oelace comes untied," he said. "Did the Indians'
laces come untied, Russ?"

"I guess so. But now come on. We'll go to the house and get some bread
and jam."

Russ and Laddie started out bravely enough, and they were half-way to
the house when Russ said:

"Oh, let's see if we can get across that big drift!"

This was a large pile of snow, made by the wind into a small hill, and
it must have been many feet deep--well over the heads of the two small
boys.

"Maybe we might get hurt there," said Laddie.

"No, we won't!" cried Russ. "Come on."

Russ was part way to the top when something happened. All at once one
leg sank away down, barrel-stave snowshoe and all, and a moment later he
was floundering in the snow, and crying:

"Hey, Laddie, I can't get out. I can't get out. Go and call Daddy or
Grandpa! I can't get out!"

"Are you hurt?" asked Laddie.

"No. But my foot is stuck away down under the snow, and I can't pull it
out."

"I'll go!" cried Laddie.

He never knew how fast he could travel on the home-made snowshoes until
he tried. Up to the side porch he shuffled, and, not stopping to
unfasten the pieces of barrel on his feet, he called out:

"Mother, come quick! Russ is upside down and he can't get his leg out!"

Inside the house Mother Bunker and Grandma Ford heard the queer
thumping sound on the porch.

"I wonder what that is?" said Grandma Ford.

"Maybe it's our friend that makes the queer noises, making a new one,"
answered Mrs. Bunker.

Then they heard Laddie calling:

"Oh, come quick! Russ is upside down and his leg is stuck and he can't
get it out! Oh, hurry, please!"

"Mercy me!" cried Mrs. Bunker. "Something has happened!"

Out of the door she rushed, with Grandma Ford after her, and when they
saw Laddie, with the barrel staves on his shoes, his mother asked:

"What has happened? What have you done to yourself? What are those
things on your feet?"

"Snowshoes that Russ made," was the answer. "He's got some on his own
feet, but he fell into a snow bank and he can't get out and he's
hollerin' like anything!"

"Oh, that's too bad!" cried Grandma Ford. "But if he fell into a snow
bank it's so soft he won't be hurt. But I'll get Grandpa to dig him
out."

But Daddy Bunker and Grandpa Ford had gone to town in the sled. But
Dick, the hired man, was at home, and he came to help Mother Bunker and
Grandma Ford.

"I'll get you out, Russ! Don't cry!" shouted Dick, as he ran up with his
lon