Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/219

 of bringing home some game. He was gone two hours, returning at last empty-handed.

“And very lucky I was to get home at all,” he said as he came in, stamping the snow off his big  boots. “I vow I have been walking in a circle for five miles: it was only Nicholas who ever got  me here again.”

All night the wind screamed in the chimney and fairly rocked the walls of their little dwelling. The snow seemed twice as deep when they fought their way out to the stable to attend to the wants  of Hulda. Her placid air was somewhat reassuring, although Hugh observed wisely:

“She really doesn’t know just how things are.”

The pail of milk that they carried back between them was even more comforting, for it was plain  that with Hulda’s help they could not quite  starve.

“We can get pretty hungry, though,” observed Hugh grimly as he saw Nicholas disposing of his  share in three laps and then looking up to beg  mutely for more.

There could be no thought now of going out to