A Winter Walk 305 



In a second the thermometer seemed to 

 have fallen a dozen degrees and the wind 

 whistled dismally in the leafless treetops. 



I shivered and turned up my coat collar. 

 " Let's go home, Ben," I said. " There isn't 

 any more fun for us in the woods to-day." 



Without a word Ben turned and led the 

 way and the rhythmic, mournful creak of our 

 snowshoes made a fitting accompaniment to 

 my thoughts. 



How cold, how cheerless, how desolate, the 

 old world, that had seemed so bright and 

 cheerful a few moments before, had grown. 

 The warmth, the life, the joy was all gone out 

 of it. How relentless and cold was the biting 

 wind and frost, and how unmindful of all the 

 wild creatures that in some miraculous way 

 must feed themselves and keep warm until 

 spring came. 



" Harry," said Ben, as we came out into 

 the road just above the barn, " I'll bet I can 

 show you something in your own barn that 

 you don't know is there." 



" I'll bet you can't," I replied. " You may 



