Jotham, who was taking a late supper, came to the door.
"What will you give to know where your lost oxen are ?" I cried.
"Where are they?
Do you know ?" he exclaimed.

Then I told him where Willis and I had seen them.

"Wal, I vum!" said Jotham.

"Left me and took to the woods! And I've lost two years' work from 'em!" For a moment I was sorry I had told him.
The next day he journeyed up to Willis's camp with several neighbors; and from there they all snowshoed to the yard to see the oxen and the moose.

The strangely assorted little herd was still there, and, so far as could be judged, no one else had discovered them.
Jotham had intended to drive the oxen home; but the party found the snow so deep that they thought it best to leave them where they were for a while.