were spinning on their way.

"I don't think these livery stable horses will run away," he returned.
"They are used every day, and that makes them less frisky than our
horses, which sometimes are in the stable for a week. Besides that,
Wash Bones is one of the most careful drivers around here. If he does
anything, he'll let the team hold back on him rather than urge them to
do their best."

On and on flew the sleigh, the young folks chatting gaily and
occasionally bursting out into a verse of song.

"Let's give 'em our old Oak Hall song!" cried Dave, presently.

"That's it!" came eagerly from his two chums, and a moment later they
started up the old school song, which was sung to the tune of Auld
Lang Syne, the girls joining in:

"Oak Hall we never shall forget,
No matter where we roam;
It is the very best of schools,
To us it's just like home!
Then give three cheers, and let them ring
Throughout this world so wide,
To let the people know that we
Elect to here abide!"

"Say, that takes me back to the old days at Oak Hall," remarked Roger,
when the singing had come to an end. "My, but those were the great
days!"

"I don't believe we'll ever see any better, Roger," answered Dave.

The sleighing party had still three miles to go when suddenly Laura
uttered a cry.

"It's snowing!"

"So it is!" burst out Belle. "What a shame!"

"Maybe it won't amount to much," said Ben. "It often snows just a
little, you know."

The first flakes to fall were large, and dropped down lazily from the
sky. But soon it grew darker, and in a short time the snow was coming
down so thickly that it almost blotted out the landscape on all
sides.

"Some fall this!" exclaimed Phil. "Looks now as if it were going to be
a regular storm."

"O dear! and I wanted it to be moonlight to-night!" wailed Laura.

Dave was peering around and looking anxiously at the heavy, leaden
sky.

"If this is going to be a heavy storm, maybe it might be as well for
us to turn back," he announced.

"Turn back?" came from several of the others.

"Yes."

"What for, Dave?" questioned Phil. "I don't think a little snow is
going to hurt us. Maybe it will help to keep us warm," he added with a
grin.

"We don't want to get snowed in, Phil."

"Oh, let's go on!" interposed Roger. "Even if it does keep on snowing
it won't get very heavy i