“I’ve got an errand up the road, fellows,” was what he said. “Why not keep me company, and on the way back we’ll see if the ice is strong enough on Danforth’s pond for skating. I know some of you are fairly wild to get going on runners again, and I wouldn’t mind it myself, since I’ve found my arnica bottle, and got the same handy.”
So it came about that, having finished the errand Billy had mentioned, the four chums left the main road, and struck into another that ran close by the big pond.
“I can see some children playing on the ice,” remarked Billy, presently. “It strikes me that’s pretty dangerous business when the water was so warm before the recent cold snap that the ice can’t be very thick as yet. Listen! you can hear it crack whenever they start to run.”
“Oh! new ice always does that, you must remember, Billy,” said Hugh. “Like you, I don’t think it’s exactly safe for children to be playing here, and not an older fellow around to do anything if one of the kiddies did break in. We’d better hustle along and warn them to get off the ice until it’s been tested.”
“Oh, look!” cried Billy. “There’s one little girl starting out as if she had been dared by her companions. It’s that sister of Gus Merrivale, too, the prettiest child in Oakvale, everybody says. Get a move on, boys! We ought to be handy in case anything did happen, which I hope won’t—oh! my stars! she’s fallen in, boys!”
Hugh was already starting to run at top speed, with the others at his heels. Unfortunately, they were still at some distance from the pond where the child could be seen struggling in the water, and despite their good intentions, possibly the scouts might have arrived too late to be of any real help.
But Hugh’s heart beat high with hope, for he had seen a figure swiftly rushing over the thin ice, the very rapidity of his passage preventing his breaking in before he arrived near the hole. Hugh had also recognized the suit of clothes worn by this person as the one he and his mother had purchased on the night before!
Yes, it was Sam Merrivale, who, on walking around to see the well-remembered old pond, had arrived to be just in time to rush to the rescue of his own little sister.
They saw him go crashing in as the thin ice gave way under his weight, but that cry of joy welling from Hugh’s lips told that Sam had attained his object.
“He’s got her all right, boys!” he gasped, as he still ran like wildfire toward the spot, for he knew very well there would have to be some further help for Sam if the young fellow was to be saved from breaking the ice all the way to the shore of the pond, holding his burden above the water.