ook hold of
the stick; he felt a pull, but held fast; then he put his mouth close to
the hole, two or three inches in diameter, through which it passed.

"Halloa!" he shouted; "is any one below?"

A cry of "Yes, yes," came back in reply. "The two Jacksons and
Humphreys."

"Hurrah!" he shouted at the top of his voice, and his companions,
although they had not heard the answer, joined in the cheer.

"Are you all right?" he shouted down again.

"Yes, but please get help and dig us out."

"All right; I will run all the way back; they will have men here in no
time; good-bye; keep up your spirits."

"They are all there below!" he shouted to his friends. "Come on, you
fellows, there is not a moment to lose."

Wild with excitement the boys made their way home; they rushed down the
hill-sides, scrambled through the drifts in the bottoms, in which they
sometimes disappeared altogether, and had to haul each other out,
struggled up the hills, and, panting and breathless, rushed in a body
into Mr Humphreys' farmhouse, that standing nearest to them, on their
way to Castleton.

"We have found them; we have found them," they panted out. "They are
all alive."

Mrs Humphreys had risen from her seat in a chair by the fire as the
boys entered, and uttering a faint cry fell back insensible.

At this moment the farmer, who had but five minutes before returned,
having been out since daybreak on the hills, hurried into the room; he
was taking off his heavy boots when he heard the rush of feet into the
house. "We have found them, sir; they are all alive!"

"Thank God! thank God!" the farmer exclaimed reverently, and then seeing
his wife insensible hurried towards her, uttering a shout for the
servants. Two women ran in. "Look to your mistress," he said; "she has
fainted; the good news has been too much for her--the boys are found
alive."

With mingled exclamations of gladness and dismay the servants raised
their mistress.

"Now, boys, where are they?" Mr Humphreys asked.

The lads gave a rapid narrative of what had happened.

"Under the snow all this time!" the farmer exclaimed; "they must be, as
you say, in a hut. Now, will one of you stay and show me the way back,
and the others go on to Mr Jackson's and other places, and bring a
strong party of men with shovels on after us?"

The lad who had spoken with the prisoners remained to act as guide, the
others hurried off.

"Come with me, my boy, into the larder. Th