There was no mistake this time; the flag was raised and lowered five or six times. The boys took to their heels and ran and gathered in a cluster fifty yards away on the hill-side. "What can it be?" they asked, looking in each others' pale faces. The behaviour of the flag seemed to them something supernatural. "We had better go back and tell them at home," one of them said. "We can't do that; no one would believe us. Look here, you fellows," and he glanced round at the bright sky, "this is nonsense; the flag could not wave of itself; there must be somebody alive below; perhaps there is a shepherd's hut quite covered with the drift, and they have pushed the flag up through the chimney." The supposition seemed a reasonable one, and a little ashamed of their panic the group returned towards the flag. The eldest boy again approached it. "Go carefully, Tomkins, or you may fall right down a chimney." The flag was still continuing its up and down movement; the boy approached and lay down on the snow close to it; then he took hold of the stick; he felt a pull, but held fast; then he put his mouth close to the hole, two or three inches in diameter, through which it passed. "Halloa!" he shouted; "is any one below?" A cry of "Yes, yes," came back in reply. "The two Jacksons and Humphreys." "Hurrah!" he shouted at the top of his voice, and his companions, although they had not heard the answer, joined in the cheer. "Are you all right?" he shouted down again. "Yes, but please get help and dig us out." "All right; I will run all the way back; they will have men here in no time; good-bye; keep up your spirits." "They are all there below!" he shouted to his friends. "Come on, you fellows, there is not a moment to lose." Wild with excitement the boys made their way home; they rushed down the hill-sides, scrambled through the drifts in the bottoms, in which they sometimes disappeared altogether, and had to haul each other out, struggled up the hills, and, panting and breathless, rushed in a body into Mr Humphreys' farmhouse, that standing nearest to them, on their way to Castleton. "We have found them; we have found them," they panted out. "They are all alive." Mrs Humphreys had risen from her seat in a chair by the fire as the boys entered, and uttering a faint cry fell back insensible. At this moment the farmer, who had but five minutes before returned, having been out since daybreak on the hills, hurried into the room; he was taking off his heavy boots when he heard the rush of feet into the house. "We have found them, sir; they are all alive!" "Thank God! thank God!" the farmer exclaimed reverently, and then seeing his wife insensible hurried towards her, uttering a shout for the servants. Two women ran in. "Look to your mistress," he said; "she has fainted; the good news has been too much for her--the boys are found alive." With mingled exclamations of gladness and dismay the servants raised their mistress.