He roamed about for sometime; but what could he hope to see? The snow was still deep, and covered everything around. At last he came to a snow-drift which rose by the side of a rock to the height of several feet. Up this drift he ran, when the snow-crust gave way, and he tumbled into a deep cavern! What was his amazement to find himself at once in the presence of Nan and her lamb! Dick could scarcely believe his senses; but such was the truth. They had been buried in the snow-drift, and there they had dwelt for three weeks! The old sheep had dug to the earth, and had got a few roots; and she had eaten all the wool off her back, that she could reach. Thus she had sustained life, though she was sadly emaciated. By stepping and moving round, she had made a room of considerable size in the snow-drift, and it was into this Dick had tumbled. Her lamb had fared tolerably well, but he too was very thin. It was really very affecting to see old Nan welcome Dick. She bleated as if her heart would break; she licked his hands, and looked in his eyes in the most beseeching manner. The whole story of her sufferings and her joy was told in her countenance. Dick now let Nan out, and she with her lamb followed him home. This was a day of joy for him――and perhaps he had no happiness in after life superior to that which he experienced in finding his sheep and lamb alive; in leading them home; in telling the glorious news; and in feeding the creatures till all traces of their sorrow were wiped away! Inquisitive Jack. CHAPTER II. _Jack gets better acquainted with his new friends.――The story of the dead horse-fly.――Aunt Piper._ I have told you in the preceding chapter, how Jack watched the ants in the garden, and how he found out their ways of living. He was very young at this time, and having never been to school, he did not even know how to read: but by observing and investigating things, he had obtained a good deal of knowledge. As he had now learnt something about the ants, he desired to know more: so he used very often to go and look at them. He did not stamp, with his heel, on the ant-hills, and crush the houses of the little busy creatures, and kill the people in them. Some boys do this, and think there is fun in it; but Jack looked upon all innocent and harmless creatures with a feeling of affection, and he loved rather to help them, than to kill or disturb them. So it was with the ants. He used to go to their beds frequently, and he carried them little pieces of meat; and after a time, when he came near, the little creatures would run out of their holes, expecting something to eat! In this way they got acquainted with him, and he with them.