as standing, or
rather lying, in such a position, that many parts of the harness were
drawn so tense, that Oliver had not strength enough to unbuckle them.

However, Jonas at length got the sleigh separated from the horse, and
drew it back out of the way. He trampled the snow down around the horse,
as much as he could, and then the horse, with a leap and a plunge,
recovered his footing. He stood deep in the snow yet, however.

"Now," said Jonas, "where shall we put him till I come back?"

Oliver looked across the brook, and saw there, upon a bank, under some
trees, a spot which was bare. The reason why it was bare was, that the
snow had nearly all blown off during the storms; and then the sun, which
had been shining for some days so pleasantly, had melted away what there
had been left; and now the ground was bare, and almost dry. But the
difficulty was to get to it; for it was upon the other side of the
stream, and the bed of the stream was filled with water and ice.

"I wouldn't lead him over there," said Oliver. "I think you had better
go home, and not do any thing about the timber."

"No," said Jonas.

"Why, father will not think you did wrong to give it up, when we got
into such trouble," said Oliver.

"No, I don't suppose he would; but I'd rather carry him back an answer,
if I can."

"Then let me go with you," said Oliver.

"Why, it is a long and very hard walk," said Jonas. "There is no work so
hard as travelling in soft snow, without snow-shoes. If we had a pair of
snow-shoes, we could get along very well."

"Did you ever see any snow-shoes?" said Oliver.

"No," replied Jonas, "but I have read about them. They are very large
and flat, and your foot stands in the middle of them, and so presses
them upon the snow; and they are so large that they will not sink in
very far."

While Jonas was saying this, he was climbing down to the bank of the
brook, with a pole in his hands, with which he was going to see if he
could find firm footing, for the horse to go across.

"Yes," said he, punching his pole down to the bottom of the brook; "yes,
it isn't deep. The old General will get down here very well, I think."

So he and Oliver trampled a sort of path down to the brook, and then
they led the old General down. He seemed a little reluctant, at first,
to step into the water. However, he soon went in, and walked over, and
Oliver fastened him to a tree, so that he could stand upon the bare
piece of ground. Jo