You may be sure there was much excitement in the Dalton house when the children were seen coming along, Mazie dripping wet and with Rick and Chot holding either arm. But Mrs. Dalton was accustomed to things happening, and as long as she saw that Mazie was alive and not hurt, she did not worry, but began making ready to warm the drenched and cold little girl.
Mazie was soon dried and put into a warm bed, with a hot water bag at her feet. She was given hot chocolate to drink and when the doctor came he said she might not be any the worse off for her adventure; at least he hoped she would not be.
And Mazie was not. Aside from a little cold, which she could hardly help having, she did not suffer much from having broken through the ice.
"Were you scared?" asked Rick, when it was all over.
"I just guess I was!" answered Mazie. "But when I saw Ruddy coming for me I seemed to know it would be all right. He saved me and he saved you; didn't he, Rick?"
"He sure did!" exclaimed the boy.
"And you and your chums did well, too," said Mr. Dalton. "You did just the right thing in getting the fence rails. I am glad to know Chot remembered some of his Boy Scout rules, and glad that you did not get so excited that you 'lost your heads,' as it is called."
"They would look funny without any heads!" laughed Mazie.
And so Rick loved Ruddy more than ever, and so did everyone who knew the dog.
The winter brought many good times to Rick and his friends, but there were no more such accidents as falling into a snow drift or breaking through the ice.