A Winter-Night's Outing 123 



Keeping close together, we entered the 

 ravine again, stopped near the entrance and 

 kindled a fire, and then, by its light, pro- 

 ceeded farther. It was a familiar spot, but 

 not without strange features as we now 

 saw it. 



Again we were startled by the same wild 

 cry, but for a moment only. A barn owl, I 

 think it was, sailed by, glaring at us, as we 

 imagined, and sought the open meadows. 



We turned and followed, though why, it 

 would be hard to say. The owl flew slowly 

 and we skated furiously, trying to keep it di- 

 rectly overhead. Now we were brave even 

 to foolhardiness, and sped away over the ice, 

 indifferent to the direction taken. To this 

 day I have credited that owl with a keen sense 

 of humor. 



On we went, over the meadows to where 

 the swift but shallow creek flowed by, 

 and then, when too late, we knew where 

 we were. The ice bent beneath us, then 

 cracked, and in an instant we were through 

 it, our feet well in the mud and the water 

 about our necks. Just how we got out I 

 never knew, but we did, and the one dry 

 match among us was a veritable treasure. 



