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Jessie. “I don’t know why, though.”
    “Probably for deer meat stew,” said Benny. “I’m glad we don’t have to eat that.” He could hardly wait to make his snowshoes.
    “How are you going to make those covers stay on your feet, Ben?” asked Violet.
    “Well, I’m going to use two belts,” said Benny. “And I’m going to make two holes in each cover.”
    Even Henry watched Benny as he punched two long slits in each cover with his biggest knife blade. He used Tom Nelson’s hammer to pound with. He slipped a leather belt through the slits in each cover. Putting a boot on each cover, he buckled the straps, using new holes in the belts. He pulled the belts tight and pushed the ends under his boot lacings.
    “Good for you, Ben!” said Henry. “Let’s see you walk.”
    What a noise Benny made! Clank, clank!

    He said, “This is worse than the noise the squirrels make. But these snowshoes will be fine on the deep snow. No noise at all.”
    Jessie helped Benny into his sweater and jacket and heavy gloves. He took one shovel to use as a ski pole, and Henry took the ax. Before they went, they shoveled the steps again. Snowflakes were still falling fast. They were whirling around in the wind.
    “Those snowshoes really work, Violet,” said Jessie, as they watched the boys. Benny was walking on top of the snow, and Henry was wading in up to his waist. “I hope they won’t get lost.”
    “They won’t,” said Violet. “They’ll stay together.”
    “Now, how can we surprise the boys?” Jessie began to think. She said, “I wonder what Grandfather meant when he said he would send help? Today? Tomorrow?”
    Violet said, “I think he meant to go ahead and eat what we have. I hope so.”
    “That’s what I thought he meant,” said Jessie. “Let’s have sandwiches for lunch. And why don’t we surprise the boys with a big chicken stew for tonight? We have a whole chicken in a can, and we can put in a can of spaghetti. We know how to get hot water when we haven’t any water.”
    The girls started to take the chicken meat off the bones. Then they put the chicken and spaghetti with some hot water in the saucepan. Violet said in great excitement, “I’ve thought of a second surprise for the boys! Snow ice cream!”
    “Wonderful!” said Jessie. “We’ve got plenty of snow for everything. But I’ve forgotten how to make it. I think we take a little milk and put in sugar and melt it, and then vanilla—oh, but we haven’t any vanilla.”
    The two girls began to think. Then Jessie said, “We could melt the currant jelly and that would make it taste like currant. Just as good as vanilla.”
    “It would make it pink ice cream!” said Violet.
    No sooner said than done. Jessie began to mix the powdered milk and jelly and sugar. “We won’t put in the snow until it is time for dessert. Look, here come the boys now.”
    Benny and Henry had armfuls of wood. “That wood looks like Henry’s work,” said Violet, laughing. “All the sticks are the same length.”
    Benny came first on his snowshoes. He could walk faster. Henry had to lift his feet high over the snow at every step.
    Benny called, “We’re going right back. We had to leave a few sticks. But wait till I put my muffler on for a belt!”
    “I should think so,” said Jessie, trying not to laugh. “Want any help?”
    “Yes, I do. Maybe one muffler won’t go around me.”
    “One is enough,” said Jessie, “unless it is pinching you.”
    “No, it doesn’t pinch me. And isn’t this good wood? It’s all old and dry. Henry picked it out.”
    “Wonderful!” agreed the girls.
    The boys started back for the rest of the wood. Watch began to bark.
    “No, you can’t come, Watch,” Benny called. “You’d drown.”
    But Watch went on barking louder and harder.
    “He’s barking at squirrels, I guess,” said Jessie.
    “No, he isn’t, Jessie,” said Violet. “Listen!”
    There was a strange low cry outside. The girls opened the door and