nts for three!' answered Jack. 'But we
have nearly an hour for it. We shall catch the train right enough; but
it is a heavy snow-storm, and no mistake!' And then the two young
fellows plodded resolutely on.

It was Christmas Eve, and they were on their way to catch the mail-train
to town, and were looking forward to a right merry time with their
people at home. But somehow to-day everything seemed against them. First
of all, they were detained beyond time at the bank, in which they both
were clerks, and so missed the last train to town from their little
branch station. There was just time, however, for them to catch a train
on the main line, but to do this they had to take a short cut through
Lord Ravensmere's woods, and the thick snow having covered the paths,
they lost their way several times, and this, of course, delayed them
again.

However, the walk was nearly over; the station lamps could be seen
twinkling in the valley below, and the young fellows were hurrying on,
when they heard a faint cry, 'Help! help!' coming seemingly from the
wood alongside.

They stopped, and listened. Again came the cry, 'Help! By the big oak!'

Both made a dash for the oak. It was but a few paces off; and there,
almost hidden in the deep snow, lay a young fellow of about their own
age.

'I'm Lord Ravensmere's son. Take me up to the Castle, if you can,' he
said, feebly. 'I'm done!' And, having said this, he fainted away, and
lay like dead on the snowy path.

'The Castle! That's a mile off. He will freeze to death if we leave him
here and go for help,' said Jack, the elder of the two lads.

'We must carry him. We can do it between us,' said Ralph; 'but--I say,
old fellow, we shall miss our train, and have to return to those dreary
lodgings of ours for Christmas!'

Jack nodded, and then, without another word, the two lads lifted the
unconscious youth, and somehow, with interlaced hands to form a seat,
they stumbled along that snowy mile to the Castle, supporting the
stranger between them as best they could.

By the time they had reached the Lodge, both Jack and Ralph were
thoroughly exhausted with their exertions; but here help was at hand.

The Earl himself was there, and with him quite a band of grooms and
keepers, all about to start in different directions, to look for the
young heir.

The old man's gratitude to the young clerks was simply unbounded. He
insisted on their spending the night at the Castle, and here, dressed