secured two good strings of trout; and by this time Willis, who had
followed us, thought it best to make peace.

"Come on, boys!" he exclaimed. "We had better be going. It's two
o'clock, and beginning to snow."

We had become so engrossed in our novel method of fishing that we
had not heeded the weather. Fine snow was falling.

"But I must get the powder-post for Sam's foot!" exclaimed John.
Willis and I had forgotten that.

"Hurry, then," said Willis, "or we shall be late to Thanksgiving
dinner! I'm hungry now!"

We ran to the barn. The lean-to door was off its hinges, but wooden
pins held the oak braces of the frame in position. We knocked out
the pins, and prying out two of the braces, split them, and then
beat the pieces on the newspapers. The white powder ran from the
perforated wood in tiny streams. The bottle filled slowly, however,
and it needed much splitting and hammering to obtain even a
teaspoonful of powder-post. Then, at the last moment, Willis
spilled nearly all that he had collected, and another brace had to
be taken out and split.

By this time our newspapers were torn in pieces, and altogether we
had much trouble in collecting half a bottleful. When at last we
corked up the bottle and hurried out of the barn, a heavy snowstorm
had set in. We could not even see the forest across the clearing.
But we ran as fast as we could, and for fifteen minutes scarcely