s the winter before. Finally Bess declared she was too fidgety to
sit still any longer.

"I've just got to do something. Here's the conductor again. Let's stir
him up about the heat."

"I wouldn't," said more thoughtful Nan. "He looks as though he had his
own troubles."

"I don't care! We can't sit here and freeze to death. Say, Mr. Conductor,
can't we have any more heat? We're really almost frozen."

"Can't help it, little ladies," responded the man, rather gruffly.
"You'll find it worse when the coal gives out entirely."

"Oh, mercy!" Bess exclaimed, when he had gone on. "What a bear!"

But Nan looked suddenly disturbed. "Do you suppose that is possible?"
she asked.

"What's possible?"

"That the coal may give out?"

"What if it does?" queried her chum, blankly.

"Goodness me! How will they make steam if there's no fuel for the fire?"

"Oh!" gasped Bess, "I never thought of that. Goodness, Nan, we'll be
frozen to icicles!"

"Not yet, I hope," said Nan, getting up briskly. "Let's see if we can't
stick our heads out of doors. I'm aching for a breath of fresh air."

They went forward and opened the vestibule door. The outside doors were
locked and the snow was piled against the little windows, high up in the
door panels.

"I believe this snow is piled completely over the cars," declared Nan.

"Isn't that funny?" said Bess. "How do you s'pose they'll ever dig us
out?"

"I wonder if it has stopped snowing?"

"I hope so!"

"We can't hear anything down here," continued Nan. "But we naturally
couldn't, if the train is buried in the snow."

"Dear me, Nan!" said her chum, in a really worried tone. "What do you
s'pose will happen to us?"

"We--ell--"

"And our folks! They'll be awfully worried. Why! we should have been at
Tillbury by eight o'clock, and here it is noon!"

"That is so," Nan said, with more assurance. "But of course they know
what has happened to the train. We're in no real danger."

"We--ell, I s'pose not," admitted Bess, slowly. "But it does seem funny."

Nan chuckled. "As long as we see anything funny in the situation, I guess
we shall get along all right."

"Oh! you know what I mean," her chum said. "I wonder where that door
leads to?"

"Into another car," Nan said demurely.

"Is that so, Miss Smartie?" cried Bess. "But what car?"

She tried the door. It gave entrance to a baggage coach, dimly lit by a
lantern swinging from the roof. Nobody was in the car and the girls
walk