hich were frozen hard as a board. I shook the snow off them,
and, grabbing up my clothes, ran downstairs, pulled the ashes off the
coals, and fanned them till they were bright, and built a good fire in
the fireplace. I warmed my leather breeches over the fire till they were
softened so that I could get into them.

It was a little after five o'clock. The snowstorm was over, and the moon
was shining bright.

Mother came in and said, "Well, Benny, you've built me a nice fire, and
I hope you'll have a good time."

She hung a pot with some hasty pudding in it over the fire, warmed it
up, and fried some pork in the skillet. I brought up a jug of cider from
the cellar, and as I was eating breakfast, father came in and took down
the gun from over the fireplace. "I think I'll put a new flint in the
gun, Ben. You don't want to miss fire when you get a chance to shoot at
a fox. Be careful of the gun. You know it belonged to your Uncle John,
and he had it with him when he was killed in the Indian fight up to
York, the same time that Ben Muzzy was captivated and carried off. I
never take it down without thinking of John. He was dreadful fond of
hunting, just as you be, Benny. You put me in mind of him."

[Sidenote: BEN STARTS FOR THE FOX HUNT]

I pulled some long stockings that belonged to my brother John over my
own shoes and stockings, put on my woollen frock, and buckled my belt
round my waist. Father handed me the gun, and said, "Give my respects to
Dr. Fiske, Benny, and good luck to ye."

When I got outdoors, I slipped my toes under the thongs of the rackets,
and shuffled along over the fields till I got to the road. The moon was
bright, and everything was distinct and clear.

I skimmed along over the snow, and William Munroe, the blacksmith, came
out of his house near the foot of the common, just as I was passing.

"Hello, Benny, you're up early to-day. Where are you bound for?"

"Fox-hunting with Davy Fiske."

"Well, he's a good one at it, and it will be a fine day."

The meeting-house was covered with a casing of snow. As I passed by the
common I could see lights in Sam Jones's house and in old John Muzzy's.
I kept on up the road by Jonas Parker's, and when I came in sight of Dr.
Fiske's place, Davy was outside, waiting for me.

"Hello, Ben! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you these two
hours."

"Oh, pshaw, Davy. This is plenty early. You can't see the least bit of
daylight yet, and one can't do muc