Tom had set out as fast as he could travel, the toboggan jumping
after him over the drifts. Even Busy Izzy grew excited, and yelled
like a good fellow as he joined in the chase. They all ran down the
bed of the stream and reached a deep cut where the banks were very
high on either hand.

Up the white slope of the left hand bank was a small plateau on
which the fire was burning. Some sort of a camp had been established,
surrounded by an embankment of tramped snow. Over this fortress the
heads of all six of the girls became visible, all crying out to their
rescuers in such a medley of exclamations that no one was
understandable.

"Helen! Ruth!" cried Tom. "Are you all right?"

"We're right as right can be, Tommy," returned his sister, gaily.

"We're not!" squealed Jennie Stone. "We're almost starved to death.
If you haven't brought anything for us to eat, don't dare come up
here, for we've turned cannibals and we're just about to cast lots to
see who should first be sacrificed to the general good!"

But there was more than laughter to season this rescue. Some tears
of relief were shed, and even Isadore Phelps showed some shame-faced
joy that the catastrophe had resulted in no worse hardships for the
girls. He said to Heavy:

"I'm sorry I spoiled that old taffy. If you'd eaten your full share
of _that_ the other day, I expect you wouldn't have suffered so
from hunger."