the girl!” Jim answered. Then he stumbled and fell in the snow.
Chapter 10
A Caller in the Night
“Jim’s hurt!” Trixie cried to Brian. They had been walking along the path single file, with Trixie between the two boys.
“What happened?” Brian asked as he pushed Trixie aside to bend over Jim.
“He stumbled over something and fell,” Trixie said. “Watch out!”
She was too late. Brian went down headfirst over Jim’s body.
“Brian!” Trixie called frantically. “Jim!”
On the ground they were both making queer choking noises. The swift swirling snow obscured everything around them, even the trees close by.
Terror-stricken, Trixie circled the fallen boys. “Jim!” she called. “Oh, he’s been killed!”
“I’m not dead,” Jim said, gurgling, “but if you can’t get this elephant to roll himself off me, I may be.”
“Then why are you making such queer noises, as though you can’t get your breath? Brian, too,” Trixie added, her voice tense with anxiety.
“Can’t you tell laughing when you hear it?” Brian asked, getting up and brushing the snow from himself, only to have it replaced by more. “I like the way you called out to Jim, too, Trixie. Fine sister you are, you weren’t concerned when I fell.”
“I was, too,” Trixie said, exasperated, “but you picked a queer time to be funny and play tricks.” She was furious at both of them. “We may not even be alive an hour from now unless we can get under cover someplace. Just think, it’s black dark, and Moms must be terribly worried because we aren’t home. I can’t stand much more of this storm.”
“You may be right about it’s not being any time to play jokes,” Jim said, “but it isn’t any time to cry, either. What do you suppose made us both stumble? I can’t see an inch ahead of myself.” He picked up his flashlight where it had fallen.
Reddy, who had jumped from Brian’s arms when he stumbled, rubbed his wet body against Brian’s legs, whimpered, and held up his sore paw.
“I know it hurts, fella,” Brian said. “I can’t do anything about it right now, though. Trixie, we’re really up against it. There
must
be a shelter of some kind around here.”
“There is!” Jim cried excitedly. His flashlighthunted around on the ground near him. “It was a log walk that I fell over. Unless I miss my guess it leads to some kind of refuge. That’s it, see? Right ahead!” The boys forced the door of a log house that stood on the edge of a small clearing. The fury of the storm drove girl, boys, and dog inside, then slammed the door with mighty force.
“Just in time!” Trixie panted, exhausted.
Jim’s flashlight danced around the room. There was no furniture … yes … along the wall were three old benches piled high with heavy feed sacks.
“Mr. Maypenny must use this for a place to store provisions for the animals and birds,” Jim said. “Sure thing, it’s an old schoolhouse. Mr. Maypenny used to go to school here himself. Jeepers, it’s cold!”
Brian’s flashlight had been seeking out corners, too. “There’s a stove!” he cried. “Looks like a wood burner!”
“No wood for it, though,” Jim said. “None that I can see. Do you see any, Trixie?”
“Not yet,” Trixie said, her own flashlight seeking
anything
they could use. “There’s a lantern!” She picked it up. “And a folder of matches right by it!” she said, as she snapped the light and lit the lantern. She swung its yellow light around into corners hunting stored wood. There were only two or three logs near the stove.
“There
must
be a woodpile nearby,” Jim said. “I’ll go out to see if I can find it.”
He opened the door, but the wind roaring through the opening threw him back into the room.
“You can’t go out there,” Trixie said. “You’d never find your way back. You’d freeze to death!”
“Where do you think you’d rather freeze,” Brian asked, “inside or outside? There isn’t much
Chapter 10
A Caller in the Night
“Jim’s hurt!” Trixie cried to Brian. They had been walking along the path single file, with Trixie between the two boys.
“What happened?” Brian asked as he pushed Trixie aside to bend over Jim.
“He stumbled over something and fell,” Trixie said. “Watch out!”
She was too late. Brian went down headfirst over Jim’s body.
“Brian!” Trixie called frantically. “Jim!”
On the ground they were both making queer choking noises. The swift swirling snow obscured everything around them, even the trees close by.
Terror-stricken, Trixie circled the fallen boys. “Jim!” she called. “Oh, he’s been killed!”
“I’m not dead,” Jim said, gurgling, “but if you can’t get this elephant to roll himself off me, I may be.”
“Then why are you making such queer noises, as though you can’t get your breath? Brian, too,” Trixie added, her voice tense with anxiety.
“Can’t you tell laughing when you hear it?” Brian asked, getting up and brushing the snow from himself, only to have it replaced by more. “I like the way you called out to Jim, too, Trixie. Fine sister you are, you weren’t concerned when I fell.”
“I was, too,” Trixie said, exasperated, “but you picked a queer time to be funny and play tricks.” She was furious at both of them. “We may not even be alive an hour from now unless we can get under cover someplace. Just think, it’s black dark, and Moms must be terribly worried because we aren’t home. I can’t stand much more of this storm.”
“You may be right about it’s not being any time to play jokes,” Jim said, “but it isn’t any time to cry, either. What do you suppose made us both stumble? I can’t see an inch ahead of myself.” He picked up his flashlight where it had fallen.
Reddy, who had jumped from Brian’s arms when he stumbled, rubbed his wet body against Brian’s legs, whimpered, and held up his sore paw.
“I know it hurts, fella,” Brian said. “I can’t do anything about it right now, though. Trixie, we’re really up against it. There
must
be a shelter of some kind around here.”
“There is!” Jim cried excitedly. His flashlighthunted around on the ground near him. “It was a log walk that I fell over. Unless I miss my guess it leads to some kind of refuge. That’s it, see? Right ahead!” The boys forced the door of a log house that stood on the edge of a small clearing. The fury of the storm drove girl, boys, and dog inside, then slammed the door with mighty force.
“Just in time!” Trixie panted, exhausted.
Jim’s flashlight danced around the room. There was no furniture … yes … along the wall were three old benches piled high with heavy feed sacks.
“Mr. Maypenny must use this for a place to store provisions for the animals and birds,” Jim said. “Sure thing, it’s an old schoolhouse. Mr. Maypenny used to go to school here himself. Jeepers, it’s cold!”
Brian’s flashlight had been seeking out corners, too. “There’s a stove!” he cried. “Looks like a wood burner!”
“No wood for it, though,” Jim said. “None that I can see. Do you see any, Trixie?”
“Not yet,” Trixie said, her own flashlight seeking
anything
they could use. “There’s a lantern!” She picked it up. “And a folder of matches right by it!” she said, as she snapped the light and lit the lantern. She swung its yellow light around into corners hunting stored wood. There were only two or three logs near the stove.
“There
must
be a woodpile nearby,” Jim said. “I’ll go out to see if I can find it.”
He opened the door, but the wind roaring through the opening threw him back into the room.
“You can’t go out there,” Trixie said. “You’d never find your way back. You’d freeze to death!”
“Where do you think you’d rather freeze,” Brian asked, “inside or outside? There isn’t much
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