comforted me a little.

Father was keeping up a stream of
cheerful talk.

"Now, sir," he was saying to Sheri-
dan, "stand still while I get this har-
ness off you. I'll tie you and blanket
you, and you can lie or stand as you
please. Here's your nose-bag, with
some good supper in it, and if you don't
have drink, it's not my fault. Anyway,
it isn't so long since you got a good nip
at the creek."

I was watching by the faint light of
the lantern, and noticing how unnat-
ural father and Sheridan looked. They
seemed to be blocked out in a rude kind
of way, like some wooden toys I had at
home.

"Here we are," said father, "like
Robinson Crusoes. It was hard luck
for Robinson, not having his little girl
along. He'd have had her to pick up
sticks and twigs to make a fire, and that
would have been a great help to him."

Father began breaking fallen