nd over
again. But the Tucker twin finally proved himself to be master of the
situation. He was determined to get Bobby to the top of the hill, and he
succeeded.

Tom Tucker was a strong lad. Stooping, he commanded the girl to put her
arms over his shoulders so that he could seize both wrists with one hand.
Then he bent forward, carrying Bobby on his back and her weight upon his
aided in breaking through the snow-crust and getting a footing.

He plodded up the slope, a little at a time, and after a while Betty and
Bob helped them to the level brink of the hill. Tommy fell to the snow
panting, and Bobby was inclined to scold for a minute. Then she gave Tommy
one of her rare smiles and helped him up. She was not often so kind to
him.

"You are a good child, Tommy Tucker," she proclaimed saucily, as she beat
the loose snow off his coat. "In time you may be quite nice."

Betty and Ida Bellethorne praised him too; but Bob continued to laugh and
when the party started on again the others learned why he was so amused.

The way to Candace Farm lay right down that slope to the bottom of which
Bobby had tumbled, and all the exertion Tommy had put forth to save her
was unnecessary. Bob led them along a lane right past the spot where
Tommy had pulled the girl out of the snowbank!

"That's the meanest trick that was ever played on me!" declared Bobby, in
high wrath at first. Then she began to appreciate the joke and laughed
with the others. "I was going to tell the folks at home how Tommy saved me
from the peril of being buried in the snowbank; but I guess I'd better
not," she observed. "Don't blame me, Tommy. Give it to Bob."

"Ill get square with Bob," grumbled the Tucker twin. "No fear of that."

Bobby remained kind to him however; and as Tommy frankly admired her he
was repaid for his effort. But every time Bob looked at Tom he burst out
laughing.

They had struck into a straight trough in the snow, with maples on either
side standing gaunt and strong, and a windrow of drifted snow where the
fences were supposed to be--a road which Bob said the man at Mountain Camp
had told him led straight to Candace Farm.

"Wish we had brought a sled with us," Tommy said. "We could have ridden
the girls on it. Aren't you tired, Bobby?"

"Not as tired as you are, I warrant," she said, laughing at him. "Poor
Tommy!"

"Aw, you go fish! I could carry you a mile and not feel it. Gee! What's
this coming?"

Far down the snow-covered r