struck ten.
Frank had twice gone to the door, imagining he heard sleigh bells. He
got to his feet again at the sound of the clock.

"You might as well go to bed, dear. We sha'n't see them to-night, but
I'll sit up till eleven myself to make sure."

[Illustration: A half hour later when they were warmed]

Marian waited a little while longer, then took his advice. Frank sat by
the fire and pretended to read until five minutes of twelve, then he,
too, gave up the vigil as hopeless.

At ten minutes past two they both sat up with a start at the sound of
sleigh bells. An instant later there was a vigorous pounding on the
door.

Frank stared into the darkness for one confused instant, then leaped out
of bed, and wrapping a dressing gown about him, flung open the door.

Twelve numbed and snow-covered figures stumbled into the room. Two of
the men were half carrying one of the girls.

"Fire up quick, Frank, we're most frozen! And get some hot water!" Sherm
exclaimed, suiting the action to the word by stirring up the coals of
the dying fire and piling on wood.

It was not until a half hour later when they were warmed and fed, that
the Mortons had time to listen to any connected account of the night's
adventures. Frank had speedily summoned his father to prescribe for
frosted cheeks and fingers and toes. Later, it was discovered that John
Hardy had a badly sprained wrist. Marian and Mrs. Morton made the girls
comfortable and finished preparing the belated oyster supper.

"I am glad we didn't lose this oyster supper altogether," said Grant
Stowe feelingly. "I never tasted anything better."

"Same here," a half dozen laughing voices echoed.

"I wasn't so darned sure an hour ago that some of us were ever going to
taste anything again," said John Hardy soberly.

"Things didn't look exactly rosy, specially when we got spilled out,"
one of the girls added.

"What, did you have an upset?" Dr. Morton looked as if this were the
last straw.

"Yes, that's how Hardy sprained his wrist!"

"Chicken Little had just assured us that if we would drive a little
farther west, we should surely find something, when we struck the
sidehill and went over as neat as you please." Mamie enjoyed this thrust
at Jane.

"Well, we found something, didn't we?" defended Sherm.

"I should say we found out how deep the snow was."

"Yes, and the sidehill made Jane sure we were near the creek, and then
she saw the trees and----"

"Yes, and the