The first cutting was passed without much trouble, although the snow came in at the windows and doors, and it seemed for a moment as if they should be buried. But the next was a more serious matter. Three several times the engine attempted it, and came to a stand. The great machine, which seemed capable of driving all before it, was baffled by the innumerable little soft snow-flakes, any one of which singly would have melted and disappeared in an instant before its hot breath.
The fire went out in the stove and was not renewed, for the wood was getting low, and the flue was so stopped with snow that there seemed danger of their being smothered with smoke. The party in the car were very silent. The old lady and the young one drew close together. Ned could not help crying, but put down his head and tried to hide his tears. Frank and Herbert put each an arm round Agatha, as if to protect her, whatever might happen, and the scholar wrapped the fur robe closer round her feet and limbs. The action seemed somehow to bring back to Agatha's mind a dim recollection of very different scenes—of early morning, with strange foreign trees and plants, and some one putting her on a pony—and she wondered more and more.
The engine now seemed to gather up its forces for a last attempt and to attack its foe with a fierce snort of defiance. There was desperate struggle—how long it lasted none of the children could tell, but it seemed a long time.
Inch by inch the locomotive fought its way, now relaxing for a moment, now gathering itself up for a still greater effort. At last, after what seemed a desperate attempt, its struggles suddenly ceased, and after a moment's stillness they went on, slowly indeed, but comparatively smoothly. The deep cutting was passed in safety. At the end of half an hour the train stopped, and the conductor entered, with his rough coat, his board and hair so covered with snow that he looked like a Polar bear.
"Here we are at last!" said he, addressing the passengers, "and here, it seems, we must stay to-night. The worst part of the road is before us, and it would be perfect madness for us to try to go any further. All we can do is to make ourselves as comfortable as possible till morning."
[CHAPTER II.]
A RESCUE.
"AS comfortable as possible" did not seem likely to be very comfortable. The station was a small one, in an out of the way place. There was a dwelling-house attached to it, but it had only just been completed and was quite unfurnished. The waiting-room of the station contained a large stove, and there was plenty of wood—that was one comfort—but they had neither beds nor provisions.