"  Only  the  snow  is  falling  so  thickly  that  you
can't  see  us.  Wait!  Let  us  all  get  together
and  make  a  fresh  start.  It  wouldn't  do  to  get
separated  in  such  a  storm."

"  Oh,  this  won't  last — it  can't  snow  so  hard  for
long!  '  cried  Jennie.  "  But  we  can  go  on,  cling-
ing to  each  other's  jacket-tails."

The  six  had  come  together,  and  Helen  laugh-
ingly "  counted  noses."  "  Though  we  mustn't
feven  count  'em  hard"  she  said,  briskly  rubbing


I58          RUTH   FIELDING   AT    SNOW   CAMP

her   own,    "  or   we'll   break   them   off.     Isn't   it
cold?"

"  It's  dreadful !  "  wailed  Lluella.  "  The  wind
cuts  right  through  everything  IVe  got  on.  I
shall  freeze  if  we  stand  here."

We  won't  stand  here.  We'll  hurry  on  to
the  camp."

Which  way,  girls?'  demanded  Heavy.  'I
confess  I  have  lost  all  the  points  of  the  compass
— and  I  never  did  know  them  too  well."

"  Oh,  I  know  the  way  back,"  said  Helen,
stoutly.  "  Don't  you,  Ruth?  "

"  I  believe  so,"  replied  the  girl  from  the  Red
Mill.
But  when  they  started,  Ruth  was  for  one  direc-
tion and  Helen  for  another.  The  fact  that  they
did  not  all  think  alike  frightened  them,  and
Madge  called  another  halt.
"This  will  never  do,"  she  said,  earnestly.
"  Why,  we  might  be  lost  in  such  thick  snow  as
this."

"  I  can't  walk  any  farther  with  this  bag  and
on  these  old  snow-shoes!"  cried  Heavy.  '  Say!
let's  get  under  shelter  somewhere  and  wait  for  it
to  hold  up — or  until  they  come  and  dig  us  out."

"We're  a  nice  lot  of  '  babes  in  the  woods,'
sniffed  Belle.
