Some were bent over so that the tops nearly touched the ground.
The brook itself, too, was almost buried and concealed in the snow.

In the still places, it had frozen over; and so the snow had been supported by the ice, and thus it concealed both ice and water.

At the little cascades and waterfalls, however, which occurred here and there, the water had not frozen.

Water does not freeze easily where it runs with great velocity.

At these places, therefore, the boys could see the water, and hear it bubbling and gurgling as it fell, and disappeared under the ice which had formed below.
At last, they came to the wood lot.