nce that, if the buried inmates were still alive,
they would be able to hold out till morning.

It soon became known in the village that Petrovitsch also must be
buried under the snow. He had started for the Morgenhalde in the
morning, and had not since returned. Ibrahim, his companion at cards,
appeared in the street at the ringing of the alarm-bell with the cards
in his hand, crying out, "Where is Petrovitsch? I am waiting for
Petrovitsch."

"It would be terrible," said Pilgrim to his new friend the engineer,
"if Petrovitsch should have perished in attempting to offer his tardy
help."

Pilgrim reproached himself bitterly for having spent the whole day in
childish games, instead of going to the Morgenhalde. His mind had
misgiven him all the while that things were not right with Lenz, but he
had reasoned away his fears and been merry with his godson. The child
lay quietly sleeping in bed, unconscious of the fate which that night
might be bringing him, perhaps had already brought. Pilgrim established
himself in a chair by the little fellow's side, and sat watching him
till his anxious eyes closed, and he too fell asleep.

Faller, meanwhile, remained like a soldier at his post, happily not
quite alone, for a workman of the village, who had once been a pioneer,
stayed behind with him on the field of danger. The two held counsel
together how the snow-fortress should best be taken, but no possible
mode of attack did they see. Poor Faller poked the fire in wrath that
he could be of so little use.

A stranger joined them at their watch-fire,--a messenger from the city
who had been sent to summon Annele to her mother's death-bed.

"There she is," said Faller, in bitter irony. "Fetch her out, if you
can!" After learning what had happened, the man returned as he had
come, through the night and storm.

Faller managed, by means of a by-path, to mount up into what had been
the forest, hoping thus to be able to reach the pine-trees by the house
and bring help nearer. With his comrade's assistance he rolled several
great logs down the slope towards the pines. Some rolled beyond the
trees and remained upright in the snow, while one fell in the desired
position, with its end resting upon one of the projecting branches.

The second man here suddenly bethought himself, that the logs they had
been rolling down might break in the roof and crush all under it.

"What a fool I am!" cried poor Faller; "the greatest fool in all the
wo