dered about twenty of my own men
to bring axes at their saddlebows. We'll put 'em all at work."

In a few minutes thirty good axmen were cutting down trees, saplings and
bushes, and more than a hundred others were strengthening the lean-tos,
thatching roofs, and making rude but serviceable floors. Dick, owing to
his slight wound, but much against his wish, was ordered into the house,
where he spread his blankets near a window, although he could not yet
sleep, all the heat of the battle and pursuit not yet having left him.
His nerves still tingling with excitement, he stood at the window and
looked out.

He saw the great fire blazing and many persons passing and repassing
before the red glow. He saw the captives crouching together, and the red
gleam on the bayonets of the men who guarded them. He saw Warner and
Pendleton go into one of the lean-tos, and he saw Colonel Winchester,
accompanied by Shepard and the sergeant, go down the valley toward the
exit.

After a while the prisoners moved to the lean-tos, and then everybody
took shelter. The crackle of the big fires changed to a hiss, and more
smoke arose from them. The reason was obvious. The big flakes of snow
had ceased to fall, and big drops of rain were falling in their place.
Reed had been a true prophet, and he had not given his warning too soon.

The rain increased. Dick heard it driving on the window panes and
beating on the roof. All the fires in the valley were out now, and
rising mists and vapors hid nearly everything. The faint, sliding
sound of more snow-falls precipitated by the rain came to his ears. He
realized suddenly how fine a thing it was to be inside four walls,
and with it came a great feeling of comfort. It was the same feeling
that he had known often in childhood, when he lay in his bed and heard
the storm beat against the house.

There were others in the room--the floor was almost covered with them--
but all of them were asleep already, and Dick, wrapping himself in his
blanket, joined them, the last thing that he remembered being the swish
of the rain against the glass. He slept heavily and was not awakened
until nearly noon, when he saw through the window a world entirely
changed. The rain had melted only a portion of the snow, and when it
ceased after sunrise the day had turned much colder, freezing every thing
hard and tight. The surface of valley, slopes and ridges was covered
with a thick armor of ice, smooth as glass