the night.

To Nellie the distance seemed never-ending. Would they ever reach the
house? How the road had lengthened! and her breath came hard and fast as
she staggered forward, trying to keep pace with the more hardy lad. The
light of the fire illumined the road for some distance around, and guided
their steps. Drawing near they could discover no one about the place. What
did it all mean? Here Nellie paused and with wildly beating heart looked
at the seething mass before her, and listened to the roar of the flames as
they sent up their wild flamboyant tongues into the air. Had her father
been entrapped in that terrible furnace? She glanced towards a barn on her
right and as she did so her eyes fell upon a sight never to be forgotten.
Someone was there, kneeling in the snow with bent head gazing intently
upon some object before him. It was her father! and with a cry of joy
Nellie rushed forward. She found he was kneeling by Billy Fletcher's side,
supporting his head, and carefully wrapping around him his own great-coat.
He looked up and an expression of relief came into his face as he saw his
daughter standing there.

"I am so glad you have come," he exclaimed. "Poor Billy's in a bad way. We
need help. He must be taken to some house. I wish you would hurry up the
road for assistance. Dan will go with you. Get his nephew Tom as quickly
as possible."

Waiting to hear no more, Nellie, fatigued though she was, started at once
for assistance, Dan following close behind. They had gone only a short
distance, however, when they met Tom himself running along the road.

"What's wrong?" he gasped.