,
just as I wrote it down (I have the paper to this day), though it
might as well have been Greek for all I knew of its meaning:

[Transcriber's Note: an image of a series of handwritten dots, dashes,
vertical marks, and other marks appears here in the text.]

After a minute or two it began again, but I soon saw that I was
getting the same thing. I leaned back in the chair and wished that I
could read it. Then I sat up with sudden new interest, wondering if I
could not find a copy of the Morse code somewhere and translate the
message. It didn't seem likely that Tom would have one, as he was an
old operator; but I began rummaging among his books and papers just
the same. I had not gone far when I turned up an envelope directed to
him on which was some printing saying that it contained a pamphlet
about books for telegraphers. I opened it, and on the first page, as a
sort of trade-mark, was what I wanted. In ten minutes I had my message
translated. It read: "Starving. Siding fifteen. Carr."

CHAPTER XXII

The last Chapter, but a good Deal in it: a free Lodging for the Night,
with a little Speech by Mr. Clerkinwell: then, how Kaiser and I take a
long Journey, and how we never go that Way again.

When I knew what the message said I saw that a train must have got to
No. 15, and I jumped up and started for the door; then I ran back
again and slowly spelled out O. K. on the instrument, and without
waiting to see what came in reply hurried over to the hotel as fast as
I could go.

It was now eleven o'clock, and though the storm was as furious as ever
I was determined to set out and try to reach the siding. If it had
been before the thaw, with all of the winter snow on the ground, I
never should have thought of doing it, but most of the old drifts were
either gone or frozen so hard that they could be walked over without
the least fear of breaking down; and as for the new drifts they were
soft and not yet deep. I first thought of taking the horses and large
sleigh and of keeping on the railroad track, but I remembered that
there were a good many culverts and little bridges which I could not
cross that way, and I knew to leave the track would mean to be lost
instantly. So I saw that the best I could do was to take Kaiser and
the small sled.

I soon had this loaded with all the provisions that I thought we could
get through with, though the selection was poor enough. But I got a
lot of coffee from the store, with ba