22 WINTER 



as to the boys it meant a human presence in the for- 

 est and something like human companionship. 



It was after four o'clock now, and the night was 

 hard upon them. The wind was strengthening every 

 minute ; the snow was coming finer and swifter. The 

 boys' worst fears about the storm were beginning to 

 be realized. 



But the sight of the railroad track heartened them. 

 The strong-armed poles, with their humming wires, 

 reached out hands of hope to them ; and getting 

 among the turkeys, they began to hurry them off 

 the track and down the steep embankment, which 

 fortunately offered them here some slight protection 

 from the wind. But as fast as they pushed the birds 

 off, the one-minded things came back on the track. 

 The whole flock, meanwhile, was scattering up and 

 down the iron rails and settling calmly down upon 

 them for the night. 



They were going to roost upon the track ! The 

 railroad bank shelved down to the woods on each 

 side, and along its whitened peak lay the two black 

 rails like ridge-poles along the length of a long roof. 

 In the thick half-light of the whirling snow, the 

 turkeys seemed suddenly to find themselves at home : 

 and as close together as they could crowd, with their 

 breasts all to the storm, they arranged themselves 

 in two long lines upon the steel rails. 



And nothing could move them ! As fast as one 

 was tossed down the bank, up he came. Starting 



