other being some twenty miles. The weight of the snow had already broken
down long stretches of telegraph and telephone wires. No aid for the
snow-bound train and passengers could be obtained.

Before this, however, the porter had insisted upon making up the girls'
berths and, like most of the other passengers in the Pullman, Nan and
Bess were asleep. While the passengers slept the snow continued to sift
down, building the drifts higher and higher, and causing the train-crew
increasing worriment of mind.

The locomotive could no longer pierce the drifts. The train had been too
heavy for her from the first. Fuel supply had been renewed at the
Junction, as well as water; but the coal was now needed to keep up steam
for the cars--and it would not last long for that purpose.

If the storm continued until morning without change, it might be several
days before the road could be opened from either end of the division.
Food and fuel would be very hard to obtain in this waste of snow, and so
far from human habitation.

The two conductors and the engineer spent most of the night discussing
ways and means. Meanwhile the snow continued to fall and the passengers,
for the most part, rested in ignorance of the peril that threatened.




CHAPTER IV

CAST AWAY IN THE SNOW