"Yes, I or somebody else. I am getting a grist ready."
"Here comes uncle," said Josey; "I mean to ask him to let me go."
The farmer came in, and told Jonas that he expected that they were going to have a snow-storm, and, therefore, as soon as his grist was ready, he might harness a horse into the sleigh, and drive directly to mill.
"Then," said he, "you may come directly back, and not wait to have it ground; for I want you to go up to the woods this afternoon, and bring down a load of small spruces, which I cut for rafters. I want them down before the road gets blocked up with snow."
The farmer had reflected that, about this time in the winter, they were generally exposed to long and driving snow-storms, by which the roads were often blocked up. He usually endeavored to get all out of the woods which he had to get, early in the season, while the snow was not deep.
He had now got down all his wood, and all his timber, except one or two loads of rafters; and he wished, therefore, to get those down, so that, in case of a severe storm, he would not have to break out the road again.
Jonas accordingly despatched his preparations for going to mill, as rapidly as possible, and soon was ready. In driving out, he stopped opposite the place where the farmer was at work upon his frame.
"All ready, I believe, sir," said Jonas.
"Very well," said the farmer. "The pond road is a little the nearest, isn"t it?"
"Yes, sir," said Jonas.
"And Josey wants to go with you; have you any objection to take him?"
"No, sir," said Jonas; "I should like very much to have him go."
"Well, Josey, get your great-coat, and come."
"O, no, sir," said Josey; "I don"t need any great-coat; it isn"t cold."
"Very well, then; jump in."
Josey got in upon the top of the bags, and Jonas drove on. After riding a short distance, they turned down by a road which led to the pond, which was now covered with so thick and solid a sheet of ice, that it was safe travelling upon it, and it was accordingly intersected with roads in every direction. They rode down at a rapid trot to the ice, followed by Franco, who was always glad to go upon an expedition.
The road led them over, very nearly, the same part of the pond that Jonas had navigated in his boat, when he fitted a sail to it,--though now the appearances were so different all around, that one would hardly have supposed the scene to have been the same. There was the same level surface, but it was now a solid field, white with snow, instead of the undulating expanse of water, of the deep-blue color reflected from the sky. There were the same islands, and promontories, and beaches; but the verdure was gone, and the naked whiteness of the beach seemed to have spread over the whole landscape. It was a very pleasant ride, however.
The road was level, though very winding, as it pa.s.sed around capes and headlands, and now and then took a wide circuit to avoid a breathing-hole. The sun shone pleasantly, too.
"I don"t see what signs there are of a snow-storm," said Josey.
"Such a calm and pleasant day in February portends a storm," said Jonas.
"Besides, the wind, what there is, is north-east; and don"t you see that snow-bank off south?"
Josey looked in the direction in which they were going, which was towards the south-west, and he saw a long, white bank of cloud, extending over that quarter of the heavens.
"Is that a snow-bank?" asked Josey.
"It is a bank of snow-clouds, I suppose," said Jonas. "They call it a snow-bank."
By the time that the boys reached the mill, a hazy appearance had overspread the whole sky. They took out the grist, and left it to be ground, and then immediately got into the sleigh again, and commenced their return. Before they had gone far, the sky became entirely overcast, and the distant hills to the south-east were enveloped in what appeared to be a kind of mist, but which was really falling snow.
"How windy it is!" said Josey.
"No," said Jonas, "it is not much more windy than it was when we came; but then we were riding with it, and now we are going against it. You feel cold, don"t you?"
"Why, yes, a little," said Josey, "now the sun has gone, and the wind has come."
"Well, then," said Jonas, "get down in the bottom of the sleigh, and I"ll cover you up with buffaloes."
So Josey crept down into the bottom of the sleigh, and Jonas covered him up; and he found his place very warm and comfortable.
"How do you like your place?" said Jonas.
"Very well," said Josey, "only I can"t see where we are going."
"Trust yourself to me," said Jonas. "I"ll drive you safely."
"I know it," said Josey, "and I wish you"d tell me, now and then, what you see."
"Well," replied Jonas, "I see a load of hay coming along on the pond before us."
"A large load?" said Josey.
"Yes," replied Jonas; "and now we"re going pretty near the round island.
There, the load of hay is turning off by another road. O, there is a sleigh behind it; it was hid before. The sleigh is coming this way."
"I don"t hear any bells," said Josey.
"We are too far off yet; you"ll hear them presently."
Very soon Josey did hear the bells. They came nearer and nearer, and at last jingled by close to his ears. As soon as the sound had gone by, he threw up the buffalo with his arms, and looked out, saying to Jonas,--
"I guess they wondered what you had got here, covered up with the buffalo, Jonas."
Jonas smiled, and Josey covered himself up again. Not long after this, it began to snow, and Jonas said that he could hardly see the sh.o.r.e in some places.
"Suppose it should snow so fast," said Josey, "that you could not see the land at all; then, if you should come to two roads, how could you tell which one to take?"
"Why, one way," replied Jonas, "would be to let Franco trot on before us; and he"d know the way."
"Is Franco coming along with us?" said Josey.
"Yes," said Jonas, "he is close behind."
"Why don"t you call him Ney?" asked Josey; "that is his real name."
"I was uncertain which to call him for some time," said Jonas; "but finally I concluded to let him keep both names, and so now he is Franco Ney."
"Well," said Josey, "I think that is a good plan."
A short time after this, Jonas turned up off from the pond, and soon reached home.
[Ill.u.s.tration]