f her sincerity, and therefore I say no more about it; we have
the brandy-flask to keep up our spirits. Now then for the wood, though,
by the powers, I shall have no relish for any of your pic-nic parties,
as they call them, for the next twelve years."

"But, O'Brien, how can I get over this ditch in petticoats? I could
hardly leap it in my clothes."

"You must tie your petticoats round your waist and make a good run; get
over as far as you can, and I will drag you through the rest."

"But you forget that we are to sleep in the wood, and that it's no
laughing matter to get wet through, freezing so hard as it does now."

"Very true, Peter; but as the snow lies so deep upon the ditch, perhaps
the ice may bear. I'll try; if it bears me, it will not condescend to
bend at your shrimp of carcass."

O'Brien tried the ice, which was firm, and we both walked over, and
making all the haste we could, arrived at the wood, as the woman called
it, but which was not more than a clump of trees of about half an acre.
We cleared away the snow for about six feet round a very hollow part,
and then O'Brien cut stakes and fixed them in the earth, to which we
stretched one blanket. The snow being about two feet deep, there was
plenty of room to creep underneath the blanket. We then collected all
the leaves we could, beating the snow off them, and laid them at the
bottom of the hole; over the leaves we spread the other blanket, and
taking our bundles in, we then stopped up with snow every side of the
upper blanket, except the hole to creep in at. It was quite astonishing
what a warm place this became in a short time after we had remained in
it. It was almost too warm, although the weather outside was piercingly
cold. After a good meal and a dose of brandy, we both fell fast asleep,
but not until I had taken off my woman's attire and resumed my own
clothes. We never slept better or more warmly than we did in this hole
which we had made on the ground, covered with ice and snow.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

O'BRIEN PARTS COMPANY TO HUNT FOR PROVISIONS, AND I HAVE OTHER COMPANY
IN CONSEQUENCE OF ANOTHER HUNT--O'BRIEN PATHETICALLY MOURNS MY DEATH AND
FINDS ME ALIVE--WE ESCAPE.

The ensuing morning we looked out anxiously for the promised assistance,
for we were not very rich in provisions, although what we had were of a
very good quality. It was not until three o'clock in the afternoon that
we perceived a little girl coming towards