he should
come to see Franco Ney.

"Well," said Rollo, "I'll ask him why you wouldn't tell me where his
father lives."

Very soon Rollo and Jonas arrived at the mill. They found Oliver safe
there, waiting for them; and the rolls, too, were ready. As they did not
like to tumble the rolls, Oliver rode with Rollo in his sleigh, and
Jonas took care of the rolls.

Rollo was greatly astonished, as well as very much pleased, when he came
to see Franco Ney.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XI.

THE SNOW FORT, OR GOOD FOR EVIL

The next morning, after breakfast, Oliver proposed to Rollo, that they
should go down to the pond, and build a snow fort. During the night,
there had been a slight thaw, accompanied with some rain. The body of
snow on the ground had become softened and adhesive by the moisture, and
was, as Jonas said, "in prime condition for all sorts of snow work."

Oliver borrowed of Jonas the large wooden snow-shovel, with a blade
nearly two feet square, used in cutting out the paths around the house.
Rollo assisted him to strap it on the hand-sled, together with some
boards, two iron shovels, and a hoe.

"The Conqueror"--for that was the name of his sled--"will have to be
captive to-day," said Oliver, as he bound the load upon the sled, which
he and Rollo were going to drag down to the pond.

"You had better take the garden-reel and line," said Jonas to Oliver,
"if you intend to make a good fort. You will want to stretch your line
so as to make the sides square, and to guide you in cutting out your
blocks of snow."

"O, we don't want to be so particular as that," said Oliver.

"But I thought," said Jonas, "that your plan last evening was, to do
your work in a workmanlike manner. If you want a substantial fort to
last all winter, you must lay a good foundation, and cut your courses
true, so that they will rest firmly one upon the other,--and especially
if you are going to have a roof."

"We mean to have a roof," said Rollo, "or we cannot illuminate it in the
evening."

"Well, then," said Jonas, "I advise you to take the line, and build
according to rule."

Oliver had not forgotten what Jonas had often told him about doing his
work like a workman.

"_What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well_" Jonas used to say.

So Oliver went to get the reel and line.

While he was gone to the tool-house, Rollo thought of Franco Ney, and
began to call aloud, "Franco! Franco!"

Franco did not come.

"F