"I have heard that that makes you more thirsty," Dick remarked; "hold some in your hands till it melts, and then sip the water." Four days passed; then they found that the snow no longer continued to cover up the hole, and knew that the snow-storm had ceased. The number of sticks required to reach the top was six, and as each of these was about four feet long they knew that, making allowance for the joints, the snow was over twenty feet deep. Very often the boys talked of home, and wondered what their friends were doing. The first night, when they did not return, it would be hoped that they had stayed at the farm; but somebody would be sure to go over in the morning to see, and when the news arrived that they were missing, there would be a general turn out to find them. "They must have given up all hope by this time," Dick said, on the fifth morning, "and must be pretty sure that we are buried in the drift somewhere; but, as all the bottoms will be like this, they will have given up all hopes of finding our bodies till the thaw comes." "That may be weeks," Tom said; "we might as well have died at once." "We can live a long time here," Dick replied confidently. "I remember reading once of a woman who had been buried in the snow being got out alive a tremendous time afterwards. I think it was five weeks, but it might have been more. Hurrah! I have got an idea, Tom." "What is that?" Tom asked. "Look here; we will tie three more sticks--" "We can't spare any more sticks," Tom said; "the snow is up to our knees already." "Ah! but thin sticks will do for this," Dick said; "we can get some thin sticks out here. We will tie them over the others, and on the top of all we will fasten my red pocket-handkerchief, like a flag; if any one comes down into this bottom they are sure to see it." CHAPTER TWO. THE RED FLAG. Dick's plan was soon carried into effect, and the little red flag flew as an appeal for help ten feet above the snow in the lonely valley. Down in Castleton events had turned out just as the boys had anticipated. The night of the snow-storm there was no sleep for their parents, and at daybreak, next morning, Mr Humphreys and Mr Jackson set out on foot through the storm for the distant farm. They kept to the road, but it took them four hours to reach the farm, for the drifts were many feet deep in the hollows, and they had the greatest difficulty in making their way through. When, upon their arrival, they found the boys had left before the gale began, their consternation and grief were extreme, and they started at once on their return to Castleton. Search-parties were immediately organised, and these, in spite of the fury of the storm, searched the hills in all directions.