The snow was falling fast and the light was almost gone when Samuel and his father turned toward home. They walked down Hurd Hill, past the tall white pines, past the Everetts’ farm, toward the Wire Bridge and town. “Come, Bossy,” said Papa.
“Come, Ned,” said Samuel.
Bossy was the cow with the biggest and brownest eyes Samuel had ever seen.
And Ned was the border collie pup with the whitest collar around his shoulders and the whitest tip on his tail and the perkiest ears and the brightest eyes and the darkest coat Samuel had ever seen.
“We’ve had two litters this year,” Mr. Buxton had said. “It would be a kindness if you would take one of these pups off my hands, young Samuel.”
Samuel had hardly been able to speak. He had knelt down, and one of the pups—the one with the whitest collar and the whitest tip on his tail and the perkiest ears and the darkest coat—had bumbled up to him and licked his face.
Now Samuel and his father and Bossy and Ned walked over the Wire Bridge, and the wind pushed to get under Samuel’s scarf.
“Bossy is hardly a proper name for a cow,” said Samuel.
“Why don’t you name her, then?” said his father. “You’ll be the one doing the milking.”
The snow swirled into Samuel’s eyes.
“Blizzard,” he said. “Let’s call her Blizzard.”
“A fine and proper name,” said Samuel’s father.
Back in town, the roads had already been rolled, so the walking was easier. They walked past Mr. Lewis’s store, where all the lights were out. “I guess he figures there won’t be anyone else out on this night,” said Papa. They walked past the Widow Mitchell’s house, and they saw her sitting near the lamp in the front window, reading.
Samuel and his father and Blizzard and Ned kept on toward home.
Out of town, the snow was deep again. They walked past the Perrys’ place, and Samuel hoped the kittens would stay warm—especially the kitten with the little bit of white around his nose. Then they walked past the Snows’ farm, and Hallie Girl came out to yip at them and wag her tail and nuzzle Ned.
Samuel and his father and Blizzard and Ned kept on toward home.
“I think I see the lights of our farm up ahead,” said Samuel.
“And just in time,” said his father. “This cold is more than enough for two men to bear.”
They started to walk a little faster through the gathering snow. Ned ran on ahead, then came back to bark at them, then ran ahead, then came back to bark at them, until they were at their own farm, where every window in the house had a light glowing. And there was Mama opening the door to look out for them, and Ned bumbling up to her through the snow, and Blizzard mooing when she saw her new barn, and Mama with her hands up to her face. “Oh my!” she said. “Oh my!”
Samuel and Ned took Blizzard into her stall, and they spread hay for her, and Samuel pulled out one of Star’s warm blankets for Ned to nestle into, and when he came back out of the barn, his father and his mother were still standing by the door, waiting for him.
“It’s been a long road on a short day,” said Samuel.
“Come inside and tell me all about it,” said his mother.
And that is just what Samuel did.