o avoid a
breathing-hole. The sun shone pleasantly, too.

"I don't see what signs there are of a snow-storm," said Josey.

"Such a calm and pleasant day in February portends a storm," said Jonas.
"Besides, the wind, what there is, is north-east; and don't you see that
snow-bank off south?"

Josey looked in the direction in which they were going, which was
towards the south-west, and he saw a long, white bank of cloud,
extending over that quarter of the heavens.

"Is that a snow-bank?" asked Josey.

"It is a bank of snow-clouds, I suppose," said Jonas. "They call it a
snow-bank."

By the time that the boys reached the mill, a hazy appearance had
overspread the whole sky. They took out the grist, and left it to be
ground, and then immediately got into the sleigh again, and commenced
their return. Before they had gone far, the sky became entirely
overcast, and the distant hills to the south-east were enveloped in
what appeared to be a kind of mist, but which was really falling snow.

"How windy it is!" said Josey.

"No," said Jonas, "it is not much more windy than it was when we came;
but then we were riding with it, and now we are going against it. You
feel cold, don't you?"

"Why, yes, a little," said Josey, "now the sun has gone, and the wind
has come."

"Well, then," said Jonas, "get down in the bottom of the sleigh, and
I'll cover you up with buffaloes."

So Josey crept down into the bottom of the sleigh, and Jonas covered him
up; and he found his place very warm and comfortable.

"How do you like your place?" said Jonas.

"Very well," said Josey, "only I can't see where we are going."

"Trust yourself to me," said Jonas. "I'll drive you safely."

"I know it," said Josey, "and I wish you'd tell me, now and then, what
you see."

"Well," replied Jonas, "I see a load of hay coming along on the pond
before us."

"A large load?" said Josey.

"Yes," replied Jonas; "and now we're going pretty near the round island.
There, the load of hay is turning off by another road. O, there is a
sleigh behind it; it was hid before. The sleigh is coming this way."

"I don't hear any bells," said Josey.

"We are too far off yet; you'll hear them presently."

Very soon Josey did hear the bells. They came nearer and nearer, and at
last jingled by close to his ears. As soon as the sound had gone by, he
threw up the buffalo with his arms, and looked out, saying to Jonas,--

"I guess they wondered what you had got h