d
off the outside with a rush.

"Open the front and you'll see," answered Jack.

Ollie did so, and we all looked out. The ground was deep with
snow, and it was still falling in great feathery flakes. Old
Blacky was loose, and looked in at us with a wicked gleam in his
eyes.

XI: DEADWOOD

"You're a miserable, sneaking, treacherous old equine
scoundrel!" cried Jack, shaking his fist violently at Old Blacky.
"You knew you were making us come the wrong road."

Old Blacky answered never a word, but turned, hit the
wagon-tongue a kick, and joined the other horses.

"Well, close down the front and let's talk this thing over,"
said Jack. "In the first place, we are snowed in."

"In the second place," said I, "we may stay snowed in a
week."

"I don't think we're prepared for that," said Ollie, very
solemnly.

"Let's see," went on Jack. "There are two sacks of ground
feed under Ollie's bed. By putting the horses on rather short
rations that ought to last pretty nearly or quite a week. But for
hay we're not so well provided. There's one big bundle under the
wagon, if Blacky hasn't eaten it up. The pony won't need any,
because she knows how to paw down to the dry grass. The others
don't know how to do this, and the hay will last them, after a
fashion, for about three days."

"Perhaps by that time the pony will have taught them how to
paw," I said.

"Wouldn't be surprised," returned Jack. "Perhaps by that time
we'll all be glad to learn from her. We've got flour enough to
last a fortnight, so we needn't be afraid of running out of
water-pancakes at least. You don't grow fat on 'em, but, on the
other hand, there is no gout lurking in a water-pancake as I make
it."

"No, Jack, that's so," I said, feelingly. "We've got enough
bacon for several meals, a can of chicken, and two earls of
beans. Also a loaf of bread and a pound of crackers. Then there's
three cans of fruit, a dozen potatoes, six eggs, a quart of milk,
and half a pound of pressed figs. After that we'll paw with the
pony."

"I wonder if we couldn't get some game?" inquired Ollie.

"Snow-birds, maybe," said Jack. "Or perhaps an owl. I've
heard b'iled owl spoken of."

After all, the prospect was not so bad. Besides, it was so
early in the season that it did not seem at all likely that we
should be snowbound a week. Still, we knew little about the
mountain climate.

We got on our overcoats and went out and gave the horses