A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



lanche, knocking me off the board and burying 

 me out of sight not so deep, however, as to 

 prevent me from hearing the joyous chorus of 

 laughter and barks inside the house. When I 

 regained the surface, I saw that where the snow 

 had slid off, the roof was black and wet, and then 

 I knew that the warm shingles were doing my 

 work better than I could do it myself. When I 

 got back into the house and had shaken myself 

 clear of snow, I explained to Charlie what I 

 thought at the time was a brilliant discovery. 

 There was a wooden trap in our ceiling that led 

 to the loft. I managed, with extraordinary labour, 

 to get it open, and then we piled the logs on the 

 fire. Never before was there such a blaze seen 

 on .a hearth. In a little while, it was roaring and 

 spitting and vomiting flame out under the trees. 

 &quot; We ll make it too hot for the snow,&quot; I said, as 

 I danced in front of the scorching conflagration, 

 with a broom in my hand and my hat over my 

 face, sweeping back the coals. We stood it as long 

 as we could with our coats off, Charlie going up 

 and down, fanning himself, and saying &quot;Phew;&quot; 

 and the yellow dog with her tongue hanging out, 

 backed away to a far corner. Then we took to 

 the kitchen, and it was not long before we heard 

 the drip from the eaves, and an occasional slide 

 of snow, which led me to congratulate myself 

 that the pressure on the roof was growing momen 

 tarily less. But no sooner had this relief come, 

 than we became aware of a general commotion 

 under our floor. &quot; Whatever inhabitants are there, 



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