rom the ease with which, on all
occasions, he could burst into a dismal roar without shedding a tear,
and stop as suddenly as he began.

"Oh, I am so sorry! It was my fault; I shouldn't have let her do it,"
said Jack, distressfully.

"It was all _my_ fault; I made him. If I'd broken every bone I've got,
it would serve me right. Don't help me, anybody; I'm a wicked thing, and
I deserve to lie here and freeze and starve and die!" cried Jill, piling
up punishments in her remorseful anguish of mind and body.

"But we want to help you, and we can settle about blame by and by,"
whispered Merry with a kiss; for she adored dashing Jill, and never
would own that she did wrong.

"Here come the wood-sleds just in time. I'll cut away and tell one of
them to hurry up." And, freeing himself from his sisters, Gus went off
at a great pace, proving that the long legs carried a sensible head as
well as a kind heart.

As the first sled approached, an air of relief pervaded the agitated
party, for it was driven by Mr. Grant, a big, benevolent-looking farmer,
who surveyed the scene with the sympathetic interest of a man and a
father.

"Had a little accident, have you? Well, that's a pretty likely place for
a spill. Tried it once myself and broke the bridge of my nose," he said,
tapping that massive feature with a laugh which showed that fifty years
of farming had not taken all the boy out of him. "Now then, let's see
about this little chore, and lively, too, for it's late, and these
parties ought to be housed," he added, throwing down his whip, pushing
back his cap, and nodding at the wounded with a reassuring smile.

"Jill first, please, sir," said Ed, the gentle squire of dames,
spreading his overcoat on the sled as eagerly as ever Raleigh laid down
his velvet cloak for a queen to walk upon.

"All right. Just lay easy, my dear, and I won't hurt you a mite if I can
help it."

Careful as Mr. Grant was, Jill could have screamed with pain as he
lifted her; but she set her lips and bore it with the courage of a
little Indian; for all the lads were looking on, and Jill was proud to
show that a girl could bear as much as a boy. She hid her face in the
coat as soon as she was settled, to hide the tears that would come, and
by the time Jack was placed beside her, she had quite a little cistern
of salt water stored up in Ed's coat-pocket.

Then the mournful procession set forth, Mr. Grant driving the oxen, the
girls clustering about th