"I think you had better go home, and not do any thing about the timber." "No," said Jonas.
"Why, father will not think you did wrong to give it up, when we got into such trouble," said Oliver.
"No, I don't suppose he would; but I'd rather carry him back an answer, if I can." "Then let me go with you," said Oliver.
"Why, it is a long and very hard walk," said Jonas.

"There is no work so hard as travelling in soft snow, without snow-shoes.

If we had a pair of snow-shoes, we could get along very well." "Did you ever see any snow-shoes ?" said Oliver.
"No," replied Jonas, "but I have read about them.

They are very large and flat, and your foot stands in the middle of them, and so presses them upon the snow; and they are so large that they will not sink in very far." While Jonas was saying this, he was climbing down to the bank of the brook, with a pole in his hands, with which he was going to see if he could find firm footing, for the horse to go across.
"Yes," said he, punching his pole down to the bottom of the brook; "yes, it isn't deep.

The old General will get down here very well, I think." So he and Oliver trampled a sort of path down to the brook, and then they led the old General down.