"

"Well, we don't want to get snowed in," remarked Spouter.

"Oh, I don't think the storm will be as bad as that," returned Gif.

"Just the same, I'm glad we didn't get caught last night in a downfall.

We might have had worse luck than ever in getting here."

By the time breakfast was finished it was snowing heavily. There was a fairly strong wind blowing, and this sent the fine particles flying in all directions. When they went out to feed the horses they found the snow already an inch or more in depth.

"I think this is going to add quite a little to what is already on the ground," said Jack. "If it keeps on for any length of time it will make hunting rather difficult."

"Why can't we go out and do some hunting before the storm gets too bad?"

questioned Fred. Now that he had reached the Lodge he was exceedingly anxious to try his skill with a gun.

"When I was here before there was quite a rabbit run on the other side of the cedars behind this bungalow," declared Gif. "It isn't a long way off. We could easily go that distance even through the snow."

"There wouldn't be any chance of our losing our way?" queried Spouter.

"Oh, no. It's not far enough off for that."

"Then let's go before the storm gets any worse," cried Andy.

"Yes, but how about the dishes to be washed?" asked Gif.

"Oh, Gif, can't we do them just as soon as we get back?" questioned Fred.

"Last night's dishes are still standing in the kitchen," declared Jack, looking somewhat sternly at his cousins.

"We'll get at them the minute we get back from our hunt for rabbits!"

exclaimed Fred. "Won't we, Andy?"

"That's a contract," declared the fun-loving Rover.

"All right then, see that you keep your word," answered Jack. "Remember, Gif, no more grub for anybody until the dishes are washed."

"It's too bad we didn't bring some wooden dishes with us," remarked Randy. "Then, after we had used them, we could put 'em in the fire."

"Lazybones!" called out Spouter. "You are as bad as the tramp who said he didn't care to eat prunes because it was such a job to spit out the pits;" and at this there was a general smile.

A little later the boys were ready for their first hunt. They had discarded their overcoats for a number of hunting jackets of which the bungalow boasted, and had also donned leggings and caps. Each looked to see that his weapon was in first-cla.s.s order and that he had a sufficient supply of ammunition.

"We'll take only the shotguns along," said Gif. "You won't find any big game in this immediate vicinity."

Fixing the fire so that it would keep until they returned, they locked up and then started away. The snow was still coming down steadily, and they were glad when they reached the shelter of the woods.

"You don't suppose Jed Wallop will come here during our absence?"

questioned Jack.

"If he does he'll know what to do," answered Gif. "He knows where the key to the bungalow is, and I left a note for him in the stable, stating that if he wanted to take the team away he could do so. He usually keeps the horses up at his place, which is about half a mile from here."

Forward they trudged along a narrow trail leading through the woods. Gif was at the front, with Spouter and Jack close behind and the others following. Feeling that the rabbits might be on the alert, they relapsed into silence, making practically no noise as they advanced.

They had covered a distance of several hundred feet when Jack, happening to glance overhead, saw something that interested him very much. A flock of wild ducks was circling about, and he pointed them out to Gif.

"I have often seen 'em around here," whispered Gif. "But you'd have to go a long distance to get 'em unless you could shoot 'em on the wing.

They never settle down in the vicinity of the bungalow."

"Some day I'm going to take a crack at them," said Jack. "That is, if they fly low enough."

Presently Gif slowed his pace and motioned for the others to do likewise. They had come out to where there was a small clearing. Here all gazed around sharply, trying to find some trace of the rabbit run Gif had mentioned.

"I see one!" exclaimed Spouter presently. "See him? Over yonder," and he pointed with his hand.

"Yes! And there is another!" answered Jack.

"I see four or five of them," put in Gif.

"Oh, say! there is our chance," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Fred excitedly. "Let's get busy at once," and he made as if to raise his shotgun.

"Don't fire yet," cautioned Jack. "We're not close enough."

"Come on! I'll show you a place where we'll have a good chance to get at those rabbits," said Gif. "Come, follow me."