CHAPTER XVI
LOST IN THE WOODS
"Quick!" cried Bert, as he looked at the swiftly-sliding snow, "getclose to the tree--on the downward side of it, and maybe the drift willgo around us. Harry, you look after Freddie, and I'll take care ofFlossie!"
As he spoke Bert grabbed up his little sister and hurried closer to thetree. It was a big pine, and they had been sitting under its branches,on some big rocks, as the slide started.
"What shall we do?" cried Nan. "Can't Dorothy and I help?"
"Take care of yourselves," answered Bert. "I guess it will split at thetree and not hurt us."
The snow slide had started at the top of the hill, whether from somesnowball a boy had made, and rolled down, or from some other cause, Bertdid not stop to consider. He was too anxious to get his little brotherand sister to safety.
The snow was rather soft, and just right for the making of big balls, ofthe kind that had been put on the school steps. And, as it continued toslide down the hill, the mass of snow got larger and larger, until itwas big enough to frighten even older persons than the Bobbsey twins andtheir cousins.
Harry had reached the tree with Freddie at the same time that Bert cameto the protecting trunk with his little sister. Nan and Dorothy alsowere struggling toward it.
"Form in line!" called Bert. "In a long string down the hill, and everyone stand right in line with the tree. The big trunk may split the snowslide in two."
He and Harry took their positions nearest the trunk, with Flossie andFreddie between them. Nan and Dorothy came next. Bert clasped the treetrunk with both arms, and told Harry to grasp him as tightly as hecould.
"And you and Flossie hold on to Harry, Freddie," Bert directed. "Nan,you and Dorothy hold on to the little ones. Here she comes!"
By this time the snowslide had reached the tree, and the mass was nowmuch larger than at first. Freddie and Flossie felt like crying, butthey were brave and did not. It was an anxious moment.
Then just what Bert had hoped would happen came to pass. The snow slidewas split in two by the tree trunk, and slid to either side, leaving theBobbsey twins and their cousins safe.
"Oh!" gasped Nan.
"What was that you said about seeing someone up there on top of thehill?" asked Bert of Harry, a little later.
"I did see someone there just before the snow began to slide, and I'malmost sure I saw him roll that ball down that started the slide,"answered Harry.
"Is that so? Could you see his face?"
"Not very well."
"Never mind. You don't know Danny Rugg, anyhow."
"Oh, Bert! Do you think Danny could have done such a thing as that?"asked Nan, in shocked tones.
"He might; not thinking how dangerous it would be," answered herbrother. "I'm going up there and take a look."
"What for?" asked Dorothy.
"To see if I can find any marks in the snow. If someone was up theremaking a big snow ball to roll down on us there will be some marks ofit. And if it was Danny Rugg I'll have something to say to him."
"He wouldn't be there now, probably," said Harry. "But do you think itwould be safe to go up the side of the hill?"
"Yes, it would, by keeping right in the path of where the snow slidecame down," answered Bert. "There's hardly any more snow to come down,now."
"Then I'll go with you," said Harry.
Leaving the two girls, with Flossie and Freddie, at the tree, Bert andHarry made their way up to the top of the slope. There they saw thesigns of where, some one--a boy to judge by the marks of his shoes--hadtramped about, rolling a big snowball.
"That's what happened," decided Bert. "Danny Rugg, or some other meanchap, started that slide toward us. And I think it must have been Danny.He's up around here somewhere, and he's the only one who would have agrudge against me."
Several days went by at the Lodge, and they were very busy ones. As soonas breakfast was over the boys and girls would go for a walk, or wouldcoast down hill on a slope not far away from the old farmhouse. Freddieand Flossie were not allowed to go very far away, as it was hardtraveling. But they had good times around the house, and out in the oldbarn.
Bert and Harry made snowshoes out of barrel staves, fastening them totheir feet with straps. They managed to walk fairly well on the crust.
The lake was still covered with a coating of snow, and there was noskating, nor could the ice-boat be used. Mr. Bobbsey, with Harry andBert, took the team of horses one afternoon and went after the _IceBird_. They found it where Bert had left it the night of the storm, andhitching the horses to it, pulled the craft to the dock in front of SnowLodge.
"It will be all ready for us when the snow is gone," said Bert.
The nights in Snow Lodge were filled with fun. Mr. Bobbsey had bought abarrel of apples, and when the family gathered about the fireplace therewere put to roast in the heat of the glowing embers.
