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looked at the snowy path. The boys were just starting out again.
    “Oh!” said Jessie. “It’s the two deer we saw in the woods!”
    The boys had stopped and were looking at the two animals, half buried in the snow. The deer were trying to get on their feet. They fell and got up again.
    The boys turned around and came quietly back to the cabin.
    Henry said in a low voice, “We don’t want to scare them. They think if they find people, they will find something to eat, too.”

CHAPTER 8
    To the Rescue
    T he four Aldens left the door open a crack. The deer were half buried in the snow, and they struggled to stand up.
    “They don’t want any help,” said Benny.
    “They don’t need any,” said Henry. “They are up now.”
    The two deer shook themselves to get the snow off. Still more snow came down on them. But slowly the two animals came toward the cabin. They sniffed. Their soft brown eyes looked at the door.
    The deer went down the path that the boys had dug and found the open space. The Aldens went quietly over to the window and looked out. The gentle animals were tired out. They lay down and licked each other.
    Benny said, “Listen, I’m hearing things! I think I’m dreaming! Is someone calling?”
    But Benny did hear real voices. He opened the door and took one look. Then he shouted, “Henry, put on your jacket and bring me mine!” Then he jumped down the steps to the path.
    Henry took both jackets from the hook and struggled through the snow. The girls looked down the path. Something—or someone—was lying in the snow. A man with a little boy on his shoulder was leaning against a tree.
    The Aldens forgot all about the deer.
    “It’s the Nelsons!” said Jessie. “Oh, dear! I’m afraid Barbara has fallen in the snow. We’ll just have to wait. We can’t go out!”
    “The Nelsons have come to help us,” said Violet. “I’m sure of that.”
    “So am I,” said Jessie. “Look! Henry’s carrying Barbara. I’ll get a sleeping bag and put it in front of the fireplace.”
    “I’ll get it,” said Violet. She disappeared. Jessie held the door wide open.
    Barbara was talking in a weak voice to Henry. “Oh, I’m so ashamed to give out, Henry! I thought I could make it. But I didn’t know how bad it was.”
    Henry said, “Don’t say such things about yourself! I wonder you got here at all. You were kind and brave.” He put Mrs. Nelson down on the sleeping bag. Jessie put another bag under her head.
    “Oh, I can sit up! I’m sure I can,” said Barbara.
    “You stay right there, Barbara,” advised Jessie, kneeling down beside her. “Later you can sit on the couch.”
    Watch came over and sat down and never moved.
    Benny said, “Mr. Nelson is the one who should sit down. He carried Puggsy most of the way.” Benny pushed a chair under Mr. Nelson, who dropped into it and leaned back and shut his eyes.
    Puggsy was feeling the best of anyone, but even he was pretty tired. Benny put him into his own sleeping bag and propped him up against a chair.
    “Well, well,” said Benny. “You came to help us!”
    Mr. Nelson nodded. “We tried to, anyway. We were worried about you when it kept on snowing. We didn’t know whether you ever got home or not.”
    Henry nodded, “We might not have.”
    “I said I was coming to look for you early this morning, but Barbara said she’d come, too. She would be worrying that I was lost. Of course we had to bring Puggsy.”
    “I’m so thankful you got here!” Jessie shivered. “You might have been lost in the snow.”
    “We did fall twice, but we got up,” said Tom Nelson.
    Jessie had a sudden thought. “Are you hungry?” she asked.
    “Am I hungry!” shouted Puggsy. “I haven’t had anything to eat for a million years.”
    Henry laughed. “That sounds like you, Ben,” he said.
    “Well,” said Tom Nelson, “it has been a long time. We started out with a big sack of food for you, but we had to leave it in the snow.”
    Jessie said, “Violet,