p against the door
to the depth of two feet or more, and the wind was swirling the white
particles in all directions, so that the snow came into the living room
in a perfect cloud. In this mass of white stood Bill Glutts and Gabe
Werner, their heavy clothing covered with a ghost-like mantle. Behind
them was a one-seated sleigh drawn by a horse that looked ready to drop
from exhaustion.

"Come in," said Gif briefly.

No such invitation was needed, for as soon as the door was opened wide
enough Bill Glutts staggered into the living room, followed by his
crony. A swirl of snow followed them, and continued until Gif and Jack
managed to close the door once more.

"Gee! I'm all in," gasped Glutts, as he sank down on a chair close to
the smouldering fire.

"I thought we'd drop before we got you fellows up," added Werner. "You
sure are some sleepers," he grumbled, as he too sank down on a seat.

Ordinarily the Rovers and their chums would have treated these two
bullies with scant courtesy. But now Glutts and Werner appeared to be
suffering so much from the cold that they had not the heart to find
fault with their enemies.

"I'll stir up that fire a little," said Gif, and did so while Andy and
Randy went out into the entryway, to bring in some additional sticks of
wood.

"We can't leave that horse out there," remarked Jack. "He'll be frozen
to death."

"Well, I'm not going out to take care of him," declared Gabe Werner
quickly. "I wouldn't go out in that storm again for a thousand dollars."

"Neither would I," growled Glutts. "The nag can look after himself."

"That's a shameful way to treat any animal, Glutts," declared Gif. "But
as you fellows seem to be so exhausted, we'll look after him," he
continued.

"If you go out, Gif, I'll go with you," said Jack quickly. "But we had
better slip some of our clothing right over our pajamas. I'll bet it's
as cold as Greenland's icy mountains around that stable."

While the newcomers continued to make themselves comfortable before the
fire, and Spouter and Fred prepared a pot of hot tea for them to drink,
Gif and Jack hurried into their clothing and then went outside.

The blast that struck them as they hurried toward the exhausted horse
was terrific, and for the moment they thought they would have to turn
back and abandon the animal. But then they took another grip on
themselves, and finally managed to turn the horse in the direction of
the stable.

They saw that the s