o the middle of the stack; and
I plunged in on my hands and knees, found it dry and free from snow
within ten feet of the mouth, and after enlarging it by humping up my
back under it where the settling had made it too small, I emerged and
went to Virginia; whom I took out with her dog, wrapped her in the robes
so as to keep them from getting snowy inside, and backing into the
burrow, hauled the pile of robes, girl and dog in after me, like a
gigantic mouse engaged in saving her young. I think no mouse ever
yearned over her treasures in such case more than I did.

And then I went back to get the dinner-basket, which was already buried
under the snow which had filled the cutter; for I knew that there was
likely to be something left over of one of the bountiful dinners which a
farmer's wife puts up for the teacher. Then I went back into the little
chamber of straw in which we had found shelter, stopping up the mouth
with snow and straw as I went in. I drew a long breath. This was far
better than I had dared hope for. There is a warmth generated in such a
pile, from the slow fermentation of the straw juices; even when
seemingly dry as this was: and far in the middle of the stack,
vegetables might have been stored without freezing. The sound of the
tempest did not reach us here; it was still as death, and dark as tar. I
wondered that Virginia did not say anything; but she kept still because
she did not understand where she was, or what I had done with her.

Finally, when she spoke it was to say, "Unwrap me, Teunis! I am
smothering with the heat!"

I laughed a long loud laugh. I guess I was almost hysterical. The
change was so sudden, so complete. Virginia was actually complaining
of the heat!

I unwrapped her carefully, and kissed her. Did ever any peril turn to
any one a face so full of clemency and tenderness as this blizzard
to me?

"It takes," says she, "a storm to move _you_ to any, speed faster than a
walk."

The darkness in the burrow was now full of light for me. I made it soft
as a mouse-nest, by pulling down the clean straw, and spreading it in
the bottom, with the coonskin under her, and the buffalo-robe for a
coverlid. There was scarcely room for two there, but we made it do, and
found room for the little dog also. There was an inexpressible happiness
in our safety from the awful storm, which we knew raged all about our
nest; but to be together, and to feel that the things that stood between
us had all be