Corn was popped, and then it was eaten, with salt and butter on, or withmelted sugar poured over it. Sometimes they would make candy, and once,when they did this, a funny thing happened.
Bert, Nan, Flossie and Freddie, with the two cousins, had been out inthe kitchen making a panful of the sweets. I must say that Dinah did themost work, but the children always declared that they made the candy.Anyhow, Dinah always washed up the pans and dishes afterward.
"Now we'll set it out on the back steps to cool," said Nan, "and thenwe'll pull it into sticks."
The candy was soon in the condition for "pulling" and, putting butter ontheir fingers, so the sweet stuff would not stick to them, the childrenbegan their fun.
The more they pulled the candy the harder it got, and the lighter incolor, Flossie and Freddie soon tired of the work, that was hard ontheir little arms, and Nan set their rolls of candy outside again tocool, ready for eating.
All at once a great howling was heard at the back stoop, and Flossiecried:
"Oh, someone is taking my candy!"
Bert laid the lump he was pulling down on the table, and rushed to thekitchen door. As he looked out he laughed.
"Oh, look!" he cried. "Snap tried to eat your candy, Freddie, and it'sstuck to his jaws. He can't get his mouth open!"
This was just what had happened. Snap, playing around outside, hadsmelled the cooling candy. He was fond of sweets and in a moment hadbitten on a big chunk. In an instant his jaws seemed glued together, andhe set up a howl of pain and surprise.
"Oh, my lovely candy!" cried Freddie. "You bad Snap!"
"I guess Snap is punished enough," said Mrs. Bobbsey, coming to thekitchen to find out what the trouble was. And the poor dog was. He wouldnot get his jaws open for some time, so sticky was the candy, andfinally Bert had to put his pet's mouth in warm water, holding it thereuntil the candy softened. Then Snap could open his jaws, and get rid ofthe rest of the sweet stuff in his mouth. He looked very much surprisedat what had happened.
Freddie was given more candy to pull, and this time he set the pan inwhich he put it up high where no dog could get at it.
With the roasting of apples, making of popcorn and pulling of candy,many pleasant evenings were spent. Then came a thaw, and some rain thatcarried off most of the snow. A freeze followed, and the lake was frozenover solidly.
"Now for skates and our ice-boat!" cried Bert, and the fun started assoon as the lake was safe. The children had many good times, often goingup to the nearest village in the ice-boat.
Sometimes Bert had races with other ice-boats, and occasionally he woneven against larger craft that were bought, instead of being home-made.But almost as often the _Ice Bird_ came in last. But Bert and the othersdid not care. They were having a good time.
Bert met Danny Rugg in the woods one day, and spoke to him about thesnow slide. Danny said he had had nothing to do with it, but Bert didnot believe the bully.
Then came a spell of fine, warm weather, and as there was no snow on theground, Bert, Nan, Dorothy and Harry decided to take a long walk oneafternoon. Nan wanted to get some views with her ne
w camera.
So interested did they all become that they never noticed how late itwas, nor how far they had come.
"Oh, we must turn back!" cried Nan, when she did realize that it wouldsoon be dark. "We're a good way from Snow Lodge."
"Oh, we can easily get back," declared Bert. "I know the path."
But though Bert might know the path they had come by daylight, it wasquite different to find it after dark. However, he led the way, certainthat he was going right. But when they had gone on for some distance,and saw no familiar landmarks, Nan stopped and asked:
"Are you sure this is the right path, Bert? I don't remember passing anyof these rocks," and she pointed to a group of them under some trees.
"I don't, either," said Dorothy.
"Well, maybe this path leads into the right one," suggested Harry."Let's keep on a little farther."
There seemed to be nothing else to do, so forward they went. Then a fewflakes of snow began to fall, and they rapidly increased until the airwas white with them. It made the scene a little lighter, but it causedBert and the others to worry a good deal.
"I hope this isn't going to be much of a storm," said Bert in a lowvoice to Harry.
"Why not? It would make good sleigh riding."
"Yes, but it's no fun to be in the woods when it storms; especially atnight and when you're--lost."
"Lost!" cried Harry. "Are we lost?"
"I'm afraid so," answered Bert, solemnly. "I haven't seen anything thatlooked like the path we came over for a long time. I guess we're lost,all right."
"Oh! Oh!" cried Dorothy.
"Will we have to stay out in the woods all night?" Nan wanted to know.
Bert shook his head sadly.
"I'm afraid so," he said.