.

"Would be twenty-five," said Willy, "if the hills were rolled out
smooth."

They trudged on as bravely as they could, but, in spite of the cold, had
to stop now and then to rest, and by the time they had gone eight miles
it seemed as if they could hold out no longer.

"I shouldn't be tired if I were in your place," said Fred; "it's my
feet, you know."

"Here's a barn," exclaimed Willy, joyfully.

"Hush!" whispered cautious Fred; "don't you see there's a house to it,
and it wouldn't do to risk it? Folks would find us out, sure as guns."

A little farther on there was a hayrack at the side of the road, filled
with boards; and after a short consultation the boys decided to climb
into it, and "camp down a few minutes."

"It won't do to stay long," said Fred, "for it must be 'most sunrise;
and we should be in a pretty fix if anybody should go by and catch us."

It was only one o'clock! The boards were not as soft as feathers, by any
means, but the boys thought they wouldn't have minded that if they could
only have had a blanket to spread over them. More forlorn than the
"babes in the wood," they had not even the prospect that any birds would
come and cover them with leaves.

As they stretched themselves upon the boards, Willy thought of his
prayer. "Now I lay me down to sleep." Never, since he could remember,
had he gone to bed without that. Would it do to say it now? Would God
hear him? Ah, but would it do _not_ to say it? So he breathed it softly
to himself, lest Fred should hear and laugh at him.

It was so cold that Fred declared he couldn't shut his eyes, and
shouldn't dare to, either; but in less than a minute both the boys were
fast asleep.

They had slept about three hours, without stirring or even dreaming,
when they were suddenly wakened by the glare of a tin lantern shining in
their eyes, and a gruff voice calling out,--

"Who's this? How came you here?"

Willy stared at the man without speaking. Was it to-night, or last
night, or to-morrow night?

Fred had not yet opened his eyes, and the worthy farmer was obliged to
shake him for half a minute before he was fairly aroused.

"Who are you? What are you here for?" repeated he.

Then the boys sat upright on the boards and looked at each other. They
were both covered with a thick coating of frost, as white as if they had
been out in a snowstorm. What should they say to the man? It would never
do to tell him their real names, for then he would v