"Yes, thousands of animals, all covered up in the snow,—mice in the ground, and squirrels in the hollow logs, and millions of insects, frozen up in the bark of the dead trees."
"And they'll be covered up deeper before morning," said Josey.
"Yes," said Jonas, "and so would our rafters, if we didn't get them out. We could not have found half of them, if we had left them till after this storm."
The rafters were lying around upon the old snow, wherever small trees, from which they had been formed, had fallen. They could be distinguished very plainly now, although covered with an inch of snow.
Jonas and Josey immediately went to work, getting them together, and placing them upon the sled. When they had been at work in this way for some time, Jonas said,—
"We shall not get half of them, at this load."
"Then what shall you do?" said Josey.
"O, come up again, and get the rest."
"But then it will be dark before you get home."
"That will be no matter," said Jonas.