Here both the snow and the leaves were thick, and without warning he suddenly found himself sinking down in the midst of both.
He tried to scramble to a place of safety, but it was too late and down he went into an opening that was all of ten feet deep. The leaves and snow tumbled with him, and he was all but smothered.
When at last he managed to get his head clear of what was around him, he found himself up to his armpits in the mass, and almost powerless to move the lower portion of his body.
Jack was not one to cry for help, so, for a while, he remained silent, doing his best to extricate himself from his difficulty.
It was very cold down at the bottom of the hole, and, despite his exertions, he found himself gradually getting chilled to the bone. It was also dark, and this made his situation worse than had it been daylight.
At last, in desperation, he wrenched himself away from the snow and rubbish, and freed himself as far as the waist. But higher than this he could not get, for every time he attempted it he only slipped back again.
A half-hour was passed in trying to extricate himself, and by that time he was so worn out he was unable to make further effort.
“This is the worst fix yet,” he muttered, to himself. “If I stay here I’ll be frozen to death before morning,” and he gave a shiver which was not altogether from cold.
It was then that he began to shout for help. His voice was weak, and it is doubtful if it could have been heard thirty feet from his prison.
A quarter of an hour more went by, and Jack was almost stiff. His feet were like two cakes of ice, and his ears pained him fearfully.