The next minute he had dragged a rail from a broken fence close by and held it out to Godfrey.
'Hold tight,' he said; 'stand in the middle so that you balance your craft. Now then, a long pull and a strong pull,' and in another minute he had dragged the tub through the drifting ice to the bank and was lifting Godfrey out.
'There, young man,' he said as he set him on his feet, 'lucky for you you're safe ashore, for this pond's deep enough to cover half-a-dozen giants of your height. How came you cruising among the ice in a leaky craft, I should like to know?'
'I boarded her because the ice broke,' said Godfrey frankly; 'I didn't know it was going to break.'
'No, I don't suppose you did. Lucky for you that you had her to board, young gentleman. Now then, right about face, and put your best foot foremost, and home as fast as you can before you get cold. Where do you live?'
'At Oakfield,' said Godfrey, picking up the Victory.
'At Oakfield, do you? Then we shall have the pleasure of each other's company, for I am going that way. Let's see how fast you can walk.'
Godfrey and Nancy trotted beside him as he strode along the frosty road.
'Now what put it into your head to come and look for frozen-up craft in the pond here?' he asked.
'I didn't,' said Godfrey. 'I came to watch the French ports, and then I found it had turned into the Arctic Circle, so I went after the North-west Passage instead. I wanted to be like one of those brave men.'