b looked at her curiously. It seemed strange for Lloyd to admit that
she was tired. He had known her to tramp nearly all day after nuts, and
then be ready for a horseback ride afterward.

"We'll stop just over this hill," he replied. "There's a good place to
camp. Here! Catch hold of my skate-strap, and I'll help pull you up."

"It helps some," she said, clinging to the strap swung over his
shoulder, "but I don't believe I'll evah get ovah this hill."

"It looks like a grove of Christmas trees!" cried Gay, as they started
down the other side toward the creek. Little cedars from two to five
feet high dotted the hillside, and the snow had drifted across them till
the branches drooped with the soft white burden. It began blowing
faster, and coming down like a thick white sheet between them and the
creek.

Rob, who had often picnicked here on his hunting trips, led the way
farther down the hill to a cavelike opening under an overhanging ledge
of rocks.

"This will keep the wind off your backs," he said. "Huddle down here a
few minutes until we build a fire. Then you'll be all right."

Some charred sticks and ashes between two flat rocks, with an old piece
of sheet iron laid on top, marked the spot where many meals had been
cooked. The boys began at once foraging for firewood. There was plenty
of it all around,--dead limbs and broken twigs,--and soon they had a big
heap ready to light.

"Now if somebody can donate a piece of paper to start a blaze, we'll
have you warm in a jiffy," said Rob.

Keith slapped his pockets. "I haven't a scrap," he declared. "Malcolm,
you might be able to spare that bunch of letters you carry around in
your pocket. You've read them enough to know them by heart, I should
think."

"Oh, keep still, can't you?" muttered Malcolm, in an aside. "Don't get
funny now."

"See him get red!" whispered Keith to Betty. "They're from a girl he met
at the first college hop last fall. She's older than he is, but he
thinks she's the one and only."

Then he turned to Malcolm again. "You might at least spare the envelopes
when it's to keep us from freezing. It would be a big sacrifice, but to
save your own blood and kin, you know--"

Malcolm stole a quick glance at Lloyd, but she was leaning wearily
against the ledge of rocks, paying no attention to Keith's remarks.
Kitty solved the difficulty by diving into Keith's pockets after the
packages, and emptying the brown sugar and chocolate into the saucepan