The storm subsided. The snowflakes grew lighter and fewer, and the atmosphere clearer, but the Tambys realized with much concern that the light was waning as at the approach of night. It was only three o'clock in the afternoon, but on the twentieth of December darkness comes early. Yet they were still nearly ten miles from the town of Mamezan, which was their destination.
"Cæsar," exclaimed Nadine, rousing herself from the sad reverie into which she had relapsed, "we must start again at once, or we shall have to spend the night out in this desolate plain."
"We must, indeed," answered Cæsar with a brisk toss of the head, "but it will be precious slow going. See, Nadine, how deep the snow is! Steady is right up to his knees in it. I must get him out."
So saying, he pulled away the canvas which had been covering the horse and elephant, and taking the former by the bridle, called out in the same tone as if he were speaking to a human companion:
"Brace up, comrade! It will be a hard job for you to drag the heavy van through this deep snow, but we must be off if we don't want to spend the night without shelter. So come along, do your best, old chap!"
Steady was quite willing to show that he did not lack good-will. He strained hard upon the collar, and by dint of a succession of vigorous efforts, succeeded in getting the van in motion.
But after a few turns of the wheels it stopped again. The load was beyond his strength, and the poor creature in his noble efforts to start it, slipped upon the already hard frozen snow, and fell heavily, injuring his knees.
Cæsar and Nadine burst into despairing tears, in which little Abel joined. But it was only for a moment.
"This won't do," cried the brave-hearted boy, springing up and dashing away the tears as if he were ashamed of them. "I know what I'll try."
He remembered what he had seen his father do sometimes when the road had been too soft, or the hills too steep upon their route, and he at once proceeded to imitate it.