eg was on her feet again, and trying to brush
the snow off her coat and out of her collar.

"It is a road, isn't it?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, it's a road; but it can't be the one near Mrs. Anson's house,"
answered Bobby, puzzled. "We've walked too far. What's that sticking
up?"

It proved to be a signboard, and, giving Meg the eggs to hold, Bobby
tried to reach up high enough to brush the snow off so that they could
read the lettering. The board was far above his head.

"Shinny up," urged Meg. "Or stand on my shoulders."

The pole was too wet for the first, and Bobby did not want to use his
sister for a stepping stone. He finally managed, by jumping up and
flirting his cap across the board at each jump, to knock off enough
snow to enable them to read the letters.

"M-E-R-T-O-N, six miles" spelled Bobby. "R-I-C-E-V-I-L-L-E, four
miles."

Meg looked at him, troubled.

"Where does it say Oak Hill is?" she asked.

"It doesn't say, but we'll find it," said Bobby stoutly, "Come on, Meg,
we'll go the way that's four miles."

Meg had gone some distance down the road before she discovered that she
had left her muff at the sign post. There was nothing to do but to go
back for it. As they came up to it, nearly buried in the snow already,
so fast it was falling, a little rabbit started up and hopped away over
the road in a panic of fear.

"Guess he thought it was another rabbit," commented Bobby.

He walked ahead, carrying the eggs, and Meg followed him closely.
Suddenly he stopped and gave a shout.

CHAPTER XV

GREAT PREPARATIONS

"Meg!" he called. "What do you think? Here's the old skating cap!"

"Skating cap?" repeated Meg stupidly.

"Yes! The skating cap we noticed when we were going to Mrs. Anson's,"
said Bobby. "Don't you remember? We must be clear on the other side
of the pond. That was the back road we followed."

Meg was too tired, with tramping through the deep snow, to care very
much about which road they had followed. She wanted to get home.

"My coat collar's all wet on my neck," she complained fretfully. "How
can we get over the pond, Bobby?"

"Have to walk it," said Bobby. "The snow's too thick to try to skate.
Give me your hand, and you won't slip."

Meg didn't slip, but half way across Bobby did, his feet going out from
under him without warning and sending him sprawling. It was so dark
now, for they had walked a long distance since leaving Mrs. Anson's
house,