carpet still
remained, and comfortable chairs and sofas invited the chilly visitors
to rest.

"How can you light your fire when you get the wood?" asked Ruth, a
practical damsel, who looked well after her own creature comforts and
was longing for a warm supper.

"Papa hides the matches in a tin box, so the rats won't get at them.
Here they are, and two or three bits of candle for the sticks on the
chimney-piece, if he forgets to have the lantern trimmed. Now we will
light up, and look cosey when the boys come back."

And producing the box from under a sofa-cushion, Gwen cheered the hearts
of all by lighting two candles, rolling up the chairs, and making ready
to be comfortable. Thoughtful Alice went to see if Pat was returning,
and found a buffalo-robe lying on the steps. Returning with this, she
reported that there was no sign of the runaways, and advised making
ready for a long stay.

"How mamma will worry!" thought Gwen, but made light of the affair,
because she saw Rita looked timid, and Gus shivered till his teeth
chattered.

"We will have a nice time, and play we are shipwrecked people or Arctic
explorers. Here comes Dr. Kane and the sailors with supplies of wood,
so we can thaw our pemmican and warm our feet. Gus shall be the little
Esquimaux boy, all dressed in fur, as he is in the picture we have at
home," she said, wrapping the child in the robe, and putting her own
sealskin cap on his head to divert his mind.

"Here we are! Now for a jolly blaze, boys; and if Pat doesn't come back
we can have our fun here instead of at home," cried Mark, well pleased
with the adventure, as were his mates.

So they fell to work, and soon a bright fire was lighting up the room
with its cheerful shine, and the children gathered about it, quite
careless of the storm raging without, and sure that Pat would come in
time.

"I'm hungry," complained Gus as soon as he was warm.

"So am I," added Rita from the rug, where the two little ones sat
toasting themselves.

"Eat an apple," said Mark.

"They are so hard and cold I don't like them," began Gus.

"Roast some!" cried Ruth.

"And crack nuts," suggested Alice.

"Pity we can't cook something in real camp style; it would be such fun,"
said Tony, who had spent weeks on Monadnock, living upon the supplies he
and his party tugged up the mountain on their backs.

"We shall not have time for anything but what we have. Put down your
apples and crack away, or we shall be