"Only three hours." "I'd rather be in a vault, with the dead, than out here," observed Hippy.
"Are we such poor company as all that, Fatty!" laughed Reddy.
"I've made a great find," announced Tom Gray in the midst of their chatter.

He was standing on a bench examining something on a shelf suspended from the ceiling.
"What ?" demanded the others in great excitement.
"A pair of snowshoes," he answered.
There was a disappointed silence.
"Well, don't all speak at once," said Tom at last.

"Don't you agree with me that it's a great find ?" "We are sorry we can't enthuse," answered David, "but we fail to see how snow shoes can help us out of our present predicament." "Nobody here knows how to use them," continued Reddy, "and even if he did, he couldn't out-run a pack of wolves." "I know how to use them," exclaimed Tom.

"I learned it in Canada a few winters ago, but I will admit I couldn't beat the wolves in a race.
However, the shoes may come in handy yet." Just then one of the wolves threw his body against the door and the small cabin shook with the force of the blow.
"By Jove!" exclaimed David, "I thought they had us then.

Another blow like that and the old latch might give way." They looked about them for something to place against the door, but there was not a stick of furniture in the room.