"We've twenty-five miles to ride, you see, Nannie," he said.
"The boys have to be at Blackton's so's to get to work at seven."
They filled the thermos bottle that had so puzzled Tom, and then
sallied forth. The ponies were just as eager as they had been
the day Nan had come over from the Forks. She was really half
afraid of them.
It was so dark that she could scarcely see the half-cleared road
before them as the ponies dashed away from Pine Camp. The sky
was completely overcast, but Uncle Henry declared it would break
at sunrise.
Where the track had been well packed by former sleighs, the
ponies' hoofs rang as though on iron. The bits of snow that were
flung off by their hoofs were like pieces of ice. The bells on
the harness jingled a very pretty tune, Nan thought. She did not
mind the biting cold, indeed, only her face was exposed. Uncle
Henry had suggested a veil; but she wanted to see what she could.
For the first few miles it remained very dark, however. Had it
not been for the snow they could not have seen objects beside the
road at all. There was a lantern in the back of the pung and
that flung a stream of yellow light behind them; but Uncle Henry
would not have the radiance of it shot forward.
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