If we had had any proper means of preparing a goose we should certainly
have put one to bake in the stove oven; for all three of us were hungry.
As it was, Addison said we had better make a scoot, load the geese on
it, and take the nearest way home. We had only the axe and our
jackknives to work with, and it was nine o'clock before we had built a
rude sled and loaded the geese on it.
As we were about to start we heard a familiar voice cry, "Well, well;
there they are!" And who should come through the cedars but the old
Squire! A little behind him was Tom's father.
On account of the severity of the weather both families had been much
alarmed when we failed to come home the night before. Making an early
start that morning, Mr. Edwards and the old Squire had driven to the
Silver farm and, leaving their team there, had followed the town line in
search of us. On reaching Wild Brook they had seen that the snow bridge
had fallen, and at first they had been badly frightened. On looking
round, however, they had found the marks of our boot heels on the frozen
snow, heading up-stream, and had immediately guessed that we had gone to
the old camp.
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