CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE BLACK BEAR.

What Boxy and Jack thought would be a splendid shelter was found under a large, shelving series of rocks, nearly a hundred feet from the lake front. Here was an opening six feet wide by fifteen feet deep. The flooring was of smooth stone, covered with a great mass of leaves, which had been blown in by the wind. Of course, the snow had likewise entered, but this was soon cleaned out.

“Now, all we will have to do is to re-cover the greater part of the front with brush, and it will make the warmest kind of a shelter,” said Jack.

“And the best part of it all is that there is a crevice in the rear with a good upward draught,” said Boxy. “So we can build a fire inside our house, so to speak, which will be more pleasant than having it outside.”

“No snakes, are there?” asked Andy, cautiously.

“Not a one. We were careful to make a thorough search around.”

“Then that’s the spot,” put in Harry, “and the sooner we get settled the better. It promises to be very cold to-night, and we want to be where we can keep warm.”

The sled was dragged to the spot selected, and the ax gotten out. While two of the boys cleaned out the cave-like place, the others cut down poles and brush with which to shelter the front, and also collected wood for a fire.

The draught inside toward the rear was perfect, and when a fire was started on a number of stones, it blazed up merrily without letting out any of the smoke into the cave proper.

“This is fine!” cried Andy, as he sat down to rest in front of the blaze. “We ought to have had a place like this from the start.”

“Unfortunately, we didn’t know there was this cave to occupy,” laughed Harry. “But I must confess I liked the hut.”

“So did I,” said Jack. “It is only the change that pleases Andy. Nowadays in life, change is everything. We are constantly craving something new and different.”

Before nightfall the poles were up in front of the opening and thickly entwined with brush. Only a small doorway was left, and this was closed at night by setting the sled over it. Soon the fire in the rear made the cave-like shelter as warm as toast, so that the boys took off their overcoats and gloves--something they had seldom done in the hut.

Harry was right about it getting colder. After sunset the thermometer fell steadily. Pickles went down to the lake for a pail of water, and came back with his hands and ears half-frozen.

“De coldest night yit, suah!” he exclaimed, as he knocked his feet against the rocks and slapped his hands over his chest to warm them. “We want lots ob firewood to-night, or we’ll all be froze stiff as pokers by moahnin’!”

They were now hungry enough, and Jack set to work, while Pickles got extra wood, to cook a real stew of meat, potatoes and onions. The frost in the air made the concoction smell good, and when the stew was dealt out all ate their full portion.

Being sleepy, they retired early, and every one slept like a “log” until long after sunrise.

“By gracious, but it’s cold!” howled Boxy, the first to rise. “And the fire almost out! Pile on some wood, Pickles!”

“I should say it was cold!” put in Andy, as he got up and stretched himself.

“The coldest yet, without a doubt,” said Harry. “But stir up, all of you! We mustn’t expect summer weather at this time in the year.”

Piping hot coffee soon warmed them up somewhat, and inside of half an hour they were arranging to go out on a hunt. It was resolved that they should leave the fire in first-class shape and all go together, that being so much nicer than dividing up.

This plan was carried out, and before evening they had shot six rabbits, three partridges or grouse, and over a score of woodcock and other birds.

“That’s sport and no error!” cried Boxy. “Now, if we can only get at some more deer to-morrow----”

“Oh, you want the earth!” cried Andy. “Deer are not so plentiful as all that.”

Nevertheless Boxy’s head was set on bringing down a deer, and the next day he went off with none but Pickles. The two were gone until dark, and, true enough, they came back with a small deer, which Pickles had wounded in the foreleg and Boxy had shot through the neck. On that same day the others shot half-a-dozen rabbits and partridge, and also brought down two silver-white foxes, which they resolved to take home to have stuffed.

That night they had an unexpected experience which at first gave them a great scare. They were all seated near the fire relating their various experiences, when, without a warning, there came a crash from overhead that caused all of them to spring to their feet in alarm.

“What’s that?” cried Boxy.

“Evidently something is giving way!” exclaimed Jack.

“Suah de roof’s comin’ down!” howled Pickles.

“That sounds like it, certainly,” said Harry, who was the calmest of the crowd.

“Rush for outside!” yelled Andy, as he made for the doorway.

“Andy, come back!” called Jack, catching hold of him.

“That’s all right, but I don’t want to get crushed,” retorted his younger brother.

“Each of us had better stay here,” put in Harry. “The trouble is all outside of the cave.”

“Might be better in the open air than here----” began Boxy.

“Especially when the roof seems to be giving way,” added Andy.

“Yes, but you can’t pass the doorway without peril,” returned Jack.

“Either it is a snowslide or a landslide,” cried Harry. “Wait and listen!”

“Rocks comin’ down sumwhar!” grumbled Pickles. “Oh, my!”

Ro-o-u-m! crash! Down in front of the cave-like shelter came a perfect avalanche of snow and loose stones, completely filling the doorway and bending in the brush wall until the poles that held it in place gave way at the top.

“Back, all of you!” shouted Harry, and they retreated just in time to prevent themselves from being completely buried.

After the first slide came several others, and for the time being the boys were afraid they would be buried alive under the cliff. They waited with wildly beating hearts for fully quarter of an hour after the last fall, and then began an examination of the situation.

The entire front of the shelter was blocked with snow and loose stones, which lay over it to the depth of eight or ten feet.

“Now the question is, how are we to get out?” said Jack, in dismay. “We are caught like rats in a trap.”

“We must dig our way out, and that quickly,” responded Harry. “We must have fresh air to breathe.”

“Set to work with anything you can find!” cried Andy. “A bit of board, or a tin plate, or anything!”

All hands went at the wall of snow and loose stones with a will. The stuff was thrown to one side of the cave, and while Harry and Jack threw it back the others packed it away.

At the end of half an hour a passageway all of eight feet had been made, when suddenly Jack gave a shout:

“Hurrah! I have struck an open place at last!”

“Good!” returned Harry. “Now let us all get out and see how much damage has really been done.”

The small opening Jack had found was enlarged with all possible haste, and then one after another the boys crawled out into the open air.

It was found that the entire top portion of the cliff, loaded down with ice and snow, had given way, and was lying all along the bottom, a distance of fully fifty feet.

“Well, there is one satisfaction,” remarked Boxy, as he gazed at the wreck. “If we clear this away we need not be in fear of another such slide, for the top of the cliff is now as bare as a bald man’s head.”

“That’s so,” replied Harry. “Come, fellows, we must make that entrance larger and get the snow out of the cave before we can hope to retire for the night.”

With improvised shovels and brooms they set to work to clear the snow and stones from in front of the shelter. It was hard work, but after such a scare they did not mind it. They were thankful that matters were not worse. Supposing the top of the cave had come down, what then? Most likely every one of them would have been killed.

At last Jack declared they had done enough for that night.

“We can finish up in the morning,” he said. “Let us start up the fire afresh and go to bed.”

“I’m willing,” returned Andy. “My back is nearly broken from handling this home-made shovel.”

The boys started to go back into the cave, when, suddenly, Pickles, who was looking up at the top of the cliff, let out an unearthly yell and clutched Harry’s arm convulsively.

“Fo’ de sake ob goodness!”

“What’s it, Pickles?” questioned Harry, quickly. “What has frightened you?”

There was no need for the colored youth to answer. A loud growl rang in the ears of all the boys, and the next instant down from the top of the cliff leaped a big, brown bear into their very midst.