Year: 1874

| tSAUOA me, prancing around the room, and barking so that he woke the baby, who had to be nursed off to sleep again.

 But while I was doing that I was trying, too, to calm myself, and to think if there was any help. There wasn't man in the neighborhood now Irvings had gone to Ossipee, and James have been of no more use than wet rag, if he hadn't, and MT. Marsh was down with fever, and Dean and Bishop Serrel and Bose and I. Could we dc anythingP Could Bose lead back the way? He was nothing but common farm dog, but he knew more than James Harris did any day. I got the little lantern and lighted it, and tied it to the ] dog's collar, and he held go still knew he understood me, and then he went and waited beside the door, looking round for me impatiently, with now and then whine. ....

 But what was to do with the baby I couldn't leave him there to starve, ii again at the thought, as much of baby | l ] lighted the other lantern, and went into lean-to, and put the mans saddle on Sorrel, and strapped it with all my strength and he turned his large eyes on me, aslf he, too, knew what it was all about, and held down his head fol me to bridle him :; and I tied little bundle of kindlings on the back of the saddle, and put the hatchet into one oi the holster pockets.

 And then came back and rolled up the legs of pair of Jos trowsers, and got them on over my own cowhide boots, and hurried into my warm jacket and cloak and hood; and I wrapped the baby in layer over layer of my rob- roy, leaving the least little crack of a breathing hole, with vail over that, and bound him to me, under my cloak, with my long boa, for fear my arms should get numb; and put the finder box in my bosom, and slung over my back the apple-toddy jug, that was al- most too hot to touch, and wrapped up a hot hearth-stone in newspaper with Jos otEer trowsers to hold under the baby, and she found it warm against l found anybody. And I went out and brought Sorrel round, and, laden as I was, climbed upon the horse block, and from that to Sorrel's back-I don t know how, I'm sure-by force of sheer desperation, I suppose; and Bose went yelping and jumping down the hill be- fore me with the little lantern, but the wind blew my lantern out in minute What wind it was bitterer than that wind upon the mountain-top, it was so black and fierce. couldn't have breathed if it had been in my face, and l hadn't thought 1t was going down 8 little. Oh, I suppose I couldn't have gone at all if I hadn't felt it was worse death to stay, and there was just one chance in going. Twenty years later it made cold chills creep up my back to think of that nights ride; but then I was like an old she-bear fighting for her young. l clung to Sorrel with my knees-it was all I could do, loaded down so, to keep on at all-but then the wind was certainly falling; and gave him the reins, knowing he would follow Bose, and grasped the pommel with one hand and the baby with the other, and, wild and half frantic as I was, pushed on. But, oh, it was too terri blel

 could not see an inch before me but Bose had crossed the ford, I | guessed-the ice had broken up once, and even in this storm could hardly have frozen solid again, and I drew up my feet to save them dry. But there was no sound of ice or water either ]: and Bose's lantern went swinging on ahead, and I kept looking for the ford, and wondering that we didn't come to it and I turned to look behind me, for felt as if we must be going up the opposite hill, and there, late as it was, was the light in Mrs. Bishops window she anxious, I suppose, as I and and then 1t rushed over me that we had crossed the river not by the ford-Sor- rel always did hate ford-but we had come across on that single stringer, a beam ten inches square ten feet above the water 1 Though it was over, it made me turn faint and shut my eyes and I had to take myself to task to conquer it. And when I opened my eyes, there was Bose's lantern leaving the main highway, and making, I imagined, for the Marshall's woods ; yes, certainly it was the old rutted road, as well as one could tell for the blowing snow. Now it was plain that they had tried to come home by the shortcut.

 It was easier getting along in the woods, for the drift was little, and the wind, that had cut me through like a knife, was shut off and after I got up beyond, with Bose's bark and Bose's lantern still before me, there was scarcely any wind at all, only pierc- ing cold. I could not see Sorrel's head; I felt that we were going between faces of mighty rock, now picking our slow way over sheet of ice, now over the bare rock, now wallowlngin drift, and whether there was precipice or pool within foot of us could not tell, for all the horrid way was new to me. And by-and-by the passage seemed to widen; I fancied 1t was not quite so inky; ] looked up, and saw a star hanging on the edge of huge shadow, as if the mountain held it out and I took heart and began to call, loud as ever I could, for Jo, and only the echoes answered back to me.

 I don't know, but I think, that in the cold and the excitement and all, must have been losing my head to sup pose that the echoes were making such an ado over my baby, for I began tc clutch him closer, with some fancy that all these creatures were Hooking round me, when we came out upon a high and open field and rack of cloud was sinking down between two hills and all the rest of the heavens was just one frosty sparkle, and Bose was sitting on his launches, paying at some dark object in the field. "Eh what P sai6 dull and muf1ed voice.

 "Oh, Jo Jo!'

 "Sue ?'' said the sleepy voice, and didn't say any more.

 And I was off of that horse in twink ling, and had the cork twisted out O. the jug, and the apple-toddy pouring down Jos throat, and the hearth ton, in his Ian. and anwannd tho hoa anf