Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/224

 could see the hands moving slowly until they pointed to twelve.

It was midnight, the last hour of Oscar’s last day. The cabin was safe, the claim was his, the first step of his great plan was made certain at  last.

“We’ve beaten Jake,” cried Hugh, in a quick whisper and threw his arms about Nicholas in a  great hug of delight. Then he got up stiffly and went to the window to survey the weather. He pushed aside the curtain, rubbed a clear space in  the thick frost on the pane and looked out. He gasped and looked once more, with a cry of  amazement, as though some strange vision had  been presented to his eyes. Yet all he saw was calm, quiet night, a world of glittering snowfields  and a clear sky all alight with stars.

“Dick, Dick,“ he shouted, and his comrade jumped up hastily.

“What is it?“ he asked. “Oh, brr-rr, but it is cold.“

He came to Hugh's side, looked out also and gave the same gasp of joy.