A sudden gust of wind struck Margy sharply in the face.
“It’s so dark!” she gasped, swallowing a mouthful of snow.
And it was dark. The clouds were heavy and they seemed so near that Jess was sure she could touch them. The wind had risen steadily, and as the six children rounded a bend in the stream, it caught them full force.
“I can’t breathe!” screamed Jess, in a sudden panic.
“Turn around!” shouted Fred.
They turned their backs to the storm and waited a moment.
“There’s no use trying to go back,” cried Fred to Polly, as another gust of wind swooped upon them. “It’s blowing from all directions at once. We’d better try to get in somewhere.”
“Is it a blizzard?” asked Jess.
“It’s a storm,” said Fred, trying to speak cheerfully. “Come on, we’ll take off our skates and walk. There’s no use trying to skate in a wind like this.”
They managed to get their skates off, and then climbed the low bank.